Ghost used up my internet allowance + another £50 worth while I slept

Thine Wonk · 09-08-2011, 22:58

Quote:

I have the phone I want, on a tarriff I like and it's working out less than a contract would.

£10 average per month + £349 for my phone = £589 over 2 years.

£30 per month contract + my phone free = £640 over 2 years.

Wow you're saving £2.12 a month. I'd pay that to have better 3G coverage and data speeds and not have to be on PAYG + phone support.

call100 · 10-08-2011, 00:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thine Wonk

Wow you're saving £2.12 a month. I'd pay that to have better 3G coverage and data speeds and not have to be on PAYG + phone support.

Each to their own and to be honest giffgaff has a lot that is a pain. However, O2 coverage is great where I am and go, so that is not a problem....The real killer for me is the fact that I have not paid a penny for any minutes texts or data for the last 12 months, thanks to the payback system in operation.
So as long as they are paying me to use the network, rock on.

Major thread drift by the way....

lisa02 · 10-08-2011, 01:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thine Wonk

Wow you're saving £2.12 a month. I'd pay that to have better 3G coverage and data speeds and not have to be on PAYG + phone support.

If you look at my info to the left you'll see I'm with o2, not GiffGaff. Their customer care is 25p per call but if you log into 'my o2' you normally get someone popping up to ask if you need help and they are excellent to deal with.

As for Data... well I seem to spend most of my time in areas where I can get free wifi and do most of my downloads and such at home via my 50mb VM connection.

I also overestimated my topups... some months like this month I didn't bother topping up as I had accrued some credit but regardless - it still shows a saving. £2.12.... a penny saved is a penny earned?

I'd have to stay on o2 for a contract as almost everyone I know is on o2, to move to a different network I'd need a tariff with a large amount of xnet minutes which = more money of course & means paying it every single month.

No thanks.

And sorry for adding to the thread drift....

edit.... and in defense of us poor people on payg saving £2 per month... we don't need to worry about getting charged for £50 worth of data in one night!

neo_wales · 10-08-2011, 03:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thine Wonk

Wow you're saving £2.12 a month. I'd pay that to have better 3G coverage and data speeds and not have to be on PAYG + phone support.

Depends where you live Wonk, the only reliable network within about 25 miles of my home is O2/giff gaff, my son is on Three and can only get a signal in his bedroom and my daughter is on VF and gets no signal in our house, I get a full signal.

What suits you may well not suit others.

davethorp · 10-08-2011, 16:35

Yay another thread derailed by people praising the virtues of giffgaff because they so desperately want a free fiver for referring someone who is quite probably still in contract with 3 so not in a position to leave for the wonderful giffgaff anyway

call100 · 10-08-2011, 18:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by davethorp

Yay another thread derailed by people praising the virtues of giffgaff because they so desperately want a free fiver for referring someone who is quite probably still in contract with 3 so not in a position to leave for the wonderful giffgaff anyway

I don't think I touted for any business......Only followed on the discussion and pointed out the thread drift.
Of course your post really added to the post content, did it not????? Double standards methinks!!

Christoff-Gp4gP · 10-08-2011, 19:49

Thanks for replying everyone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by prking

First of all, you need to approach this in a clear and logical way. Don't get sidetracked by issues like the texts, they arrived when the data use was registered. Far better to sort out what is or isn't using the data.

Some background. None of the networks keep detailed records of where you browsed or what you connected to. They could spend hours doing a low-level investigation. But of course, its much quicker for you to check your handset.

So, go through your handset in detail, take your time to do it properly. Check what is syncing and updating.

Check your data counter and consider installing one which provides a historical log.

Once you've got actual proof (either way), then you can make a complaint to Three. Follow the proper procedure, put your complaint in writing. Make the complaint concise and accurate, don't go off on a tangent. Enclose screenshots or printouts of your proof. Tell them that you request a full investigation, a full refund of the charges and an apology.

Now allow them time to investigate, when they do respond think about it before responding.

Should you reach a deadlock with them then you can go to the ombudsman service.

Unfortunately I don't already have a data counter that can tell me what used data and when, but once I get connected again it'll be the first thing I do.

Without that though, how am I meant to get proof? There's no way for sure I can find out what was using my data, I can only guess.

Quote:

Originally Posted by davethorp

Depending on what your current tariff is and where you are in your contract you may want to look at trying to get 3 to switch you to the one plan. Whatever ended up causing your surge in data use wouldn't be an issue then as data is truly unlimited

Thanks, I may well try that. Though the one plan could end up costing me more, not sure they'd be willing to switch me to it without extra monthly charges.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

I would say it's almost certainly not Three's fault, the phone is doing something and using data when it does.

My Nokia Symbian has similarly connected on it's own, despite all the settings been that it asks first. Deleting the email client cures it.

As the OP has an internet app permanently connected and syncing, it seems most likely that it's responsible?.

It's only the Google Mail app that comes with Android, it's designed to be left on all the time and I've had it constantly syncing while the phone is on for over a year now without any trouble, even when I only had 500MB data allowance, so I really doubt it can be that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mad_dude

Could you have left teathering mode on , on your phone and someone has been nicking it.

