hey gang...it's been a few months since I've had the ordeal and decided to share you the detail so you can better use it to your advantage.

It was a night like any other night with my 6700...about 11 pm, I'm tired, and done for the day - turned the volume off on the device (so it doesn't chirp whenever there's a new email), and plugged it in to charge in the bedroom.

Fast forward a month later - I get a bill of astronomical proportion - $1,220 !!!!

WTF?! I screamed to myself...and upon the detail in the bill, there was a charge of $1,100 on data use alone. WTF?!?! I exclaimed out loud this time.

Quickly I went online to check the status on my cell phone account, and with more investigating, I found out that on one night in December, the 6700 some how accumulated a gig worth of data in one freaking evening. At the time, I've had it for a year, and never came across any issue with data usage, nor have I went over on it. So I immediately called my carrier (Telus) and informed them the situation.

Me: WTF?!

Telus: that's right sir, your phone accumulated a gig worth that evening and you have to pay the charge for it.

Me: no way...that's ridiculous, how the hell can a PPC accumulate a gig when it's powered off, and nothing is running in the background, oh and I'm an IT guy myself...do explain that.

Telus: uh...here's my supervisor...

Telus Super: sorry sir, but you have to pay the balance on your bill.

Me: uh no I don't...can you please verify what kind of activity my phone was having that night? after I find out what's going on...I can determine the best recourse for the bill itself. In the meantime, indicate on my account that I will not pay for anything until this is verified. Thanks *hangs up*

Month after month, 4 months to be precise, I haven't heard from them, but they kept sending me a bill including the $1,200, plus standard charge of about $120 per month. Eventually 4 months later, they disconnected my service, and I called them...

Me: WTF?!

Telus: we disconnected your account due to outstanding fees...how would you like to pay?

Me: with my middle finger! Have you people determined the cause of the data use by my phone on that evening yet??

Telus: what do you mean?

Me: I called back in end of December (this communique transpired in April...shocking, ain't it?) to ask you guys to look into this matter...

Telus: we have no such record of you calling us.

Me: what? you're kidding (I rephrase the story back in December)

Telus: oh that's interesting...I'm going to put you through our Data team...please hold...

Telus Data guy: hello there, I understand what's going on, and I'm sorry you have to pay the outstanding bill.

Me: *blinking eyes and grinding teeth* I would gladly pay for it, upon proof of what transipired that night with my phone...which I asked back for back in December, and will NOT pay for anything until I have the info!

Telus Data jerk: well...ok...I'll keep your service enabled, and someone should get back to you within a week.

Me: good man, and thank you.

Week later...got disconnected! bwhahaha! oh god kill me...I call them up...

Me: WTF?!?!??!?!!

Telus: uh...let me put you through the Data dept...

Telus Data twit: uh...yeah, we have no way to prove what your phone did that night (interesting, eh???)

Me: are you kidding me? no way to prove it?

Telus Data twat: uhm...that's correct, but you still have to pay...sir.

Me: HAH! I don't think so...lemme talk to your supervisor.

Telus Data twerp: ok...please hold.

Telus Data Super Twerp: hello, I've been appraised of your situation, and yes you will still have to pay.

Me: ...how long have I been a client with you guys?

Telus Data Super Jerk: uhm...according to our records, since 1996.

Me: yeah, and have I done anything deviant? not paid bill on time? blatant abuse of any service with the cell phone, or any in the past? any record of it?

Telus Data Super Nut: not that I can see...you know what sir? I'm going to waive the data charge for that evening, and the late charges for the past 4 months...will you pay the fee for the standard use of the last 4 months? ($120 x 4)

Me: I'd be happy to, thanks and bye *clicks*

Terrifying, wasn't it? Point is this gang - when in doubt, and you know for certain, stick to it! don't pay them anything! ask for proof! and most likely cell phone carriers are unable to prove what your PPC has been doing during the day, or night!...it only can account for the data accumulation.

In case you skeptical geeks surmise I had Windows media running off the net, or IE on...I had neither on. I'm anal that way. Everything is shut off except for my Outlook communicating with the Exchange Server at work, and there was no unusual activity there whatsoever.

Hope my situation can teach you folks, and help you advocate for yourselves when a cell phone company tries to rip you off. In the end, only you, the consumer should win as long as you're not being sneaky or trying to cover up your deviancy.

Remember Karma - she knows all, and remembers all.

Regards,

James

Thats why their called "Tell us" !

