43 IP packet data calls - nz$1000++ help me :(

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nakedmolerat

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#16677 23-Oct-2007 10:19

hi guys,
if anyone can help me with this would be awesome.

so, i help my friend to get ev-do connection setup for her. she got her first bill - total of nz$1000++. she is on 1GB plan. cost her only 120 dolar for the two -months period. owever, she got charged total of nz$1000++ for 43 IP packet data calls. can anyone explain this to me before i rang up telecom.

appreciate your replies.

thanks

nzbnw

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#92022 23-Oct-2007 10:28

In basic terms that should mean excess usage.

nzbnw

freitasm

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#92027 23-Oct-2007 10:34

On this topic, could anyone explain what "IP Data Call" means? Unlike Vodafone, Telecom doesn't list the usage in MB or GB and it's kind of hard to track things. I never know how much I used on Telecom, but I know for sure on Vodafone.

nakedmolerat

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#92031 23-Oct-2007 10:43

freitasm: On this topic, could anyone explain what "IP Data Call" means? Unlike Vodafone, Telecom doesn't list the usage in MB or GB and it's kind of hard to track things. I never know how much I used on Telecom, but I know for sure on Vodafone.

well, apparently my friend had rang the telecom last week before she came to me today. the lady over the telephone said "IP data calls" = the number of connections she made. for example, during the month that she used (ie last month), she get connected to the internet 43 times therefore explains the 43 IP Data Call. this does not sounds quite right to me....

felt a bit disappointed because i helped her out to setup this connection.

nzbnw: In basic terms that should mean excess usage.

nzbnw
.

she is registered to receive notice from telecom if her usage exceeded the limit. but she never got the 'notice' email. i doubt that she used excessively since she use it only for yahoo messenger + light surf - for two weeks

freitasm

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#92037 23-Oct-2007 10:55

nakedmolerat:
freitasm: On this topic, could anyone explain what "IP Data Call" means? Unlike Vodafone, Telecom doesn't list the usage in MB or GB and it's kind of hard to track things. I never know how much I used on Telecom, but I know for sure on Vodafone.

well, apparently my friend had rang the telecom last week before she came to me today. the lady over the telephone said "IP data calls" = the number of connections she made. for example, during the month that she used (ie last month), she get connected to the internet 43 times therefore explains the 43 IP Data Call. this does not sounds quite right to me....

I know this. But still doesn't tell me the usage.

nakedmolerat

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#92046 23-Oct-2007 11:24

freitasm:
nakedmolerat:
freitasm: On this topic, could anyone explain what "IP Data Call" means? Unlike Vodafone, Telecom doesn't list the usage in MB or GB and it's kind of hard to track things. I never know how much I used on Telecom, but I know for sure on Vodafone.

well, apparently my friend had rang the telecom last week before she came to me today. the lady over the telephone said "IP data calls" = the number of connections she made. for example, during the month that she used (ie last month), she get connected to the internet 43 times therefore explains the 43 IP Data Call. this does not sounds quite right to me....

I know this. But still doesn't tell me the usage.

well, i just rang telecom. it is indeed means extra usage. i ask how do i know about my usage from this bill, the dude said there is NO way i could know. i have to ring telecom from time to time if i worry about my usage. (silly milly

) then i ask him, what about those alerts that we subscribed? well, there is NO guarantee that the alert will be sent (zomg!)- neither by email nor text (we subscribed to the alert after registration). oh, the good thing is that they will suspend the account if your bill is more than nz$1100 as a 'safety' measure. well, bummer! i will definitely not advise my friends to use telecom mobile broadband in the future.

moderator/admin: can lock this thread now. thanks.

Fraktul

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#92099 23-Oct-2007 18:19

Hmm, if what your are saying it true then it does not sound very customer friendly.

No way to confirm your usage bar ringing up, no guarantee of notification your are reaching your cap and no cap on excessive overage unless it reaches very substantial figures. Sounds like the perfect storm for disgruntled customers

nakedmolerat

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#92127 23-Oct-2007 20:36

Fraktul: Hmm, if what your are saying it true then it does not sound very customer friendly.

