Mobile Data overage after iOS update changed settings

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Mobile Data overage after iOS update changed settings

skl17

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#145486 19-May-2014 16:23

my wife has been with Telecom mobile for 2+ years and has a plan with 1gb data included each month. When IoS updated itself last month, the settings on the phone changed to allow software updates to take place over mobile connections rather than just wifi- we have just received a $350 EXCESS charge for data costs as a result.

No warnings were received of this and after being passed around to various people on the Telecom 'Help' line, we have only had people quoting T's and C's and refusing to offer any gesture of goodwill refund or even to bill us based upon what the data would have cost if we had prepaid. The amount of data usage for that one month is way more than normal for my wife, through no fault of her own, but Telecom just simply don't care and I can't understand why they don't adopt the same data cap arrangement that Vodafone offer where it is impossible for customers to breach data limits unless they opt in and buy the data. Telecom have now capped the data on the account, but it's too late and they have already debited the excess charge. Surely the regulator should force Telecom to stop profiteering in this manner?
Has anyone else experience the same problem? *(Note- this is not overseas roaming!)

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#1048207 19-May-2014 16:29

skl17: The amount of data usage for that one month is way more than normal for my wife, through no fault of her own, but Telecom just simply don't care and I can't understand why they don't adopt the same data cap arrangement that Vodafone offer where it is impossible for customers to breach data limits unless they opt in and buy the data.

It's also through no fault of Telecom. You didn't check it was using wifi for a large update, didn't set a Data Cap on your plan... these are both options available. Why should Telecom foot the cost? That's not to say it wouldn't be a nice gesture from them to do so, but you seem to assume that a service provider should wear your mistakes, which I simply do not agree with.

Oh, sorry, I accidentally phoned Germany for 17 hours. Can you credit me back?

skl17

26 posts

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#1048208 19-May-2014 16:32

Erm, no- that is not the point....but thanks for your helpful comment anyway.
Vodafone cap the data so that they don't put people in this position and sting them- why don't Telecom?? The point I am making is that they should not profit from a genuine mistake.....

khull

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#1048213 19-May-2014 16:37

Some rep from Telecom in this forum should respond? It is not an isolated case as there are people in the office that had a similar issue

nathan

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#1048219 19-May-2014 16:43

Surprising you didn't get a text telling you about the usage

I put a smart data cap onto my Telecom mobile account for this very reason

http://www.telecom.co.nz/mobile/mobile/yourmobile/checkusage/datacaps/

skl17

26 posts

Geek

#1048220 19-May-2014 16:43

thanks khull I agree- all I am asking is that Telecom should review their policy to minimise or reduce the chances of this happening- capping data (as Vodafone do) and forcing people to buy the data in advance once their limit is reached would be a cheaper option than retrospective punitive/ higher rate billing. If a customer didn't want the inconvenience of this, then they can request that the cap is removed.
The way it is now just smells of exploitative profiteering to me......this is exacerbated in that no warnings of data limits were received either?

alasta

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#1048226 19-May-2014 16:54

If the setting on your phone changed without your input then I would say that Apple is more accountable for the outcome than your telco.

However, I think it would be a good idea for telcos to prompt people to set a voluntary credit limit when they sign up for a connection. There are many stories like this where people get stung because they haven't considered the importance of setting a credit limit until it's too late.

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nathan

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#1048227 19-May-2014 16:57

but think about the poor shareholders

NzBeagle

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#1048229 19-May-2014 17:00

I made the same mistake when I fell asleep while hotspotting my phone, stupid mistake, woke up to warning SMSs and was pretty annoyed. Luckily it was on Prepay at the time, but when I rang telecom there was nothing offered. It does seem a bit unfair that you pay $10 for 1GB, then overage is like $10 for 100MB. (All numbers used for example only, I can't remember the actual figures.) I'd rather it just re allocated the next 1GB for $10, but I guess that's not for everyone either.

scuwp

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#1048232 19-May-2014 17:07

While I can sympathize, and certainly agree that system should be in place to prevent this, sorry but I agree with Inphinity, and think his position was dismissed a bit quickly.
1. You are a Telecom customer. If you want a service that Telecom do not provide feel free to change providers.
2. The device is yours and you chose to complete a software change. I would have thought it common sense to go through and check settings were as the user desires them to be.

I hope you get a sympathetic ear from Telecom, and can get a resolution. But hardly think you can claim it's Telecom's (or Apples) fault.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

skl17

26 posts

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#1048239 19-May-2014 17:17

scuwp yes- you are right....I accept that ultimately that it is up to the user/ customer, but Telecom should:

a) perhaps be a little more sympathetic in terms of the possible long term reputational damage - this is very much a one off incidence and they can see that from their own records - why not offer a compromise and charge the data cost at what it would have cost if it had been pre-paid?
and
b) review their default set up to mirror other providers so that the chances of these situations occurring in the 1st place to protect the customer rather than the provider

and lastly, yes the chances are that we will change providers- not only for the phone, but for everything else as well. I don't like companies that are totally inflexible in these situations. There is a cost for buying out the existing contract, but this is a matter of principle for me.

SteveON

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#1048247 19-May-2014 17:39

This is classic NZ ethos. Someone else should take the blame. You should change provider. Each has it's pros and cons. You don't have to agree with what we are saying but I believe that it's not telecoms fault. Otherwise everyone would do this and it would become a nightmare.

Simply taking ownership of your mistakes should be enough.

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Technofreak

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#1048267 19-May-2014 17:45

Are you saying there were no SMS warning messages. I'm with Telecom and I automatically get these when I exceed various levels of my data allowance, I'm surprised there were none sent out in this case.

I have to agree that Telecom don't have any responsibility to credit the account, though it might be nice if they did come to some accommodation with you.

There is a cost for buying out the existing contract, but this is a matter of principle for me.

What principle exactly? I don't understand.

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skl17

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#1048270 19-May-2014 17:53

SteveON again, you miss the point too.....I accept that the Ts and Cs are the Ts and Cs- this is simply an inadvertent error, which is not evident until you get the bill.....in principle, according to the T's and C's it is the user's fault, but I am asking that the provider recognises that this is an inadvertent error, for which no warnings were received. So, I am simply asking that Telecom perhaps reviews it's policies to avoid this sort of thing happening again to other customers who will not be aware of the situation until they receive a massive bill.

Now the cap is in place for this particular account, it won't happen again here.....but why can't they set the cap as default so that it didn't happen in the 1st place???? Other Telcos like Vodafone put measure in place to stop inadvertent data limit breaches, but Telecom don't That is my point.......

Also- you may be aware that the Competition commission recently forced Telcos to adopt opt in measures for overseas data roaming to avoid this exact same issue occurring, so why not the same principle domestically?

BTW, Taking responsibility/ ownership for the issue is absolutely inherent- I have just paid the massive bill!

ripdog

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#1048277 19-May-2014 17:54

If the iPhone changed its own settings, then it's hardly the OPs mistake. Similarily, it's not Telecoms mistake either.

By rights, Apple should pay the bill. However, the iPhone is not a subscription service, so the chances of that happening are pretty laughable, IMO. I think it would make sense for Telecom to do a refund (and announce it publicly) as good business, though they have no obligation and the OP has so real right to demand a waiver.

Legally, at least. Morally, I don't see how you can justify overage fees of $10 for 100mb. (Taken from this thread). It did NOT cost Telecom $350 to transfer an iPhone software update. Aren't those around 5-700 MB each? I had a 3GS and they were about that I think, though I guess with Retina the size will have bloated.

3.5GB of overage is one hell of a lot, perhaps OP went over as well as downloaded an update?