Comments on: Ewan gets stuffed to the tune of £1,000 on Vodafone International Data http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2006/08/ewan_gets_stuff.html Daily news and opinion for 250,000 industry executives and mobile fanatics Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:35:00 +0100 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jim Black http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2006/08/ewan_gets_stuff.html/comment-page-1#comment-424 Jim Black Wed, 23 Aug 2006 21:36:12 +0000 http://www.smstextnews.co.uk/2006/08/ewan_gets_stuffed_to_the_tune_of_1000_on_vodafone_international_data.html#comment-424 I feel your pain.... A few years back in Atlanta I used the company's dal-up local point of presence (free local call) to connect to our mail system. What I didn't know was that there was also an Atlanta in California (long distance call at the hotel rates) Was there for 6 days and was connected most of that time! Imagine my surprise when I checked out. The hotel to their credit, and took a big chunk out of it, but it still cost close to your bill. Took a bit of explaining in my expense report. On a more serious note, this type of charging is one reason why mobile data/internet/web/broadband is not doing much with average consumers at the moment IMHO. Why did this type of usage not set alarm bells ringing in Voda's revenue assurance team for example? It's called customer service - something the mobile industry seems unable to grasp. I feel your pain….

A few years back in Atlanta I used the company’s dal-up local point of presence (free local call) to connect to our mail system. What I didn’t know was that there was also an Atlanta in California (long distance call at the hotel rates) Was there for 6 days and was connected most of that time! Imagine my surprise when I checked out.

The hotel to their credit, and took a big chunk out of it, but it still cost close to your bill.

Took a bit of explaining in my expense report.

On a more serious note, this type of charging is one reason why mobile data/internet/web/broadband is not doing much with average consumers at the moment IMHO.

Why did this type of usage not set alarm bells ringing in Voda’s revenue assurance team for example?

It’s called customer service – something the mobile industry seems unable to grasp.

]]> By: Carl http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2006/08/ewan_gets_stuff.html/comment-page-1#comment-423 Carl Wed, 23 Aug 2006 10:08:28 +0000 http://www.smstextnews.co.uk/2006/08/ewan_gets_stuffed_to_the_tune_of_1000_on_vodafone_international_data.html#comment-423 Join the club... I went to the world cup in Germany back in June/ July, I also managed to grab a beer in France, away for a total of 3 weeks. I used my SE W800i phone on VODAFONE BIZ for the trip, for a few calls but mainly to look up WC scores and check the odds with many of the UK bookies (low data), very occasional webmail. I wasn't too concerned about the roaming contract as I had called VF and confirmed I was all set on data roaming and made sure I stuck with VF DE and SFR in FR. The fun started when the June bill arrived... ~£300 on data, then the July bill arrive... ~£250 on data, then the Aug bill... ~£100 on data. Therefore my trip cost me £650 on data charges for 3 weeks very low data. I obviously checked my bill and when roaming VODAFONE BIZ charge you £1.00 per connection to the network. Sure enough, my data usage was almost not present on the bill it was so low, but due to the 'minimum connection' charge, I had 650 connections over 3 weeks (yep, a lot of scores and a lot of bets (that didn't cover the cost!)). I obviously called VODAFONE BIZ customer service, whom I have been a customer of since their early days pre-voda to discuss this unbelievable cost. It works out that if I had of stayed 'connected' for the full trip, it would have probably not costed me more than a tenner. However because I connected and disconnected, due to the function of the browser on my device (you cannot minimise your browser in useable way for consistant use) I was told a) "that's the way it is sir, do you not realise how difficult it is to operate a GPRS service in another country" (even the same company and all that??) and b) "you have the wrong type of phone to roam with, you should have called us in advance and we would have advised you to have changed your device..." (dare I say, to a crackberry or something!) Therefore, the morale of the story is STAY CONNECTED and you are ok with VODAFONE BIZ, drop the connection and YOU PAY FOR IT! GPRS roaming services coming down? Not with Vodafone Biz, this must have happened to many other folks, most likely on corporate accounts! I am now considering my next step, most likely it will involve saying goodbye to VF Biz now, which is a shame as I have had over 6 years great service. I would love to hear other people's experiences like this! Join the club… I went to the world cup in Germany back in June/ July, I also managed to grab a beer in France, away for a total of 3 weeks. I used my SE W800i phone on VODAFONE BIZ for the trip, for a few calls but mainly to look up WC scores and check the odds with many of the UK bookies (low data), very occasional webmail. I wasn’t too concerned about the roaming contract as I had called VF and confirmed I was all set on data roaming and made sure I stuck with VF DE and SFR in FR. The fun started when the June bill arrived… ~£300 on data, then the July bill arrive… ~£250 on data, then the Aug bill… ~£100 on data. Therefore my trip cost me £650 on data charges for 3 weeks very low data. I obviously checked my bill and when roaming VODAFONE BIZ charge you £1.00 per connection to the network. Sure enough, my data usage was almost not present on the bill it was so low, but due to the ‘minimum connection’ charge, I had 650 connections over 3 weeks (yep, a lot of scores and a lot of bets (that didn’t cover the cost!)). I obviously called VODAFONE BIZ customer service, whom I have been a customer of since their early days pre-voda to discuss this unbelievable cost. It works out that if I had of stayed ‘connected’ for the full trip, it would have probably not costed me more than a tenner. However because I connected and disconnected, due to the function of the browser on my device (you cannot minimise your browser in useable way for consistant use) I was told a) “that’s the way it is sir, do you not realise how difficult it is to operate a GPRS service in another country” (even the same company and all that??) and b) “you have the wrong type of phone to roam with, you should have called us in advance and we would have advised you to have changed your device…” (dare I say, to a crackberry or something!) Therefore, the morale of the story is STAY CONNECTED and you are ok with VODAFONE BIZ, drop the connection and YOU PAY FOR IT! GPRS roaming services coming down? Not with Vodafone Biz, this must have happened to many other folks, most likely on corporate accounts! I am now considering my next step, most likely it will involve saying goodbye to VF Biz now, which is a shame as I have had over 6 years great service. I would love to hear other people’s experiences like this!

