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

[wales01man]

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

Have to ask and don't expect to get answer. What has the Employee got to say about the phone use? and what sites were they om?

[danielleissy]

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

No the employee doesn't work nights, and I don't really know what the usage was for exactly, he said he was just using the internet. Could have been any of the things you said, youtube, Facebook, etc.

[danielleissy]

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

Have to ask and don't expect to get answer. What has the Employee got to say about the phone use? and what sites were they om?

Apparently the phone we provided was playing up, so they tried the sim in there and it worked. I guess they then used the internet from there, they didn't specify which sites etc they were using.

But I do not blame the employee, I could have done this myself and would never have thought in just over one and half months the charges would be over £6000.

[wales01man]

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

You sound like a Great Boss I take it all your Employees are the best makes a change not to rad about bad Employers and Bad employees, Hope you can make a deal with Phone company

[Amethyst]

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

**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,

That's the inclusive data not a data limit.

The phones may be blocked/unable to have any data access with the voice only package - if that is the case they have sold you packages based on the SIM being voice only, and if no information was given about using the SIM in alternative mobile telephones then surely there's some argument there.

In the contract DATA thereafter usage is priced at £1.80 (ex VAT) per MB

Data usage is measured in megabytes (MB). 1MB = 1024 Kilobytes (Kb)

mobile.o2.co.uk 00:00:00 156560 Data Event 275.2

is right and thats a 153MB use, in one session, which sounds to me like video streaming etc.


Puff will know but 02 might be able to put a block on data access when someone hits a certain useage.

[danielleissy]

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

**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,

That's the inclusive data not a data limit.

The phones may be blocked/unable to have any data access with the voice only package - if that is the case they have sold you packages based on the SIM being voice only, and if no information was given about using the SIM in alternative mobile telephones then surely there's some argument there.

In the contract DATA thereafter usage is priced at £1.80 (ex VAT) per MB

Data usage is measured in megabytes (MB). 1MB = 1024 Kilobytes (Kb)

mobile.o2.co.uk 00:00:00 156560 Data Event 275.2

is right and thats a 153MB use, in one session, which sounds to me like video streaming etc.


Puff will know but 02 might be able to put a block on data access when someone hits a certain useage.

Yes well this is the dilemma, I know the charges are 'correct', but we don't feel they are right. We feel we were mis-sold (well uninformed) about these lines in particular. I feel we should have been made aware of the fact that voice only sims could access the internet, as it was clear in my requests that I wanted voice only, stating at times, no internet allowance.

I thought we would have an argument over the morals of the charges. I still cant understand the justification for charging £1.80 per MB, being used in the UK not abroad, when they can charge such little for the same amount using a bolt on. I think its wholly wrong and clearly just inflated. I was hoping by now that someone would have had the sense to recognise that our long term business is worth more than these charges, but sadly no one has.

Its just a choice of whether to accept their offer of half a credit, and when our contract renews in June, move away and never use them again. Or do we try to fight it through principle that we believe the charges are unjustified, with the misinformed part.

[Amethyst]

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

As the data used isn't in question and because the SIM card was removed from the 'contract' phone (which was set up not to allow data access) and moved to a phone that did allow data access and then the data access being used excessively it might be classed as a breach of the contract from your side and they are being ''generous'', for want of a better word, in reducing the bill by half, so I'd have to go with paying half so your companies phone stay operational until the end of your contract in June and negotiate a better contract after then, with o2 or another provider, with barring on data access over specified limits, rather than simply an inclusive data allowance. I'd also disallow employees using the SIMs in non work provided phones and have a spare couple of handsets set up the same way available in case of issues with handsets.

Puff will come back and she's much more in the knowledge on mobile phone tariffs and how these things work so if you can hang fire, do.

[Hurricane Puffrose]

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

Hi ya all, IM BAAAAACK!!

What a day !

Ok lets get down to business

Ok so, I have checked with someone at work, obv i have no idea who the OP is or their account details and I can't take them to work or I will be breaking DPA.

With the voice only tariffs you will not be told there is a nominal data allowance because it states it in the T&Cs and on your bill.
Now I know the only person ever known to read his T&Cs is Bilbo Baggins but, I have been told that the offer you were made would be the best thing o2 would be able to do.

I asked if there is a way that you can lower the one off payment and was told that you can speak with Collections and arrange a payment plan but the maximim installements are 3, and you must have an outgoing bar on the account until this is paid.

