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Currently on Phone with AT&T About Data Charges...

O

orange42

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 12, 2009
612
1
I'm on the phone with AT&T in regards to my sister's phone because she has the 200MB plan, and apparently went over after the first week. I checked online and see that she was charged 187MB at 2:09AM on June 30. What the hell? She has only gone over 200MB twice in the past 6 months, so this is clearly a ***** up. He's trying to tell me that the phone sometimes will update itself and use data. We have 4 iPhones on our plan, and this has never happened. What do I need to convince him that this is their fault?

edit - Now he's saying every day it happens at 2AM, but this past cycle there has been 187MB, 60MB, and 40MB charges. If this is really an app updating itself, what app does that. This is annoying.
 
Me: "Well why would it suddenly be 187MB one night?"
Him: "I have no idea."
 
Try totally shutting the phone off at night, just to see whether data is used.


Otherwise -- I am going to say ---- GREMLINS!!
 
Does the data counter on the phone show it used that much? If it does it is possible something was running in the background and it was forgotten about.
 
I noticed this too. I think it's been discussed before. I have NO data usage any other time of day, then at 2-4am I get one huge hit every day. It's their way of tracking your use per day, rather than showing 10,000 entries every day like they used to.
 
randy98mtu said:
I noticed this too. I think it's been discussed before. I have NO data usage any other time of day, then at 2-4am I get one huge hit every day. It's their way of tracking your use per day, rather than showing 10,000 entries every day like they used to.
Click to expand...

If that's the case it still doesn't make sense based on previous trends and this guy is completely unaware of that possibility.
 
himni said:
Does the data counter on the phone show it used that much? If it does it is possible something was running in the background and it was forgotten about.
Click to expand...

Sent 273 MB
Received 3.0 GB

None of this has been reset.
 
orange42 said:
Sent 273 MB
Received 3.0 GB

None of this has been reset.
Click to expand...

Well I would make sure that the counter is reset monthly on your billing date so it can be accurately monitored otherwise there is no way to know if it's a billing error or increased usage.
 
"Hello mam, I mean sir, I'm on the phone with AT&T, err I mean Apple, and she is indicating to me that apps don't actually update themselves and that you have to do it manually."

WHAT THE **** DO YOU THINK I'VE BEEN TELLING YOU THE PAST 48 ****ING MINUTES
 
You might not notice but many apps use data intensivelly without you knowing its sucking down many MB's per minute.
Trust me AT&T doesnt just add data consumption without you using it. It must be something new that your sister is using and might not know about it.
Tell her to switch to the $25 plan.
And thats the problem with limited plans.
Everyone thinks they dont or wont use much untill they actually go over.
 
orange42 said:
If that's the case it still doesn't make sense based on previous trends and this guy is completely unaware of that possibility.
Click to expand...

I have found the iP4 to use a lot more data. Also there are a lot more apps that are fairly large now How about streaming videos over 3G?
I used 60MB of data in about 10 minutes watching the world cup over 3G.

My previous average was about 600MB on my 3GS amd already (since the 23rd) I have used 1.6GB :eek:

Maybe she has left a background app running...
 
randy98mtu said:
I noticed this too. I think it's been discussed before. I have NO data usage any other time of day, then at 2-4am I get one huge hit every day. It's their way of tracking your use per day, rather than showing 10,000 entries every day like they used to.
Click to expand...


This makes sense and would be a good idea

Otherwise, if the iPhone would just randomly charge you 187mb for updates that you didn't do, there would be no way people could stay within the 200mb range. This is why the iPhone 4 was not well thought out or explained! Thanks :apple:

You people need to learn this phone first. Most people will have every notification, email, facebook, apps, they can pushed to their phone (data charge), using wifi instead of 3G (no data charge), watching videos online over 3G (HUGE DATA CHARGE). Learn what charges you data and what doesn't and how to control it. It's been 3 weeks and I have only used 70mb's
 
orange42 said:
Sent 273 MB
Received 3.0 GB

None of this has been reset.
Click to expand...

the phone is doing something wierd. its received 3.0 GB of data which by my math is just a tiny bit over the 200mb plan. all joking aside, for the next couple of nites b4 going to sleep turn off the wifi and cellular data and check after a few days of doing that or better yet keep the cell data turned off all day long and check usage and only use it on wifi.
 
My bill went up from being $145/month to $180 this month ...I have not made any changes and I have unlimited data..damn
 
optophobia said:
I have found the iP4 to use a lot more data. Also there are a lot more apps that are fairly large now How about streaming videos over 3G?
I used 60MB of data in about 10 minutes watching the world cup over 3G.

