How the hell did this cost me so much?

[crazylegsmurphy]

Hey Everyone,

I just got back from a two week trip to the states and I looked online today to find out my roaming charges are huge. Here is a breakdown...

etails of data roaming usage in the United States
Date Roaming Service Provider Rate Prd Volume (KB) Total Charges ($)
Mon APR 20 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 1332.00 7.99
Mon APR 20 USA, MTPCS OD 452.00 2.71
Tue APR 21 USA, T-MOBILE OD 1017.00 6.10
Wed APR 22 USA, T-MOBILE OD 1458.00 8.75
Wed APR 22 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 1466.00 8.81
Thu APR 23 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 387.00 2.32
Fri APR 24 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 1902.00 11.41
Sat APR 25 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 2036.00 12.22
Sun APR 26 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 191.00 1.14
Mon APR 27 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 6941.00 41.64
Tue APR 28 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 344.00 2.07
Wed APR 29 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 3835.00 23.02
Thu APR 30 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 2438.00 14.63
Fri MAY 01 USA, EDGE WIRELESS OD 50.00 0.31
Fri MAY 01 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 12304.00 73.86
Sat MAY 02 USA, EDGE WIRELESS OD 622.00 3.76
Sun MAY 03 USA, EDGE WIRELESS OD 1588.00 9.54
Sun MAY 03 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 1410.00 8.46
Mon MAY 04 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 2170.00 13.03
Total:

41943.00 251.7

What the hell was using 1 - 2 Megs a day worth of data??? There were maybe a few times when I turned data roaming off to check a google map or email but it looks like it was using 1 - 2 megs almost every day.

Please help me understand this because it seems pretty ridiculous to me.

 

[Revelation78]

The iPhone is constantly using data, simple! By the looks of things, you turned it on everyday.

 

[crazylegsmurphy]

The iPhone is constantly using data, simple! By the looks of things, you turned it on everyday.

Yes, I had it on...but I had the data roaming set to "off".

Does it still bring in data some other way? Since it's 1 - 2 megs consistently it almost looks like it was checking something (email perhaps) the same amount every day.

I was under the impression that no data was allowed if that setting was on.

 

[ViciousShadow21]

i would definitely call and contest it. if you are nice but firm enough you should get it over turned.

 

[crazylegsmurphy]

I think I will.

I mean I don't have a problem at all with paying for the data I used when on Google maps or checking email, but it looks like it regards email checking as data regardless of the data roaming being off which I think is crap.

I assumed that data roaming being set to off stopped ALL data. I was just looking online and it appears that you have to turn your e-mail to manual checking as well.

This may be my mistake for not knowing this, but I kinda feel like it's not because when I see "data roaming off" that's what I assume it means...not Data roaming off except....

 

[ppool123]

Hey Everyone,

I just got back from a two week trip to the states and I looked online today to find out my roaming charges are huge. Here is a breakdown...

etails of data roaming usage in the United States
Date Roaming Service Provider Rate Prd Volume (KB) Total Charges ($)
Mon APR 20 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 1332.00 7.99
Mon APR 20 USA, MTPCS OD 452.00 2.71
Tue APR 21 USA, T-MOBILE OD 1017.00 6.10
Wed APR 22 USA, T-MOBILE OD 1458.00 8.75
Wed APR 22 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 1466.00 8.81
Thu APR 23 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 387.00 2.32
Fri APR 24 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 1902.00 11.41
Sat APR 25 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 2036.00 12.22
Sun APR 26 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 191.00 1.14
Mon APR 27 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 6941.00 41.64
Tue APR 28 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 344.00 2.07
Wed APR 29 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 3835.00 23.02
Thu APR 30 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 2438.00 14.63
Fri MAY 01 USA, EDGE WIRELESS OD 50.00 0.31
Fri MAY 01 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 12304.00 73.86
Sat MAY 02 USA, EDGE WIRELESS OD 622.00 3.76
Sun MAY 03 USA, EDGE WIRELESS OD 1588.00 9.54
Sun MAY 03 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 1410.00 8.46
Mon MAY 04 USA, AT&T MOBILITY OD 2170.00 13.03
Total:

41943.00 251.7

What the hell was using 1 - 2 Megs a day worth of data??? There were maybe a few times when I turned data roaming off to check a google map or email but it looks like it was using 1 - 2 megs almost every day.

Please help me understand this because it seems pretty ridiculous to me.

Did you call your service provider to complain. They should be able to tell you.

 

[jsgreen]

Something doesn't add up about your experience. I recently spent 2 weeks abroad from the US and had my phone on but data roaming off (and had 3G signal but no access to WiFi) - no emails received and not a single data roaming charge appeared on my bill.

 

[crazylegsmurphy]

Something doesn't add up about your experience. I recently spent 2 weeks abroad from the US and had my phone on but data roaming off (and had 3G signal but no access to WiFi) - no emails received and not a single data roaming charge appeared on my bill.

I agree, unless I did something utterly wrong I don't understand why there is a consistent data usage of 1 - 2 megs. I can't think of anything that I would have done on there that would have accumulated this.

