Student billed $1,100 for 29 min of data use
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Nov 16, 2010 - ST Forum
I WOULD like to add my experience to the recent discussion on puzzling data-roaming charges while overseas (SingTel's advice, 'Sign out of smartphone apps before travel', Nov 4; and Mr Nelson Quah, 'Offer simple solution to data-roaming woes', Nov 8).
I am a full-time student who works part-time to support my schooling. I had worked hard to pay for a 12-day study trip to Shanghai in mid-September. Being on a tight budget, I observed the advice from telcos and turned off my iPhone notifications and push-mail services. So I was shocked when I received a $1,200 bill for data roaming when I returned home.
During my trip, StarHub had sent me an SMS to say that I had exceeded the daily data-roaming charge of $100 and the facility was being suspended temporarily. There was no indication of the degree of usage or excess.
According to the bill, $1,100 was charged for data roaming between 7.49am and 8.18am during one day of my trip. That is, $1,100 for 29 minutes of activity. What was puzzling was I had accumulated the charges while I was still sleeping in my Shanghai hotel.
It would have been helpful if StarHub had informed me immediately about a surge in data roaming. As a student mobile plan subscriber, StarHub could have verified the reason for the sudden increase in irregular data use.
I phoned in seeking to clarify the matter but have received no response thus far.
Apart from addressing the lack of response to customers' complaints, StarHub and other telcos should be more transparent about data-roaming usage and charges to its subscribers, especially in cases such as mine.
Ernest Chan
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$1100 is for the data, not the 29mins.
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i also kena but nowhere so much amount. singtel and those overseas telcos all in cahoots to cheat $.
some more my auto roam function is switched off. using wifi overseas is chargable?
there are some free wifi hotspots overseas esp in your hotel are there hidden charges there?
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I appreciate the concern which is been rose. The things need to be sorted out because it is about the individual but it can be with everyone.The initiative taken for the concern is very serious and need an attention of every one. This is the concern which exists in the society and needs to be eliminated from the society as soon as possible.
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i always set my phone to GSM network .. only when there is a need to download stuff or syn then i will change it to 3G ... safer it wont exceed the data plan limit
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on student plan nia and still want to expect good customer service like alert subscriber upon a surge in usage.
excuse me, i need to laff.
schools shd be teaching them pls switch off data roaming when overseas if u no want to get a heart attack when bill comes.
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I think ts better call them to clarify.
It is alot of money.
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Overseas roaming is a killer.
I think I used around 15-20 mins of roaming in March, got charged like $300 plus for it. I got a local SIM card for my other 3 trips and it only cost me approximately S$10 each trip.
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Its usually the case of the user being dumber than the smartphone in question.
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wads so hard about turning off 3g ah?
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People dunno how. And it so happens the iphone is one of the most difficult to technically switch off.
You can switch off the 3G mode, however it will still draw data via GSM wap, unless you disable the APN or giving it an erroneous APN it cannot draw data from.
To do that for the iphone its actually hidden under like 4-5 menus below, good luck dudes.
For me, if I am in singapore, and subscribed to a data plan, hey no worries. But if I travel, its back to my old nokia. I am just pissed that no current smartphone can store offline maps as reliably as my nokia can.
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Just bring a phone without internet access when you go overseas. =)
I always get charged extra 50 cents in Singapore as I accidentally touched the internet button. =X -
heng my nexus one can jitao off everything! but for iphone jus disable 3g n cellular data den can liao right?!?!?!?!?!
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Nonono, must take out the sim card completely, and wrap it in aluminium foil 3 layers thick.
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Then I let them charge la hahahahahaha
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Like that to be safe next time we should put our handphone at home in singapore while we are overseas so the telecom won't be able to anyhow charge us?
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Originally posted by dechang:
Like that to be safe next time we should put our handphone at home in singapore while we are overseas so the telecom won't be able to anyhow charge us?
It seems safer this way though and bring laptop along next time if you want to use FB and stuff -
switch off fone when not in use.
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Originally posted by TIB 781 L:
It seems safer this way though and bring laptop along next time if you want to use FB and stuffI think when we go overseas we should buy their HI card or whatever prepaid card they call it at their country..