$207.80 of Data overage charges!

[esc76]

I opened up my AT&T combined services bill (local, long distance, dsl and Cingular) to find my Cingular Wireless had a $207.80 charge attributed to extra data usage. I believe I passed out mid-scream. I currently have the meager Media Net 3mb plan, which up till now, has served me just fine. My typical usage is light news reading during the morning and evening bus ride.

On my bill I notice that at about halfway through my billing cycle at approximately 2 in the afternoon (when I'm seated in front of a computer at work, privy to a much faster T1 or T3 or whatchamacallit data connection) I somehow accumulated a data charge of $174. Subsequently, having apparently burned through my data usage, the rest of the billing cycle resulted in another $30 of charges.

I called Cingular to point out the apparent hiccup, and because of the complexity of my problem was told that some specialists would look into the matter. A couple days later (yesterday) I got a call back from Cingular's customer service informing me that the specialists determined the data usage to be valid, and hence I was liable for the charges. However, as a courtesy to me for being such a valued customer, they would spot me half. At the time I was literally out the door to get a beer paid for by the company I work for (doesn't happen often) so I told them I'd call back.

I just spoke to the customer service crew again, and while they really couldn't help me any further, I was able to make another request for more information on exactly how these specialists were able to determine the data usage was "legitimate". They were also kind enough to tell me if I wanted to take the matter further, I would need to speak to the manager.

I'm sure when I talk to the manager he/she will understand that only a moron who is surrounded by the internet day and night, would take it upon his phone's limited and relatively slow data connection to download God knows what across 20+ megabytes of data usage. Right?

So, to end this post, I propose two questions.

1. Why am I paying $9.99 for 3mb when I can pay $19.99 for unlimited data? I actually think I have the answer for this, and it rhymes with "I was uninformed".

2. Have any of you run into a situation like this? If so, how did you (hope hope) successfully deal with it?

And finally, I swear I'm innocent. Scout's honor.

-Edit- I personally voted yes in the above poll for good measure.

-Edit Deux- I think I screwed up the poll.

[Mike Temporale]

What I don't get is why Cingular's system didn't catch the large irregular data usage and flag your account until they could contact you about it. The would do this in an instant if your phone number was being used to make lots of long distance calls to the other side of the world. Why not when your data usage spikes out of the blue?

As for your device, have you installed anything new in the last month? is it possible some new application isn't as data friendly as one might think?

And finally, in regards to the poll; I don't see one. ;)

[esc76]

Mike,

The only application I am suspect of is Google Maps (previosly Google Local) using the java application. However I am usually pretty good about terminating that application (and all others) using Task Manager. I'm also not sure why Google Maps would be stuck in a loop to where it would be constantly downloading.

Also, I noticed in my original post I failed to mention I have a SMT5600.

Ed

[Sven Johannsen]

What sort of place do you work? Do you leave BT on and discoverable? Do you have colleagues savvy enough to access the web through your phone. Naive enought to do so inadvertently?

[esc76]

Sven,

I do not leave BT on. I would be very surprised if one of my colleagues was savy enough to either intentionally or unitentionally access the web through my phone. It's a 10 minute conversation as it is with how I'm able to listen to music through my phone (Yahoo music subscription).

[esc76]

Here is how the whole situation unfolded in one final phone call:

Apparently my case result with the specialists was it wasn't actually a big 20mb download, but instead normal surfing usage. So, at first it sounded like they were going to take the "we'll cover half, you cover half" offer off the table. After having been previously informed that my next step was to talk to a manager, I made the request and was put on hold. A short while later the customer rep who answered my call told me that the manager was on the phone with the specialists who investigated my case. Since I had the chance, I reiterated the fact that it was around 2 in the afternoon on a weekday, while I was in front of a computer in the office, when I supposedly surfed for 20mb's worth of content on my cell phone. After one more wait on hold, the same customer rep came back on to tell me they were going to credit me the entire overage fee of $207.80. She was even kind enough to connect to AT&T to inform them of the credit, since I would be sending in a substantially smaller payment for a combined billing account (local, long distance, dsl and Cingular).

I have to say keeping a calm demeanor and insisting on pushing the matter further were probably the keys to this mess getting cleaned up. And ultimately the charges were removed so I can't really complain about that either.

Fin

[Mike Temporale]

that's great news. I'm glad that everything worked out and you didn't end up with a huge bill. Sometimes it's surprising how nice a carrier can actually be. eh? ;)

[Hw6945]

This story sounds like a good reason to not have a combined bill. What if it had gone the other way. And if the bill wasn't paid until the problem with Cingular was resolved -- how would this affect the other services on the bill?? All of them put on hold?? Thus maybe forcing you to pay up or risk not being able to use the other services, credit card, etc.
Unless a company pays me an incentive to let them send me one combined bill (saves them postage), I can make three electronic payments almost as easily as one. And if I have a fight with one, maybe the other two won't find out :wink:
Ron...

[Jerry Raia]

Funny I was on the phone with AT&T last night. They wanted me to combine my Cingular bill. They tried but the system wouldn't let then for some reason. I'm glad now. :D

[ctmagnus]

My worst phone bill ever? $260. I made a bunch of changes to the account, picked up two HSDPA sims, added some accessories, and found out that the new data plan I chose didn't kick in until the end of the then-current billing cycle, which was a week and a half ago. I need to call Rogers and get them to downgrade the data plan on the phone that has wifi from the $30/3MB plan to the $5/2MB plan; I don't care what they say the lower plan is intended for.