Anyone else have a problem with Background app data usage on Cell C netowork

[Yellowcardrocks]

Okay, I have been a Cell C customer since early 2014. Since then I have had three seperate phones and had one extremely annoying problem with all 3 phones. I incur background data charges even though I am not using any apps at all.

I had this problem on two Blackberries as well as the current phone that I am using which is a HTC Desire 626.

On the blackberries, even if I had BIS, I would be charged. When I phoned Customer care, they told me it was background data charges.

Eventually I took up this issue with one of the Cell C top guys. He could not even give me a clear cut answer and in the end he told me to load Blackberry Desktop Software to solve the issue. Im not sure if he was bull****ting me.

Eventually I got so annoyed with this problem on my second Blackberry that I just bought a cheap Samsung phone to use as my calling phone and I used by Blackberry for Watsapp only. I used to load R10 to buy a bundle. The other 2.50 would go to background costs.

On my current phone, the HTC 626, I went as far as restricting background data usage yet still I am being charged for background data usage. I bought a Watsapp bundle and refrain from using any apps when the mobile data is switched on yet I still have charges.

I am trying to sort out this problem now since I lost the cheap phone for calling.

Is there anyone else who had this problem or who can advise me on a solution?

 

[Cell_C]

Okay, I have been a Cell C customer since early 2014. Since then I have had three seperate phones and had one extremely annoying problem with all 3 phones. I incur background data charges even though I am not using any apps at all.

I had this problem on two Blackberries as well as the current phone that I am using which is a HTC Desire 626.

On the blackberries, even if I had BIS, I would be charged. When I phoned Customer care, they told me it was background data charges.

Eventually I took up this issue with one of the Cell C top guys. He could not even give me a clear cut answer and in the end he told me to load Blackberry Desktop Software to solve the issue. Im not sure if he was bull****ting me.

Eventually I got so annoyed with this problem on my second Blackberry that I just bought a cheap Samsung phone to use as my calling phone and I used by Blackberry for Watsapp only. I used to load R10 to buy a bundle. The other 2.50 would go to background costs.

On my current phone, the HTC 626, I went as far as restricting background data usage yet still I am being charged for background data usage. I bought a Watsapp bundle and refrain from using any apps when the mobile data is switched on yet I still have charges.

I am trying to sort out this problem now since I lost the cheap phone for calling.

Is there anyone else who had this problem or who can advise me on a solution?

Hi There,

Please PM us the number in question and we will look into the matter.

^SM

 

[SauRoNZA]

Wtf is "background data".

 

[Cell_C]

Wtf is "background data".

Hi SauRoNZA

The customer was referring to the Applications running in the background.

^SM

 

[SauRoNZA]

OP it's the nature of the beast in how modern devices work.

How much data were you using exactly?

Are you maybe a little out of touch with reality?

 

[Yellowcardrocks]

I just buy a watsapp bundle. If I leave it with mobile data on it will use up a few rands of airtime a day. I find this annoying as overtime it will consume a lot of money.

 

[Cell_C]

I just buy a watsapp bundle. If I leave it with mobile data on it will use up a few rands of airtime a day. I find this annoying as overtime it will consume a lot of money.

It is advisable to activate a data bundle to avoid out of bundle charges. Did you send us your details as per request?

^SM

 

[SauRoNZA]

I just buy a watsapp bundle. If I leave it with mobile data on it will use up a few rands of airtime a day. I find this annoying as overtime it will consume a lot of money.

As I thought, a little out of touch with reality.

What do you define as a "few rands a day" or for that matter "a lot of money".

Going through a 250MB data bundle a month shouldn't be considered too radical on a modern smartphone that never touched WiFi...that's the nature of the beast for all those services you want and enjoy.

You should however be able to disable specific apps you don't use from consuming data altogether in a granular fashion without needing to switch off mobile data completely.

This however is largely a personal problem and not something CellC is responsible for or even in control of.

 

[WireFree]

Is there anyone else who had this problem or who can advise me on a solution?

1) Use a phone that does not support data, for voice calls and SMS. No nasty surprises here! If the phone supports data, deactivate data and optionally only use WiFi.
2) Use your second phone for data only. If you don't want to buy data bundles regularly, buy a data bundle that is valid for 1 year.

 

[HavocXphere]

Well I recently had an app smoking through 300mb of fkin international roaming data - cost a fortune so yeah sht happens. That was a specific app downloading something though not generic background noise type data (which exists too but to little to matter)