Wow, that's wild. I checked 10x over to make sure i was on the unlimited data plan, and would not get charged per use, only because i fear some sort of issue like that. I'm excessively paranoid of being screwed, but i'm glad you stuck with it and didn't get cheated, as i've heard so many horror stories in the past.

wow dude, that's nuts. I'm glad you got it taken care of.

I'm getting screwed by sprint right now on $40 that I paid at one of their machines but it never went through and I don't have a reciept. I refuse to pay it twice.

I turned my power pack off on my sprint and the PPC was connecting to the net without me knowing and I got a 300$ data charge. I called them and had the fee waived and just said to hell with it and turned the data back on. I am being held hostage by sprint and my damn phone for an extra 15 spot a month. HAHA

*lowers lights*

It was a dark and stormy night WHEN!!!!

I bought a Blackberry 7250 in 2005 so I could use it for the internet and email and all that. I paid for the unlimited data package. Stupendous!!!

I met the woman of my dreams and got married - kids come around - gotta start to trim the fat. In mid 2006 I visit the local Sprint store to minimize my plan - removing my $40 a month unlimited data while adding an additional line for my wife - while at the same time reducing my minutes (love free Sprint to Sprint). I was assured by the Store Rep that I would not accrue any data charges UNLESS I launched my browser or checked my email or used any internet application in my phone. I religiously abstained from such activities.

February 2007: I notice that I have a $40 data transfer charge on my bill. I check back and see that I have had $40 data transfer charges on ALL my bills back to when I changed plans. (Confession: I have autopayment from my bank so I don't often check my statement because I share the phone with my wife - I just assumed she went over her minutes - my first mistake). I call Sprint and talk to a lovely CSR that tells me that to stop all data charges that a data block must be placed on the phone. "PLEASE DO IT!!!" I exclaim. I am assured no more charges will be on my following bills - I write off the $160 data charges as my fault for not understanding the system.

May 2007: I happen to check my statement again. STILL I have been paying the $40 data transfer charges. I call again, they say they will block it, I take their word for it and insist that they make a note on my account that I have contacted them about this problem on this date. "Yessir - no problem" is my reply. I hang up and go on with my life.

July 2007: THERE IT IS AGAIN!!! I have STILL been paying the $40 data transfer fees. Let me clarify something. When they told me there was a block on my Blackberry, I tried to log into the BB browser. When I do this an error screen pops up that says "Unable to connect, please contact your Service provider". To me that says "DATA BLOCK". I double checked this before I called on July 19th - and confirmed that I indeed cannot connect to the internet with my phone. I call, speak with the first CSR I get, and he insists that I am using the internet in my phone.

1. I call my house phone from work (I am a Firefighter and am gone from home alot).
2. I call my wife's cell phone from work.
3. I occasionally call family long distance after the free nights and weekends kicks in.

THAT IS IT. If any of the above things is connecting to the internet, then I am guilty - but I was assured by the CSR that none of these things was transferring data. OK then - what is going on. "We can put a data block on your phone" nope, sorry not good enough this time - I need something better from you guys. "Sorry that is all I can do". Please let me talk to your supervisor. "hold."

Abnoxious music that must have been written to subliminally piss one off - ever hear of top 40? Please go to something like this - and no more adds while I am on hold - I am already a customer - don't try to bait me in with offers - it only makes me regret joining 5 years ago when I had to pay 10 times as much for less than what they get now.

Tier 2 CSR. "Your connecting to the internet". I tell him I cannot, he refuses to listen and then talks down to me like I am a child. "You are connecting to the internet - you have $40 worth of internet charges." Hello - that is why I am calling - this is the THIRD data block you have told me you put on my phone and yet I STILL am paying $40 a month for NOTHING AT ALL. He becomes even more condescending, I lose my patience, I trap him in his own illogical arguments, putting him into an infinite circle of idiocy until I cannot take it anymore and I say goodbye.

So here I am. I have no course of action, no hope of stopping these recurring fees that I cannot explain. I mean - data block is a complete and utter block - right? If that is the case then how is it possible that data is getting through? Sprint is at fault, but I am out over $300 in data charges that I have no idea where they originated. To salt the wounds, I have until September 2008 to complete my contract - or pay $200 ETF for EACH of my phones on my plan ($400 for those mathematically challenged). So what do I do? Swallow the $400 to cancel out early - or stomache the $660 in anticipated mysterious data transfer fees until my contract ends. Neither is very enticing considering I have a baby girl about to be born in September 2007. That $40 a month would sure go a long way to getting her the things she needs (sorry had to throw that last bit in - but jokes aside I do have a baby girl due very soon).

Someone. Please. Help. Me.

