Mobile Broadband

[David_Con]

I am still in shock from a bill that I have just seen for my last month..

£1800.35  

It all comes down to me being in Jordan at a conference and both checking my own website and using google maps to get me to the conference centre.   

Vodafone introduced a worldwide cap on data roaming charges at the beginning of June which sounds like good news -  it is an opt out service.   So I should be covered   and anyway, Vodaphone will tell me when I get to 80%  and 100%  of my limit.  

"We send free text alerts - or mobile data notifications (containing pricing and usage information) to customers in every country globally when they first use data in a day, then when they approach 80% of their usage and then when they reach 100%. "

• Once you reach the cap limit an automatic data roam bar will be applied, and you won't be able to use any more data abroad for the remainder of your monthly billing cycle."


There is an automatic cap that I have to actually physically opt out of... 

on the 17th January I get a text message saying
"we've notived your usage is higher than usual - to check -please visit www.vodaphone.co.uk"  

thats it...   nothing more.   no other warnings...  no automatic cap.   nothing.   just a bill for £1800

I have to say I am still shaking and in shock...  sick and horrified.  

I called Vodaphone to ask whey the automatic cap had not kicked in, to be told

"The automatic cap sometimes does not happen, it is up to you to stop the usage."

I read  the Vodaphone rep this:
http://www.vodafone.co.uk/shop/pay-monthly/travelling-abroad/internet-abroad/index.htm

Using the internet outside Europe

There’s a standard daily rate for going online in our rest of world zone, which is £25 for up to 100MB a day (midnight to midnight, UK time)

As in Europe, an automatic monthly spend limit comes into play if you go over your 100MB allowance to help you keep your costs under control.

Spending cap on using mobile broadband overseas

We want to help you have greater control over how much you spend when you're using mobile broadband when you're overseas.

Unless you have opted out of the cap, we'll cap your monthly mobile broadband spending at €50 (£41.47 exc. VAT) both in our Europe Zone and our Rest of World Zone.

We'll send you notifications when you have reached 80% and 100% of your allowance.

When you've reached the spending cap, you won't be able to use mobile broadband overseas for the rest of the month - unless you choose to opt out.

But was told that I should have stopped the usage myself and not relied on the automatic cap.  

I asked for a manager, and am told one will call me in 24-48 hours.   but as you can imagine, it is difficult to concentrate or sleep with a 1800 bill.  

I have been with Vodaphone since the start.   and this has never happened before. 

I am glad to see this:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2011/09/data_roaming.html

SO do see that the data roaming cap was extended to include countries outside of the EU on the 1st of June. Customers are opted into the data roaming cap by default.


To be told that it is my responsibility   and that the automatic cap is actually not an automatic cap... 
that is just baffling... 

[grolschuk]

Was it a mobile broadband device you were using, or your mobile phone?

Is it mostly data, or a mix of calls too?

I think the links that you posted with the 100MB limit is for dongles and such.

Also is it a normal consumer account, or a business one, as they sometimes have different defaults for opting in/out.

The mobile phone browsing reads funny to me.

There is a "cheaper data abroad" which is an opt-in service that you need to contact customer services to opt in.

However there is the cap that says it is opt-out... but it does not say if the cap is only applied if you have opted into the data traveller service.

If you were not opted into the Data Traveller, at £3 per MB it soon racks up, but that would still be 600MB used, more than a lot of people use in a month even at home.

***

Travelling outside Europe? Planning to browse the web, email or go on Facebook and Twitter while you’re away? Opt in to Vodafone Data Traveller and you’ll only pay £5 for 25MB for every day (midnight to midnight, UK time) you go online in our Rest of world zone

We'll send you free texts to remind you of your daily allowance – and let you know if you’re nearing your limit.

Opting in to Vodafone Data Traveller is easy – just contact customer services

If you use the full 25MB and need more, you’ll pay the standard rate of £3 a MB up to 5MB, then £15 for every 5MB after that.

And to help you keep an eye on your costs, there's also an automatic monthly spend limit of £41.47 on using the internet abroad - we'll make sure you never spend more than this unless you choose to opt out.

***

Hopefully one of the tech team will be able to clarify things for you and take a look at your account to see what is going on.

[David_Con]

Thanks for that answer...

It was my moble phone  with a monthly pay plan...  with £10 per month for 5gb data ( in teh UK   and a passport

I checked my settings... 

UK/ Roaming notifications:	On
Mobile internet roaming usage cap:	On

So my internet roaming cap is set to on...  and it confirms that I am

The worldwide cap is set at €50 for each calendar month. After this a mobile internet roaming bar will be applied. This means you won't be able to use any more data abroad for the remainder of the calendar month - unless you choose to turn off the cap.

     
So you have to ask  why it did not work?  

http://www.vodafone.co.uk/shop/pay-monthly/travelling-abroad/internet-abroad/index.htm

Here are the charges up to the text message that warns me I am using more than normal...!

