Three PAYG credits disappearing

Ms_Mop_123

Can anyone shed some light on to what's happening with my Three Pay As You Go credits please.

I only use my smart phone when I'm away on holiday. Husband and myself are both retired and we've been away three times this year and in total I've put £50 of credits on my phone since 18th April. I had no problems at all last year with credits disappearing and because I don't use the phone all the time I am reluctant to sign up to a contract.

When I first topped up in April I had over £22 of credit on the phone, kept checking my usage and I was using around 75p per day. I don't download things, I normally go on social media in the morning and evenings and will send messages to people via Facebook. When we were driving home I checked my balance and it was over £16, I did use the phone for a few days in between the following holiday but when not in use it was switched off. At the start of the following holiday I checked my balance and it was just over £6, around £10 had disappeared. During this holiday I had to top up again and I kept checking my balance and all of a sudden another big drop in the credit.

Just been away again and the same things happened again. Right, let's get to the most strangest thing of all. I topped up my credit on 14th June, the balance then was £13.55 (yes, I started to keep notes), on the 16th at 10.20 pm the balance was £12.80, I'd used 75p. I then switched the phone completely off. I didn't use the phone long the following morning, we were going home. I did use it for short spells during the journey home and just before we reached home I checked the balance......45p!!. I'd used over £12 that day.

I've phoned three up and was told I'd used 1gb on the 17th....he said because it was a smart phone even if I'm not on the internet it's still using my credits because of the apps. Told me I should go into settings and switch my internet off when I'm not on the internet, fair enough, but 1gb is excessive isn't it in that short space of time?

They have put £10 worth of credit on my phone, a gesture of goodwill, husband thinks they don't know what the problem is and they've made something up. Anyone got any answers?

Thank you for reading, I know it's a bit long winded.

Ms Mop

eDicky

Ms_Mop_123 wrote: »

1gb is excessive isn't it in that short space of time?

Yes it is, unless you were streaming radio or video etc. Try to have someone knowledgeable check your settings, perhaps it's something like automatic updating of apps on mobile data, when it should be set to Wi-Fi only.

When you say 'away', you do mean a 'Feel at Home' country, don't you? Megabytes cost a lot more than 1p elsewhere...

ryan121

If you have an android phone go into settings, mobile data and then look for data usage. It should show you how much you are actually using and which apps are using the most data.

Going by what you are saying you shouldn't even be using 1gb a month. Using that in a day is not normal.

Ms_Mop_123

Thank you both for your replies, very much appreciated.

eDicky we've been to South Devon, South Wales and North Wales. I haven't streamed any radio or videos.

ryan 121. I've done what you suggested and most of the usage seems to be hotspot mobile and tethering. I have tethered my iPad to my phone occasionally while away, it on the day in question when 1gb and over £12 disappeared in just over eight hours I hadn't tethered it.

It was suggested to me to switch my WiFi off when not on the internet, im sure youngsters who are always on their phones on social media keep switching their wifi on and off.

I'm going into town tomorrow and I'm going into the Three shop to see if they can shed any light on what's happened.

ryan121

What have you been doing on the iPad then as that's what's using all your internet?

Ms_Mop_123

Just like I said....Facebook, sending messages via Facebook, a few other social media, reading the Daily Mail, looking at weather forecasts and doing a bit of googling. Don't think that warrants all that's money going.

Just heard an advert on the radio for Tesco mobile, monthly contract giving you 3gb, well is I used 1gb last Sunday in eight hours, that would last me a day. Hopefully might find something out tomorrow, will keep you posted.

Neil49

As eDicky has said, have you checked your phone settings to see if app updates are only allowed when connected via WiFi?

This is a big user of data.

its_all_over

Ms_Mop_123 wrote: »

Just like I said....Facebook, sending messages via Facebook, a few other social media, reading the Daily Mail, looking at weather forecasts and doing a bit of googling. Don't think that warrants all that's money going.

Facebook is a terrible data hog, if I remember correctly I have read that a lot of people have had problems with Facebook because it shows videos automatically when you browse your timeline etc.

Ms_Mop_123

Well I've been into the shop today and not really got very far at all. The gentleman who I saw just kept saying that I must of used it all. He did say that when I tether my iPad to my phone anything I've stored on there i.e. photographs, videos etc my phone will send to iCloud, which will use my credits. I just kept stressing that I couldn't of used that much in such a short space of time, but he kept saying I must off. Stale mate I suppose, he had customers waiting so I thanked him for his time and left the shop.

He did switch off automatic up dates like Neil 49 suggested. He's then telling me I would be better off buying a one month add on for £15 which gives me 5gb or going onto a monthly contract .

I got it wrong about being told to switch my WiFi off when not using the internet, should of said switch off my mobile data, I've done that now. I'll just have to see what happens next time I'm away.

its-all-over.....you are right about Facebook now. I've noticed that when I'm scrolling down my page any video that's on there it automatically starts to play, I do scroll past them very quickly though.

Thanks everyone for your input and advice, most appreciated.

Ms Mop

indesisiv

Ms_Mop_123 wrote: »

its-all-over.....you are right about Facebook now. I've noticed that when I'm scrolling down my page any video that's on there it automatically starts to play, I do scroll past them very quickly though.

No point in scrolling past fast .. just go into the settings and turn it off! Cure the problem properly.

Ms_Mop_123

indesisiv...thanks for answering, I've just looked in settings and don't know what to do. I'm afraid I'm not up to speed with technology....when I went to school we didn't even have calculators.