[TelstraClear] Inaccurate usage meter

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › [TelstraClear] Inaccurate usage meter - overbilled

timmmay

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#96761 3-Feb-2012 17:58

I had a lot of GB left on last months usage, so I aimed to use some of it up last night, midnight was the end of my billing cycle. I turned my PC off at around 11.30pm, to make sure I wasn't using my next months quota.

Looking at the usage meter today, I see it recorded me as using a lot of data from midnight to 1am. This is incorrect.

I suspect the usage meter is using UCT, not NZ daylight savings time, so it putting data into the next day. This isn't what they advertise. It may only be an issue for a small number of people, but it's incorrect.

Has anyone else experienced this? Can TC comment? I don't want to call their call center, the helpdesk staff struggle to understand the basics sometimes, I don't want to get into time zones with them.

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#577175 4-Feb-2012 12:26

there has been a previous thread on telstra and there poor excuse for billing may pay to read that first, and yes i have noticed this accourance to.

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timmmay

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#577184 4-Feb-2012 13:00

I was hoping TC help would short circuit the torturous helpdesk and offer to reset it for me, as well as fixing their system up. I won't hold my breath though. I guess I learned my lesson

TelstraClear

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#577242 4-Feb-2012 16:10

Hi,

As noted in other GZ threads, the online meter is accurate up to the time stamp shown (click on the current 'Billing Period' - the date/time stamp is at the bottom under the three message boxes to see this time/date stamp).

If you click on 'Daily Usage', you can also download your data for each billing period (click the 'Download data' link under the chart).

The usage you are billed is accurate for your account's billing period.

If you think there has been an error, please email me (using the 'Email' button in the ribbon above this response) and I will ask one of our customer care team to look into it. Please note though that you need to read your online usage meter with the date/time stamp in mind.

I hope this is helpful.

Gary

timmmay

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#577255 4-Feb-2012 16:40

Hi Gary,

Some part of the TC usage/metering system isn't on daylight savings time. As I said I turned my PC off by 11.30pm on the 2nd, and it showed downloads in the following hour. I'll email you my account number so you can have someone check into it.

Thanks for your help :)

phantomdb

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#577256 4-Feb-2012 16:43

timmay, you dont mention if your are cable or dsl or if you are directly connected to a cable modem or via a firewall and if you put the cable modem in standby mode...............

im very sure though telstra bill any ip packet with you ip number attached computer on or off...
if its an issue dsl is session based so billing would stop when you turn off your dsl router.

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jbard

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#577257 4-Feb-2012 16:46

timmmay: Hi Gary,

Some part of the TC usage/metering system isn't on daylight savings time. As I said I turned my PC off by 11.30pm on the 2nd, and it showed downloads in the following hour. I'll email you my account number so you can have someone check into it.

Thanks for your help :)

I think Gary was trying to point out your usage is billed to the timestamp shown in your account - this isn't necessarily the same as the current time in NZ.

I am not with TC so i can't tell but it may be worth checking out what the timestamp is in your account?

phantomdb

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#577258 4-Feb-2012 16:53

it should be bill fromm 00:00 to 22:59.59 at leaste to be fair.

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timmmay

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#577259 4-Feb-2012 16:54

Cable modem, PC goes via a WAP/router. At 11:38.15 on 2 Feb (checked my event logs) I turned the PC off, which was using a lot of data. After that there was a small amount of data my tablet used.

Gary may have said that they bill to a timestamp on my account, but that's not what they advertise, they advertise based on wall time. The data from the usage meter shows that it recorded a lot of bandwidth used up to 50 minutes after my PC was turned off 4GB up to 00:19 on 3rd of Feb, then 150MB odd in the hour or two after that - my tablet.

All the evidence points to a system somewhere in TC not being on daylight savings time. The time in the usage meter website is accurate.

This isn't a huge deal. I used up 4GB of my next months quota, i'll just use less next month. I just like companies and systems to do what they say they do. This is something I noticed before as well, but I never put two and two together before.

