OOB shark has got me :( Please Help

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zamrg

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I'm on a Talk 130 iPhone contract with 250mb of monthly data.

I got my first "data bundle depleted" message on the 17th Feb, but after checking on *111# and online, it seems this message was a mistake.

On the 26th Feb (yesterday), I got another depleted message; checked online and this was accurate. At 22:20, I purchased a MyMeg 100MB to last me the end of the month. At 23:52 last night, I got yet another data depleted message; so I'd used my 100MB on my phone in just over an hour.

Today I contacted Vodacom to inquire and was told I went out of bundle on the 20th of Feb. I've checked my online statement and something's extremely weird.

I've attached my data usage for the last month. My daily average seems to be around 4MB with me peaking at 30MB outside of this odd period. The last 7 days of the month are just ridiculous. I'm not sure how I could've racked up that usage on my phone. I'm on wifi at home and at the office so the only time I'm on 3G is when driving and at mettings.
I'm now stuck with a R2400 total bill :( Can anyone please help me out here?

Vodacom Data Usage Bill.jpg
 
I saw this happen to someone once, they had tried to email some full res photos from the phone which kept timing out, so it kept trying to send.
Your bill is quite cheap compared to that one. Its very possible your phone is up to something.
 
zamrg, really sorry to hear. Unfortunately Vodacom refuse to add any preventative tools to their system that could possibly work against the OOB shark. Additionally, they are of the firm opinion that this is entirely your fault, as per this thread - http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthr...-bundle-is-your-fault-as-the-consumer-Vodacom and in fact it was your decision to go out of bundle.

Don't expect any help in this respect from Vodacom other than them telling you to install third party data monitor apps (as theirs don't work, nor do the notifications) and constantly monitor your usage like a hawk (not using their tools, as they have admitted that they do not report your usage in real-time). At the end of the day, you simply have to bend over and pay as far as they are concerned...
 
R2400?
for R600 less you could of had 120 GIGABYTES from 8ta :(

I can't help much except for maybe telling you to change your ISP, or maybe download some 3G monitor/warning app.
 
One thing is for sure...get a monthly cap implemented on your contract so that it can't possibly reach R2400 again.
 
SauRoNZA said:
One thing is for sure...get a monthly cap implemented on your contract so that it can't possibly reach R2400 again.
Click to expand...
And still get screwed?

OoB will still eat it and your outgoing calls could get blocked....
 
Maybe the Iphone has got something similar as my phone. Look at my screenshot...it has a "set limit" tick box (built in function of Android OS). This way it gets limited on the phone itself for data only. Not sure if the Iphone has got something like this though....but sure if he installs Onavo Count that app has got a function like that. And yes...I am recommending a 3rd party app because it is free and easy to do. That is my recommendation and at present a workable solution. Would I like real time billing? Yes....but for now lets give the guy something proactive that he can do from his side to prevent this from happening to him again.
 
Ockie said:
Maybe the Iphone has got something similar as my phone. Look at my screenshot...it has a "set limit" tick box (built in function of Android OS). This way it gets limited on the phone itself for data only. Not sure if the Iphone has got something like this though....but sure if he installs Onavo Count that app has got a function like that. And yes...I am recommending a 3rd party app because it is free and easy to do. That is my recommendation and at present a workable solution. Would I like real time billing? Yes....but for now lets give the guy something proactive that he can do from his side to prevent this from happening to him again.
Click to expand...
Well said thanks Ocks
 
SauRoNZA said:
One thing is for sure...get a monthly cap implemented on your contract so that it can't possibly reach R2400 again.
Click to expand...

The problem there is your entire phone is locked.

Unfortunately that is the only real way to prevent this. Pack the phone away and don't use it for the rest of the month - that's Vodacom's solution. It has taken them over a decade already, and they still don't have a solution for the OOB shark.

Quite clearly they are in absolutely no rush to implement a solution. zamrg, you and the thousands of other OOB shark victims on Vodacom's network make the shareholders a helluva lot of money. K@k en betaal. Vodacom as a business don't care about your problem...
 
Ockie said:
Hi...does the Iphone have something like this? What does it say on your phone?

View attachment 41036
Click to expand...

I may be mistaken but afaik, I can't break down my usage per day/month/app on the phone.

