My problem with mobile broadband - Off-topic

With the release of the ipad it just reminded my why I hate mobile broadband so much. I can simply explain it like this. At home i pay (isp) a set amount based on the speed they offer me, then I can connect any and every device i want to MY internet connection. If mobile broadband was even remotly like this I would be all for it.However, they force you to pay (alot) per device and tell you what is and isnt allowed with that device. Ex: $30 bucks for internet on phone, $50 bucks for internet on laptop through mobile modem, now $30 for intetnet through (insert tablet/media device here). Not to mention if i didnt have a 3 year old phone plan my internet for my phone would be twice as much; that right there is alreay $110. (It is a little less bad with a device like the Mifi) but holy crap for $60 at home i have roughly 9 computers on the internet. (we'll say the speed difference is made up for by the convenience of mobility) So is anybody in agreement with me, am i a stupid selfish consumer or should we all boycott att/verizon/sprint/tmobile until they offer about 60-70 buck mobile broadband plan that i can use on every device i purchase that has a mobile broadband modem.

Related

Which is the best UK operator?

Hi all,
I'm due for and upgrade soon and I was wondering what you think of your operator. Prices / Customer service and support / Network coverage etc.
EDIT-My original reason for this thread is below. I took the risk of going with Orange today and got a Trinity
I'm considering a Trinity (only on Orange atm) or a Hermes (on o2, T-Mobile and Vodafone)
I prefer to look of the Trinity (bigger storage card, size, cheaper and GPS) but I view Orange as a bad point, but the Hermes has more support and roms here and is available with my current operator - o2, who I plan to bribe with 'give a free phone and a better contract, or I'll go to t-mobile or vodafone.' Anyone had any luck doing that?
reliability- vodafone
best deals - t-mobile
t-mobile wins
Do you know if any of the UK providers offer unlimited internet connection (without the stupid 'fair use' policy)? I mean, really unlimited like usual broadband?
damac said:
Do you know if any of the UK providers offer unlimited internet connection (without the stupid 'fair use' policy)? I mean, really unlimited like usual broadband?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
err usual broadband is fair use too. only very few are truly unlimited
damac said:
Do you know if any of the UK providers offer unlimited internet connection (without the stupid 'fair use' policy)? I mean, really unlimited like usual broadband?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How much are you planning on using? I find it hard to get anywhere close to the 1GB fair use "limit" on standard Web n Walk.
Unless you plan on doing a lot of streaming video, in which case you should get the Web n Walk pro which has a 10Gb ceiling, you will find it hard to download a lot on a pocket pc.
bbobeckyj, I tried the same 'bribe' but it got me nowhere. I have always been on O2, but might have to switch to Vodafone because they have much better contracts that suit my needs for my XDA Mini S. Vodafon are bringing out a new internet extra as well soon, so I'm going to wait until then.
Well guys and gals I successfully ported across to t-mobile from O2....the data charges are just scandalous on O2.
Web-n-walk and U-Fix 25....nice
HSDPA activated already according to the woman at t-mobile and i can verify it was....just watched the latest BBC News feed without a hitch!.
NICE
chrisjasper said:
How much are you planning on using? I find it hard to get anywhere close to the 1GB fair use "limit" on standard Web n Walk.
Unless you plan on doing a lot of streaming video, in which case you should get the Web n Walk pro which has a 10Gb ceiling, you will find it hard to download a lot on a pocket pc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was thinking of using skype a lot actually. For that, I think definitely 1 GB limit will be crossed fairly easily. But for that also need a fast connection. Will look into all this when about to get new contract near end August.
Midget1990: I didn't know that usual broadband is also capped! I have NTL and I download easily something like 20 to 40 gigs a month, which sometimes increases and sometimes decreases... So far never faced any caps, and got this connection just for that fact that it was 'really' unlimited, even if the speed was just 2 Mbps.
Just so you know, t-mobiles usage policy doesnt allow skype...you have to use the web-n-walk pro for that.
mrvanx said:
Just so you know, t-mobiles usage policy doesnt allow skype...you have to use the web-n-walk pro for that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that!!!
You just potentially saved me spending a lot over nothing.
Now all that's left is to find someone who does allow unlimited usage and VOIP. I think I'm living in dreamworld
I don't really want to pay loads for a contract, but it looks like the cheapest t-mobile do is about £30 . Which would you say is better out of web n walk and flext?
EDIT: Just looked at flext 20 and it looks perfect for me. (Mobile internet (t-zones, WAP or web'n'walk) charges
Browsing costs 0.73p per KB, a maximum charge of £1 per day no matter how much you browse the internet on your mobile phone.)
Please could somebody say though, where would the £1 for the internet come from, because the £34 you get to spend a month just says that you use it on calls and texts. Does it come from somewhere else? (Never been on a contract before)
Well all i can say is im using flext 25 with web-n-walk 18.....that works out at 32.50 a month..........unlimited internet (obviously fair use...but a gig is MASSIVE for a pda)
the flext thing has 60 quid of allowance, works out at (if you go half for text and half for calls)
300 texts
150 minutes (anytime,anywhere(uk) )
plus free weekend calls to ANY uk number (not including premium or 08 numbers)
Youd get much more out of the flext + web-n-walk 25, but i really wanted to pay the cheapest option. I hate it when they put a few quid in between, but boost the allowance by almost double.
delude said:
Youd get much more out of the flext + web-n-walk 25, but i really wanted to pay the cheapest option. I hate it when they put a few quid in between, but boost the allowance by almost double.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yer ive noticed that...but the free weekend calls must be worth a HELL of alot.....think thats a limited time offer aswell??
Which have you looked at then?
I was gonna go with flext 20 + web-n-walk.
I can't see when the offer ends, I can't actually start the contract now so was going to in a month or so.
damac said:
Thanks for that!!!
You just potentially saved me spending a lot over nothing.
Now all that's left is to find someone who does allow unlimited usage and VOIP. I think I'm living in dreamworld
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WnW MAX allows skype, its basicly everything like home Broadband but with 10gb fair usage, you can go over but if you go over say 3months in a row they may contact you and ask you to reduce it, allthou 10gb for a PDA is a hell of a lot, unless you plan on using it as a modem a lot of the time 10gb should do.
if you will be using it as a modem all the time then the t-mobile usb modem might be a better option as that allows unlimtied internet - http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/personal/.../internet-on-the-move/internet-on-your-laptop
Regards
I wish that t-mobile did a cheaper flext and web-n-walk. I only really want to spend £20 a month.
Orange - best customer service, talk 7 data plans ok, do the Trinity on very good deals if you shop around
T mobile - plans excellent if you want flexibility or if you download a lot.
O2 - customerservice absolute ****, plans ok, once the best range of PDA's - now limited
Vodafone - havnt a clue
Really depends on deal your offered. Orange clinched it for me at last upgrade - 7 months free line rental and a free trinity with GPS on a 12 month contract.
One thing to note about t-mobile wnw.
They are blocking IRC/MSN etc... over GPRS, some users have reported those apps are working correctly however recently signed up customers seem to have ports blocked??
Id be interested to know if anyone can use IRC over wnw....if so what GPRS settings are you using?
bbobeckyj said:
my current operator - o2, who I plan to bribe with 'give a free phone and a better contract, or I'll go to t-mobile or vodafone.' Anyone had any luck doing that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Short answer - no. I've been with Genie and then O2 for many years, and the one thing that's happened in that time is handset and contracts have become more expensive. I rang up a while ago to try and get a new XDA, and they wanted to put me on a £35+ contract and I would still have to pay something for a (decent) phone.
What O2 are good at (for me at least) is giving you dirt cheap contracts. For instance I got a 1 year contract of £20 a month reduced to £10 a month, then £100 cash back for not taking a phone. So I'm paying £20 for a whole year for Online Offpeak 300 (or whatever the hell it is). Even the O2 rep suggested I just get an XDA off Ebay.

