Broadband proof of data usage request possible?

JibTeenuc

I have a combined deal with my telecoms service provider covering my landline, my broadband and my mobile phone.

I have been with the same company for circa 30 years.

A year ago, I was getting charged a total of around £80 to £90 per month which I thought was a bit high as I rarely use my mobile and landline but was downloading quite a bit on the broadband.

I asked the company if they could examine my usage and point me towards the most cost-effective, based on previous/current usage, which I accepted and signed up for - for 24 months at (I think) £54 per month.

It has been just over a year now and I note that, despite my downloading having been reduced and my landline and mobile usage being roughly the same, my monthly bill has been averaging £100 and often more, up to £120.

I find the bills very confusing and also note they simply give a "total tally" of my data usage (uploads and downloads).

Can I request (even better, insist) upon a breakdown of my data usage as, for the past three months, I have been keeping a rough tally of my own and I would be interested in comparing them.

Thanks in advance for any advice. :-)

Neil_Jones

Who are you with for your phone and broadband and what package are you on? How much data are you downloading on the broadband?

It may be worth looking at a package with unlimited usage as it sounds like you're on a capped tariff that charges if you go over that amount.

JibTeenuc

Neil_Jones wrote: »

It may be worth looking at a package with unlimited usage as it sounds like you're on a capped tariff that charges if you go over that amount.

Thank you.


You are probably correct about seeking an unlimited package but I am locked into this one for another year plus, as I said, my downloads have decreased significantly yet my costs have gone up and I suspect an accounting error or overcharging issue so am wondering if I can obtain a more detailed data usage history.


Hopefully someone can help me with that query.


Is there such a thing as a Subject Access Request facility for such information, for instance?


Thanks, again.

onomatopoeia99

You could just ask them.

I'm far from convinced that the number of bytes of data traversing an internet link to your home would count as personal information and be eligible for a subject access request. It's also entirely possible the ISP doesn't keep detailed records, just a counter.

The ISP I use offers an interface that shows graphs of throughput on the link over the day going back weeks, and aggegated useage summaries going back until I joined them.

JibTeenuc

onomatopoeia99 wrote: »

You could just ask them.

I'm far from convinced that the number of bytes of data traversing an internet link to your home would count as personal information and be eligible for a subject access request. It's also entirely possible the ISP doesn't keep detailed records, just a counter.

The ISP I use offers an interface that shows graphs of throughput on the link over the day going back weeks, and aggegated useage summaries going back until I joined them.

Agree with you on both points. A little more thought on my part would have, hopefully, led me to the same conclusions.


Thanks for providing clarity.