]]> By: Jeremy Freeman http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2006/08/ewan_gets_stuff.html/comment-page-1#comment-422 Jeremy Freeman Tue, 22 Aug 2006 15:32:53 +0000 http://www.smstextnews.co.uk/2006/08/ewan_gets_stuffed_to_the_tune_of_1000_on_vodafone_international_data.html#comment-422 Ouch. Good luck! Now I'm scared what my bill might be when I took my BlackBerry to Marbella in the past fortnight. T-Mobile - please go easy on me! Ouch. Good luck!

Now I’m scared what my bill might be when I took my BlackBerry to Marbella in the past fortnight.

T-Mobile – please go easy on me!

]]> By: meneame.net http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2006/08/ewan_gets_stuff.html/comment-page-1#comment-425 meneame.net Tue, 22 Aug 2006 14:27:12 +0000 http://www.smstextnews.co.uk/2006/08/ewan_gets_stuffed_to_the_tune_of_1000_on_vodafone_international_data.html#comment-425 <strong>1400 euros por 260 Mgs de trafico: el costo del GPRS</strong> Por si alguien duda de que nos están robando con el costo por Mb del GPRS, que lea este artículo sobre como se comporta Vodafone en Inglaterra. 1400 euros por 260 Mgs de trafico: el costo del GPRS

Por si alguien duda de que nos están robando con el costo por Mb del GPRS, que lea este artículo sobre como se comporta Vodafone en Inglaterra.

]]> By: mark http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2006/08/ewan_gets_stuff.html/comment-page-1#comment-421 mark Tue, 22 Aug 2006 14:14:43 +0000 http://www.smstextnews.co.uk/2006/08/ewan_gets_stuffed_to_the_tune_of_1000_on_vodafone_international_data.html#comment-421 Bloody hell!!!! Thats a bit steep. I'd go nuts because how on earth can they justify charging that. £900 for 260 meg is daylight robbery. They could come up with a small counter that could give you a running cost total very easily but I suppose that would be counter productive to their margins. Wouldn't stop me doing one though.... Bloody hell!!!! Thats a bit steep. I’d go nuts because how on earth can they justify charging that.

£900 for 260 meg is daylight robbery.

They could come up with a small counter that could give you a running cost total very easily but I suppose that would be counter productive to their margins.

Wouldn’t stop me doing one though….

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