Meteor - Data Usage

davemie

Hey Guys, not sure if this is the best forum for this. Let me know if I have to move it.

I have an Android phone with Meteor and canceled my contract as per the other posts on this forum at the start of August. I signed up to Bill Pay Lite August 7th and was given a 30 day 250 MBs free data add on.

However, when I texted 50104, I got a message back saying that my account did not have an active data add on. So I called Customer Care a few times and got the add on removed and a new add on was applied to my account a day or two later. It was confirmed to me on the phone that a new 30 day Data Add On was applied to my account (You would assume from his words this would mean another 30 days). Still the data balance text message didn't work. I was assured over the phone that the add on was on my account and that if I need to check my balance I could call Customer Care.

On Sept 7 at 11:15am I got the following text message from Meteor

"Hello, we would like to let you know that your Free 30 day 250MB Mobile Internet Add On will end on 07/09/2010"

As you can see from the message, it doesn't say exactly when on the 7th that the Internet Add On would expire. So I used a few KBs of data, and checked online to see if I was charged. I wasn't, and continued to use the internet for the rest of that day assuming it would behave the same way as any monthly data add on (expire at midnight) and also assumed that it would behave the same way as when I first signed up to Meteor on bill pay and got a free 250MBs (expire at mignidht). BIG MISTAKE!

Apparently the add on was applied to my account on August 7th at 12:26pm, so according to Meteor it expired on Sept 7th at 12:26. Here are a few quotes from their email reply to me

"I can advise that as you are aware of the add on expiring on the 7th, it is your responsibility to refrain from the use of internet if you wish to avoid charges"

"Unfortunately, this free data add on bundle is not available for any customers to view online, customers can contact Customer Care or send an email to info@meteor.ie to obtain the balance"
meaning its not possible to know what your balance is or when exactly it will end"

"Your add on was added to the account at 12.26pm & that is the time that the add on expired on the 7th of September."

"Meteor will not refund the EUR60.50 as you were aware that the add on was due to expire on the 7th of September."

"From reviewing the account, the first 4 data transactions [on Sept 7th] are not charged as your add on was still in use."
This was when I tested to see if I was charged for data that morning

- "2c per Kilobite for any usage after that."

- "3.86MB amounts to 3952.64KB, charged at 2c per KB & the total came to EUR79.05."

To add to this, I logged into MyMeteor.ie on Sept 6th and saw that a Bonus Data Add On with 250 MBs remaining was added to my account. At the bottom of the screen it said I had until 24-Sep-2010 to use this. Here is the screen grab




And their reponse:
"As stated online & on the screen shot, you had until the 25th September to use any minutes or texts. It does not confirm that you have until this date to use your data, as the free data bundles are applied to accounts at different dates & expire one month after being applied which may be different to your billing date."

It looks like she didn't notice the following text on the screen grab
"Please note the allocation of minutes, texts and data above is based on your monthly plan allowance and is linked to your billing cycle"


Basically they are telling me to go F myself.

I'm quite lucky that I only used 3.86 MBs, it could easily have been more.

What should my next step be? Contact a paper, Eddie Hobbs? Is there anyone interested in informing the general public of Meteor shafting customers using trickery this way?

Or are Meteor in the right?

Abelloid

You get one month exactly, to the nearest minute. Learned the hard way.

RasTa

JustinOval wrote: »

You get one month exactly, to the nearest minute. Learned the hard way.

I thought the the charge was capped at €50 a day?

davemie

RasTa wrote: »

I thought the the charge was capped at €50 a day?

I think its 50 euro per month ex VAT, so that's 60.50 euro. But I'm not sure if thats for the total of your bill, i.e. including phone calls, or just a cap for data usage.

Hmm, maybe I should start downloading like mad, as they are going to charge me the max amount this month anyway!

Abelloid

RasTa wrote: »

I thought the the charge was capped at €50 a day?

Roaming, I think...

TheDoc

I rang them up when I got my desire and wanted to jump onto a data plan, I rang up to find out if my 250mb was immediate added or what.

Lady was very kind in informing me that from the next billing date, I will receive my full 250mb, however before that my allocation is designated based on te days left in the month. After that I'm charged at the rate you did.

Was very much within their T&C, and as you were in phone touch originally getting the plan, you should have enquired to the obvious things, like when it runs from and when too.

Not saying your lying to us, but I've found Meteor to be absolutely tremendous when it comes to resolving issues.

I had them two months ago completely refund 91 euro that was charged as data, it was unexplainable and completely random yet the girl on the phone sroted it within a few minutes.

Usually having a good attitude and explaining the situation they can sort you out.

~Doesnt sound like them at all to not sort you out with the 60 euro, when the time the plan cuts off wasnt clear and so conspicuous.

Lesson learned I hope, especially with data plans, ask all the advice and get all the details and facts, especially for anything "free"