I've never tethered my phone and I don't think that functionality comes with the phone, I've never downloaded an app for it either, so it can't be that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by call100

Not at all....I'm quite willing to accept it could be the phone or an apps fault. However, personal experience makes me lean toward it being the networks error.......
Not challenging the charges would be a huge error unless you knew exactly what caused it....

Question for the OP...if overnight at home, would your Wi-Fi be switched on?

My Wi-Fi wasn't on no, perhaps in future I should turn it on while I'm at home, but I generally don't bother unless I have bad signal.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FriedGold

My Vodafone account doesn't tell me what data I've used but it does tell me when the usage was and how much at each time. Do 3 allow similar? Might help trigger a memory of something you did at a particular time.

Sounds like a mistake at their end to me. Even the most data heavy app is going to really struggle to use 2.5Gb. You could watch a couple of films and not go near that.

I did ask them on the phone if they could find out how much data was transferred that night, they weren't able to tell me though. So it seems a detailed explanation of when data transfers took place isn't available. But if it was taking place as I got the texts then I wasn't actually doing anything with the phone at the time anyway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeeooorghhhbbb

Have any new apps been installed on your phone? I installed a free game on my phone a while back and, although I thought I'd closed it, I noticed that my battery was running down quicker than usual. After uninstalling this game, the battery problem stopped. Clearly this game was still doing something when it wasn't in use. Can Three see any other instances when a high amount of data went from your phone over their network when you were unlikely to be using it (I'd imagine that although they can't see what the actual data was that was being transferred, they can see when and how much data has been transferred)? Is Three's data counter in real time or is there any delay? In this case, there could possibly be some liability on their side, unless they make you aware of the delay. Also, when the data appears to have stopped building up, can you recall doing anything with your phone at the time?

No new apps have been installed on the phone recently no.

I didn't ask about whether there were any other times there has been high usage at times I'm unlikely to use it, but then they did tell me that the most I had ever used in a month before was 600MB, and this was 3GB in half a month, so this month is very different to previous ones.

As I replied to the previous quote, they said they weren't able to give me any details on when and how much data was transferred.

I don't know if their data counter is in real time or delayed. I wasn't doing anything at the time as I was asleep all the way through the data usage (going by when all the texts were sent).

davethorp · 10-08-2011, 23:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by call100

I don't think I touted for any business......Only followed on the discussion and pointed out the thread drift.

Just as well I wasn't referring to you, nor did I quote your post to indicate I was referring to you. Another user posted

Quote:

what u need is a giffgaff sim, then those ghosts will ne very happy bunnies at night.. and you will be very happy once u wake up in the morning...

let me know should u want a giffgaff sim and enjoy the benefits giffgaff brings

Which does seem to be "touting for business" to me. I could be wrong though (but I'm not)

Quote:

Of course your post really added to the post content, did it not????? Double standards methinks!!

Actually my first post in this thread suggested switching to a plan offered by the OPs current network which offers truly unlimited data and may work out better for the OP if they continue having data spikes like they are. My second post in this thread pointed out that it had been drifted off topic by people praising the virtues of a network which the OP could hardly switch to if they were within contract no matter how many free fivers they then earned. All valid points and "followed on from the discussion"

Back on topic, OP I'd suggest dialing 333 and enquiring what it would be to switch to the one plan. If it's not much more than your current plan it may be worth it as it obviously will not matter if you have another data spike. A few quid extra for the peace of mind may be worth it plus if you are like me you'll probably find yourself making much more use of your data when you don't have to worry about the bill

TheBigM · 11-08-2011, 00:46

You might have malware on your phone or an app may have corrupted in some way. The Android market is full of apps infected with malware. You wouldn't even realise it until something happened like large data use, oh wait...

Best to wipe and reset your phone.

The Alpha Gamer · 12-08-2011, 00:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBigM

The Android market is full of apps infected with malware.

BS

There's an app you can get that will automatically turn off any data you tell it too between whatever times you tell it to, if you don't want data on while you sleep.

neo_wales · 12-08-2011, 21:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by davethorp

Yay another thread derailed by people praising the virtues of giffgaff because they so desperately want a free fiver for referring someone who is quite probably still in contract with 3 so not in a position to leave for the wonderful giffgaff anyway

Utter rubbish but if you need a fiver PM me and I'll put a fiver in the post for you to help out.

davethorp · 12-08-2011, 23:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by neo_wales

Utter rubbish

Sorry you'll have to help me out with which part of my post was utter rubbish considering

a) The thread was derailed by someone trying to drum up affiliate business for giffgaff (in breach of the forum rules on advertising something which admin did confirm to me earlier in the year when I was forum host)
b) The person doing so did so to earn themselves a free fiver
c) The OP is in all likeliness in contract with 3 so not in a position to leave for giffgaff anyway

Quote:

but if you need a fiver PM me and I'll put a fiver in the post for you to help out.

Cant say I am desperate for a free fiver which is why I don't try and drum up affiliate business by spamming an Internet forum

home_alone · 13-08-2011, 00:19

While I don't want to interfere with the discussions about whether people mentioning GiffGaff are touting for affiliate business, or not, I would like to mention one thing from my perspective as a customer of said network provider.