Internet Sharing Experiences

I know this has been addressed already, but I was wondering what every one's experience has been with Internet Sharing with AT&T. I'm wondering if you don't have tethering added on to your account will they charge you extra on you bill for using internet sharing. I have heard some people say yes they do (On this forum) and some people say no they don't (On this forum) so I am just trying to figure out which one is true hopefully the latter of the two
well, i've got the $15 media net package on my phone, and they have never complained about that (since you are supposed to have the $30 pda personal plan).
And occasionally I tether to my laptop when I absolutely need to. (I always connect to the wap.cingular access point)
I think as long as you don't go completely crazy with your data usage, they don't complain. I think I average 100 to 150 MB per month.
But if your data usage is big (over 1 GB?) I think that raises some flags.
I've used my 19.99 media max package for downloading large files from my PDA as well as tethered to my laptop. The previous poster summed it up quite nicely. However there are some rumors that AT&T will be changing their whole unlimited data system, but it's unclear when.
Ok, that gives me a better understanding of what the other posters were talking about. I think at&t already changed their media max plans, but if you already have the old one they wont make you change it. (or at least they didn't make me I have unlimited.)
I forgot to say thanks for you guy's help. Thanks
I have the $30 "Unlimited" package, but it's the same story with all the providers (as far as I know, or at least Verizon and AT&T) where there is a limit of 5gb a month. If you go over that they have the right to terminate your service as well as then charging you the $200 dollars or so for an early termination. In all honesty though you'd have to be trying to go over 5gb.
The other plans that aren't "Unlimited" have a specific limit per month that they will straight out tell you.
wizardlizard111 said:
I have the $30 "Unlimited" package, but it's the same story with all the providers (as far as I know, or at least Verizon and AT&T) where there is a limit of 5gb a month. If you go over that they have the right to terminate your service as well as then charging you the $200 dollars or so for an early termination. In all honesty though you'd have to be trying to go over 5gb.
The other plans that aren't "Unlimited" have a specific limit per month that they will straight out tell you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you thats the plan I have and thats info I needed.

I am Paying 15 dolars for ATT tilt internet, starting today :)

