I would agree with that, but rather not chop and change, or go somewhere just because they are cheap for less than a year at the cost of other things like being able to call them, 3G coverage and speeds etc. but different people want different things from a mobile network.

On topic for this thread though do Tesco state that 1GB is the FUP? if not I don't see how they can reasonably expect to be able to charge fees into the thousands of pounds as people have not contractually agreed.

It wouldn't be legal if the contract was open to interpretation and unclear about what the charges were before the bill was sent.

If they do clearly state the FUP is 1GB and the fee is £4.00 a MB over that then the OP is screwed, but I can't see that in the terms.

£8192 per GB.

The other thing to realise that if your phone is stolen you are also liable.

Even in the days of dialup internet crazy prices, youd rack up the bill by paying per minute, not by some insane disproportionate billing system.

How can they give you 1000mb for say £25 pm (incl. minutes/txts and phone subsidy) where a mb of data is worth pennies in the scheme of things, then charge such a hugely inflated rate if you go over. Then top it off by saying "unlimited". I understand why they need a FUP, but they can just restrict users at say 100% of limit and cut them off at say 110% etc, if they really wanted to do it for the network.

I know youre in a contract, but realistically £1300 would pay for an additional 2 mobile contracts with top end phone. Its absolutely insane to equate going over by 10% of a month with ~4 years worth of tarrif.

Incidentally, orange let you check data online and also have an android app so i can check data from the phone. That said, i rarely use over 100mb pm. I guess youre tethering your phone or something most likely? Its kinda funny how its actually cheaper to buy additional contract/sims.

Im also suprised that most efforts sell fake unlimited for ~£5 but dont do a much larger version if youre willing to pay a bit more.

Imagine if it were stolen abroad and they used 10GB !!

That would be £90,000 !!!

Hi everyone!

Yes, it appears what Tesco Mobile says to Watchdog and what they do is completely different!

I can however pay any amount for apps because I use the SIM in a Mifi - to to my phone and iPad it appears as a wifi. The Tesco store assured me that the SIM card can be used in ANY device, and the data was UNLIMITED!

Tesco Mobile seem to think they can say anything so long as the Terms & Conditions cover the reality. This is not the case! I can't advertise "gold" and they say in the T&Cs that actually it's plastic! But it appears Trading Standards and the Advertising Standard Authority are pretty much useless!

I am going into a Tesco store tomorrow to "enquire" about the unlimited data package. If they still fail to tell me about the fair use policy then I reckon I've got them!

Haven't international roaming charges now been severely restricted - or is that just within the EU?

You are in trouble I think as the T&Cs specifically say you cannot use the sim any other device and you agreed to the Terms it was up to you to check them.

Maybe that's why Tesco have billed you for it because they can tell it's been used for ordinary browsing, rather than handset data.

That is very clear in the terms, use other than in the phone can be billed at £4.00 per megabyte. You'll have no proof of what you were told in store and the onus is on you to check the terms and conditions.

If you've been using the tesco sim in a mifi to act as a mobile broadband connection I think you could be on a sticky wicket as your in breach of the terms of use of the sim card


Again though tesco really should have contacted you to tell you you'd gone over limit but saying that again if the sim was in a mifi they may have struggled to contact you

EDIT Thine Wonk posted while I was typing my post with some of the same points I've raised

They wouldn't have been able to ring the OP and questionable if he could view a text.

No mobile network lets you put a PAYG phone sim on an unlimited deal in to a mifi or tether it for internet on a computer, none.

I want to make the point I'm not saying Tesco are right morally, far from it, but they may be right legally here and you may struggle.

Yep, using the SIM in a MiFi you're clearly breaching the terms of your contract - irregardless of the volume of data used. Going to be very difficult to fight this.

All I can say is maybe Tesco would back down because of the negative publicity, on another forum the guy that it happened to before with a similar bill after a lot of calls he managed to get them to reduce the amount significantly and they agreed on something like £300 I seem to remember.

He wrote to the CEO and all sorts.

I'm sure that any addition to T&Cs takes presidence over the T&Cs written down, including verbal additions.

English law is based around "reasonable" behavior.

Easy to prove that Tesco have not behaved reasonably I would think, the bill is proof of this...

Maybe make an offer of £100. But get legal advice first.

Don't 3 allow it? Or is it just contract only?

No, don't think so.

On the mifi front they did say I could use it in any device.

I visited the shop this weekend, where they have huge poster at the door saying "Unlimited text, unlimited data" with nothing about the fair usage or T&Cs.

I asked the sales assistant if it really was unlimited and he said yes it was. He did not say anything about the fair usage policy. I then asked him about the fair usage policy and he said "yes there is one, and actually it's very far from unlimited. Actually it's very limited and if you go over it will cost you a fortune. Personally I wouldn't touch it"!!!

Basically, I'm going to fight this one. Whether it's in the T&Cs and 'legally binding' or not, it's false and dishonest trading.

My partner works at Tesco head office, so I have emailed the CEO of Tesco group. I have received a reply saying they are going to question it with Tesco Mobile. Basically Tesco group are a fantastic company, and they will lose a lot of goodwill if Tesco Mobile go doing this sort of thing. Tesco want to get into banking, and this sort of behaviour will kill people's trust in them. I understand that consumer trust is very valuable to Tesco. It's time they stamped on Tesco Mobile's dishonest trading.

I will post on here what happens!

At the worst do what Tassium suggested.
£100 is a abhorrent level but still a saner outcome.

Agreed that would be the best compromise - hope they are willing!

Well, they've just reduced their data charges for exceeding the fair use policy!

Now the tariffs say 1gb web usage per month, didn't it say unlimited before?

60p per megabyte now too, with add ons of 500mb a month for a £5 if you so wish

3 allow tethering, on the One Plan on contract, as long as the sim stays in the handset (i.e. no mi-fi) - according to their blog anyway.

3 have just written to me to advise that although my bill will say 1GB of Data per Month im to ignore that as they are now giving all its contact customers a lot more and calling it "As much Data as you can Handle" - how much that means, I dont know!

Hi everyone,

I am the original poster.

To be fair to Tesco Mobile they credited back the bill without too much arguement.

HOWEVER, this is still a dishonest sales technique. Tesco Mobile need to stop selling these contracts as "unlimited data" - it's not unlimited, it's extremely limited, and if you go over the cost is massive (£4/Mb). I have now switched the Three, who give me "all you can eat data" which is truly unlimited. It's fast too!

I understand you singling out Tesco Mobile because this happened to you, but Virgin Media are by far the worst to advertise and abuse the word "Unlimited". Not that I'm really making a point, but you seem to be singling out Tesco Mobile on this one.

And as of Feb 26th [or 28th, don't remember] it will be 60p/MB on Tesco Mobile.

Any source for that?