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Meteor Over Billing - Data usage

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  • 19-12-2010 12:54am
    #1
    Mitch Connor
    Registered Users Posts: 46,028 ✭✭✭✭


    Gonna have to ring tomorrow morning, but can anyone tell me if they have experience of Meteor over billing data usage?

    I have the 1GB download addon - which is 1024MB. Billing date is the 14th of the month, so from December 15th I have had 1024MB to download. I checked my data balance today and it is saying I have 957.94MB left, so it is saying I have used a little over 66MB via the network, which simply can not be true.

    According to the data counter on my phone I have used 40.86MB via 'Cell' since I got the phone (December 2nd), it is also saying i have used 11mb for the week gone (from the 12th)

    Looking at the information online on Meteor.ie I have added up the data usage it is saying I have used since the 15th and it is adding up to just 7.5MB, so what the hell are Meteor at with their billing me near 9 times more?

    Anyone had a similar experience?


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    #2
    Jonathan
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 8,180 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jonathan


    Who cares? At 22MB/day you won't get anywhere near exceeding the cap.


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    #3
    Mitch Connor
    Registered Users Posts: 46,028 ✭✭✭✭Mitch Connor


    Jonathan wrote: »
    Who cares? At 22MB/day you won't get anywhere near exceeding the cap.

    I care - if they were to continue at that rate of over-billing I would actually get only 116mb of data...

    Fact is I am paying for 1024mb of data and I would like to be able to use that if I wish to, Meteor over charging me is not acceptable - and I can't understand how anyone could really think that it is.


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    #4
    Kensington
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,683 ✭✭✭Kensington


    Does your allowance not get renewed ON your billing date? So data usage would be from the 14th onwards?
    Also, does 1GB give you 1024MB, or do meteor consider 1GB to be 1000MB?


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    #5
    Mitch Connor
    Registered Users Posts: 46,028 ✭✭✭✭Mitch Connor


    Kensington wrote: »
    Does your allowance not get renewed ON your billing date? So data usage would be from the 14th onwards?
    Also, does 1GB give you 1024MB, or do meteor consider 1GB to be 1000MB?

    On the 14th it was saying a had 300mb left, it reset on the 15th, and the new figure shown was 1024MB.

    Even it it was the 14th, my usage would only have gone up to 9mb - still way short of what they are trying to bill me for.

    Also, rang Meteor a few minutes ago, and they confirmed it was the 15th the data would be getting calculated from. They couldn't tell me anything more than that - they said I would have to ring again tomorrow and talk to someone in their tech department.


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    #6
    krudler
    Registered Users Posts: 34,788 ✭✭✭✭krudler


    The data counter on the phone isnt measuring the usage the same way the network is I'd imagine, data counters on phones and mobile broadband units arent accurate. Check your online billing if you have it, that should be the right amount.

    According to the data counter on my phone I've only used 40mb in the past 2 weeks, when its closer to 200mb, so I wouldnt go by what the phone says, thats device software, not connected to the network


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    #7
    Mitch Connor
    Registered Users Posts: 46,028 ✭✭✭✭Mitch Connor


    krudler wrote: »
    The data counter on the phone isnt measuring the usage the same way the network is I'd imagine, data counters on phones and mobile broadband units arent accurate. Check your online billing if you have it, that should be the right amount.

    According to the data counter on my phone I've only used 40mb in the past 2 weeks, when its closer to 200mb, so I wouldnt go by what the phone says, thats device software, not connected to the network
    the info in the attached spreadsheet is a copy of everything that has a data usage listed on it from my online account summary on Meteor.ie. Everything else is a text or normal call, and has no attached data usage listed.

    I was giving the info my phone shows just as another point of information to show that I don't see how I could have used the 66mb Meteor are trying to say I have used since Wednesday.

    The main thing is the online account summary shows my data usage for the dates in question adds up to 7.5MB, not 66MB.


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    #8
    blaz
    Registered Users Posts: 590 ✭✭✭blaz


    krudler wrote: »
    The data counter on the phone isnt measuring the usage the same way the network is I'd imagine, data counters on phones and mobile broadband units arent accurate. Check your online billing if you have it, that should be the right amount.

    According to the data counter on my phone I've only used 40mb in the past 2 weeks, when its closer to 200mb, so I wouldnt go by what the phone says, thats device software, not connected to the network

    How do you know you downloaded 200 MB? I don't believe networks do data billing correctly most of the time. Two examples (for Vodafone) below.

    I have 3G Watchdog installed on my Android phone. Most of my data usage is radio streaming, so it is pretty easy to calculate how much data I have used. Comparing a manual calculation to the results that 3G Watchdog gives tells me 3G Watchdog is correctly showing my data usage. Looking at Vodafone's online billing, it consistently shows less data usage for some reason, usually only 1/3 of what I have actually used. I don't mind as I can use more data that way, but it is still worrying how they can't get even basic thing like that right. And I worry that at some point they will do their calculations right and charge me extra... Oh, another proof that Vodafone's data billing is incorrect? I have put a 3 SIM card in my phone and streamed the same radio station I do usually. 3's online tools showed results that were comparable to 3G Watchdog, so 3 does get data volumes right.