for the last 12 months I have been paying 30$ for my ATT Tilt internet, because on the internet I couldn't add the cheap 15 version of medianet. and on the phone they said because I have a pda I have to have a PDA plan which is 30$ min.. well today I tried a different method. called and asked if I could get the 15$ internet and she said if I updated my phone on my account. meaning if I give them a different IMei number other than a PDA to add it to my account than they can add the 15$ plan..so I had an extra Sony ericson flipphone. I just told her I wanna use my Sony phone and add it to my account. I did it she put me on 15$ plan. she said it wouldn't work on the tilt...well guess what? it is the same internet on my Tilt..I am in los angeles..I have HSDPA all the time..speed is the same..it is plain old PDA plan..it is I think to supsidy the costs of the PDA phones, they are doing it to make more profit..on my account it is showing now i am using a regular phone...and if something happens to my Tilt, she said i could update my account to tilt so I can return for warraty changes..I can't believe I have been paying double for my internet for no reason...hope it helps some of the people who didn't now about this..Good luck..
Hayati
hayaticik said:
for the last 12 months I have been paying 30$ for my ATT Tilt internet, because on the internet I couldn't add the cheap 15 version of medianet. and on the phone they said because I have a pda I have to have a PDA plan which is 30$ min.. well today I tried a different method. called and asked if I could get the 15$ internet and she said if I updated my phone on my account. meaning if I give them a different IMei number to add it to my account than they can add the 15$ plan..so I had an extra Sony ericson flipphone. I just told her I wanna use my Sony phone and add it to my account. I did it she put me on 15$ plan. she said it wouldn't work on the tilt...well guess what? it is the same internet on my Tilt..I am in los angeles..I have HSDPA all the time..speed is the same..it is plain old PDA plan..it is I think to supsidy the costs of the PDA phones, they are doing it to make more profit..on my account it is showing now i am using a regular phone...and if something happens to my Tilt, she said i could update my account to tilt so I can return for warraty changes..I can't believe I have been paying double for my internet for no reason...hope it helps some of the people who didn't now about this..Good luck..
Hayati
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nice to know man ... well i have to keep the 30 dollar plan for six months (2 more months) and i already have another line on my account so i guess i'll cancel the plan on my tilt and get it on the other line and than use that sim in my tilt to get the access ...
are you talking about unlimited data plan?
antihrist said:
are you talking about unlimited data plan?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes.i am talking about internet.
I have always known this, i used the media net on my old palm treo. I'm paying $30 a month now since i got my tilt.
EDIT: this below doesn't seem to work for everyone...
However, for you brave souls. There is a way around it, you can add the $15 plan on their website. (of course if you do this, log in and cancel your current PDA plan)
Do not log in, stay logged out
Go to Shop/Features/View All
Click Media Net Unlimited, "current customers purchase here"
And then follow the steps.
Not many people know about that, you can't add it if your logged in, because it recognizes what phone you have.
(it may take up to 24 hours to update your account this way,)
hayaticik said:
yes.i am talking about internet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well... i understand that you are talking about internet, but i don't understand if this is unlimited data or you have some limitations (like amount of data, port restrictions,...).
not that this is important to me since i don't live near US or at&t, but i was just wondering because here in croatia we pay:
- 391kn (85$) unlimited data (flat)
- 291kn (63$) 3GB
- 191kn (41$) 1GB
- 91kn (20$) 512MB
so if you pay 15$ for unlimited data i just don't know what to say. not to mention average monthly pay here in croatia being way below 1000$.
It's unlimited (up to 5gb). I have been using it for months now and have had zero problems. People claim that if you exceed 5gb of data usage, AT&T will get suspicious.
Jeff
antihrist said:
well... i understand that you are talking about internet, but i don't understand if this is unlimited data or you have some limitations (like amount of data, port restrictions,...).
not that this is important to me since i don't live near US or at&t, but i was just wondering because here in croatia we pay:
- 391kn (85$) unlimited data (flat)
- 291kn (63$) 3GB
- 191kn (41$) 1GB
- 91kn (20$) 512MB
so if you pay 15$ for unlimited data i just don't know what to say. not to mention average monthly pay here in croatia being way below 1000$.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i can't believe you guys pay that much over there. it is for unlimited..about ATT being suspicious if we pass 5gb is not so much what happens. i use so much every month. they don't care about it. there are enough people paying double anyways. if it is unlimited it doesn't matter wich phone u use..plus they wil blame us with what? nothing. so yes i wil pay 15 dollars a month for unlimited internet. ohh i didn't know about buying it without logging in..it is good to know.