Which is that they have offered a high degree of control over my account payments - the initial £10 top up for payg is renewable either manually or automatically. Automatically allows restrictions on how many times a month it is applied.

- so, the 'ghost' scenario encountered by the OP could have been restricted by a user determined 'cap' if they had used GiffGaff - which is the point needing emphasis, in my opinion.

Other networks may offer similar advantages, of course - I only use GiffGaff & was motivated to reply by the implication that their customers seek only to gain by affiliate links rather than offering 'best advice'

Thine Wonk · 13-08-2011, 00:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by home_alone

While I don't want to interfere with the discussions about whether people mentioning GiffGaff are touting for affiliate business, or not, I would like to mention one thing from my perspective as a customer of said network provider.

Which is that they have offered a high degree of control over my account payments - the initial £10 top up for payg is renewable either manually or automatically. Automatically allows restrictions on how many times a month it is applied.

- so, the 'ghost' scenario encountered by the OP could have been restricted by a user determined 'cap' if they had used GiffGaff - which is the point needing emphasis, in my opinion.

Other networks may offer similar advantages, of course - I only use GiffGaff & was motivated to reply by the implication that their customers seek only to gain by affiliate links rather than offering 'best advice'

You can call up Three and ask them to set a credit limit, I have done it, mine is just £15 because my contract is £10 and is has 300 cross network minutes and texts, more than I need, 3000 Three and my best mate is on Three and so it comes out of those, and also 2.5 Gigs of internet, so I never need to go over that. Should I need to it wouldn't be more than £5.

All you have to do is call them and they will apply any credit limit you ask them, even a low one like £15, also from the website you can turn international roaming on and off so you wouldn't get hit with roaming rates if you didn't want to use it abroad, no need to go to Giffgaff and suffer their poor 3G coverage and data speeds!

call100 · 13-08-2011, 01:37

Quote:

no need to go to Giffgaff and suffer their poor 3G coverage and data speeds!

Not the experience here......However, I think that the reason people choose a network is because it's the one they want that usually has the best coverage in their area. Not because some random comes on here and advertises 3 or GiffGaff or any other network. I personally use mine because it's free and the reception is excellent where I need it.
sorry you had a bad experience with giffgaff. I can't comment on 3 as I've never used them so it would be unfair to do so.

davethorp · 13-08-2011, 08:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thine Wonk

You can call up Three and ask them to set a credit limit, I have done it, mine is just £15 because my contract is £10 and is has 300 cross network minutes and texts, more than I need, 3000 Three and my best mate is on Three and so it comes out of those, and also 2.5 Gigs of internet, so I never need to go over that. Should I need to it wouldn't be more than £5.

All you have to do is call them and they will apply any credit limit you ask them, even a low one like £15, also from the website you can turn international roaming on and off so you wouldn't get hit with roaming rates if you didn't want to use it abroad, no need to go to Giffgaff and suffer their poor 3G coverage and data speeds!

You certainly can and 3 generally put one on most accounts automatically anyway. You just have to watch out as they sometimes set it too low and set it to match your monthly tariff meaning you are over limit and unable to do anything not covered by allowance as soon as your bill is generated

This happened to me on my new one plan sim where the limit was set to £25, the same as my tariff. Executive office rang me the other day about another issue and while I had them on the phone I managed to get them to increase it to £30 so £5 above monthly tariff like you

Thine Wonk · 13-08-2011, 09:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by call100

Not the experience here......However, I think that the reason people choose a network is because it's the one they want that usually has the best coverage in their area. Not because some random comes on here and advertises 3 or GiffGaff or any other network. I personally use mine because it's free and the reception is excellent where I need it.
sorry you had a bad experience with giffgaff. I can't comment on 3 as I've never used them so it would be unfair to do so.

I didn't have a bad experience with Giffgaff, I got a Giffgaff sim and credited it then went about testing it for speed in many locations and as I drive around a lot I tried streaming audio in the car driving from Bristol to London, then on a separate trip to Birmingham, driving around and looking at the overage over the course of 3 months as I like to listen to streaming audio in the car, as it was unlimited data I thought I'd give it a test. I also tried it on the train from London to Cheltenham.

What I found was that while Three had signal 98% of the time on the motorways and major roads and about 85% on the train and 98% around cities, that Giffgaff fell back to 2G far more often, large portions of motorways and railways aren't covered. Every time you came up to a services on the motorway O2's 3G would kick in, but not in most other areas.

O2 very much focuses in towns and cities, it's really clear once you leave a town or city the 3G goes, so it's no good for mobile use if you are sitting in a car, bus or train, or if you go out to non city areas like villages, campsites, county pubs etc

Speed wise I conducted many speed tests and the average was about 1-1.5Mbps less than half that of the average on Three. So I decided that Giffgaff although good value doesn't have the coverage and the speeds aren't as good!

I just did some in depth testing that's all, it's a bit sad but it was mainly because I like streaming content on the move and wanted to make sure i was on the best network for wide 3G coverage and speeds. I'd like to do some testing on Vodafone as I think they will perform quite well, but their data is so bloody expensive that's off the cards.