If I go to General -> Usage -> Cellular Usage, it shows 332MB Sent and 1.7GB received. I got the phone on 11th July 2012 so have had it for roughly 8 months. I'm therefore averaging 260MB a month or 8MB a day.
My contract comes with 250MB data a month so I've never really run into OOB trouble like this.

Rocket-Boy said:
I saw this happen to someone once, they had tried to email some full res photos from the phone which kept timing out, so it kept trying to send.
Your bill is quite cheap compared to that one. Its very possible your phone is up to something.
Click to expand...

I only receive email on my phone, never send outbound. I've seen worse OOB bills that mine but this is quite a bit of $$$ for me, and does't fit my usage patterns at all.

SauRoNZA said:
One thing is for sure...get a monthly cap implemented on your contract so that it can't possibly reach R2400 again.
Click to expand...

I want to do that but was told that if I set a cap, it's a cap on the total bill so I won't even be able to make phone calls if it's locked. I only wish to cap my data usage/prevent myself ever going OOB.
 
DJ... said:
The problem there is your entire phone is locked.

Unfortunately that is the only real way to prevent this. Pack the phone away and don't use it for the rest of the month - that's Vodacom's solution. It has taken them over a decade already, and they still don't have a solution for the OOB shark.

Quite clearly they are in absolutely no rush to implement a solution. zamrg, you and the thousands of other OOB shark victims on Vodacom's network make the shareholders a helluva lot of money. K@k en betaal. Vodacom as a business don't care about your problem...
Click to expand...

I've pretty much done exactly that. I've turned off Cellular/Data usage until next month. I'm just afraid this is going to happen again next month. There was a 6 day delay between me apparently going OOB and getting the sms notification.

Regardless, I bought the 100MB last night when I got the notification but used this up in just over an hour. I have no idea how that could've happened as I was at home last night and on my wifi.
 
marine1 said:
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthr...de-WirelessG?p=9842720&viewfull=1#post9842720

"Since you say I won't give numbers:

Last month 80 people with data contacts complained about OOB bill shock. And it typically sits under 100 every month.

What % does that give you?

It's 80 too many in my book, but not exactly the hundreds of thousands you claim."

Lol only 80? I am sorry I call BS
Click to expand...

Yeah, 80 who by their measurements had a legitimate complaint, more than likely. Not the plethora who called and were told that that is the bill and they must pay.

That stat is a heap of nonsense...
 
DJ... said:
Yeah, 80 who by their measurements had a legitimate complaint, more than likely. Not the plethora who called and were told that that is the bill and they must pay.

That stat is a heap of nonsense...
Click to expand...

Until I see auited reports by an independent company, I call BS on anything they say.
You cannot tell me the millions of subscribers know how to monitor and manage their own data.
You cannot tell me 80 out of the millions of subscribers went OOB and the rest did not.
I mean come on, say a few thousand, that would be believable.

Oh wait so only 80 people complained? Ahhhh so the other few million just kept quiet and paid? Makes sense.
 
zamrg said:
I've pretty much done exactly that. I've turned off Cellular/Data usage until next month. I'm just afraid this is going to happen again next month. There was a 6 day delay between me apparently going OOB and getting the sms notification.
Click to expand...

All I can say is that you are lucky that you do not have an LTE enabled phone and connection, as if there was a 6 day delay in the notification, your Vodacom OOB bill would have been around R4,3million. Yip, R4,300,000.00. Apparently your fault, and your decision, according to Vodacom.

Now imagine how many people like you there are within Vodacom's 32 million subscriber base. It's no wonder they're shifting the blame to you and dragging their feet (and knuckles if you ask me) in this respect...
 
zamrg said:
I've pretty much done exactly that. I've turned off Cellular/Data usage until next month. I'm just afraid this is going to happen again next month. There was a 6 day delay between me apparently going OOB and getting the sms notification.

Regardless, I bought the 100MB last night when I got the notification but used this up in just over an hour. I have no idea how that could've happened as I was at home last night and on my wifi.
Click to expand...

Ok....so then seeing the Iphone dont give proper reports like android...please install Onavo Count soon as you can. This will help track down what app or system process is causing this behaviour. It should also be possible to set a limit...so if you have 500meg...set it to kill your data once 100 is reached or something so you can check what app is doing it and remove it from your phone.
 
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