1st text (which I am charged for) comes in on the 17th January after I have already run up over £600    

Sun 13 Jan 00:00		Mobile internet Fastlink	3.121MB	0.000	0.000	VAT at 0%
Sun 13 Jan 00:00		Mobile internet Umniah	11.760MB	48.000	48.000	VAT at 0%
Mon 14 Jan 00:00		Mobile internet Fastlink	35.543MB	120.000	120.000	VAT at 0%
Mon 14 Jan 00:00		Mobile internet Fastlink	523.108KB	0.000	0.000	VAT at 0%
Tue 15 Jan 00:00		Mobile internet Fastlink	70.118MB	225.000	225.000	VAT at 0%
Tue 15 Jan 00:00		Mobile internet Fastlink	1.125MB	0.000	0.000	VAT at 0%
Wed 16 Jan 00:00		Mobile internet Fastlink	12.153MB	45.000	45.000	VAT at 0%
Wed 16 Jan 00:00		Mobile internet Fastlink	615.258KB	0.000	0.000	VAT at 0%
Thu 17 Jan 00:00		Mobile internet Fastlink	82.111MB	255.000	255.000	VAT at 0%
Thu 17 Jan 00:00		Mobile internet Fastlink	27.924KB	0.000	0.000	VAT at 0%
Thu 17 Jan 23:15		447785016005 Fastlink	1 text	0.350	0.350	VAT at 0%

[grolschuk]

Yep - if everything is on the account ok, I'd expect it to kick in too.

Unless for some reason the Jordan network took 4 days to report usage back to VF, that could explain why the txt was so late, as VF wouldn't have known what you had been using out there.

One for the staff to look at for you for sure however they sometimes take upto a day to get to posts at busy times (I don't think today has been too busy though) and will send you a PM to confirm some account data protection questions.

[David_Con]

I can only thank you for that.

As you can imagine I feel sick.    I expect to pay for internet abroad.  but that was just unbelievable.  

As you say, it may have been a delay...  but really  even then it should have stopped.   but went on for another 1100 pounds.     and   only one text that said " I was using more than normal.  "

I don't mind paying for usage, but I do mind being hit with a massive bill when the safeguards Vodafone promised me seemed to have failed. 

[David_Con]

Hoping someone will talk to me...  

Sleepless night... 

[JohnA]

You shouldn't be having sleepless nights. If what you say is correct in that you never opted out of the cap then your case is 100% solid and they will have to refund the difference. Since July 2012 the cap is no longer optional for your mobile network when roaming outside the EU (before that it was only required when you were roaming inside the EU) so what you've been told is wrong. I guess the only inconvenience would be if attempts are made to take a direct debit before this is sorted which could either fail and you incur bank charges or you could be left temporarily short in which case you should be able to get something back from the bank's direct debit guarantee. Either way I'm sure once the team here get to you they will sort it out correctly (unlike your previous experience with customer services who were clearly badly informed).

Note also that when it comes to data roaming, the system doesn't rely on the foreign network passing information back to Vodafone (which is different to voice calls where there can be a delay). All of your data has to go through Vodafone and so they know exactly how much you've used as soon as you use it. This is the only way a cap can work.

[David_Con]

Thank you for that.   it looks like I am will get my money back once they look at this case. -  as I never opted out.   to do so would be crazy!   without real  cause. 

It seems I get lots of differnt views depending on who at Vodaphone I talk to.  

I asked explicitedly if they were saying the opt out was required  and caps are not automatic   -  I was told  it was my fault for not checking my data usage...  and that the cap would not always be automatic.   (  I got a call reference to ensure it could be traced back) 

The money was taken...  I only noticed as my wife went to check the account  and told me the horror.  

cleaned out...   at least it did not get rejected .   but that was the account was all but emptied. 

I checked with Watchdog, and they agree with what you have said.  

So now I guess I must just wait til somebody sorts this mess out.      or wait for some grand excuse about how it actually is my fault and I should have read some small print.  

But looking at my settings - the data roaming cap is on.   so surely it will be a matter of finding out why it did not work.   just as why the texts warning me did not come through  (  I have had them before in Greece  -  and that was useful) 

Thank you JohnA

[JohnA]

There can't be small print putting the responsibilty on you. From July 2012 it's the law for when you roam outside the EU. See here for a summary from the European Commission (the bit about countering data roaming bill shock). The team here are far better informed and will be with you soon. Just let them deal with it and don't bother with the other customer service channels for this query.

[James]

Hi David_Con,

I must admit that this is quite a shock so I can’t even start to imagine how you must be feeling.

Can I ask if this charge is all from one day? If yes then it is possible that a delay in receiving data has meant that the cap hasn’t been enforced.

However, with this said I have sent you a quick PM, please follow the instructions on the Pm and one of the team will be able to look into this for you in more detail to see exactly what has happened.

You can find your PM inbox here.

James

[David_Con]

Indeed it was a shock...  no it was over a 10 day period.   give or take.   can't quite think straight.  

Was at an archaeolgoical conference in Jordan.  some days there is no usage or charge   some days it is monumental.  

the worst was a £480 day. 

Have sent the email as requested.   I just so need this sorted as it has taken the wind out of me.  

[ToniEvans]

vodafone please help..i have had horrifing bill today from my 7 year olds ipad,we recently had new broadband fitted at home.i thought all devices were changed over from old broadband,until i had my bill today realised my sons ipad had not been set up therefore was running on data roming.i have always praised vodafone for there previous help but on this occassion no symphony for this obvious genuine human error.i can not afford this bill.im worrying myself sick on how this will be sorted.ive called customer services for help.as i did not get any im awaiting manager to call me within the next 48hrs.which is hell for me waiting and worrying.

ive been with vodafone for 6 years i have 6 accounts with you.im a good customer..please do not let me down now.i also want to know why i had no email, message or text to advise me i was racking up this charge.

thank you 

toni evans

[James]

Hi ToniEvans,

I’m not too sure if there is anything that we can do however, that doesn’t mean that we won’t try our best for you.

So we can look into this for you please follow the instructions on the Pm and one of the team will be in touch to help.

You can find your PM inbox here.

James