Orange-horror itemised phone bill from Canada

lulubelle41

I have just received my itemised phone bill whilst in Canada for 9 days.

It details date, time, 'Canada internet' with the volume of usage in bytes then the cost. For example 20/11/2013; 08.58; 938,475 bytes (= .0.8949MB) costing £7.16 (@ £8 per MB).

However, on one day at 14.21; 99,999,940 bytes of usage was detailed (= 95.3673MB) NOT just once but FIVE times. Totalling 476.84MB and costing £3814.69.

The following day, at a strangely coincidental time of 14.21; 99,999,940 bytes of usage was detailed NOT just once this time, but SIX times. Totalling 572.20MB and costing £4577.63.

This is just a two day example of the itemised bill. This happened on many days at different times, such as 07.46, 19.42 etc. My bill exceeded £30K including a travel bundle of £15 a day for 30MB.

However, on other days a totally random amount of bytes were used at random times totalling £59.03 - which to my mind is slightly more believable.

Can anyone tell me if 99,999,940 bytes (95.3673MB) are the maximum able to be detailed at any one time?

Has anyone receive this sort of information on their bill?

Is it possible to use 572.20MB a day, let alone in a minute, if NOT watching a video, nor downloading songs, nor casually browsing the web, nor downloading 100's of photos to facebook or sending 100's of emails?

I have searched the internet for examples of itemised international roaming bills but alas nothing that replicates my bill.

Has anyone any knowledge of the above as I do not know how to investigate this?

DUTR

You couldn't have looked far, seen plenty of posts about the issue and orange, iphone perhaps?

grumbler

lulubelle41 wrote: »

...
Is it possible to use 572.20MB a day, let alone in a minute, if NOT watching a video, nor downloading songs, nor casually browsing the web, nor downloading 100's of photos to facebook or sending 100's of emails?

It is possible (for a day, not a minute) if a phone keeps trying to do some automatic update and fails mid-way.

That said, data billing errors are common at Orange.

lulubelle41

To DUTR
Not seen anyone quote 99,999,940 bytes before...?

NFH

With a risk of being charged £8000/GB (vs £10/GB for UK usage), I avoid using my Orange SIM card outside the UK, particularly outside the EEA and particularly for data roaming. Even your daily bundle of £15 for 30MB is expensive at £500/GB. Why not use a Canadian SIM card and pay the same as a local?

DUTR

lulubelle41 wrote: »

To DUTR
Not seen anyone quote 99,999,940 bytes before...?

There is no prize for the highest bytes shown (who's looking or cares?) As NFH points out and lots of others in the past, use a local sim card when abroad to avoid the high data charges (even though some iphone users report data useage even when data and roaming data are disabled).

lulubelle41

Thanks NFH, but what I am trying to find out are details of my bill. i.e. the 99,999,940 bytes, why that amount on a continual basis and why the frequency? How can I investigate that all this is true>

Mylo_The_Moggy

lulubelle41 wrote: »

I have just received my itemised phone bill whilst in Canada for 9 days.

My bill exceeded £30K including a travel bundle of £15 a day for 30MB.

Yikes. :eek:
Are they chasing you to pay that full amount?
Even I couldn't afford to pay that........

NFH

How much does the data counter in your phone say that you used? Presumably as you were restricted to 30MB/day, you were keeping a close eye on this?

macman

You fail to give any info about what usage you know you did use during your 9 day visit. Did you use data while not on wi-fi, if so how much, how often? Did you switch off data roaming?

lulubelle41

To NFH -

Downloaded the recommended Angel App. £2.37 in debit. When I texted Orange about 8 times with an update, they just reminded me that I was in Canada and didn't give me any details about my current usage.