As I said, there were a few times on the road I used the data (having to first turn on data), but then I would turn it off again.

I hope they can adjust it, or at least give me an explanation. I'm now in the UK traveling and I have just shut my phone right off until I can get some kind of idea what these charges are for.

 

[GoCubsGo]

i would definitely call and contest it. if you are nice but firm enough you should get it over turned.

Wait why? He knowingly went out of the country and used data. How does that even compare to something happening by accident? At this point with the iPhone it should be fairly well documented that you need to turn data roaming off and keep it off if you leave your native land (unless you have some international plan that allows for charges to be standard instead of the premium we'd pay).

 

[swiftaw]

Yes, I had it on...but I had the data roaming set to "off".

Wait why? He knowingly went out of the country and used data. How does that even compare to something happening by accident? At this point with the iPhone it should be fairly well documented that you need to turn data roaming off and keep it off if you leave your native land (unless you have some international plan that allows for charges to be standard instead of the premium we'd pay).

Sorry jessica, you should have read the whole thread

 

[anjinha]

Wait why? He knowingly went out of the country and used data. How does that even compare to something happening by accident? At this point with the iPhone it should be fairly well documented that you need to turn data roaming off and keep it off if you leave your native land (unless you have some international plan that allows for charges to be standard instead of the premium we'd pay).

Sorry jessica, you should have read the whole thread

Actually...

As I said, there were a few times on the road I used the data (having to first turn on data), but then I would turn it off again.

 

[GoCubsGo]

Sorry jessica, you should have read the whole thread

Sorry kiddo, I did and the charges are clear. What would one believe? A list of charges showing that it appears data was used daily or someone telling you that they didn't do it? If it is the latter I have some swampland in Arizona to sell you.

 

[swiftaw]

Actually...

Darn it, he wrote that while I was writing mine

 

[crazylegsmurphy]

Wait why? He knowingly went out of the country and used data. How does that even compare to something happening by accident? At this point with the iPhone it should be fairly well documented that you need to turn data roaming off and keep it off if you leave your native land (unless you have some international plan that allows for charges to be standard instead of the premium we'd pay).

You're right except for one thing, I wasn't knowingly using 1 - 2 megs of data per day.

To me, it seems like an e-mail thing. I have my email set to check every hour, so if there was some kind of data transfer going on over the course of 24 hours it could add up to that amount of data.

A meg is 1024 KB. If you divide that by 24 hours, that is 42 kb every hour. I have 3 email addresses that it checks...

That is 14 kb per email, per hour.

So it seems that adds up in my opinion. It would seem that even though my data roaming was off, it was checking email all day.

Like I said, unless I am mistaken and completely off base, I wasn't aware that email wasn't stopped when the phone was set to data roaming off.

 

[swiftaw]

Sorry kiddo, I did and the charges are clear. What would one believe? A list of charges showing that it appears data was used daily or someone telling you that they didn't do it? If it is the latter I have some swampland in Arizona to sell you.

Sorry Jessica, was trying to be funny, plus he clarified that he did turn on data a little in a post that appeared as I was typing mine.

 

[GoCubsGo]

It is real simple, either you can sit around here and try to figure out how much data each process could have used and fight your carrier or you can fight your carrier and forego the science experiment but regardless of your decision you're questioning your bill here, which is probably the second most pointless thing anyone could do with regards to a bill that MacRumors did not send you.

So something doesn't add up? How so? Because you decided that 1-2 megs of data is not equal to whatever you did? Have you seen a google map app and the amount of data it can/does use? I haven't but rest assured I bet it's up there.

Sorry Jessica, was trying to be funny, plus he clarified that he did turn on data a little in a post that appeared as I was typing mine.

It's all good, frankly I'd be a complete douche if I couldn't read < 10 posts before responding 11 + posts ... well that's another story.

 

[anjinha]

You're right except for one thing, I wasn't knowingly using 1 - 2 megs of data per day.

To me, it seems like an e-mail thing. I have my email set to check every hour, so if there was some kind of data transfer going on over the course of 24 hours it could add up to that amount of data.

A meg is 1024 KB is a meg. If you divide that by 24 hours, that is 42 kb every hour. I have 3 email addresses that it checks...

That is 14 kb per email, per hour.

So it seems that adds up in my opinion. It would seem that even though my data roaming was off, it was checking email all day.

Like I said, unless I am mistaken and completely off base, I wasn't aware that email wasn't stopped when the phone was set to data roaming off.

When your Data Roaming was Off did you get any new email on your phone?

 

[crazylegsmurphy]

It is real simple, either you can sit around here and try to figure out how much data each process could have used and fight your carrier or you can fight your carrier and forego the science experiment but regardless of your decision you're questioning your bill here, which is probably the second most pointless thing anyone could do with regards to a bill that MacRumors did not send you.

So something doesn't add up? How so? Because you decided that 1-2 megs of data is not equal to whatever you did? Have you seen a google map app and the amount of data it can/does use? I haven't but rest assured I bet it's up there.