Don't get me wrong, if it works for you, if you live in a town or city and don't go to more rural area or want mobile internet on motorways, trains or rural areas it's fine, it's also fine if you are happy with an average of 1.5Mbps wherever you are, yes some places get a lot higher, but about 1.5 is the norm as an average on that network.

neo_wales · 13-08-2011, 11:51

Wonk, must be your phone then chap as your experience is not typical.

Thine Wonk · 13-08-2011, 13:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by neo_wales

Wonk, must be your phone then chap as your experience is not typical.

Oh really? so my phone works fine with 1 network and not the other?, plus Ofcom are wrong then as their maps admittedly old now show the massive difference, even O2's own coverage map shows it when compared.

But no you are right I'm sure.

call100 · 13-08-2011, 13:43

I don't think it's phone related....TW did some extensive testing there for a specialised use he required. I don't think the O2 network could give him what he wants, which is what he is saying...
I haven't experienced the same restrictions because I don't use streaming music while travelling.
If that is a requirement then the choice of network would be restricted by that.

Thine Wonk · 13-08-2011, 13:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by call100

I don't think it's phone related....TW did some extensive testing there for a specialised use he required. I don't think the O2 network could give him what he wants, which is what he is saying...
I haven't experienced the same restrictions because I don't use streaming music while travelling.
If that is a requirement then the choice of network would be restricted by that.

Isn't not just streaming, there is little 3g coverage on O2 out of towns and cities in rural areas, motorways, railways etc.

See this map, I've done a side by side for you between 2 junctions on the M5, you can see that O2 has no coverage outside of main towns.

http://oi54.tinypic.com/2eulilx.jpg

It's not rocket science to understand, it's there on the O2 maps and you can experience it for real if you go out and compare. I use streaming as an example as when 3G is not available streaming stops.

On Three you can drive from Plymouth to Birmingham with very little loss, on O2 you ONLY get coverage when you go past main towns or service stations, simples.

Thine Wonk · 13-08-2011, 14:02

O2 to Three comparison around Gloucestershire / Oxfordshire, out of main towns where there are the nice villages of Stow on the wold and Bourton on the water, Chipping Norton, beautiful places, no O2 3G coverage what so ever.

Still maintaining your position Neo?

http://oi54.tinypic.com/2pzaetg.jpg

call100 · 13-08-2011, 14:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thine Wonk

O2 to Three comparison around Gloucestershire / Oxfordshire, out of main towns where there are the nice villages of Stow on the wold and Bourton on the water, Chipping Norton, beautiful places, no O2 3G coverage what so ever.

Still maintaining your position Neo?

http://oi54.tinypic.com/2pzaetg.jpg

I don't dispute what you are saying. If I needed that sort of coverage I would look at another network - possibly even 3. However, I don't have my phone switched on while driving (Only use satnav in towns) so can't comment. When I am somewhere as nice as Stowe or Bourton on the water (fairly often) I'm there for leisure and not even thinking about using my phone.....
Consequently I am happy with my choices.

neo_wales · 13-08-2011, 17:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thine Wonk

O2 to Three comparison around Gloucestershire / Oxfordshire, out of main towns where there are the nice villages of Stow on the wold and Bourton on the water, Chipping Norton, beautiful places, no O2 3G coverage what so ever.

Still maintaining your position Neo?

http://oi54.tinypic.com/2pzaetg.jpg

Yep, sounds like you have a dodgey phone mate. Brum is no problem for O2 nor is most of south and mid Wales from my personal experience.

I was in Henley and Abingdon in the new year, blisteringly good O2 signal there and on the journey too and from.

You got one of the Apple phones that looses signal? Whatever model it is you should look at getting shot of it mate.

Thine Wonk · 13-08-2011, 17:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by neo_wales

Yep, sounds like you have a dodgey phone mate. Brum is no problem for O2 nor is most of south and mid Wales from my personal experience.

I was in Henley and Abingdon in the new year, blisteringly good O2 signal there and on the journey too and from.

You got one of the Apple phones that looses signal? Whatever model it is you should look at getting shot of it mate.

I guess from that response you are unable to read maps. The fact 'you' had good coverage in a big city (which I already said wasn't a problem). Abingdon is fine as it's a main town, did you even read my post properly?

Look at all the places outside Abingdon that don't have 3G under O2 though, like Brize Norton, home of the big RAF base, and many many other smaller places, and compare.

All other networks have better 3G coverage in these areas. I've tried my old iphone and a newer Android, you aren't going to try and claim they are both faulty now in some vain hope of trying to convince us you are right and I'm wrong. If you were to do that you'd also be saying O2 themselves are wrong as they have maps showing they don't have 3G coverage in those areas.

09-08-2011, 22:58	#26
Thine Wonk Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 14,577	Quote: Originally Posted by lisa02 I have the phone I want, on a tarriff I like and it's working out less than a contract would. £10 average per month + £349 for my phone = £589 over 2 years. £30 per month contract + my phone free = £640 over 2 years. Wow you're saving £2.12 a month. I'd pay that to have better 3G coverage and data speeds and not have to be on PAYG + phone support.