i just called att and updated my plann, they said it would take in effect immediately but i will wait till tomorrow morning to see for sure.
thanks a lot for the tip guys saved a bunch of money on my bill
i use to have $30 unlimited PDA for 2 phone so that means $60 total, now its $15 unlimited internet each, for 2 phone so thats $30 total
lol
haha thats great! i dont have a unlimited data plan because of the $30 price. its ridiculous
now i might consider doing this trick to get that $15 plan.
thanks
just hopefully no att representatives are viewing this forum.
they also have a "media max 200" plan which gives you the $15 unlimited data plan plus 200 text messeges for and additional $5. So your total a month would be $20. Have done that after reading a thread back in December time frame. Currently in Peru on Vacation but when i get back in Sept. I will reactivate the media max 200.
also i have tried the internet sharing and no suspicion with ATT. So i love it.
Sheesh, that's quite a vacation.
Fwiw, for years i've used media max unlimited (since I had a wizard) and i've never had a problem.
hayaticik said:
for the last 12 months I have been paying 30$ for my ATT Tilt internet, because on the internet I couldn't add the cheap 15 version of medianet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think AT&T insists on the $30 plan because it's their way of offsetting the cost of the phone. Most customers will obtain the Kaiser from the operator rather than an OEM HTC model. And because AT&T discounts the phone heavily, they have to build in a way to get the phone to a price point that most customers will want to pay. They write it into a contract so that they can recover the expense of the discount they offered you when you bought the phone.
In my case, I had the MEdia Max bundle for my RAZR, so when I got my TyTNII it carried over. But at least one workaround would be to borrow a friend's phone, put your SIM in that phone, go online to change your plan and then put the SIM back into your phone. Many times the phone will identify itself to the network so you don't even have to manually change it.
Welcome to about a year ago everyone.
hayaticik said:
i can't believe you guys pay that much over there. it is for unlimited..about ATT being suspicious if we pass 5gb is not so much what happens. i use so much every month. they don't care about it. there are enough people paying double anyways. if it is unlimited it doesn't matter wich phone u use..plus they wil blame us with what? nothing. so yes i wil pay 15 dollars a month for unlimited internet. ohh i didn't know about buying it without logging in..it is good to know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
neither i can believe. we have 3 mobile operators here and prices are still outrageous. i guess there is some problem with my country in general, not only operators.
looks like i'm going to keep paying so much for mobile internet for some time...unless i decide to move in US.
ThatGuy16 said:
I have always known this, i used the media net on my old palm treo. I'm paying $30 a month now since i got my tilt.
However, for you brave souls. There is a way around it, you can add the $15 plan on their website. (of course if you do this, log in and cancel your current PDA plan)
Do not log in, stay logged out
Go to Shop/Features/View All
Click Media Net Unlimited, "current customers purchase here"
And then follow the steps.
Not many people know about that, you can't add it if your logged in, because it recognizes what phone you have.
(it may take up to 24 hours to update your account this way,)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got up to the part where it asked me for my info, i'm going to try this tonight and update throughout the week, i doubt that this would hold though, but it's worth a shot. It did however prompt me for the $15 data plan instead of the $30 so the future is bright...so far.
people have been doing it for awhile now. Nothing new.
BillTheCat said:
I think AT&T insists on the $30 plan because it's their way of offsetting the cost of the phone. Most customers will obtain the Kaiser from the operator rather than an OEM HTC model. And because AT&T discounts the phone heavily, they have to build in a way to get the phone to a price point that most customers will want to pay. They write it into a contract so that they can recover the expense of the discount they offered you when you bought the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah, it's simply because PDAs use data connections much much more than non-PDA phones. Just wait until the day after tomorrow when the iPhone 3G starts hitting the streets, I expect quite a bit more of att's 3G bandwidth will be in use.
This has been known for months and discussion of this deal is in many threads.
yup, I remember when I first did this on my 8125/wizard... Only thing you might wanna watch for is the IMEI sweeps that I'm sure they don't do intentionally... I've had mine set up for my old 551, but mysteriously it will change in the OLAM to my 8525... and now with my Tilt as well... They've never changed my bill, or sent me a notice, but they know what everyones doing...

