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Charged for data usage with all data turned off, again.

peristeronic
Investigator

Charged for data usage with all data turned off, again.

 

€1.34 has come off my credit for 0kb of data.

ThreeSnip.png

 

While the three staff have been helpful in refunding me the €2 when this has happened in the past, on the most recent occassion in a PM I was told that the charges were correct, and basically, tough. I didn't have the time to continue to dispute back at the start of March, nor when it happened again once more since.

 

My phone was sitting on my desk unused today 30 minutes ago. Data/roaming/location/everything is off. There are no APN settings on the phone. My recent app usage shows an hour since the last app was used. I got a text to say my balance was low, and when I checked, I found the above.

 

Here are some threads of much the same thing happening to other people in the past, I'm sure there are more to be found:

https://community.three.ie/t5/Prepay/Internet-charge-of-2-but-mobile-data-is-switched-off/td-p/75645...
https://community.three.ie/t5/Prepay/Unexpected-2-day-data-charges/td-p/761149
https://community.three.ie/t5/Prepay/2-daily-data-charge/td-p/761004
https://community.three.ie/t5/Prepay/daily-2-robbery/td-p/761335
https://community.three.ie/t5/Prepay/2-data-charge-APN-blank-Data-off-Nothing-on-recent-usage/td-p/7...

https://www.reddit.com/r/ireland/comments/b1gbig/anyone_else_get_this_your_eur2_daypass_has_been/

 

I would like to be refunded for each time this has happened that I have not been refunded for.

I would like to know exactly what data I have been charged for.

 

Various agents have proposed that mobile data be turned off on my account at their end, but this suggestion does not work for me. I prefer to keep that option available without having to contact the three staff to turn it on again. I wish to stop having credit taken from my account without my having initiated it.

 

 

 

13 REPLIES 13
Three_Deborah
3 Mod Retired

@peristeronic I know we've gone through extensive troubleshooting with you in the past and our tech team has investigated this on your behalf too. When the charges were investigated they were shown to be correct and non-refundable.  The one way to make sure that data is not used on your phone is to apply the data block that was offered previously. This is a removable service and our webchat team and the Mods here can remove it when you need to. 

 

Another option is to change plan, we have new ones that might suit you. Have a look 👉 Prepay Plans 

If you decide to stay on your current plan, I'd encourage you to place the data block on your account when you are nearing the end of your 28-day promo and remove it when you need it.

 

Let me know. 

 

Hi Deborah,

 

Thanks for your reply, as always.

 

I dispute that the charges are correct, and I dispute that the charges were shown to be correct.

Can you tell me how my phone with no APN settings present is still connecting to Three to be charged?

Can you please show what the O kbytes of data that I have been charged for on this most recent occasion is.

@peristeronic Sorry about the delay in getting back to you, I hope you didn't think I had forgotten you or that I'm ignoring you 😨

 

I've linked in with our networks team and found out that with recent tech updates on our masts etc, many phones on Three will automatically fulfill the APNs on connection to data.

Were there any other data sessions showing previous to the charge in your screenshot? I can absolutely check your account for that here, and send them to you in PM. 

 

Hi Deborah,

 

Thanks for your reply, no worries on the timing.

 

What does 'automatically fulfill the APNs on connection to data' mean?

Does this mean that APN settings are still on Three phones even when deleted or even that they are pushed from masts?

 

 

There were no other data sessions/charges in that section of my account on the Three site:

Bigger snip here:

Data.png

 

But I've clicked around a bit more and found this under Allowances, so it looks like it was 0.13 KB:

ExtraCharges.png

 

In that case, can you let me know what the 0.13 KB of data (rather than 0) that I have been charged for was?

 

 

 

Hi,

 

Is there any update on this, @Three_Deborah ?

 

@peristeronic We can only see usage and not what you use it on. This is for your privacy. The only thing that I can do to stop any future data connections is to apply that block. It's also very easy and quick to remove it at any time too 👍 Pop me a PM to do this. I'll keep an eye out for you.

 

Hi @Three_Deborah ,

 

Is it the case then that Three has no way of knowing what data it is sending out to people?

 

I am contesting that my phone requested the data in question. I would like to know what it is I'm being charged for. If it's a matter of privacy, you or technicians are free to look at/for the data in question.

 

Can you also address my first question above:

What does 'automatically fulfill the APNs on connection to data' mean?

Does this mean that APN settings are still on Three phones even when deleted or even that they are pushed from masts?

 

Also, you state upthread that on a prior occasion "charges were investigated they were shown to be correct".
How was this done if you cannot see what the data is?

 

 

 

 

 

Hi again @Three_Deborah ,

 

Can you address my questions, please?

 

@peristeronic  Maybe there was a misunderstanding. What we can see is the data/internet connection session and the amount of data/internet used during this time plus any related charges. This connection is initiated from a phone or broadband device. It's not that Three is sending the data/internet connection to you, it's we carry your connection request. As for removing the APN settings from your phone, you also have APN settings built into your mobile phone account/profile, which is why connection requests made from your phone's apps, no matter how small, are being facilitated. To ensure no data/internet is allowed, we need to apply the block on your account.