10-08-2011, 00:41	#27
call100 Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 6,572	Quote: Originally Posted by Thine Wonk Wow you're saving £2.12 a month. I'd pay that to have better 3G coverage and data speeds and not have to be on PAYG + phone support. Each to their own and to be honest giffgaff has a lot that is a pain. However, O2 coverage is great where I am and go, so that is not a problem....The real killer for me is the fact that I have not paid a penny for any minutes texts or data for the last 12 months, thanks to the payback system in operation. So as long as they are paying me to use the network, rock on. Major thread drift by the way....

10-08-2011, 01:11	#28
lisa02 Guest Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 1,084	Quote: Originally Posted by Thine Wonk Wow you're saving £2.12 a month. I'd pay that to have better 3G coverage and data speeds and not have to be on PAYG + phone support. If you look at my info to the left you'll see I'm with o2, not GiffGaff. Their customer care is 25p per call but if you log into 'my o2' you normally get someone popping up to ask if you need help and they are excellent to deal with. As for Data... well I seem to spend most of my time in areas where I can get free wifi and do most of my downloads and such at home via my 50mb VM connection. I also overestimated my topups... some months like this month I didn't bother topping up as I had accrued some credit but regardless - it still shows a saving. £2.12.... a penny saved is a penny earned? I'd have to stay on o2 for a contract as almost everyone I know is on o2, to move to a different network I'd need a tariff with a large amount of xnet minutes which = more money of course & means paying it every single month. No thanks. And sorry for adding to the thread drift.... edit.... and in defense of us poor people on payg saving £2 per month... we don't need to worry about getting charged for £50 worth of data in one night!

10-08-2011, 03:15	#29
neo_wales Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: South Wales/Gran Canaria Posts: 8,298	Quote: Originally Posted by Thine Wonk Wow you're saving £2.12 a month. I'd pay that to have better 3G coverage and data speeds and not have to be on PAYG + phone support. Depends where you live Wonk, the only reliable network within about 25 miles of my home is O2/giff gaff, my son is on Three and can only get a signal in his bedroom and my daughter is on VF and gets no signal in our house, I get a full signal. What suits you may well not suit others.

10-08-2011, 16:35	#30
davethorp Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Preston, Lancashire Posts: 7,255	Yay another thread derailed by people praising the virtues of giffgaff because they so desperately want a free fiver for referring someone who is quite probably still in contract with 3 so not in a position to leave for the wonderful giffgaff anyway

10-08-2011, 18:15	#31
call100 Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 6,572	Quote: Originally Posted by davethorp Yay another thread derailed by people praising the virtues of giffgaff because they so desperately want a free fiver for referring someone who is quite probably still in contract with 3 so not in a position to leave for the wonderful giffgaff anyway I don't think I touted for any business......Only followed on the discussion and pointed out the thread drift. Of course your post really added to the post content, did it not????? Double standards methinks!!

10-08-2011, 19:49	#32
Christoff-Gp4gP Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 119	Thanks for replying everyone. Quote: Originally Posted by prking First of all, you need to approach this in a clear and logical way. Don't get sidetracked by issues like the texts, they arrived when the data use was registered. Far better to sort out what is or isn't using the data. Some background. None of the networks keep detailed records of where you browsed or what you connected to. They could spend hours doing a low-level investigation. But of course, its much quicker for you to check your handset. So, go through your handset in detail, take your time to do it properly. Check what is syncing and updating. Check your data counter and consider installing one which provides a historical log. Once you've got actual proof (either way), then you can make a complaint to Three. Follow the proper procedure, put your complaint in writing. Make the complaint concise and accurate, don't go off on a tangent. Enclose screenshots or printouts of your proof. Tell them that you request a full investigation, a full refund of the charges and an apology. Now allow them time to investigate, when they do respond think about it before responding. Should you reach a deadlock with them then you can go to the ombudsman service. Unfortunately I don't already have a data counter that can tell me what used data and when, but once I get connected again it'll be the first thing I do. Without that though, how am I meant to get proof? There's no way for sure I can find out what was using my data, I can only guess. Quote: Originally Posted by davethorp Depending on what your current tariff is and where you are in your contract you may want to look at trying to get 3 to switch you to the one plan. Whatever ended up causing your surge in data use wouldn't be an issue then as data is truly unlimited Thanks, I may well try that. Though the one plan could end up costing me more, not sure they'd be willing to switch me to it without extra monthly charges. Quote: Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin I would say it's almost certainly not Three's fault, the phone is doing something and using data when it does. My Nokia Symbian has similarly connected on it's own, despite all the settings been that it asks first. Deleting the email client cures it. As the OP has an internet app permanently connected and syncing, it seems most likely that it's responsible?. It's only the Google Mail app that comes with Android, it's designed to be left on all the time and I've had it constantly syncing while the phone is on for over a year now without any trouble, even when I only had 500MB data allowance, so I really doubt it can be that. Quote: Originally Posted by mad_dude Could you have left teathering mode on , on your phone and someone has been nicking it. I've never tethered my phone and I don't think that functionality comes with the phone, I've never downloaded an app for it either, so it can't be that. Quote: Originally Posted by call100 Not at all....I'm quite willing to accept it could be the phone or an apps fault. However, personal experience makes me lean toward it being the networks error....... Not challenging the charges would be a huge error unless you knew exactly what caused it.... Question for the OP...if overnight at home, would your Wi-Fi be switched on? My Wi-Fi wasn't on no, perhaps in future I should turn it on while I'm at home, but I generally don't bother unless I have bad signal. Quote: Originally Posted by FriedGold My Vodafone account doesn't tell me what data I've used but it does tell me when the usage was and how much at each time. Do 3 allow similar? Might help trigger a memory of something you did at a particular time. Sounds like a mistake at their end to me. Even the most data heavy app is going to really struggle to use 2.5Gb. You could watch a couple of films and not go near that. I did ask them on the phone if they could find out how much data was transferred that night, they weren't able to tell me though. So it seems a detailed explanation of when data transfers took place isn't available. But if it was taking place as I got the texts then I wasn't actually doing anything with the phone at the time anyway. Quote: Originally Posted by Jeeooorghhhbbb Have any new apps been installed on your phone? I installed a free game on my phone a while back and, although I thought I'd closed it, I noticed that my battery was running down quicker than usual. After uninstalling this game, the battery problem stopped. Clearly this game was still doing something when it wasn't in use. Can Three see any other instances when a high amount of data went from your phone over their network when you were unlikely to be using it (I'd imagine that although they can't see what the actual data was that was being transferred, they can see when and how much data has been transferred)? Is Three's data counter in real time or is there any delay? In this case, there could possibly be some liability on their side, unless they make you aware of the delay. Also, when the data appears to have stopped building up, can you recall doing anything with your phone at the time? No new apps have been installed on the phone recently no. I didn't ask about whether there were any other times there has been high usage at times I'm unlikely to use it, but then they did tell me that the most I had ever used in a month before was 600MB, and this was 3GB in half a month, so this month is very different to previous ones. As I replied to the previous quote, they said they weren't able to give me any details on when and how much data was transferred. I don't know if their data counter is in real time or delayed. I wasn't doing anything at the time as I was asleep all the way through the data usage (going by when all the texts were sent).

