AT&T SEVERELY overcharging my data usage

[varuscelli]

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bradley.ryan wrote:

Exactly what Sandblaster said.

I made an appointment with the Genius Bar for next Wednesday.  Not sure if they can really help but we'll see.

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I think that's a good way to get a second expert vendor opinion.  You'll probably get a lot of the same "canned" questions and answers at first ("did you have this turned on" or "did you have that turned off"). 

But, I'll amend this to suggest that if the first person you speak to there doesn't have a clue, get them to bring in another Genius Bar representative or two, which could very well be necessary in this kind of case.  I've gone into the Genius Bar a couple of times with other family members and noticed that there are definitely many levels of experience represented (of course, that's just reflective of life in general and the same most anywhere you go). 

[wingrider01 ACE - Expert]

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benjitek wrote:

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bradley.ryan wrote:

I made an appointment with the Genius Bar for next Wednesday.  Not sure if they can really help but we'll see.

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That's great that you're finally able to schedule that -- we sort of lost track after they closed that topic you started.  Does that one site you visit still rack up an entired gig of data when you visit it for only 5 minutes?  That could get expensive!

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slight issue on this - 1gb of data over a mobile connection in 5 minutes is not possible

[bradley.ryan]

Benj....did my previous post say a GB or a MB?

If it said a GB, I meant a MB.  Sorry for the confusion.

This is the only topic I've ever started and to my knowledge it was never closed.

[wingrider01 ACE - Expert]

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bradley.ryan wrote:

Benj....did my previous post say a GB or a MB?

If it said a GB, I meant a MB.  Sorry for the confusion.

This is the only topic I've ever started and to my knowledge it was never closed.

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So you are saying 1 MB in 5 minutes, that is doable and if the website if activex/java/graphics heavy, especially with auto refresh and semi-high quality graphocs. A single graphic @ 230dpi, 2576 x 1932 pixels with a bit depth of 24 bit with sRPG color representation can hit 1.20 MB (1,265,664 bytes)

[bradley.ryan]

Saying 1 MB just to load the page but it still wouldnt add up even close to what my bill shows.

[kewama01]

I just experienced a similar data overcharge that does not match my iPhone usage stats. I use my iPhone very lightly--email and occasion google maps. No video; no pandora. The Data Detail report for my phone on the AT&T site shows that I use between 250KB and 3MB per day.

Suddenly, though, on 10/18 there's a huge spike: 

10/18	09:22 AM	phone	Internet/MEdia Net	Sent	14652KB
10/18	08:54 AM	phone	Internet/MEdia Net	Sent	83102KB
10/18	08:54 AM	phone	Internet/MEdia Net	Sent	160274KB

That's 250MB over a 25 minute period during while my phone was in my pocket.

The AT&T billing reports show my data usage over the last few months as follows:

  July: 48MB

  Aug: 52MB

  Sept: 93 MB

  Oct: 329 MB (this includes the unexplained 250GB spike)

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  Total: 522 MB

Meanwhile, the usage stats on my phone, last reset on 7/17/2010, show a total of less than 300 MB.

I called AT&T support and went through the same litany of blame on everyone and everything except their own billing system. They subtracted the upcharge "this time", but refused to admit the possibility that there might be a bug on their end that needs escalation. They had no answer to why the phone stats didn't match their numbers.

I plan to reset my phone stats on the start of the next billing cycle and see what happens next month. But clearly there is a huge discrepancy between my self-reported behavior and phone stats on the one hand, and AT&T billing on the other.

[bradley.ryan]

Welcome to my world, Kewama.  Unfortunately, my data charges are much more significant.

[bradley.ryan]

Please do me a favor and post what you're seeing at the beginning of your billing cycle.  I would like to know how your phone compares to AT&T's charges and see if yours is as inexplicably off as mine.

[kewama01]

I'll let you know what I see next month.

Wonder if you saw this thread which reports similar discrepancies between AT&T and iphone stats:

  http://discussions.info.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=12475678&tstart=0

I'm also wondering if it's possible that someone has figured out how to emulate a sim card to charge another party for data. If you're seeing frequent high data transfers, it would be interesting to know if the data transfers stop or continue if you turned off 3G data for a day. Another test might be to switch to a new sim card, if you could convince AT&T to give you a new one without charge.

Anyway, you're not alone in seeing this and I suspect more and more people will see it unless AT&T solves it.

[bradley.ryan]

When I turn 3G off, my data charges stop.  I doubt someone would have been able to clone my sim card.

The charges I receive do seem to be directly related to the days I use 3G, however, they're just far, far too high.

[21stNow]

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kewama01 wrote:

I'll let you know what I see next month.

Wonder if you saw this thread which reports similar discrepancies between AT&T and iphone stats:

  http://discussions.info.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=12475678&tstart=0

I'm also wondering if it's possible that someone has figured out how to emulate a sim card to charge another party for data. If you're seeing frequent high data transfers, it would be interesting to know if the data transfers stop or continue if you turned off 3G data for a day. Another test might be to switch to a new sim card, if you could convince AT&T to give you a new one without charge.