Now, on to the more technical side of things.

if your tariff was taken before 2012 there is NO DATA LIMIT WITHOUT A BOLT ON, i am concerned you are paying for data bolt ons, has anyone offered you an o2 healthcheck? the later tariffs have bolt ons included and will be capped data.

As Ame has stated, you agreed to a voice only tariff, so by using the data you could technically be classed as breaching contract.

Have tried everything I know sideways to get a more positive outcome, but been told if the CEO's office have said that is the final answer, come hell or high water that is the final answer.

[Hurricane Puffrose]

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

As the data used isn't in question and because the SIM card was removed from the 'contract' phone (which was set up not to allow data access) and moved to a phone that did allow data access and then the data access being used excessively it might be classed as a breach of the contract from your side and they are being ''generous'', for want of a better word, in reducing the bill by half, so I'd have to go with paying half so your companies phone stay operational until the end of your contract in June and negotiate a better contract after then , with o2 or another provider

If the op has been in contract for more than half of their tariff they can lower the tariff by one price mark (i.e £30 to £25) without resigning the contract

with barring on data access over specified limits, rather than simply an inclusive data allowance.
If you take out a data bolt on, your usage is automatically capped at that mark, your service is slowed down and you cannot use data at that point, you get a text warning at 80% and another saying you are out. this also happens as standard with the more up to date tariffs.


I'd also disallow employees using the SIMs in non work provided phones and have a spare couple of handsets set up the same way available in case of issues with handsets.
If you allow picture messages, then a data bar will not be added as this will stop that function.
Some handsets allow you to restrict data usage if you are feeling sneaky :tinysmile_twink_t2:

Puff will come back and she's much more in the knowledge on mobile phone tariffs and how these things work so if you can hang fire, do.
You are too kind Ame, if i can help I will but in this particular case it has been escalated over my head sadly.
Must say if I had been the advisor taking this call I would have done exactly the same thing as the OP has had.

All done Ame

[Amethyst]

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

Thanks for your help Puff xx

[Hurricane Puffrose]

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

you are very welcome Ame sorry I couldnt do more

[danielleissy]

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

Hi ya all, IM BAAAAACK!!

What a day !

Ok lets get down to business

Ok so, I have checked with someone at work, obv i have no idea who the OP is or their account details and I can't take them to work or I will be breaking DPA.

With the voice only tariffs you will not be told there is a nominal data allowance because it states it in the T&Cs and on your bill.
Now I know the only person ever known to read his T&Cs is Bilbo Baggins but, I have been told that the offer you were made would be the best thing o2 would be able to do.

I asked if there is a way that you can lower the one off payment and was told that you can speak with Collections and arrange a payment plan but the maximim installements are 3, and you must have an outgoing bar on the account until this is paid.

Now, on to the more technical side of things.

if your tariff was taken before 2012 there is NO DATA LIMIT WITHOUT A BOLT ON, i am concerned you are paying for data bolt ons, has anyone offered you an o2 healthcheck? the later tariffs have bolt ons included and will be capped data.

As Ame has stated, you agreed to a voice only tariff, so by using the data you could technically be classed as breaching contract.

Have tried everything I know sideways to get a more positive outcome, but been told if the CEO's office have said that is the final answer, come hell or high water that is the final answer.

Thanks again for your reply.

At the moment our phones are still working, I have checked online and there is no credit applied, so maybe were just a bit lucky for the time being.
The contract was taken out April / June 2012. We are only paying for data bolt ons on the 15 of the lines. No, nothing has been mentioned about a health check?

Thanks anyway, but still unsure on what to do...........Its hard to swallow £3000 for nothing! And considering that will be almost pure profit for o2.

[wales01man]

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

For Nothing? Pure Profit? that's business you are in Business to make Profit? You will not like this but it was your Employee who used this service and like others who use it needs to pay for it ,
The phone company offering a huge discount are being more than fair they don't have to reduce the bill

[ncf355]

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

Wow

If this was me, I'd sack the employee for gross misconduct and set after them for the money

The steps needed to get the other phone working with data on this sim, he/she knew damn well what they were doing so I dont see how you can defend them

I really think you are being far too generous here

At the very least they should be made to pay back the amount via their wages each week

There has been enough publicity around mobile data charges for this person to know what the conseuqnces could be

[wales01man]

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

ncf355
In the words of the song"you took the words right out of my mouth" to easy to blame everyone but the person who used the phone Still have to wonder exactly what they were downloading?