10-08-2011, 23:24	#33
davethorp Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Preston, Lancashire Posts: 7,255	Quote: Originally Posted by call100 I don't think I touted for any business......Only followed on the discussion and pointed out the thread drift. Just as well I wasn't referring to you, nor did I quote your post to indicate I was referring to you. Another user posted Quote: what u need is a giffgaff sim, then those ghosts will ne very happy bunnies at night.. and you will be very happy once u wake up in the morning... let me know should u want a giffgaff sim and enjoy the benefits giffgaff brings Which does seem to be "touting for business" to me. I could be wrong though (but I'm not) Quote: Of course your post really added to the post content, did it not????? Double standards methinks!! Actually my first post in this thread suggested switching to a plan offered by the OPs current network which offers truly unlimited data and may work out better for the OP if they continue having data spikes like they are. My second post in this thread pointed out that it had been drifted off topic by people praising the virtues of a network which the OP could hardly switch to if they were within contract no matter how many free fivers they then earned. All valid points and "followed on from the discussion" Back on topic, OP I'd suggest dialing 333 and enquiring what it would be to switch to the one plan. If it's not much more than your current plan it may be worth it as it obviously will not matter if you have another data spike. A few quid extra for the peace of mind may be worth it plus if you are like me you'll probably find yourself making much more use of your data when you don't have to worry about the bill

11-08-2011, 00:46	#34
TheBigM Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: moon Posts: 12,983	You might have malware on your phone or an app may have corrupted in some way. The Android market is full of apps infected with malware. You wouldn't even realise it until something happened like large data use, oh wait... Best to wipe and reset your phone.

12-08-2011, 00:57	#35
The Alpha Gamer Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 3,075	Quote: Originally Posted by TheBigM The Android market is full of apps infected with malware. BS There's an app you can get that will automatically turn off any data you tell it too between whatever times you tell it to, if you don't want data on while you sleep.

12-08-2011, 21:56	#36
neo_wales Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: South Wales/Gran Canaria Posts: 8,298	Quote: Originally Posted by davethorp Yay another thread derailed by people praising the virtues of giffgaff because they so desperately want a free fiver for referring someone who is quite probably still in contract with 3 so not in a position to leave for the wonderful giffgaff anyway Utter rubbish but if you need a fiver PM me and I'll put a fiver in the post for you to help out.

12-08-2011, 23:48	#37
davethorp Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Preston, Lancashire Posts: 7,255	Quote: Originally Posted by neo_wales Utter rubbish Sorry you'll have to help me out with which part of my post was utter rubbish considering a) The thread was derailed by someone trying to drum up affiliate business for giffgaff (in breach of the forum rules on advertising something which admin did confirm to me earlier in the year when I was forum host) b) The person doing so did so to earn themselves a free fiver c) The OP is in all likeliness in contract with 3 so not in a position to leave for giffgaff anyway Quote: but if you need a fiver PM me and I'll put a fiver in the post for you to help out. Cant say I am desperate for a free fiver which is why I don't try and drum up affiliate business by spamming an Internet forum

