Eir gives me ridiculous charges on phone bill

Can’t you check your data usage on your phone?

machaseh wrote: »

I did get an SMS that I reached my data limit, but I had no idea that the bill would suddenly explode to 200+ euros. I had calculated in about 10-20 euros extra at most. I failed to get an SMS saying 'your extra data charges are now 50 euros or higher ' or anything of the sort. Only 90% and 100% of data limit and that was that.

If I had known this beforehand, I'd just have gotten a data top up at the store or something or even get a lyca mobile sim for the time being (as I have right now which has also cost me about 30 euros by now as I still dont have any connection with eir).

I mean I can't just turn off my internet the moment I get that message on saturday evening and right before I'm heading off on vacation.

I suppose there's little chance I'll get any money back and will have to pay the bill then? Bye bye 200+ quid...

First thing you need to do, as in all cases where you have an issue with a service provider, is read the agreement/contract you signed up to. If they have not acted in accordance with the terms and considerations, then contact comreg with your complaint, outlining how they breached the contract.

But, if you used the extra data (check your phone) and they did text you, twice, when you reached your limit, and you have been correctly charged what is usually a very high rate for data exceeding your plan, then you will have to suck it up and be more careful next time.

And yes, if you want to avoid charges when you receive that text regarding your limit, you turn off the internet. All those apps on phones with notifications, location markers, updates etc run even when you are not browsing.

so.

you were informed you were running out of data.

ignored that because you had stuff to do that needed data.

then went abroad, presumably still using data.

you were the last person left in the country who didn't know that this is an expensive idea.

you know now.

antix80 wrote: »

For the past 20 years I've been on prepay. I've seen too many people being hit with stupid bills (including scams by mobile phone companies) to risk a high bill phone and having my number held hostage.

Eg. 10c per megabyte over your data allowance.
Data sold as unlimited with 5GB cap and per megabyte charges thereafter .
€2 premium texts. Dozens of them.
Data roaming abroad (€8 per megabyte with Three in countries like Mexico)
Phones stolen and used to call premium rate numbers abroad.
Prepay International call charges being as low as 5c when bill pay cost €2 a minute.

My favourite had to be Vodafone. Scenario: Fly abroad, register to the network abroad and switch off your phone, voicemail is enabled . Now for every missed call that automatically hits your voicemail you're charged €2 to "receive" the call, and €2 to "divert" it to your voicemail. Thankfully they stopped perpetrating this scam.

I usually buy a half-decent dual sim phone outright and send a text topup once a month.

Wouldn’t all those charges have been viewable on the providers website/in your agreement, before you signed up to it?

machaseh wrote: »

This. I am not sure yet (currently chatting with the super slow customer service), but it seems as if I went only a couple GBs over my data limit. It does not feel proportionate to ask 200+ quid for this. Especially because 15 GB of data can be purchased for 15 euros at most competitors such as Lycamobile, and even eir itself then offered me an UNLIMITED*** data plan for a LOWER amount that I am paying monthly now. So charging 200+ quid for slightly going over your data limit seems preposterous.

Also yes, it is probably somewhere in the T&C, but we still have consumer protection laws. Because what if they put in the T&C that I need to sell my soul to Satan if I go 1 MB over my data limit, or that suddenly it costs 1 million euros per MB or something. Clearly T&Cs are important but not the be all end all of our consumer protection system.

I appreciate you are annoyed, and as often happens on boards, an op latches on to a post which tells them what they want to hear, but what other operators charge is not relevant to the predicament you find yourself in, nor indeed is the fact that they put to on an unlimited plan after you had run up the bill.

What is relevant is that the charges are online, you agreed to them when you signed up and you used the data (I am assuming you did use that data as you haven’t stated that you didn’t, or that your phone confirmed you didn’t).

Charging for extra data isn’t unfair, they texted you twice to let you know you had reached your limit, and the charges, though high, are not unlawful. You didn’t agree to sell your soul, but you did agree to the charges. It’s time to accept your responsibility.

Consumer legislation does not control pricing.

From Comreg website:

We also advise you to carefully read the terms and conditions of your contracts and to be aware of the particular limits or thresholds that apply before purchasing.

machaseh wrote: »

Yes this is true and I have already set up direct debit to pay this unfortunate sum. In my language we call this 'leergeld' (learning money you need to pay for your mistakes). But still I do not think it's fair to charge hundreds of euros for something that can be purchased for a tenner literally anywhere.

It's like dining at a restaurant, and then you order a beer, and when the bill comes that pint was 100 quid. And then they say 'but it's right there in the miniature letters at the bottom of the menu'.

Hence I am still trying to get my complaint filed with eir and that organisation, I am on hold on the phone as we speak. Chat support wont issue internal case reference numbers or escalate to supervisors.

I suppose the obvious question may be, why didn’t you go with the competitor who charges the lesser rate? As an adult, it is taken for granted that you have the capacity, both in your own interest and legally, to make consumer decisions and enter contracts. If you buy a €100 beer when the price is displayed on the menu, you are responsible, not the restaurant.

I do understand your frustration though, on checking out of a hotel after a wedding a few years ago, the bill was double that quoted, turned out I had ordered and signed for a round of 6 measures of a very expensive whiskey. My fault, not the hotels.