Cap on data charges?

unnameduser

Perhaps someone could enlighten me. Is there a cap on data charges that an operator can charge a customer per day?

I use an iPhone 3gs and have an unlimited data package. On very rare occasions I use the iPhone as a modem on my laptop using the internet tethering feature.

I checked o2 online and see that over 5 hrs of web browsing today I clocked up a bill of almost €500! :eek:

I've since done some reading and it would seem that internet tethering is free on o2 advance plans that have a 2GB data plan but not on an unlimited plan. I was unaware of this and thought that internet tethering as included in the data plan.

Which brings me to my original question. I remember hearing something about a cap on daily charges of €50.

littlehedgehog

This is only on data roaming charges - perhaps you could call o2 and work out a reduced bill or payment by installment?

unnameduser

I plan to call them in the morning. Surely alarm bells would be ringing when a customer is clocking up such a bill! Not a happy chappy.

Jev/N

It's all capped at €50 though, as far as I'm aware?

jor el

unnameduser wrote: »

I use an iPhone 3gs and have an unlimited data package. On very rare occasions I use the iPhone as a modem on my laptop using the internet tethering feature.

The iPhone data bundle does not apply when tethered. You pay per kB or MB for all data used in this mode.

Jev/N wrote: »

It's all capped at €50 though, as far as I'm aware?

Only applies to roaming data charges, I believe. All domestic charges are fairly unlimited, or by whatever credit they will allow you to have.

alexlyons

nope you'd be right, under EU law mobile data charges are capped at €50, new law just brought in now includes roaming , but the cap is not exclusive to roaming by any means.

Nody

alexlyons wrote: »

nope you'd be right, under EU law mobile data charges are capped at €50, new law just brought in now includes roaming , but the cap is not exclusive to roaming by any means.

Sorry but the rule is for data roaming in Europe as far as I can find; there is no limit on data surfing on your domestic network.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8543341.stm wrote:

European Commissioner for Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes, said: "Protection against data roaming bill shocks is a useful step towards building customers' confidence to use mobile networks to surf the internet when travelling around Europe.

unnameduser

i found posts on meteors forums where there charges were capped to €50 (+vat). they were not roaming. not sure if this is a meteor specific thing or if its what I originally hoped i.e. cap on all data charges

alexlyons

its not a specific meteor thing, i rang the national consumer agency and they said it was EU law, i had a major issue with meteor before and when i was talking to them they said they had kindly capped the €800 bill (which i never actually ran up) at €50, i told the guy that it was actually an EU law and they weren't being nice at all, still trying to take €50 off me for no reason, and he was just like "ye you're right, but thats what we're told to say"

unnameduser

I was told the cap is for roaming only but since it is the first time this has occurred they would credit me 90% leaving me liable for €50 of the bill ...

Not sure if they are hiding the fact that it is law but in any case i'm a lot happier now.

Bosshogg

unnameduser wrote: »

I was told the cap is for roaming only but since it is the first time this has occurred they would credit me 90% leaving me liable for €50 of the bill ...
.

Ya jammy so 'n' so, I wonder if it's coz you're from Limerick hm? You could actually "get" them. hehe


The cap is for roaming only.
Function of the Roaming Regulation excerpt;
"It was considered necessary as an exceptional measure because the levels of charges which prevailed before the Regulation came into effect were an obstacle to the development of the single market and this problem could not be addressed by national regulatory authorities."
Roaming bills are now capped at €50 by default. Nice one!

"As far as the application of regulatory measures at a national level is concerned it is a matter for the national regulatory authority to analyse the relevant market and impose appropriate remedies"
So go to your local TD and tell him to motion to cap all mobile data bills to €50 since it's hard for people to monitor.

dudara

The networks treat tethering a smart phone as a modem a completely different thing - and charge accordingly, unless you have a specific plan or option. Ridiculous, but there you go.

censuspro

Sorry to drag this up again. Can someone tell me if if domestic data charges are capped at €50 if you are using your phone as a modem?

jor el

Consult the terms of your data plan, as they vary from plan to plan and operator to operator. In general though, no, there is no cap on the amount you can be charged.

dudara

Moved to Mobiles & PDAs.

dudara