13-08-2011, 00:19	#38
home_alone Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Cleethorpes Posts: 399	While I don't want to interfere with the discussions about whether people mentioning GiffGaff are touting for affiliate business, or not, I would like to mention one thing from my perspective as a customer of said network provider. Which is that they have offered a high degree of control over my account payments - the initial £10 top up for payg is renewable either manually or automatically. Automatically allows restrictions on how many times a month it is applied. - so, the 'ghost' scenario encountered by the OP could have been restricted by a user determined 'cap' if they had used GiffGaff - which is the point needing emphasis, in my opinion. Other networks may offer similar advantages, of course - I only use GiffGaff & was motivated to reply by the implication that their customers seek only to gain by affiliate links rather than offering 'best advice'

13-08-2011, 00:36	#39
Thine Wonk Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 14,577	Quote: Originally Posted by home_alone While I don't want to interfere with the discussions about whether people mentioning GiffGaff are touting for affiliate business, or not, I would like to mention one thing from my perspective as a customer of said network provider. Which is that they have offered a high degree of control over my account payments - the initial £10 top up for payg is renewable either manually or automatically. Automatically allows restrictions on how many times a month it is applied. - so, the 'ghost' scenario encountered by the OP could have been restricted by a user determined 'cap' if they had used GiffGaff - which is the point needing emphasis, in my opinion. Other networks may offer similar advantages, of course - I only use GiffGaff & was motivated to reply by the implication that their customers seek only to gain by affiliate links rather than offering 'best advice' You can call up Three and ask them to set a credit limit, I have done it, mine is just £15 because my contract is £10 and is has 300 cross network minutes and texts, more than I need, 3000 Three and my best mate is on Three and so it comes out of those, and also 2.5 Gigs of internet, so I never need to go over that. Should I need to it wouldn't be more than £5. All you have to do is call them and they will apply any credit limit you ask them, even a low one like £15, also from the website you can turn international roaming on and off so you wouldn't get hit with roaming rates if you didn't want to use it abroad, no need to go to Giffgaff and suffer their poor 3G coverage and data speeds!

13-08-2011, 01:37	#40
call100 Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 6,572	Quote: no need to go to Giffgaff and suffer their poor 3G coverage and data speeds! Not the experience here......However, I think that the reason people choose a network is because it's the one they want that usually has the best coverage in their area. Not because some random comes on here and advertises 3 or GiffGaff or any other network. I personally use mine because it's free and the reception is excellent where I need it. sorry you had a bad experience with giffgaff. I can't comment on 3 as I've never used them so it would be unfair to do so.

13-08-2011, 08:34	#41
davethorp Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Preston, Lancashire Posts: 7,255	Quote: Originally Posted by Thine Wonk You can call up Three and ask them to set a credit limit, I have done it, mine is just £15 because my contract is £10 and is has 300 cross network minutes and texts, more than I need, 3000 Three and my best mate is on Three and so it comes out of those, and also 2.5 Gigs of internet, so I never need to go over that. Should I need to it wouldn't be more than £5. All you have to do is call them and they will apply any credit limit you ask them, even a low one like £15, also from the website you can turn international roaming on and off so you wouldn't get hit with roaming rates if you didn't want to use it abroad, no need to go to Giffgaff and suffer their poor 3G coverage and data speeds! You certainly can and 3 generally put one on most accounts automatically anyway. You just have to watch out as they sometimes set it too low and set it to match your monthly tariff meaning you are over limit and unable to do anything not covered by allowance as soon as your bill is generated This happened to me on my new one plan sim where the limit was set to £25, the same as my tariff. Executive office rang me the other day about another issue and while I had them on the phone I managed to get them to increase it to £30 so £5 above monthly tariff like you

13-08-2011, 09:59	#42
Thine Wonk Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 14,577	Quote: Originally Posted by call100 Not the experience here......However, I think that the reason people choose a network is because it's the one they want that usually has the best coverage in their area. Not because some random comes on here and advertises 3 or GiffGaff or any other network. I personally use mine because it's free and the reception is excellent where I need it. sorry you had a bad experience with giffgaff. I can't comment on 3 as I've never used them so it would be unfair to do so. I didn't have a bad experience with Giffgaff, I got a Giffgaff sim and credited it then went about testing it for speed in many locations and as I drive around a lot I tried streaming audio in the car driving from Bristol to London, then on a separate trip to Birmingham, driving around and looking at the overage over the course of 3 months as I like to listen to streaming audio in the car, as it was unlimited data I thought I'd give it a test. I also tried it on the train from London to Cheltenham. What I found was that while Three had signal 98% of the time on the motorways and major roads and about 85% on the train and 98% around cities, that Giffgaff fell back to 2G far more often, large portions of motorways and railways aren't covered. Every time you came up to a services on the motorway O2's 3G would kick in, but not in most other areas. O2 very much focuses in towns and cities, it's really clear once you leave a town or city the 3G goes, so it's no good for mobile use if you are sitting in a car, bus or train, or if you go out to non city areas like villages, campsites, county pubs etc Speed wise I conducted many speed tests and the average was about 1-1.5Mbps less than half that of the average on Three. So I decided that Giffgaff although good value doesn't have the coverage and the speeds aren't as good! I just did some in depth testing that's all, it's a bit sad but it was mainly because I like streaming content on the move and wanted to make sure i was on the best network for wide 3G coverage and speeds. I'd like to do some testing on Vodafone as I think they will perform quite well, but their data is so bloody expensive that's off the cards. Don't get me wrong, if it works for you, if you live in a town or city and don't go to more rural area or want mobile internet on motorways, trains or rural areas it's fine, it's also fine if you are happy with an average of 1.5Mbps wherever you are, yes some places get a lot higher, but about 1.5 is the norm as an average on that network.

