Telecom online usage meter ripping people off?

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Telecom online usage meter ripping people off?

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Hammered
8344 posts

Uber Geek

Moderator

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#280316 8-Dec-2009 10:37

hmm.. Are you sure there isn't one hidden under the TV?

But seriously. I don't believe it's anything to do with the TiVo box either. It has to be something Telecoms end.

People often mistake me for an adult because of my age.

Keep calm, and carry on posting.

Referral Links: Sharesies - Backblaze -

Are you happy with what you get from Geekzone? If so, please consider supporting us by subscribing.

No matter where you go, there you are.

Spong

1005 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#280322 8-Dec-2009 10:58

Called Telecom again today as their usage meter now has me at 36GB of my 40GB plan with 11 days remaining. Networx monitoring here shows I'm being shafted by approx 100% but Telecom's metering is all over the place with no real pattern of percentage over on a day to day basis. The CSR has assured me I won't be charged for overage, and I have a case number to enable a credit if things go wrong. He advises their team are still working on the problem with no ETA. At first he suggested someone could be leeching my wireless network. Yeah right.... Sure wish they'd announce something official, this isn't good customer relations at all.

Tivo upgrades to operate with the new OzTivo EPG, support and service. Over 400 performed here so far. See: www.hillcrest.net.nz

Stu

Hammered
8344 posts

Uber Geek

Moderator

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#280324 8-Dec-2009 11:02

Thanks for the update Spong. It's the dial-up speed after 40GB that worries me. Hopefully we'll last until the end of the billing cycle without being reminded of what it was like!

People often mistake me for an adult because of my age.

Keep calm, and carry on posting.

Referral Links: Sharesies - Backblaze -

Are you happy with what you get from Geekzone? If so, please consider supporting us by subscribing.

No matter where you go, there you are.

Sheagae

208 posts

Master Geek

#280327 8-Dec-2009 11:06

Hmm, perhaps I should also call up and ask about my excess usage. We've 'used' 92GB / 60 GB according to Telecom, but we've actually used 65 GB / 60 GB.

I agree with Spong, there is no pattern to the usage.

If the CSR knows about this problem, then surely a lot of other people know about it, so why isn't it showing as a fault on their website?!

BigHammer: Thanks for the update Spong. It's the dial-up speed after 40GB that worries me. Hopefully we'll last until the end of the billing cycle without having to find be reminded of what it was like!

I thought on the pro plan you pay $20 per GB (lol) after your cap?

Stu

Hammered
8344 posts

Uber Geek

Moderator

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#280332 8-Dec-2009 11:25

Pass.. I forget now. Only changed to the 40GB plan for a month (two months ago) as I had a bucket load of Microsoft stuff to download over a couple of weeks. It was meant to be temporary but have left it there because of this issue. Changing it back would mean I couldn't operate (home based business) due to the dial-up speeds, so I left it as is. 'spose I should go check the plan details again!

Edit: Yer so it is. That's okay at least I'll have full speed and I will charge my son the overage costs! (j/k)

People often mistake me for an adult because of my age.

Keep calm, and carry on posting.

Referral Links: Sharesies - Backblaze -

Are you happy with what you get from Geekzone? If so, please consider supporting us by subscribing.

No matter where you go, there you are.

Spong

1005 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#280351 8-Dec-2009 12:24

The 40GB Pro plan is supposed to stay at full speed beyond 40GB, but at 2c/MB past that point ($20/GB) l sure don't want to be paying what I predict the bill will be at this rate.

Tivo upgrades to operate with the new OzTivo EPG, support and service. Over 400 performed here so far. See: www.hillcrest.net.nz

wreck90

780 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#280408 8-Dec-2009 15:16

Could this have been happening for a long time? Sometimes, my usage is 500mb per day, and I haven't really done much.

Certainly not wireless leeching, since i am using wpa/psk2 with a solid password.

I recently used my vodafone 3g connection , and basically uses less than half of the data of my home adsl line , doing the same kind of activity I thought.

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE. Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

Ragnor

8223 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#280577 9-Dec-2009 03:30

Started seeing a lot of people complaining about this issue on various forums around the same time as the free upload started 1st of November. Seems like the logical cause to me.

You would assume Telecom keep full logs of traffic and can recalculate usage totals before this becomes a major customer relations disaster.

If I was on Pro and I was paranoid I was going to get shafted on incorrect overage charges, I would just use the free monthly plan change to change to Adventure or Big Time.. then change back later next month when they resolve the problem.

One free plan change per calendar month on Telecom if I recall correctly.

They pro rata the monthly charge for each plan depending on how many days you were on each plan type if you are wondering how it works.

taneb1

517 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Mercury

#280617 9-Dec-2009 09:10

My telecom usage restarted 2 days ago. I surfed the web on the first day on and off from about 9am - 3pm on facebook, Twitter, ect and I was basically the only one using the internet the whole day and telecom totaled me using just over 1GB and I know there is no way I could use 1GB just surfing the web in 6 hours.. Then they totaled our usage yesterday as around 0.5GB and I could maybe agree with that but there's nothing downloading on our network, wireless has a WPA key on it and we aren't streaming or using bandwith heavy sites..

Telecoms just been fined majorly over go large, how are the going to front up to this,

Any comments made are my personal views and does not represent those of my employer

Batman

Mad Scientist
29769 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#280618 9-Dec-2009 09:12

14Gb in 3 days and dont download nor watch video! i am demanding to be released from my contract. should i complain to commerce commission?

Ragnor

8223 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#280778 9-Dec-2009 13:33

I'm too lazy to put in the effort since we're on Big Time at home due to our heavy use but.....

...if I was you guys I'd be blogging, twittering and getting in touch with mainstream media to raise awareness of the problem.

The lack of public acknowledgement/transparency/public status update is fairly appalling.

First major customer relations disaster in the Paul Reynolds era, if people actually are getting over billed and limited to 64Kbit way too early.

ronindanbo

180 posts

Master Geek

#280780 9-Dec-2009 13:36

I had a high usage last month but checked my logs and it seems to be windows update using alot of data :-)

doozy

245 posts

Master Geek

Trusted

#280935 9-Dec-2009 18:42

Hi all, first of all, apologies that we haven't been able to confirm this sooner. We have identified that there is an error in the way we are currently recording usage. The technical team are working through the details of the root cause around the clock. Apologies I don't immediately have more information. We will of course put this right for any impacted customers, will update you on this tomorrow.

Tarawera Ultra 2015 done, bring on 2016

vel

23 posts

Geek

#280937 9-Dec-2009 18:59

Just called Telecom and they said they'd raise my speed back to normal (no idea for how long) within 24-48 hours. Said they have resolved this problem last week so it shouldn't be a problem anymore.

Sheagae

208 posts

Master Geek

#280942 9-Dec-2009 19:10

doozy: Hi all, first of all, apologies that we haven't been able to confirm this sooner. We have identified that there is an error in the way we are currently recording usage. The technical team are working through the details of the root cause around the clock. Apologies I don't immediately have more information. We will of course put this right for any impacted customers, will update you on this tomorrow.

Thanks for the update doozy. Will look forward to hearing more in the near future.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10