HELP - O2 Charging £6481 for data usage on a voice only sim card

[danielleissy]

Sorry if this is a bit of a jumble, I have tried to rush and write it.
Our phones are on tonight’s bar list, unless we pay the bill, so I have until tonight to make a decision on this...


We have a business contract with o2, and have had since 2010. At the moment we have 22 lines.

In April/ May last year we received two huge bills, of over £3000 each, our normal bills are around £700.
Looking into these we could found that the large charges were for “data” and had been incurred by only one number on our business contract.
£3048.10 on the first bill and £2353.19 on the second. (These amounts are excluding VAT)
The £3048 + vat was collected by direct debit before we realised, and to date we have not paid the May bill. We have managed to have the bill in query this whole time and it wasn’t until recently that they started to peruse us for it.
We had been paying all our other bills since then on time and in full.
Anyway, the line that incurred the charges was a voice only Sim card and as far as we were aware, shouldn’t have even been able to access the internet. We only provide our staff with basic phones that cannot even access the internet, just be able to make calls and texts. We had an initial investigation by o2 carried out and it turned out that our employee had apparently put the sim into an accessible phone, a Samsung, and managed to access the internet, and incur these charges.
Following this we had an offer of credit for half the charges by a Customer Relations Executive. But, we refused the offer and asked for the complaint to be escalated. Apparently there is no further escalation.
Through desperation our latest attempt was to contact Neil Harvey, Head of Business Services. It took them nearly two weeks to get back to us, but we had an email from lady on his behalf, who’s job title is Executive Relations. She has informed us that unfortunate the charges stand.
Now our phones are on tomorrow’s bar list, unless we pay the bill.

We would like to know the following:
• Why are the charges so high, despite that fact that we pay just £5 on our current contract for an internet add on.
• Why was we not informed of the high rising charges, despite it being so out of line with our current bills.
• Why was the sim even able to incur these charges when we have it stated as a “voice only” line in the contract, and the rest stated as “voice and data”.

What do you think our chances of going to court will be like?

I have attached a copy of our contract, minus the first page with details.

[Amethyst]

Re: HELP - O2 Charging £6481 for data usage on a voice only sim card

Obvious question maybe - what's happened to the employee who used your company SIM card in another phone to run up such huge bills on data access?

[danielleissy]

Re: HELP - O2 Charging £6481 for data usage on a voice only sim card

They still work for us.

How could anyone know that this would cause us over £6000 worth of charges? I would not blame the employee in anyway for this.

[Amethyst]

Re: HELP - O2 Charging £6481 for data usage on a voice only sim card

Okay.

So the Sim card was a Voice Only SIM and shouldn't even have been enabled for data useage - regardless of what phone it was put in to.

On the Voice and Data Sims - b) Each data enabled O2 SIM Card may not exceed a total data allowance of 8GB per month, including its initial Inclusive Data Bundle.

j) The tariffs shown above incorporate Business Data Sense free of any additional Line Rental Charge. Business Data Sense allows you to send up to ½ Megabyte (MB) or 512KB of
data usage free each month, thereafter usage is priced at £1.80 (ex VAT) per MB or you may opt to add a Data Service.


Have they given you a full breakdown of the charges incurred ?

[Amethyst]

Re: HELP - O2 Charging £6481 for data usage on a voice only sim card

For Reference although I don't know if they would deal with a business contract.

To get help with your individual problems, follow these steps:

• Contact your provider’s customer services department and explain your problem. (done)
• If this doesn’t resolve the issue, make a formal complaint to the company. You should find details of how to do this on the back of your bill, on their website or ask their customer services.(done)
• If your provider is unable to resolve your complaint, ask for a deadlock letter. This enables you to take your complaint to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme.

ADRs act as an independent middleman and will examine the case from both sides and reach a decision they think fair. If eight weeks have passed since you first formally complained you can contact the ADR directly.
There are two ADR schemes – Ombudsman Services: Communications, and the Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (CISAS). All service providers must belong to one of the schemes.
Your provider will tell you which scheme it is a member of, or you can use our ADR checker.

[danielleissy]

Re: HELP - O2 Charging £6481 for data usage on a voice only sim card

No they haven't exactly provided me anything during the complaint, but on the invoice the breakdown shows some information, I have copied it below.

the units are in KB

Maybe this helps?