Slingbox TV and a Vodafone Kaiser...

Hi...
Im not sure in which section to post this question but...
I'd really like to be able to watch TV on my handset and I'm tempted to buy a Slingbox and hook it up to my Sky+, as the prices for this hardware have dropped to around £50.
The thing that worries me is any charges Vodafone might make for data transfer charges.
On another forum Ive seen a Vodafone user claim that he doesn't get any extra charges using his handset to receive TV via Slingbox using 3G, but I'm skeptical.
I know that using WiFi would incur no costs, but what about 3G & HSDPA...
Do any forum members have first hand experience of using Slingbox on the Vodafone network ?
If so, are you charged for doing so, if you are, how much do you end up paying ?
BTW, I'm on the £7.50 Mobile Internet Plan.
TIA,
Mark.
I would assume that they have a data paackage you can purchase that would make using data free.
Yeah, I have an allowance of 500Mb a month which cost's me £7.50 a month, which isn't much, I'm guessing this will allow me to watch about 8 hours of TV a month - and the cost for exceeding this amount is high.
Do any Vodafone UK customers have experience of using Slingbox on their mobile ?
M.
Data packages are something you have to check for yourself, try to get the maximum allowance for the least price (obvious really when you think about it!!)
Thing you have to take into account is, no matter WHAT package suppliers say about bandwith, it is down to how many users are on the cell at the same time as YOU!! I have been on HSDPA at an exhibition site and got a slower connection that in Scotland on a basic GPRS connection. Again, logical when you think about it!! So check the web, ask around and see who really does give you the best connection/cost.
As to Sling...
I have a Slingbox basic (cheap one from PC World) on an extra Sky box in my UK home with the extra room package at just 10 quid (make sure its connected to the phoneline at the Skybox or they disconn you!) and use it on PC and mobile here in UAE.
Both work great so it's a good investment on that score.
H.

Bell User in Canada: Internet Fees?