If they get this wrong and overbill people this could be a PR problem for TC, having to do refunds. Better to work it out sooner than later.

DonGould

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#577626 5-Feb-2012 19:10

jbard:I think Gary was trying to point out your usage is billed to the timestamp shown in your account - this isn't necessarily the same as the current time in NZ.

I am not with TC so i can't tell but it may be worth checking out what the timestamp is in your account?

What he's trying to say is that the public interface can run up to 6 hours behind.

So when you check it at 10:30pm it could be showing you your usage as at 4:30pm.

So, if you're on a 20Gb plan, have used only 15Gb as at 4:30pm, you could be forgiven for thinking you still at 5gb at 10pm.

The information is in a very light grey colour and very much 'SMALL PRINT' making it hard to read (I suspect on purpose).

So I wouldn't make a 'run for the end'.

I use the usage meter tool for firefox personally so that I can make sure I'm pulling my data fairly evenly though the month. Though I confess this means I'm often 15% to 25% under each month now.

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DonGould

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#577627 5-Feb-2012 19:12

phantomdb: im very sure though telstra bill any ip packet with you ip number attached computer on or off...

In fact it has nothing to do with your computer at all. You can't stop being billed for incoming traffic even if you turn the modem off.

So, if someone knows your IP number, they could just set up a 'ping' and flood your connection quietly all day and you'll be paying for the usage.

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timmmay

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#577628 5-Feb-2012 19:13

DonGould:
jbard:I think Gary was trying to point out your usage is billed to the timestamp shown in your account - this isn't necessarily the same as the current time in NZ.

I am not with TC so i can't tell but it may be worth checking out what the timestamp is in your account?

What he's trying to say is that the public interface can run up to 6 hours behind.

So when you check it at 10:30pm it could be showing you your usage as at 4:30pm.

So, if you're on a 20Gb plan, have used only 15Gb as at 4:30pm, you could be forgiven for thinking you still at 5gb at 10pm.

The information is in a very light grey colour and very much 'SMALL PRINT' making it hard to read (I suspect on purpose).

So I wouldn't make a 'run for the end'.

I use the usage meter tool for firefox personally so that I can make sure I'm pulling my data fairly evenly though the month. Though I confess this means I'm often 15% to 25% under each month now.

I don't think your interpretation is right. I don't mind if the web interface runs behind, but it's recording data inaccurately.

DonGould

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#577713 6-Feb-2012 02:55

timmmay: but it's recording data inaccurately.

ya, most of us know that. Gary keeps on telling us it does, but I haven't been able to verify it. They don't provide a hosts list for the free zone, so it's not possible to verify independently and no one from the Minister down is really very interested.

You get 2mbit uplink on cable which you don't on DSL. You get a whack of data, it might not be quite what you pay for, it might be, I don't know, I can't prove it.

"We are acutely aware thot New Zealond consumers hove choice in the telecommunications morket, ond choice of providers." - TelstraClear CEO.

Personally I read that to mean that if we're not happy with what Telstra provide then we should really just look for another provider.

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blackjack17

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#577731 6-Feb-2012 07:50

I had the same on vodafone. Trying to use the last of my data before the billing period ended. Turned of my computer at 11pm and the next day had used 15 gb in the new billing period.

I don't think there is much I could do, plus I had used the data so it isn't like I was charged for something I didn't use

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phantomdb

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#577765 6-Feb-2012 09:41

but in all fairness you didnt use the 15gb in the new period, its a bit off if a provider cant ACCURATLY bill even if it is "A TIMEFRAME" behind,

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blackjack17

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#577775 6-Feb-2012 10:05

phantomdb: but in all fairness you didnt use the 15gb in the new period, its a bit off if a provider cant ACCURATLY bill even if it is "A TIMEFRAME" behind,

I was annoyed but not enough to raise a fuss. I normally get an extra 60gb per month due to the delay in speed reduction after the cap has been exceeded anyway

My point was that it doesn't just happen on telstraclear

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