Date		Time		Number/Description	Duration		Total units		Destination	Address description	Original cost	Discount value	Allowance value	Cost
26/04/2013		00:00:00		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		62464		Data Event		109.8	0	0	109.8
25/04/2013		00:18:51		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		54841		Data Event		96.4	0	0	96.4
24/04/2013		00:00:00		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		31823		Data Event		55.94	0	0	55.94
23/04/2013		23:51:22		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		9485		Data Event		16.67	0	0	16.67
23/04/2013		00:00:00		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		134641		Data Event		236.67	0	0	236.67
22/04/2013		00:00:00		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		21359		Data Event		37.54	0	0	37.54
21/04/2013		21:53:37		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		1144		Data Event		2.01	0	0	2.01
21/04/2013		00:00:00		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		85927		Data Event		151.04	0	0	151.04
20/04/2013		00:00:00		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		92527		Data Event		162.64	0	0	162.64
19/04/2013		00:00:00		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		38925		Data Event		68.42	0	0	68.42
18/04/2013		02:57:56		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		57914		Data Event		101.8	0	0	101.8
17/04/2013		21:13:45		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		4		Data Event		0.01	0	0	0.01
17/04/2013		00:00:00		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		68950		Data Event		121.2	0	0	121.2
16/04/2013		04:25:42		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		89905		Data Event		158.04	0	0	158.04
15/04/2013		00:00:00		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		46474		Data Event		81.69	0	0	81.69
14/04/2013		00:26:12		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		135683		Data Event		238.5	0	0	238.5
13/04/2013		00:35:02		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		156560		Data Event		275.2	0	0	275.2
12/04/2013		03:00:00		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		3362		Data Event		5.91	0	0	5.91
11/04/2013		22:27:30		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		4		Data Event		0.01	0	0	0.01
11/04/2013		04:13:54		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		175155		Data Event		307.89	0	0	307.89
10/04/2013		04:25:47		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		10225		Data Event		17.97	0	0	17.97
09/04/2013		23:00:09		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		13		Data Event		0.02	0	0	0.02
09/04/2013		00:00:00		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		65277		Data Event		114.74	0	0	114.74
08/04/2013		22:41:59		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		3115		Data Event		5.48	0	0	5.48
08/04/2013		00:00:00		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		20638		Data Event		36.28	0	0	36.28
07/04/2013		21:44:26		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		1642		Data Event		2.89	0	0	2.89
07/04/2013		00:00:00		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		156889		Data Event		275.78	0	0	275.78
06/04/2013		23:27:07		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		3		Data Event		0	0	0	0
06/04/2013		12:21:13		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		46955		Data Event		82.54	0	0	82.54
05/04/2013		00:00:00		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		11846		Data Event		20.82	0	0	20.82
04/04/2013		23:40:55		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		2		Data Event		0	0	0	0
04/04/2013		00:00:00		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		98106		Data Event		172.45	0	0	172.45
03/04/2013		23:24:18		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		696		Data Event		1.22	0	0	1.22
03/04/2013		18:12:58		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		51990		Data Event		91.39	0	0.86	90.53
02/04/2013		00:00:00		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		24		Data Event		0.04	0	0.04	0
01/04/2013		23:42:54		mobile.o2.co.uk	00:00:00		3		Data Event		0	0	0	0

[danielleissy]

Re: HELP - O2 Charging £6481 for data usage on a voice only sim card

Looks like something went wrong with the table, but hopefully you can see most of it.

[wales01man]

Re: HELP - O2 Charging £6481 for data usage on a voice only sim card

Putting a spanner in the works here but if the Employee used the internet by changing something why should the phone company not get paid?
Would expect that the invoice is checked as correct then it would need paying

[Hurricane Puffrose]

Re: HELP - O2 Charging £6481 for data usage on a voice only sim card

hiya having a look in to this bill for the OP.

[Hurricane Puffrose]

Re: HELP - O2 Charging £6481 for data usage on a voice only sim card

Ok so I have had a look, at the bill quickly, brain is a little frazzled after today, so bare with me guys,

From you saying its exclusive of VAT, I can tell you are a business contract, so this makes things a little harder but, I will try and put this in to laymans terms :tinysmile_twink_t2:

Ok, so mobile phone companies have a system that is used to tell which handset the sim is being used with, this has obviously been done in your case, hence being told the phone that was being used.
This is sadly accurate as the police can ask for this info to help with stolen phones etc.

I hate this part of being a Beagle, giving bad news.
Unfortunatly, it is not o2's responsibilty to check your employee's usage, this is up to you.
Any recalculation/credit is goodwill unless it can be proved that an o2 employee gave incorrect information or did not action something correctly (this is with ALL providers)

ALL sim cards have the ability to use data, otherwise picture messaging and vital phone updates would be impossible, however normally a tariff has a nominal allowance to cover this (normally 514kb although sometimes it is 100mb).
I know your TARIFF is voice only but, your sim can and will connect.

can you let me know your allowances/tariff and if you took out any additional bolt ons for any data usage (although what you have said gives me the idea you are on the basic 512kb in which case this is uncapped data usage and is chargable per KB after the 512), working out how much data has been used but right now my brain is screaming at me so I will ask a mate to do this to me.

those who know my proffesion, much as I would LOVE to take this on, if this has gone to the CEO it took the last 747 over my head and I cannot take ownership, the decision has been made by a higher authority.. sorry

[Hurricane Puffrose]

Re: HELP - O2 Charging £6481 for data usage on a voice only sim card

Sorry for the multiple posts.

a few figures to make sure that everything is "correct"

OP's data usage in KB 1682850
This in MB 1643
which makes approx 1.6 gb.