    Want another example of incorrect data billing? Vodafone wanted to charge me 50 EUR for two days of data roaming in the US. I was using the Live! APN for the whole duration of my trip and Live! data roaming is free (comes out of your normal monthly data allowance). They were persistently claiming that I manually changed the setting on my phone until I pointed out to them that my bill showed that I was using data simultaneously in the US and in Ireland. They finally gave in, apologized and removed the charges.

    Don't ever believe what your operator's bill says. Check and double check.


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    #9
    Mitch Connor
    Registered Users Posts: 46,028 ✭✭✭✭Mitch Connor


    Just rang them there - utter waste of my time.

    Basically said they will not look into it until my next billing date, which is January 14th.

    Have asked for a supervisor callback cause I am not happy about this at all.

    The overview is saying I have used 9 times more data than their own account summary page is, and they are saying they will simply do nothing about it til half way through next month. Absolutely disgraceful attitude.


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    #10
    chrislad
    Registered Users Posts: 8,324 ✭✭✭chrislad


    It's more than likely a reporting error. Any adjustments to a bill cannot be made mid month, it's a system thing. If it's a case where it is the unlikely event of overcharging you, it will be sorted before the bill is generated at the start of your new cycle. If it's a case of reporting error, it'll probably sort itself out during the month. Relax! Hardly a massive issue. If their site usage is not corresponding to the balace, then it is a reporting issue, not a billing issue. What the site is saying you've used is the real indicator.


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    #11
    Mitch Connor
    Registered Users Posts: 46,028 ✭✭✭✭Mitch Connor


    chrislad wrote: »
    It's more than likely a reporting error. Any adjustments to a bill cannot be made mid month, it's a system thing. If it's a case where it is the unlikely event of overcharging you, it will be sorted before the bill is generated at the start of your new cycle. If it's a case of reporting error, it'll probably sort itself out during the month. Relax! Hardly a massive issue. If their site usage is not corresponding to the balace, then it is a reporting issue, not a billing issue. What the site is saying you've used is the real indicator.

    But what if it is not incorrect - maybe there is some other issue and the overview is correct; which would mean my phone is using more data than it says it is and that Meteor is also not reporting on this.

    As things stand, I can not make proper use of my bill pay phone because I can not accurately tell what my account usage is. It is unacceptable that despite flagging this to Meteor they will do nothing until January 15th so I can not make use of the data allowance on my phone til then.

    They are currently providing me no way of monitoring or managing my account satisfactorily.


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    #12
    chrislad
    Registered Users Posts: 8,324 ✭✭✭chrislad


    Mitch Connor wrote: »
    But what if it is not incorrect - maybe there is some other issue and the overview is correct; which would mean my phone is using more data than it says it is and that Meteor is also not reporting on this.

    As things stand, I can not make proper use of my bill pay phone because I can not accurately tell what my account usage is. It is unacceptable that despite flagging this to Meteor they will do nothing until January 15th so I can not make use of the data allowance on my phone til then.

    They are currently providing me no way of monitoring or managing my account satisfactorily.

    It's not 'will do nothing', it's 'can do nothing'. Adjustments cannot be made to tariffs, mid cycle. If it's a case of Meteor not being able to accurately track your usage, and due to this you go over, I am sure they will credit/adjust your account as it wasn't your fault.


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    #13
    lomb
    Registered Users Posts: 6,031 ✭✭✭lomb


    I got a bill pay desire on meteor on the 14th on the smart one gig thirty tariff. My data use corresponds with 3g watchdog and my meteor except they gave me a free 250 for a month . I think the ten gig add-on for 15 euro is worthwhile for streaming radio and tv. One gig is only useful if you use WiFi predominantly.


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    #14
    HappyCrackHead
    Registered Users Posts: 337 ✭✭HappyCrackHead


    Hi MItch
    I noticed something similar on my mymeteor account. it said I had used 3.86gb out of my 10gb allowance. Which is mental. my average use is 1-2gb a month and I'm 14 days into my billing cycle. When I checked the usage for the calendar month to date It was 270mb.

    My first call to meteor resulted in "looking into it" followed by being put on hold and getting cut off. That was yesterday. I rang back today and the guy couldn't make sense of it. I asked him to simply note my call and if it got bigger I'd be back in touch.

    STill last month I was charged for data, only 2mb, the girl I spoke to didn't get the fuss but refunded me.

    My advice is to regularly check it. Don't accept that they have to wait until your next bill date that's just laziness or incompetence.

    FINALLY use the meteor forums to bring up issues. they respond much faster, even if it is only during business hours.


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