Anyway, you're not alone in seeing this and I suspect more and more people will see it unless AT&T solves it.

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I recently heard a report on WTOP Radio (local news station) that talked about the surge in SIM card cloning recently.  I can't find an article on it to post a link.  The cloner can actually stand near a roadway when you drive by and clone your sim card.  The cloned SIM was used for phone calls, data, text messages, etc.  Cloning is supposed to be harder for GSM phones than for CDMA phones, but not impossible.  You may be on to something here.  Maybe getting a new SIM card would help you.

[bradley.ryan]

That may be a consideration but again, when I turn off cellular data the data charges stop.  For instance, my wife and I just had a baby last Monday and I've been home on paternity leave for a week now.  I've had cellular data off all week except for a minute or two when I went out to the store and my data charges stopped during that time.

There is a definitely a correlation between me using the phone and the data charges.  I just feel like they are reported way too high.

[hme83 ACE - Master]

Does the iPhone not have an actual usage log?  On the phone itself?

It sounds like you are looking at an accumulative counter, but my Nokia E70 has both a counter and a log of the individual data sessions.  I've used that log to verify that my usage amounts as reported by at&t are spot on (+1 kB on at&t's side) - for the instances I've checked anyway.   I've always used the counter to compare my data totals for the month to the at&t billing and have never experienced unreasonably large differences.

[GeekBoy]

The closest thing I have found to what you are looking for is the AT&T itemized data usage from the monthly bill.  If you want it to be local on the phone, then the data usage counters give totals since last reset, and the app "DataMan" will keep track of your usage and present it to you as daily totals.  If you allow it to "geotag" your usage, then the map shows push pins for the usage locations and tapping on a pin shows you the time and amount of data used.  It is quite cumbersome, but it can give you the information if you really want it.  This app is in the app store for either $0.99 or $1.99, I don't remember which.

[bradley.ryan]

So I went to the genius bar today and they assured me the phones data usage tracker should match up very closely with what AT&T reports.  They told me I would have to take up the issue with AT&T (which is what I expected them to say).  I then walked immediately to an AT&T store right across the mall and they told me the tracker only tracks certain things and won't track data used through some apps.  They actually {keep it courteous} tell me that the phone only records data from some apps but not others.  I don't usually even use apps but when I do the usage is always recorded on the phone.

I plan on using the phone how I want and I'll deal with AT&T at the end of the month.

My current usage recorded on the phone is 66.2 MB since the start of the billing cycle.

AT&T has reported 523.23 MB since the start of the billing cycle.

[johninsj ACE - Professor]

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bradley.ryan wrote:

So I went to the genius bar today and they assured me the phones data usage tracker should match up very closely with what AT&T reports.  They told me I would have to take up the issue with AT&T (which is what I expected them to say).  I then walked immediately to an AT&T store right across the mall and they told me the tracker only tracks certain things and won't track data used through some apps.  They actually {keep it courteous} tell me that the phone only records data from some apps but not others.  I don't usually even use apps but when I do the usage is always recorded on the phone.

I plan on using the phone how I want and I'll deal with AT&T at the end of the month.

My current usage recorded on the phone is 66.2 MB since the start of the billing cycle.

AT&T has reported 523.23 MB since the start of the billing cycle.

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AT&T reps are wrong. Something is very very wrong with your account. I would start with an attempt to get a new sim. If you're not resetting your counter at all, and the two continue to diverge over a week or more, then something very bad is happening and somehow usage is getting billed to your account that doesn't belong.

Are we all sure that MMS doesn't count against data? I believe visual voicemail does. Those would be the only two things I could think of that might (and I am not even a little sure) count against data. But you'd need to do a snortload of MMS and/or visual voicemail for half a gig of data.

Where are you getting your data use count from on AT&T, by the way?

[bradley.ryan]

I'm checking my data from att.com, logging in to "mywireless", usage & recent activity, data used.

I don't use my iPhone for a phone, just a means to access the internet.  I have a separate phone through my work I use for my phone calls and I haven't even given my number out to anyone.  In just under 3 months, I've received a total of 2 phone calls and they both lasted for about 15 seconds cause they were the wrong number.  I've never received a voicemail.  In terms of text message, I've probably sent a total of 20 or so in almost three months and only 2 or 3 included pictures.  None this month have included a picture.

If I'm able to somehow convince AT&T to get me a new sim card, how do I have it installed?  Do I have to go to Apple for that?

[bradley.ryan]

I just checked my account and I've sent a total of 2 text messages this month.

[varuscelli]

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bradley.ryan wrote:

If I'm able to somehow convince AT&T to get me a new sim card, how do I have it installed?  Do I have to go to Apple for that?

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I was under the impression they could do that right there in the AT&T store (unless it's a different matter for an iPhone 4). 

I'd think there's a good chance they'd just give you a new sim card if there's a possibility of fixing all this by making a sim card change-out.  That's just a guess, though. 