I hate Bell with a passion. After two short 1 week vacations in the states, I was charged for nearly $200 of money I didn't use, apparently for roamer packet data.
I never want to put myself in any situation where my phone sucks money out of my wallet without me knowing.
After installing Android (Thanks Myn!) on my HTC Touch (From Bell), I've been using it for a day and I wonder whether or not my internet access will cause my extra charges.
I used to have an unlimited data plan on my HTC Touch running WM 6.1, but is that transferred when I use Android? Essentially my phone now thinks its American, yet runs via Bell Mobility.
Should I stop using internet?
I too am on Bell's network with the unlimited mobile browser plan and do not get charged extra fees using any data on Android (while within Canada). This also goes for tethering. Although this is the vogue forum, I want to save confusion and let you know i am on an HTC Touch from Bell (Vogue).
I have the fun 15 bundle with Bell and have never been charged for data. From what I understand, Bell does not consider the Vogue to be a smartphone, and therefore allows you to take the Fun 15 (or other unlimited mobile browser package).
Cheers
shadoslayer said:
I have the fun 15 bundle with Bell and have never been charged for data. From what I understand, Bell does not consider the Vogue to be a smartphone, and therefore allows you to take the Fun 15 (or other unlimited mobile browser package).
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seriously? I've been paying extra for data... I'm with Bell and have the Touch.
I just need to put this out there. This question has been answered MANY times. If you had searched you would have found the answer
ThomasHW said:
Seriously? I've been paying extra for data... I'm with Bell and have the Touch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have Unlimited Mobile Browser and the Touch, then you shouldn't be paying any extra for data from Bell.
Liko said:
If you have Unlimited Mobile Browser and the Touch, then you shouldn't be paying any extra for data from Bell.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have unlimited browser, but I'm assuming a plan with that would be far cheaper than the $65 I'm paying?
ThomasHW said:
I don't have unlimited browser, but I'm assuming a plan with that would be far cheaper than the $65 I'm paying?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can add the Unlimited Browser option for $10 to any current plan. For $15 you can add Fun 15 Bundle which includes the Unlimited Browser, Call Display, Voicemail and 250 text sent.
I have to Touches with Bell both with unlimited, one is a postpaid and the other is prepaid and never get charged extra EXCEPT for one time I was in Niagara Falls right on the border, I ended up getting charged about 20 dollars for one day extra in Data fees they said because I was on the US towers, weird but I never left canada and still got charged.
Bell are horrible in everything except the unlimited data for the vogue lol.
Yep, as everyone stated, there should be no charges with UMB. For some its reason enough to try and get every last drop out of the vogue. I do look at some of the devices out there and wonder though.
I too was charged roaming data rates when in the South part of Vancouver Island (good old Sooke, BC). I guess I was on the US towers and checked my email a few times. I think charges were around $25. Be careful when close to the US!
Yes, I am on the $7 unlimited data plan and also have not paid a cent extra
bobjr said:
Yep, as everyone stated, there should be no charges with UMB. For some its reason enough to try and get every last drop out of the vogue. I do look at some of the devices out there and wonder though.
I too was charged roaming data rates when in the South part of Vancouver Island (good old Sooke, BC). I guess I was on the US towers and checked my email a few times. I think charges were around $25. Be careful when close to the US!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
masalma said:
I have to Touches with Bell both with unlimited, one is a postpaid and the other is prepaid and never get charged extra EXCEPT for one time I was in Niagara Falls right on the border, I ended up getting charged about 20 dollars for one day extra in Data fees they said because I was on the US towers, weird but I never left canada and still got charged.
Bell are horrible in everything except the unlimited data for the vogue lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can contest those charges. Let them know where you were and they'll remove the fees.
prairiefire said:
You can contest those charges. Let them know where you were and they'll remove the fees.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Trust me I did, no go.
Off topic: I once had added 500 long distance minutes for $30 I think from bell, and towards the end of the month I felt like I was getting close, so I called in to ask if I can add more, and the lady on the phone said since I am a student I can get a plan where I can make/receive unlimited nationwide calls from/to 10 numbers, all I have to do is go into a store and show my id and ask them to add the plan.
Next day I head down to a Bell store, tell them I want the student plan, and to add to my plan 40 long distance minutes for $7 just in case I call or receive any long distance calls outside of these numbers.