My previous average was about 600MB on my 3GS amd already (since the 23rd) I have used 1.6GB :eek:

Maybe she has left a background app running...
Click to expand...

She has a 3GS and just updated to iOS 4.0 last week, and this happened before then. And she's usually on wireless. Especially at home at 2AM when she is sleeping. He checked last month and saw that it always happens at 2AM, but never that big of a usage.

His solutions:
1. Turn phone off at night - No
2. Get the 2GB plan - wouldn't be necessary since this has never been a problem

After 57 minutes, he credited me $15 and said I can try calling 1-800 myiphone.
 
That stinks. When they came out with the new plans I looked at my history and I was in the 600-700 range every month. I didn't see any reason to go to 2 gig to save $5/mo, so I stayed unlimited.
 
orange42 said:
I'm on the phone with AT&T in regards to my sister's phone because she has the 200MB plan, and apparently went over after the first week. I checked online and see that she was charged 187MB at 2:09AM on June 30. What the hell? She has only gone over 200MB twice in the past 6 months, so this is clearly a ***** up. He's trying to tell me that the phone sometimes will update itself and use data. We have 4 iPhones on our plan, and this has never happened. What do I need to convince him that this is their fault?
Click to expand...

Not their fault, your sister simply used a heck of a lot more data on the 30th. The iPhone 4 makes it extremely easy to do this, it appears. If your AT&T data usage report looks like this:

June 30 5:15pm - 25 KB (just an example on my part)
June 30 2:09am - 191488 KB (as you stated above)

Then that means your sister used that 187 MB after 2:09am, and before 5:15pm. Basically, during the normal course of the day. The data usage did NOT happen prior to or at 2:09am.
 
elistan said:
Not their fault, your sister simply used a heck of a lot more data on the 30th. The iPhone 4 makes it extremely easy to do this, it appears. If your AT&T data usage report looks like this:

June 30 5:15pm - 25 KB (just an example on my part)
June 30 2:09am - 191488 KB (as you stated above)

Then that means your sister used that 187 MB after 2:09am, and before 5:15pm. Basically, during the normal course of the day. The data usage did NOT happen prior to or at 2:09am.
Click to expand...


He stated she had a 3GS
 
Rule #1 with AT&T. Never expect customer service to actually know anything technical.
The phone isn't using 187 MB at 2am updating. Notice that there are few, if any, charges during the day. 2am is when AT&T simply charges all the data usage since the last charge. Sometimes if it misses the 2am window it'll show up sometimes at other times
I think the issue for most people is they are just using more data without knowing it. Att has lifted alot of restrictions since they changed plans. For example, more video over 3G. The new youtube mobile site doesn't compress videos. If a rep says the new phones transfer data "differently" then stamp them with an idiot stamp.
 
wvphysics said:
Rule #1 with AT&T. Never expect customer service to actually know anything technical.
The phone isn't using 187 MB at 2am updating. Notice that there are few, if any, charges during the day. 2am is when AT&T simply charges all the data usage since the last charge. Sometimes if it misses the 2am window it'll show up sometimes at other times
I think the issue for most people is they are just using more data without knowing it. Att has lifted alot of restrictions since they changed plans. For example, more video over 3G. The new youtube mobile site doesn't compress videos.
Click to expand...

Exactly.
People dont get it, they think AT&T charges them for data that they didnt use or the phone while they sleep at 2AM downloads torrents:D
 
Now I will say that since alot of people are being told about data collection or AT&T updates an crap, there could be some truth in it to the extent that maybe there is a small amount of data taken directly thru 3G. If that is true that is an entirely different issue and result in possibly a Meg or so at most.
 
I have the iP4. My billing cycle starts on the 26th of each month. So far this month, 18 days in, according to AT&T Ive used 273mb of data. I last reset the usage stats on my phone on the 30th and the phone is showing 10mb sent and 155mb received. Judging by this AT&T seems to be pretty accurate.

The only time I'm not on wifi is when I'm away from work or home. I primarily use the device to check, send, and receive email, check FB, Twitter and light web browsing. I have all my email set to "fetch" each hour and the only push notifications I use are FB for just badges. and Scorecenter for the Twins final scores.

I am also still on an unlimited data plan. I have also noticed that anytime I use a GPS app, that after stopping the navigation and closing the app, the phone still indicates the app is using my location based on the arrow icon on the top. The only way to stop this I have found is to open the app switcher and close the app down completely.


I guess I'm not seeing these huge data spikes others have reported.
 
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