No way to confirm your usage bar ringing up, no guarantee of notification your are reaching your cap and no cap on excessive overage unless it reaches very substantial figures. Sounds like the perfect storm for disgruntled customers

hemm yeah. the things is i must not suggest this type of service to my friends who dont know much about computer. in this case, my friend totally dependent on 'email alert'. for her, she thought that since there is no alert, she can keep using it. we were not told by the sales rep that the email alert is NOT guaranteed that it will be sent. the dude on the phone that i talked today said, email or TXT alert is not guaranteed, therefore the best way is to ring telecom from time to time... -sigh-

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#92953 29-Oct-2007 17:55

On this subject, can anyone tell me for sure, is the data traffic that the Sierra wireless device watcher shows during each net call, the actual data sent/recieved?

Each net call I make, just before I disconnect I write down the data in+out rounded up to nearest megabyte, and write it in a notebook as my log of how much data I have used.

I just want to know if the data the watcher shows is accurate, or if there will be data getting used behind the scenes even if my computer is off (which it is when not on net). Eg, am I wasting my time??? There is no data use graph on Telecom website like other providers have with BB.

I just get scared by others going over their quota limits, and wonder if thats there own poor management/ overuse of data, or if there is some unfair element in play where data gets used that subscriber is unaware of even if monitoring data use themselves. I don't want to cop a $1000 bill.

Felix

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#95018 13-Nov-2007 14:17

my guess would be yahoo messenger...

Geese

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#95021 13-Nov-2007 14:52

Ok now I've had the Sierra data device a while now I can answer my own question and for others who may be reading.

It appears the data that the sierra wireless device watcher shows is (all) the data being used, eg I have written down my data downloaded/uploaded in a notebook for each session (IP packet call) before I disconnect, and after 20 days I summed it all up and called Telecom and asked them my data usage, and the two figures were only a matter of megabytes out.

Also these devices allow calls and texts to be used to and from a computer, and these are charged seperately to the data charges. I have done this and it is great to know I can do this while away from home.

So I deduce that overage charges incurred must be due to poor management/ overuse of data.

I haven't found it to use much data while "idle", but at my average download speed I get up to a megabyte every 8 seconds, so if set hardout downloading it would only take 2 1/4 hours to chow down the first 1GB, then another 2 1/4 hours to do the next 1GB, then if still left hardout downloading, it is going to cost 50c per each 8 seconds!!!! Oh and thats not including the upload data being sent either!

I rarely download anything so thats not a problem, but msn webcam chows down on data, like 4mb in a matter of a minute or two. Gave up on that one.

grant_k

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#95022 13-Nov-2007 14:54

Comradehunt: On this subject, can anyone tell me for sure, is the data traffic that the Sierra wireless device watcher shows during each net call, the actual data sent/recieved?

Each net call I make, just before I disconnect I write down the data in+out rounded up to nearest megabyte, and write it in a notebook as my log of how much data I have used.

I have compared the data logged by the Sierra Wireless "Watcher" with the Telecom bill, and the two are pretty close. Certainly less than 10% difference.

BTW, did you know there is a Data Counter in one of the menus under Call Logs. It has totals for Transmit and Receive and you can reset the totals when your monthly billing date rolls around. That's how I keep track of my total usage, and there have been no nasty surprises yet.

However, I do agree with other posts above that Telecom could do more in this area. It doesn't seem too much to ask that the monthly bill should show the amount of data used for each call. Instead it tells you the time connected, which doesn't give any useful information at all

Actually, I phoned Telecom to ask about the time connected indication. It was showing HH:MM:SS with some of my calls more than 200 Hours long! I knew this wasn't correct, so I asked Telecom to explain it. They said that there is an error with their billing system. Instead of HH:MM:SS it is actually MM:SS:00. I don't know if this has been fixed yet.

Also, I would like to state for the record, that the e-mail alerts have been working perfectly for me. I have 3 different alerts set up and each time they work reliably

Geese

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#95024 13-Nov-2007 15:16

grant_k:
BTW, did you know there is a Data Counter in one of the menus under Call Logs. It has totals for Transmit and Receive and you can reset the totals when your monthly billing date rolls around. That's how I keep track of my total usage, and there have been no nasty surprises yet.

Yeah I did know about that, trouble was nobody told me when my billing date rolled around. This bill and my cellphone bill are together, and I wasn't sure if it was going to be on calendar month, data service start date, or cellphone bill month. It is on day after cellphone rollover date. So next month I'll be able to use that feature :)

grant_k:
However, I do agree with other posts above that Telecom could do more in this area. It doesn't seem too much to ask that the monthly bill should show the amount of data used for each call. Instead it tells you the time connected, which doesn't give any useful information at all .

Or even an online data meter would be awesome!