Extoritionate Charges

PieOPah · 22-03-2010, 12:16

Last week, my wife got a new mobile phone with Virgin.

She liked the HDC HD2 so got that. Basically, she wanted to get an iPhone that wasn't an iPhone....

Having had the phone for little over 7 days, she was surprised when she couldn't send texts or make calls. A call to customer services later and we find out that the account has been suspended due to £250 worth of data usage (so much for the UNLIMITED data usage, a term which shouldn't be allowed to be used if there is a LIMIT).

The phone has been linked with her hotmail E-mail and her gmail calendar - both set with push.

There have been a few pictures uploaded to facebook and 1 application downloaded. Beyond that there has been very little usage.

I spoke to the customer service desk and was told that the phone is making a data connection every couple of minutes but beyond that he couldn't tell me anything.

So, has anybody else used this phone and know what might be causing this problem?

Many thanks,

m419 · 23-03-2010, 10:23

No, all mobile network operators charge seperately for push email.

Instead you should enquire about a bundle or package which you can sign up for that will enable frequent use of push email.

Alternatively, you should use mail through the standard mobile internet on your handset, for example to access BT Broadband,Talk21,BTClick or any Yahoo accounts go to wap.yahoo.com

No way would internet data come to that much money, I mean 500MB is all most people use in a month.

PieOPah · 23-03-2010, 10:38

I agree that 500MB in a month is a reasonable amount to use. Personally I have an iPhone which I feel I am a fairly heavy user. I download applications on a daily basis using the 3G connection. I have my email on fetch every 15 minutes and my calendar is set to push.

All applications which are able to send Push Notifications (about 15 of my current apps).

I checked my usage which I believe is monthly and this came to little under 500MB.

How my wife has managed to top 2GB in 9 days is unbelievable...

A smartphone is designed to be connected 24/7 so you can receive notifications when you have new mail. If Virgin are going to sell a phone and then cripple your usage of it then why sell it in the first place?

Here is a smartphone. It can have push E-mail, constant connection to the internet but, here's the catch - use any of these nifty features and we'll bankrupt you....

I have told my wife to go into the store today and cancel the contract (within the 28 days). We will NOT be paying the bill and she will instead be getting an iPhone with O2 where their UNLIMITED dataplan may have a FUP but at least it is FAIR....

m419 · 24-03-2010, 16:02

If you want a good internet data usage plan then go to 3, you will find that the internet speed is much faster they give you a fair amount and when your near your limit they text you and when you have reached it they suspend it.

My friend got a blackberry on O2 and when he was using YouTube,the videos kept stopping and had to wait for them to load all the time, and that was under full 3G coverage, he is now getting the same Blackberry on a 3 Internet Texter plan that offers 4000 Texts,2000 3 to 3 minutes and 500 any network minutes for £25 per month and it comes with 1GB data allowance, voicemail comes out of the minutes-better than nothing.

PieOPah · 24-03-2010, 16:27

We have cancelled the Virgin Contract and moved to O2 with the iPhone. They have unlimited with FUP but I have never had a problem with usage (despite in the past having used a couple of gig in a month when I was jailbroken).

I know where we are with the iPhone. My wife can share any apps I have already bought which is a small saving in itself.

All that is left to do now is contest the bill when it arrives...

m419 · 24-03-2010, 19:32

I'm afraid you will have to pay for it, there was a case of this with a customer on the T-Mobile USA network, they signed up for Unlimited mobile internet, over here the equivalent is Web'nWalk Max. Well anyway, they were told that they would get unlimited usage, and they asked if they could use the allowance whilst roaming, guess what, the sales advisor said yes!!!

The guy went travelling round Europe, and he came home to find a bill from T-Mobile for $750. He was charged for data usage whilst roaming.

He tried to challenge T-Mobile and eventually had to take them to small claims court.

Thankfully,iphones have wifi capability.

PieOPah · 24-03-2010, 19:47

This phone had Wifi but for some reason whilst connected to Wifi also used the 3G connection.

If we knew HOW the phone had been using the data connection every 15 seconds then it would explain the usage, but since nobody can tell us that then I am not willing to pay.

No Smart Phone on the market should be using that type of amount of data in 9 days just for push mail....

I doubt it will come to it, but I will be willing to take it to small claims.

Heck, they have a £150 credit limit on the account so how did it get to £250 anyway (they misunderstand the difference between limited and unlimited......)

m419 · 25-03-2010, 18:08

But like I said before, there are seperate charges as with all networks for the use of Push email, when you use it, it will show that you have not used any data, the mobile internet data they give you is for use for surfing the web.

It is the network operators discretion on the amount you pay and what bundles and packages are available.

3 pay as you go gives you a free data allowance, now when you use MSN or Skype or even My3, this does not come out of your allowance, however, if 3 decide they want to start charging for these exempt products, they will be charged seperately just like push email.

Did you ask Virgin Mobile about push email fees when you signed up for this?

By the way, regardless of whether or not you used wifi or Virgin/T-Mobile's 3G network, push email is a service provided by your network operator and therefore remains chargeable when using it through wifi, I think you are a charged a fixed fee per day unless you purchase some kind of add on.

devilincarnate · 25-03-2010, 18:20

Have just seen this as they say that the phone was linked to the hotmail and gmail ?

Windows Live Messenger: Windows Live Messenger is subject to a fair use allowance of 10,000 instant messages per month. If your usage exceeds this amount then we reserve the right to charge you for the excessive element of your usage at the daily rate for mobile internet access outlined for your tariff in our Tariff Table. Use is within the UK and is for your personal, non-commercial use only. It is for use when accessed via the applicable Windows Live Messenger application on your handset only. If you access Windows Live Messenger via the mobile internet then you will be charged the daily rate for mobile internet access for your tariff and will be subject to our fair use policy for mobile internet access. Roaming rates apply if accessing service from abroad: refer to our Tariff Table. There is no limit on the number of instant messages that you can receive.

Please correct me if wrong ? link here ( our fair use policy )

http://www.virginmobile.com/vm/gener...r.sm068#terms9

PieOPah · 26-03-2010, 06:55

I didn't use WindowsLive Messenger, just hotmail (for E-mail) and gmail (for calendar).

I have never heard of any service which offers push as a seperate tarrif. This should all come under a single data tarrif. Push mail is data and if it is to be charged seperately, then this should be made clear in the T&C.

Even if push mail was a seperate service, how can it possibly use 2Gb in 9 days? The total size of the mailbox is 75Mb and since it would see that the Inbox is the only thing that was sync'd, this is on 2Mb - so push can't be to blame!