Whoa, gear down big rig.

I'm trying to get some information from other users here. Perhaps someone has dealt with this, or knows why these are. I don't need to "fight" my carrier as you say if I am in the wrong, but I want to understand why it continued to accumulate data when I had data set to off.

By the way, that's math, not science Sally... regardless, you're right, if I was somehow using google maps every single day of my trip to figure out how to get out of the driveway then I could see it, but that wasn't the case.

I went down there knowing that roaming charges were a real concern because I didn't want to get hit with a huge bill. I thought I was keeping a close eye on the data, and so I am a little surprised to find out that much data was being used per day.

Had I been doing stupid stuff like downloading podcasts, or whatever I wouldn't be complaining, but I wasn't aware that it would charge me data when I wasn't using it.

 

[anjinha]

Whoa, gear down big rig.

I'm trying to get some information from other users here. Perhaps someone has dealt with this, or knows why these are. I don't need to "fight" my carrier as you say if I am in the wrong, but I want to understand why it continued to accumulate data when I had data set to off.

By the way, that's math, not science Sally... regardless, you're right, if I was somehow using google maps every single day of my trip to figure out how to get out of the driveway then I could see it, but that wasn't the case.

I went down there knowing that roaming charges were a real concern because I didn't want to get hit with a huge bill. I thought I was keeping a close eye on the data, and so I am a little surprised to find out that much data was being used per day.

Had I been doing stupid stuff like downloading podcasts, or whatever I wouldn't be complaining, but I wasn't aware that it would charge me data when I wasn't using it.

The total was 41MB, which isn't a lot at all considering you used Google Maps. That uses up a lot of data. It just seems like a lot because it's expensive.

 

[GoCubsGo]

Whether it was science or math I was clearly being facetious. But really, I see you're trying to understand but frankly I think the first step is calling your carrier.

On a side note, I am totally swiping this phrase "Whoa, gear down big rig." Mostly because "Whoa there tiger" is getting a bit old. So thanks.

 

[crazylegsmurphy]

When your Data Roaming was Off did you get any new email on your phone?

To be honest, I don't remember. Where I was staying there was a library with free WiFi and so I would walk down there and check my mail once a day or so.

If I was getting email, I didn't notice. What I am wondering however is if there is KB transfer between the provider and server whether there is an email or not... 14 kb per email could simply be a packet of information being sent to determine security settings or something.

If this is the case that could add up over 24 hours...This is what makes me a little cranky.

The total was 41MB, which isn't a lot at all considering you used Google Maps. That uses up a lot of data. It just seems like a lot because it's expensive.

Ya, for sure...and there are a few days when I know I was on the road and that is reflected in higher data days.....that I am cool with. But for almost a week there I wasn't using Google maps at all because I knew the area I was in....or even if I did, there is no way it was 2 megs worth of data.

 

[ViciousShadow21]

regardless of whether or not the OP deserved it or not i think he should still call. i remember a long time ago i had some confusion making some calls in europe and it turned out to be totally my fault but AT&T still overturned them. so it never hurts to try u know.

 

[anjinha]

To be honest, I don't remember. Where I was staying there was a library with free WiFi and so I would walk down there and check my mail once a day or so.

If I was getting email, I didn't notice. What I am wondering however is if there is KB transfer between the provider and server whether there is an email or not... 14 kb per email could simply be a packet of information being sent to determine security settings or something.

If this is the case that could add up over 24 hours...This is what makes me a little cranky.

I don't think that happens.

If you did get emails when data was off then you would know for sure that something was wrong. But there's no regular KB transfer, unless you are actually getting new emails.

Ya, for sure...and there are a few days when I know I was on the road and that is reflected in higher data days.....that I am cool with. But for almost a week there I wasn't using Google maps at all because I knew the area I was in....or even if I did, there is no way it was 2 megs worth of data.

Actually, it's very easy to underestimate how much data you use. That happened to me too.

 

[crazylegsmurphy]

Whether it was science or math I was clearly being facetious. But really, I see you're trying to understand but frankly I think the first step is calling your carrier.

On a side note, I am totally swiping this phrase "Whoa, gear down big rig." Mostly because "Whoa there tiger" is getting a bit old. So thanks.

Well, I emailed them. I'm on vacation in the UK at the moment (and its 9:00pm back home) so I have to wait and see what they say. I will call them if I need too...but I wanted to fully understand what was going on before I did so.

 

[GoCubsGo]

regardless of whether or not the OP deserved it or not i think he should still call. i remember a long time ago i had some confusion making some calls in europe and it turned out to be totally my fault but AT&T still overturned them. so it never hurts to try u know.

Ah yes but you said to contest it, which would by default mean that you are disputing the charges to be valid. If you had said that you would call and ration with them (them being AT&T or whomever the carrier) then I probably would have never responded or I would save my pointed response solely for the OP.

I truly get the mistake but disputing a mistake you knowingly made is far different than asking for assistance after you made such mistake.