Signed,

Trapped

wow...this is a great thread...lol..nice story telling...haha

When I first got sprint, my bro's line accumulated a lot of data and we didn't have any data plans on any of the lines. The bill came out to a little more than 100 just for data usage. The CSR offered for me to add a data plan for the normal rate and to waive that fee. It all worked out at the end.

I could purchase a data plan - but why should I have to if I have no intention of using it? If Sprint tells me they can fix it - and it isn't fixed despite 3+ attempts on my part to work with them - then they are at fault and should ante up. If they can't fix it then someone just tell me so!!!

I guess maybe I am baffled that Customer Service has fallen so low because in the end, it is their fault, and their billion a year business won't hurt one bit by crediting my account for their screw up, but it would make a world of difference for me AND they would keep a customer.

I just wish someone at Sprint would give me a straight up honest answer...

Similar situation with my sanyo 5300. While in my car on a charger they said I made 3, 2 minute data calls each minute for over 4 hours. Very large bill. I was told I had to pay it or be disconnected. Took over 2 hours on the phone until reaching a regional supervisor on conference with an advanced technical support tech who explained that my phone could not connect data roaming to begin with and that 3 two minute calls cannot be placed every minute,,, at least in this time space continuity in which we reside..... One big hassle....

This is why I always record my calls to customer service, especially the telcos. When they say "This call may be recorded or monitored for quality assurance purposes" they are giving you permission to do exactly that.

Ah...whatever happened to the "customer is always right" concept, but these days the line has been blurred beyond recognition. It's true people make mistakes, and customers are no exception, but when you know you're in the right, and they're in the wrong, well these days they don't care about you as long as you got a contract with them until 2008, or 2080.

We have to hold our ground, and NOT pay when we know there's an error on their end. Remember my epic, I didn't pay for anything when I detected there was an issue. I'm sorry to hear you got some kind of 'autopayment' which reassures them you're going to pay for any crappy service regardless. If you didn't have that enabled, and you have not paid anything - even 4 months later, they'll freak out and try work with you more.

This is why I don't have autopayment for any utility service whatsoever. Later to that. In this day and age with all the weird services and extenduating 'add ons' we can get, we have to watch what we pay.

First and foremost, I'd strongly turn off the autopayment.

Wait for them to contact you, or at least make an announcement saying that they're going to disconnect your service. Oftentimes when you attempt to call or use the service, it will auto connect you to a CSR, and work on resolving the issue. You can then use this to your advantage, not the other way around. Keep papers, keep track of any communique to back up what you're going through, and surely in the end you'll win, and be compensated for the additional fees you've paid for since you enabled a 'data block' on it.

Good luck!

James

private msg me if you want more support.

For those who seek Final Resolution:
This worked for me and maybe it will help others where Customer Service seems to have hit a deadend.
•Write down who you have talked with Date-Time-Person's name and posistion. (I always do this for any company that i have to call for support)
•When Customer Support fails - ask for Supervisor - If one can not be given Note that also. When the supervisor fails...
•goto google and plug in company's name followed with President, CEO, CIO, Vice President, Regional VPs, etc. Just a little research and you will find the name schema for emails...
•Send an email to Customer Service and CC all the names above.
• Give a very percise account of what the issues are with names, dates and times with the people that you have spoken too. Explain in detail !!!

This worked for me for more than just Wireless. I hope this will work for you.

TucanoRC

elmiraman, sent you a PM

It may be worth pointing out that there is excellent software out there to do so. The one program I know is PMRecorder (which however requires you to use the speakerphone [presuambly because of a 6700 hardware limitation]).

Btw, IANAL, I don't know if the "this call may be monitored" automatically implies that you may record their conversation, it may be worth pointing that out to the CSR (recording a conversation without consent is considered wiretapping).

That is why I said "recorded or monitored". With both of these in their message, you have permission to do both. If only one is in their message, then that is all they are granting permission to do.

Notice they don't say "We may..." where your continued presence in the calls acts only as a permission for them to record the call.

Instead, they (usually) use the term "This call may be..." which is a blanket permission for either party. Their CSRs are bound by this release since expectation of privacy and liability for violating it belongs to the company.

Be aware that laws covering this are on a State by State basis. Some States require that both ends of the call give their permission before a call is recorded (which is what happens above) while some States only require that one end of the call give their permission -- basically no permission is required if you are a participant in the call.

Wingsfan,

I managed to eek out a deal with a friend of a friend who is a manager at a Sprint store. Got a $100 credit and opportunity to switch to a new phone. I figured that was pretty good so I jumped at it.

Thanks for the offer of help though.

E

Glad to hear it, you moving to a 6800?