Well what the girl did, she added the student plan, and the $7 plan, but she took off the 500min for $30. When I got my phone bill it was close to $400 for that month because they ended up charging me for the 500 minutes of long distance. Lets just say it took about 3-4 months to get them to issue a refund, and with so much time spent on the phone, at the store, with managers.
basically screw Bell, if they didn't have this unlimited browser for the Vogue, I wouldn't even touch them.
rant over
I feel your pain. Any time they screw up, it's a guarantee you'll be spending time measured in days for them to correct it. I love it when you call back and find out that the previous person on the phone didn't keep any notes in their system and you have to start from scratch.
Unfortunately I think every other provider is equally crappy.
pretty much every time I call bell for anything I immediatly tell them I want to talk to 'retentions'. When the rep asks why I say cause I'm going to cancel my plan, pay it out a switch carriers.. They transfer me to retentions who is much more organized to deal with.
lol
Well.. I phoned Bell and asked why they were charging me for data when my phone wasn't considered a "smart phone" and why they didn't tell me this when I switched phones (I called in to switch). They gave me some garbage, and I said "yes... but I could have been paying $15 less a month and would of had the same service." He went and talked to his manager and they're reimbursing me for a few months and are switching my plan.
don't use data in the States
NEVER use your Touch in the States.
I was in Vegas for a week and a few checks of my email and a few Twitter updates (everything that automatically used data- push mail, MyPhone backup, weather- was disabled) and I've used 67 meg of data.
And $2000 tab from Bell Canada....
For the entire year of 2009 Bell reported to me that I used 120 meg, they falsely report your unlimited mobile browser usage to you by capping each mobile packet data session (check your bell bill, each session has the same total).. But when you go to the states (or another country that supports Bell CDMA) the provider that you are piggy-backing service from is reporting back to Bell what what your actual data usage is (like you were using any data device -blackberry, iphone etc.)..
it gets better..
Bell bills this, out of plan, mobile browser foreign usage at $30 per megabyte - it bills actual data phone foreign usage at $6 per megabyte.
I had naively bought the 2meg $20 US mobile browser thinking this should cover my usage while in the states..oops
I've talked to a dozen different people at Bell from CSR's, supervisors, managers to different people in the executive office; they all say after consulting with their "data expert" that there was nothing wrong or abnormal about my usage in the states. 100% true I used my phone data normally, they are looking for a one time large or abnormal usage.
But as we're not getting billed normally, we are not able to make informed decisions about a) pre-buying a US mobile browser package or b) monitoring mobile browser usage in the US. And getting forced to pay 5X what other data phone users are paying for their data usage in the US.
Zadabest said:
I hate Bell with a passion. After two short 1 week vacations in the states, I was charged for nearly $200 of money I didn't use, apparently for roamer packet data.
I never want to put myself in any situation where my phone sucks money out of my wallet without me knowing.
After installing Android (Thanks Myn!) on my HTC Touch (From Bell), I've been using it for a day and I wonder whether or not my internet access will cause my extra charges.
I used to have an unlimited data plan on my HTC Touch running WM 6.1, but is that transferred when I use Android? Essentially my phone now thinks its American, yet runs via Bell Mobility.
Should I stop using internet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ahh there is a god..
I finally got resolution to my $2000 bill from bell for US mobile browser usage.. they had offered a 50% reduction..
I finally got a sane person at the Executive Office who charged me $45 for the new US 1GB package and has wiped out the outstanding US browser charges. The 'data-expert' that was to return my call is no longer with Bell... and NO body at Bell understands the difference between mobile browser usage (capped) and Data usage (uncapped).. even better when you bill says "roamer data usage"
... good timing too as the accounts receivable bastards had disabled both my phones with Bell Mobility and I had borrowed $1500 to reactive them.
Be polite, but persistent..
Now on my next trip to the US should I try and pre-purchase the 1GB US data package for $45.. LOL
wow. that is a horror story if i've ever heard one. i have seen how the UMB shows capped packet data but never understood why they would do that. It doesn't make sense. Are they not recording the correct data internally or just not reporting it correctly?
10$ for it? damn... i'm glad I got in before the price hikes... it might only be a couple dollars but it adds up. When I signed up, it was 5$, and I was enrolled for some promo that knocked it down to 3$ a month. About a year ago I got a letter saying it was going up to 7$, but the promo's still on my account knocking off 2$ every month so I only pay 5 for it... Kinda wondering what to do when my contract finally expires in 6 months, since I'm quite enjoying the vogue with android for 40$ a month after taxes... (200 minutes, 500 texts, unlimited data etc etc) and I know they won't renew my contract at that rate :/

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