TBH on a business account, this is a tiny amount of data usage so no alarm bells would have rang.

Price per KB, cant find at home but I will look this up for you, I think its something like 50p per kb i honestly cant remember, been a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG day.

[Amethyst]

Re: HELP - O2 Charging £6481 for data usage on a voice only sim card

Puff you are a star xx

Was the phone user abroad or working nights etc or could this have been cause by data updates etc (like Facebook and whatnot sending data) rather than something like downloading a film (for example)...there's a lot after midnight/late evening, I know I had a problem with one of our phones that data transfer was left on on when away from wifi of constantly picking up info from FB, emails, twitter etc (only £20 worth tho over a month) some of those numbers are HUGE for one session - 07/04/2013 00:00:00 mobile.o2.co.uk 00:00:00 156889 Data Event 275.78 - for example.

On one of our phones last charged data useage was 01-Mar-14 01:38:38 1.87MB £1.00

[Hurricane Puffrose]

Re: HELP - O2 Charging £6481 for data usage on a voice only sim card

huge data consumption culprits:
Facebook games (make sure and end your session/ap)
watching videos on Youtube
using your phone as a GPS (eats data)
using your phone as a tether to another device (basically you make your phone a modem, goodbye data allowance!)
leaving aps running (make sure your candy crush is switched off, and yes this is public enemy number 1 with data being used!)
Auto updates, normally uses nothing, but there is always the one day that 7 come in at once!

Have just had word about my assumptions and it seems I am right, sounds like the OP is on an older tariff with no data alllowance and is being charged per kb for data, which it should say in their t&cs but if I am honest, Clever Cow here left her glasses at work and I am blind as a bat atm so I haven't looked as computer = major headache

Will be at work all day today, getting some training training (as in training to train people) so christ knows what time I will be finished. I wish the OP luck on this one, honest I do, but I think even if they take this to Ofcom, if it is proved it is misuse by an employee, 02 cannot be held responsible and as they have been offered help and refused it, Ofcom may decide o2 have done everything they can..

again, this would be my advice if it was ANY mobile company.

[Hurricane Puffrose]

Re: HELP - O2 Charging £6481 for data usage on a voice only sim card

Puff you are a star xx
you are very welcome hun
Was the phone user abroad or working nights etc or could this have been cause by data updates etc (like Facebook and whatnot sending data) rather than something like downloading a film (for example)
i will admit this has entered my mind, if this is international data (hold on to your underwear) its £6 per mb

...there's a lot after midnight/late evening, I know I had a problem with one of our phones that data transfer was left on on when away from wifi of constantly picking up info from FB, emails, twitter etc (only £20 worth tho over a month) some of those numbers are HUGE for one session - 07/04/2013 00:00:00 mobile.o2.co.uk 00:00:00 156889 Data Event 275.78 - for example.

On one of our phones last charged data useage was 01-Mar-14 01:38:38 1.87MB
£1.00

was that a consumer tariff hun?

off to work now

[danielleissy]

Re: HELP - O2 Charging £6481 for data usage on a voice only sim card

Thanks for your reply.

I know its not their responsibility to notify us, but I just find it amazing that they can have so much advanced technology, but nothing by away of alerts for high bills, obviously because it is not in their favour. We are lucky enough to be in a stable financial position, but what if we were not this could be a whole lot worse.

I don't necessarily know if anyone has given us incorrect information, but when we took out the contract I specifically told the guy, by email, that I wanted these lines not to have internet, and I even barred premium numbers, abroad usage etc. I was under the impression that they would not be able to access the internet, given my specific request at the time of taking out the contract. Surely the sales rep should have advised on the internet usage correctly, or so you would think....

We had 22 lines in total, 15 with 'voice and data' and 7 without. We pay £5 for the data Bolt-on on the 15 lines. I don't know what the allowance is, I had a quick scan of the contract and as pointed out by Amethyst earlier there is a section on page 4 that says:

The tariffs shown above incorporate Business Data Sense free of any additional Line Rental Charge. Business Data Sense allows you to send up to ½ Megabyte (MB) or 512KB of data usage free each month, thereafter usage is priced at £1.80 (ex VAT) per MB or you may opt to add a Data Service.

And the Bolton's we pay for are listed as:

The All Rounder - with iPhone 8 £5.00 500MB**
The All Rounder - with Smartphone 7 £5.00 500MB**

**Each SIM Card for which the Customer pays voice Line Rental Charges of at least £26.00 per SIM Card, per month will receive 750MB of inclusive data per month instead of 500MB, for the duration of its Minimum Period. SIM Cards connected to O2 Business Share tariffs Business 1300 and above will also receive 750MB per Sharer. Tariffs excluded from this offer are, Business Share 500 (24 month + bonus option), Business Single 50 (12 month option) or Business Single 100 (12 month option)




Thanks for your reply.