getting charged for tethering, but I'm not...?

[siiva]

I have an HTC Legend with Virgin. I do not have a data plan because I am usually always in a place where I can access wifi. In my settings I have turned off "Mobile Network" (use phone for data connection when wi-fi is unavailable). Under Mobile Network settings, I turned off "data roaming" and "enable always-on mobile data".

Virgin claims that I am tethering the phone, and they have charged me over $300. On top of this tethering charge, they also claim that I am using the mobile network for accessing the internet.

Neither of these claims are possible, because I KNOW how I'm using the phone, and I know what settings I have checked/unchecked.

Is there something I'm missing? Please help...

 

[sitlet]

download 3gwatchdog from the market. It will let you know if you are using 3g data. If you can prove to your provider you arent using data, they should take the charges off. But I doubt they would charge you unless they are actually seeing you using data. Its possible the phone is using 3g data when you think you are on wifi.

 

[staffsmatt]

Hi, are you connecting your phone to your computer in internet sharing mode? I don't think this works through wifi (only 3g data) I could be wrong though....

 

[Medion]

Ask your carrier to put a data block on your phone.

 

[dan330]

wow... that sucks...

i would find away to record your usage....
for your records..
then next month.. ask them for a full report of your usage.

so you can prove they have wrong info on you. maybe your account got mixed with someone else?

are you sharing plans with anyone?

 

[Medion]

It sounds more like he's got no data plan (as he stated), but since he's using Android, it's using data anyway when he's off wifi. Also, there are just some things that it will not use wifi for. When I left the country (left my phone at home, turned on), it was downloading 140kb every day around the same time despite being connected to my wifi router continuously.

So yes, if he's go no data plan, and uses even a little data when out and about, he's going to get raped on data charges. He can either get a data plan, or ask his carrier to put a data block on the plan.

 

[dan330]

he said.. he turned off mobile data... it cant send or receive...
he also said.. they accuse him of tethering.. that is a lot of data to assume that!

i dont think the phone is doing this by itself... it leads me to think it is an error in reports by the carrier.

 

[Medion]

he said.. he turned off mobile data... it cant send or receive...

Sorry, I missed this.

 

[siiva]

The phone has not been connected to a computer in any way. It's confusing that they have accused me of tethering and on top of it, of using the data plan as well, when I don't see a way how either case is possible.

Like I said, in my settings, I unchecked the box that allows it to use the phone's cell connection for data. I tested this by turning off wifi and trying to use the web browser, or browsing the Market.

I didn't realize they could block the data... but I don't think a solution can be worked out because I cannot afford to pay this bill. I already went through this with them last month when they charged an extra $200, and they agreed to drop the charge, so I dont' think they'll do it again this month.

The only app I used which downloaded a whack of data is the one that allows you to download a youtube audio and convert it into an mp3 on the device. I must've downloaded 100+ songs that way, but I was at home using the wifi.

These smartphones are like computers now, so you should be able to have a regular voice plan, and use the WIFI at will without being accused of data/tether usage.

How can I prove this?

In the future how can I prevent this? If I root the phone would that help block whatever controls they have on the phone now?

 

[siiva]

An update to my situation: Virgin agreed to waive the bill. 2 months later I'm in the same situation: they are charging me for data and also for tethering. Either there is something wrong with their system, or my htc legend is using the mobile network for data, even though I told it not to... although that doesn't explain why they are also charging me for tethering.

I have used the jetvd program to download a whack of videos from youtube, but of course only when connected to wifi.

So this time around I told them I'd just upgrade to a data plan if they'd waive the bill (this time it was like $350). They agreed to this, which is great! So I plan on using their service for another 2 months, then I'm going to switch to a different provider.

I don't want to pay for a data plan when I have wifi accessible 100% of the time when I need it. Anyone have any clues as to why virgin thinks I'm tethering and also using their mobile data network? I don't want to get into the same situation with my new provider.

 

[LazarX]

An update to my situation: Virgin agreed to waive the bill. 2 months later I'm in the same situation: they are charging me for data and also for tethering. Either there is something wrong with their system, or my htc legend is using the mobile network for data, even though I told it not to... although that doesn't explain why they are also charging me for tethering.

I have used the jetvd program to download a whack of videos from youtube, but of course only when connected to wifi.

So this time around I told them I'd just upgrade to a data plan if they'd waive the bill (this time it was like $350). They agreed to this, which is great! So I plan on using their service for another 2 months, then I'm going to switch to a different provider.

I don't want to pay for a data plan when I have wifi accessible 100% of the time when I need it. Anyone have any clues as to why virgin thinks I'm tethering and also using their mobile data network? I don't want to get into the same situation with my new provider.

You'd be surprised what your apps might be doing. It's not just browser and Market, any app that pulls data into the phone can potentially start sucking data.

 

[cage69]

I just got a Samsung 550 with Virgin. It is my first smart phone so I was pretty new to data usage etc. I did know ahead of time that downloading and using sites like youtube would eat up a lot of data, so I didn't do that. My data plan only has 100mb on it so i figured that would be fine for just checking email occasionally. So wrong....the phone was automatically defaulted to "Enable always on" which meant it was ALWAYS connected to the cell phone tower data and all the apps on my phone were constantly running and using that data. After 5 days, I had used 200mb-way over my limit and i didn't understand why. Of course Virgin couldn't explain it to me (their CSRs aren't exactly experts in anything) and they just kept telling me that I was using my phone too much for downloading and surfing the net, which I wasn't. Long story short-turn off "enable always on"!!!!! I only use it if aboslutely necessary-IE I don't have Wi-Fi access available. LazarX is right. You never know what your apps are doing and if you are constantly connected to the cell phone tower instead of wi-fi and you don't have an unlimited data plan, your usage charges will be through the roof!!!!

What I don't understand is why Siiva was still being charged data when he had this disabled and was only using Wi-FI???? If this happens to me, I am going back to a dumb phone, why should I get charged data usage when I am only using my own Wi-fi connection????

 

[harvickchick]

I AM tethering and haven't been charged for it, maybe it's just included in the data thing.

What plan are you guys on? If you have a smart phone you can get the unlimited data with everything else for only $25...sounds like that would solve a lot of problems!