[21stNow]

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bradley.ryan wrote:

If I'm able to somehow convince AT&T to get me a new sim card, how do I have it installed?  Do I have to go to Apple for that?

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If the AT&T store won't change your SIM card for you, I think that you can do it yourself.  There is a tool to change the SIM card or you can use a paper clip to open the holder.

[johninsj ACE - Professor]

The sim slot is on the right side. You push a paper clip into the hole, and the tray slides out. Power down the phone first. I would think that they would do it for you in a corporate store.

[kewama01]

I have 3 iPhones on a family plan. Last month, my phone had an unexplained spike in data usage per AT&T billing that did not vibe with usage stats on my iPhone (as explained in previous post).

At the start of my new billing cycle, we reset the usage stats on all 3 phones. This month ALL THREE of our phones are showing much higher usage on AT&T site vs. the usage on the phones:

Phone 1:

   ATT usage: 84.3 MB

   Phone usage: 20.7 MB

Phone 2:

   ATT usage: 81.9 MB

   Phone usage: 14.6 MB

Phone 3:

   ATT usage: 157.4 MB

   Phone usage: 74.9 MB

A possible clue is that the usage spikes per AT&T details occurred in all cases when travelling or away from home.

I plan to take two of the phones to an AT&T store to discuss. Next steps? Letters to attorney general, FCC, FTC?

[kewama01]

Correction: In last post, Phone 2 should have been:

Phone 2:

   ATT usage: 51.9 MB

   Phone usage: 14.6 MB

[johninsj ACE - Professor]

Roaming or just somewhere else with AT&T coverage?

[kewama01]

Data roaming is disabled on the phones, so we're only using AT&T coverage.

[atandtdatausage…]

I have the same problem, and no help from AT&T. Their "billing inquiry" reported the usage was from my sim, so no relief. They refuse to provide any information on how the data usage occurs, like to/from ip numbers, etc. How they can justify this is mind boggling. I'm sure hoping verizon gets the iphone to introduce some sanity in the picture. I have started turning off 3G most days (I have wifi at home), just to stay under 2gb, and I was still OVER 2gb last month!!!

[johninsj ACE - Professor]

Wow... I leave everything on on three iPhone4s and we don't crack 200MB a month on any of them.

Can you maybe go over the apps you use regularly that use the internet? 2GB is a lot of data to use without streaming.

[BrianfromNO]

What does Verizon having the iPhone have to do with any of this?  I doubt either AT&T or Verizon keeps detailed logs of usage beyond the point at which they need to bill for it.  From what I've read, AT&T keeps records of text messages for only a few days prior to purging them.  

It's an overly simple and soft-headed solution to think a Verizon iPhone is going to be some kind of magic bullet or will somehow restore order in the Force.  This is likely a hardware issue, since I don't see this being a widespread issue affecting all their smartphones.  Your choice of apps is also very important here.  As has been stated, apps can use a lot of data in the background, and wi-fi shuts off when the phone goes into sleep mode.  There may also be a bug in the OS which results in data not being accurately reported.  It's not quite so simple as saying this is solely AT&T's fault without any proof that it is so.

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atandtdatausagescam wrote:
I have the same problem, and no help from AT&T. Their "billing inquiry" reported the usage was from my sim, so no relief. They refuse to provide any information on how the data usage occurs, like to/from ip numbers, etc. How they can justify this is mind boggling. I'm sure hoping verizon gets the iphone to introduce some sanity in the picture. I have started turning off 3G most days (I have wifi at home), just to stay under 2gb, and I was still OVER 2gb last month!!!

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[youknownotmuch]

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atandtdatausagescam wrote:
I have the same problem, and no help from AT&T. Their "billing inquiry" reported the usage was from my sim, so no relief. They refuse to provide any information on how the data usage occurs, like to/from ip numbers, etc. How they can justify this is mind boggling. I'm sure hoping verizon gets the iphone to introduce some sanity in the picture. I have started turning off 3G most days (I have wifi at home), just to stay under 2gb, and I was still OVER 2gb last month!!!

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LOL what does Verizon have to do with this? AND FYI VZW just settled a class action suit, where they intentionally overcharged people for data, at least if you're going to trump up the competition, at least know they were the first to give it to their users hard and fast!

[kewama01]

Another month's billing just closed and, again, all 3 iPhones display data usage about half of what ATT is billing. Looking at the detailed usage, the big spikes are all when the phones have been on the road. (Example: 40 MB charged to open google maps and check location--about 1 minute of elapsed time usage.)

It's hard to believe that iPhone software isn't capable of counting data packets accurately. But how about this theory: when on the road, reception may be spotty and lossy, with traffic passing from tower to tower. Perhaps ATT is billing for each packet sent to the phone, whether or not the phone actually receives it. I'm also guessing that the phone would drop/ignore any duplicate packets it receives, and so might not be counting them in its usage stats.

If this is the case, then it would have the perverse effect of charging more when reception is worse, i.e. rewarding ATT for poor coverage.

Kevin