13-08-2011, 11:51	#43
neo_wales Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: South Wales/Gran Canaria Posts: 8,298	Wonk, must be your phone then chap as your experience is not typical.

13-08-2011, 13:36	#44
Thine Wonk Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 14,577	Quote: Originally Posted by neo_wales Wonk, must be your phone then chap as your experience is not typical. Oh really? so my phone works fine with 1 network and not the other?, plus Ofcom are wrong then as their maps admittedly old now show the massive difference, even O2's own coverage map shows it when compared. But no you are right I'm sure.

13-08-2011, 13:43	#45
call100 Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 6,572	I don't think it's phone related....TW did some extensive testing there for a specialised use he required. I don't think the O2 network could give him what he wants, which is what he is saying... I haven't experienced the same restrictions because I don't use streaming music while travelling. If that is a requirement then the choice of network would be restricted by that.

13-08-2011, 13:51	#46
Thine Wonk Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 14,577	Quote: Originally Posted by call100 I don't think it's phone related....TW did some extensive testing there for a specialised use he required. I don't think the O2 network could give him what he wants, which is what he is saying... I haven't experienced the same restrictions because I don't use streaming music while travelling. If that is a requirement then the choice of network would be restricted by that. Isn't not just streaming, there is little 3g coverage on O2 out of towns and cities in rural areas, motorways, railways etc. See this map, I've done a side by side for you between 2 junctions on the M5, you can see that O2 has no coverage outside of main towns. http://oi54.tinypic.com/2eulilx.jpg It's not rocket science to understand, it's there on the O2 maps and you can experience it for real if you go out and compare. I use streaming as an example as when 3G is not available streaming stops. On Three you can drive from Plymouth to Birmingham with very little loss, on O2 you ONLY get coverage when you go past main towns or service stations, simples.

DS Forums

Ghost used up my internet allowance + another £50 worth while I slept

13-08-2011, 14:02	#47
Thine Wonk Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 14,577	O2 to Three comparison around Gloucestershire / Oxfordshire, out of main towns where there are the nice villages of Stow on the wold and Bourton on the water, Chipping Norton, beautiful places, no O2 3G coverage what so ever. Still maintaining your position Neo? http://oi54.tinypic.com/2pzaetg.jpg

13-08-2011, 14:20	#48
call100 Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 6,572	Quote: Originally Posted by Thine Wonk O2 to Three comparison around Gloucestershire / Oxfordshire, out of main towns where there are the nice villages of Stow on the wold and Bourton on the water, Chipping Norton, beautiful places, no O2 3G coverage what so ever. Still maintaining your position Neo? http://oi54.tinypic.com/2pzaetg.jpg I don't dispute what you are saying. If I needed that sort of coverage I would look at another network - possibly even 3. However, I don't have my phone switched on while driving (Only use satnav in towns) so can't comment. When I am somewhere as nice as Stowe or Bourton on the water (fairly often) I'm there for leisure and not even thinking about using my phone..... Consequently I am happy with my choices.

13-08-2011, 17:09	#49
neo_wales Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: South Wales/Gran Canaria Posts: 8,298	Quote: Originally Posted by Thine Wonk O2 to Three comparison around Gloucestershire / Oxfordshire, out of main towns where there are the nice villages of Stow on the wold and Bourton on the water, Chipping Norton, beautiful places, no O2 3G coverage what so ever. Still maintaining your position Neo? http://oi54.tinypic.com/2pzaetg.jpg Yep, sounds like you have a dodgey phone mate. Brum is no problem for O2 nor is most of south and mid Wales from my personal experience. I was in Henley and Abingdon in the new year, blisteringly good O2 signal there and on the journey too and from. You got one of the Apple phones that looses signal? Whatever model it is you should look at getting shot of it mate.

13-08-2011, 17:45	#50
Thine Wonk Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 14,577	Quote: Originally Posted by neo_wales Yep, sounds like you have a dodgey phone mate. Brum is no problem for O2 nor is most of south and mid Wales from my personal experience. I was in Henley and Abingdon in the new year, blisteringly good O2 signal there and on the journey too and from. You got one of the Apple phones that looses signal? Whatever model it is you should look at getting shot of it mate. I guess from that response you are unable to read maps. The fact 'you' had good coverage in a big city (which I already said wasn't a problem). Abingdon is fine as it's a main town, did you even read my post properly? Look at all the places outside Abingdon that don't have 3G under O2 though, like Brize Norton, home of the big RAF base, and many many other smaller places, and compare. All other networks have better 3G coverage in these areas. I've tried my old iphone and a newer Android, you aren't going to try and claim they are both faulty now in some vain hope of trying to convince us you are right and I'm wrong. If you were to do that you'd also be saying O2 themselves are wrong as they have maps showing they don't have 3G coverage in those areas.