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Strange excessive data use on mobile broadband

jeffdawson78
4: Newbie

Hi,

I've very recently - 9 days ago - signed up to Vodafone mobile broadband 50GB plan using there mifi mobile router for use at home on my boat with our laptops.

 

As I have not used this before I have been keen to see how the speeds compare to my old Plusnet broadband and keep an eye on data usage.

I was therefore very surprised to see my account saying I had used 13GB of data over 2 nights! I checked the usage breakdown and saw a number of very strange readings of the same amount at small intervals:

 

16 Jan 2107
18:34  990.03 MB
19:33 990.03 MB
21:07 967.97 MB
21:25 990.03 MB
21:41 967.97 MB
21:57 765.02 MB
22:10 967.97 MB
22:30 199.16 MB

17 Jan 2017
07:09 11.49 MB
20.21 990.03 MB
20:35 967.97 MB
20:49 990.03 MB
21:05 967.97 MB
21:21 495.01 MB
21;28 967.97 MB
21:47 990.03 MB

22:05 234.86 MB 

 

On the 16 I did download a couple of shows from iplayer (approx 1.5GB) but nothing to use anywhere near that much data. 

I called the supprot line this morning but whilst courteous weren't able to do anything other than suggest visiting a store.

Has anyone experienced similar issues and how did you resolve it?

Thanks for any advice!

349 REPLIES 349

@carly I'm on a 50gb sim only data contract signed up on the 28th December. Can the uk data cap be added to this account?

Elaines35
4: Newbie
Can someone contact me on the number provided on the pm at the time given again? I missed a call from Vodafone last night but not sure if it's related to my issue.

kythie
3: Seeker
3: Seeker
Thanks Elaines35, does this mean that they agreed that you didn't use the data? Unfortunately I didn't know about the ability to track usage (and get that minute by minute data that you all were able to show them that the usage was crazy). It wasn't until my account was closed that they told me about the outstanding bill because of the 80GB usage (that didn't happen!).
In all my complaints the customer service ppl (apart from 2 ppl) told me that the SIM records usage so it proves I used the data.
I'm curious what you said/did to convince them you were right. Thanks!
Kythie

@kythie they didn't actually say that I used the data but I was fairly sure I didn't use it. Firstly the data log amounts were quite strange and were similar to another posters logs down to the 100th of a Mb. Secondly I checked my devices and couldn't find anything that had downloaded or streamed that amount of data. My Amazon prime is set at the lowest resolution and should use about 0.6gb per hour but the log showed about a gb every 20minutes. I'm not a heavy user as I don't have the data to waste so I think the man in the call centre was convinced by my argument. Finally I  explained to him that I tried to add the uk data cap before this all happened. This would have stopped the data at 50gb and no bill would have arisen. They tried to add it while I was on the phone numerous times and consulted the tech team who claimed to have overidden the system to add it. Eventually they conceded there was a problem with it and credited £150 as goodwill gesture. After a few days the cap still wasn't on and I phoned again and argued my case about the cap. They again were confused about adding the cap and eventually credited me the remainder of the bill to settle that issue. 

As of yet no one from Vodafone has contacted yet to clarify the issue with the U.K. Data cap and there is posts on here saying its non existent. I wish Vodafone would come back to me and be clear about it as I'm not happy with a contract that can't be capped that logs phantom usage amounts

Annie_N
Community Champion (Retired)
Community Champion (Retired)

@Elaines35

 

As I understand it, there is no doubt at all about the situation - a Mobile Broadband contract which started after 28 September 2016 will include the UK data cap.

 

If I've understood correctly, initially you could see the option to apply the data cap, but that it didn't work. Subsequently, following a reference on to technical assistance from CS, you were informed that the data cap did not apply to Mobile Broadband accounts, and that as a result the option to apply the data cap disappeared from your account. Can you confirm that the option to apply the data cap is still missing from your account?

 

I'm sorry that the Forum Tech Team still hasn't managed to make contact with you. I haven't a clue what is going wrong here, but one possiblility could be that the contact form is suffering a very quick time-out. If you still have the link that Alex sent you, I'd suggest having a further shot at that, but only giving the compulsory contact and personal details, and simply putting a link to this thread as your description of your problem. You should see an on-screen acknowledgement, followed almost immediately by an email which includes a reference number in the subject line. If, by some wonder, that succeeds, please post the reference number here.

@annie_n. Yes the option for adding the uk data cap disappeared from my Vodafone last week I think. Up until that it was visible and I was able to select it but it never applied to my account. 

@jeffdawson78 posted a response on page 4 from Vodafone which I have added below

"Thank you for your time over the call.
I have checked with the technical team and we do not have the capping facility for the mobile broadband services.
I sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused to you.
However; you will be able to add the UK data bar on the account.
I request you to please keep a track of your usage and then place the bar on the account when needed." 

After one of my many contacts with Vodafone someone said they had successfully applied the cap but after logging into my account they had added the data bar which is totally different. 

 

The only possible conclusion I can come to is that the cap is now applied as standard with no way of turning it off but why did my plan run over by 6gb? Has this update only been done Since the option was removed from my Vodafone?

 

 

 

Annie_N
Community Champion (Retired)
Community Champion (Retired)

Thanks for clarifying your situation, @Elaines35, though the two different pieces of information about the data cap continue to say that there is a data cap and that it is switched off as standard.

 

I have no idea how this saga can have been running for over three weeks now, and still apparently be no nearer to a resolution. I can only advise "hanging on in there", and I imagine it will eventually limp to a conclusion.

Elaines35
4: Newbie
Yeah it's dragging on a bit now. The support pages say it's available for new plans but are telling posters on here it's not available. I'm surprised this hasn't been raised before

I done the eft form again with a link to this forum posts and still didn't get an email with a reference number.

Nabs
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion
@Elaines35 do you use a Yahoo email?

Elaines35
4: Newbie
Yeah