O2 data usage - not charged?

Llyllyll

Evening,

For the past week or so I have been toying with the Opera mini browser that I installed in my mobile. On checking my usage online however I can see that I haven't (yet) been charged for any of this usage. It can't be included in the line rental as O2 give a paltry 100k free per month so I was wondering if it’s anything to do with the fact that I recently upgraded the software on my phone and can now use both GSM and GPRS.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I have stopped any further data usage for now just in case…

Thanks,
L

Road_Hog

Well, if you're using GSM instead of GPRS, you're connecting by phonecall and that is paying for your data.

It would appear everyone gets a couple of months free on O2 when they first get the contract. However this might be held until you actually first use the data.

Then after a couple of months you're hit with a big data bill, it's almost as if they want you to use the system, think there's no bill, use it alot and then wham, hit with a large bill.

rajinder

Same thing happened to me....got hit by a huge bill after 2 months. So I'd second that, and advice you to be careful!

jedeye

I have never been charged for connecting via GSM (WAP) with o2. I've got a basic Motorola L6 phone which I'm connecting to the mobile web via a 077xxx mobile number and maybe I just don't go over 200 mins per month usage but I've never been charged. o2 is good for this. 0870 and 0845 numbers are part of your x-net mins also.

I used to spend £5 per month on simple data access last year with orange.

Llyllyll

Thanks for the replies.

I'll wait for my next bill to come through before I use it anymore then. Should be here next week so not too long .

Road_Hog

jedeye wrote:

I have never been charged for connecting via GSM (WAP) with o2.

You won't, as per my earlier email, you pay for GSM-WAP by dialling up, therefore the cost of the call pays for the data. This call may be included in your bundle so not individually charged/itemised, but it is the call you make to connect that pays for it.

GPRS which is much faster doesn't included a call, therefore you pay for the data downloaded.

Think of it a bit like dial up internet & broadband internet.

natjay_2

I started using O2 gprs last month and I was also surprised to see no usage on my last bill as I went well over my I meg that is included in my contract and I was not billed for the extra usage

I have just checked my unbilled usage online and I have a charge of £3.21 for data waiting to go on the next bill, so it looks like the data usage is taking longer to go on to your account if you can view your bill online then check your unbilled usage

Llyllyll

natjay wrote:

I started using O2 gprs last month and I was also surprised to see no usage on my last bill as I went well over my I meg that is included in my contract and I was not billed for the extra usage

I have just checked my unbilled usage online and I have a charge of £3.21 for data waiting to go on the next bill, so it looks like the data usage is taking longer to go on to your account if you can view your bill online then check your unbilled usage

I check my usage online frequently and there's nothing showing in the unbilled usage, that's what set the alarm bells ringing in the first place to be honest.

Is there a way to tell how Opera Mini is connecting to the web i.e. GSM or GPRS?

For info I have a SE Z530i.

Thanks again,
L

Coopster

my 1st post so :hello: to you all

a warning to all using the O2 for the data. DONT DO IT! Yes, you get 100kb for free each month but after that you pay per MB , and the price they charge is astronomical.
I was stung with a £190 bill, £150 of which was data useage, AND i wasnt even on it that much.
Luckily for me, I got out of paying for it because they were supposed to warn me when my bill went over £100, which they never did, and because they never told me that the price had recently gone up ( used to be 1p per page looked at)
So Llyllyll (hope thats right!) your right in waiting to see how much you will be charged

Llyllyll

Coopster wrote:

my 1st post so :hello: to you all

a warning to all using the O2 for the data. DONT DO IT! Yes, you get 100kb for free each month but after that you pay per MB , and the price they charge is astronomical.
I was stung with a £190 bill, £150 of which was data useage, AND i wasnt even on it that much.
Luckily for me, I got out of paying for it because they were supposed to warn me when my bill went over £100, which they never did, and because they never told me that the price had recently gone up ( used to be 1p per page looked at)
So Llyllyll (hope thats right!) your right in waiting to see how much you will be charged

How long after you used the data were you billed for it? Did it show up online straight away, was it included on your next paper bill or did they catch up with you a few months down the line?

Thanks

Coopster

well, the 1st i knew anything about the size of the bill was when they blocked my phone because of the bill amount. I couldnt use the phone at all and had to contact them to find out why. Thats when i discovered what had happened.
From what i remembered it was a couple of months from the time i started using the phone to surf to the time of being blocked, and then at least a few weeks before i got the statement.
Was a real shock what they charge AND how easily and quickly the amount built up, because i really didnt use it all that much.
So from now on if i want to `surf` i`ll do it on the comp, least i know there wont be a nasty shock in the future.

good luck