Broadband and 3G Coverage.

[t5e8a6jsd5f4]

Hi,

I've been with O2 for the last 8 months and have 'unlimited data download'.  I've done quite a lot of tethering with my laptop in the last 8 months and can prove this with my bills and never have been charged for this.

All of a sudden this month without any warning I now have an extra bill for data charges, when I went online to have a look at my bill it was for the data I downloaded while I was tethering.

Why, all of a sudden 8 months into my contract am I being charged for this when I was never charged for this before??

Has anyone else experienced this?

Do I dare ask is it even legal to add a charge onto a contract without warning in a middle of a contract??

[cookie]

The unlimited data plans do not offer inclusive tethering. Only the 2gb plans do. Not sure why they suddenly started charging but this is definitely the reason why you are being charged. PM a mod to discuss the situation further

[Sheenamurph Platinum Expert]

If you have always been on the unlimited Advance plan then you should have been charged for tethering from the start. If you send me a PM we can discuss this further but I think you got very lucky here!

[t5e8a6jsd5f4]

I really don't think 'luck' has anything to do with it.  Ye never explained the full extent of 'unlimited' data to me when purchasing my plan and you've now just proved that your incappable of charging people correctly.  Is there any chance you can post the t&c's on the forum highlighting exactly with 'unlimited data' means so maybe other customers won't have to go through what I just gone through.

Thanks

[Sheenamurph Platinum Expert]

The information is here : http://www.o2online.ie/wps/wcm/connect/O2/About+O2/Old+Pay+monthly+price+plans/O2+Advance

It states that the unlimited data covers Unlimited mobile Internet browsing.

[topgold]

I am also getting charged for tethering when I'm not connected to any laptop by any manner. The O2 network sees this as anything from an 82 cent charge to charges exceeding the amount I pay to fill up my car for one week of commuting.

My current bill shows this unwelcome billing as a set of small charges that I cannot control:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/irisheyes/4923809882/

I'm using my O2 SIM in a Nokia N86, Nokia E90, SE Xperia X10, and SE X10 Mini.

[cookie]

You cant get charged for tethering if you're not using it connected to a laptop. Tethering is just a process. Did you sign up to something premium?

[Raz Gold Expert]

It also states in the terms and conditions use of the 'open.internet' apn is not covered as this is the tethering apn. Check your phones do not have open.internet - you can only use 'internet' with Advance Unlimited.

[t5e8a6jsd5f4]

I've looked at the price plan 'O2 Sheena' has posted, I'm on the plan in the top half of the screen.  There is nothing there to suggest that if I tether i will get charged. There's nothing there to suggest how much I get charged. So if O2 don't inform me that i will get charged for this and how much, how can they turn around after not charging me for 8 months to all of a sudden charging me some random price!  There's something wrong with this, I'm not happy. I can understand on the newer plans they charge and have informed people of this, but the 18 month contract I signed doesn't.

[cookie]

but you could also say that it doesn't say you can tether. In fact the wording is:

Unlimited mobile
Internet browsing

which specifically does not mean/mention laptop/pc browsing which is what tethering is. No? They also dont charge for tethering on the newer plans as they are capped at 2GB. Did you PM a mod to discuss the situation?

[t5e8a6jsd5f4]

Your right, but you can also say that tethering is just diverting your 'Unlimited mobile internet' browsing to a computer, if they had a problem with that it should be clear in the t&c's which is my whole point, plus the fact they haven't been charging me for this for months and then started charging out of the blue.  It just feels like they have spotted an opportunity to make more money off people while remaining hidden behind their big corporate walls.

No, I haven't Pm them, I would rather get people opinions on the matter first. have already spoken to them(O2) on the phones and they just keep saying refer to the t&c's which is what 'O2 Sheena' did, which I did and no mention of charges on it for tethering or warning of extra charges if you do tether.  

[cookie]

My advice would be to PM and if you are/aren't satisfied then come back on the public forum and post your thoughts.

The concern in relation to your plan and tethering is the word "unlimited". The forum users asked for inclusive tethering for a long time as it wasn't offered and eventually O2 gave it to us so they do listen the odd time.

[topgold]

You can definitely get charged for tethering even if you're not connected to a laptop. It's been happening to me for more than three months. I don't connect my phone to a laptop with either a cable or with Bluetooth. The network just needs to see you're using open.network as your APN. In my case, something on my phone occasionally hooks up to open.internet, even though my phone's network settings direct that all data runs through the internet APN. 

[cookie]

Yep you're correct topgold but this isn't tethering this is using the wrong APN and in most cases this would have required the user to change the apn on their device. Did you figure out what app was changing your apn? I've never heard of that so it's interesting to learn.

[topgold]

I haven't signed up for any premium service nor do I use any sort of **bleep** app that downloads and caches content in one meg chunks. My phone is contacting the O2 tethering port contrary to what I've selected in the settings for the phone. Android apps are written to respect the user's settings and yet the phone is occasionally hitting open.internet for APN services. I need that to stop.

[topgold]

I would really like O2-Ireland to escalate my request for senior network engineering review of the exact kind of services being used by my SIM. I also want to figure out a way to block my SIM from using open.internet, the service the network believes results in me being charged for data services.

More: http://www.insideview.ie/irisheyes/2010/08/ota-data-sync-will-cost-you.html

[cookie]

That possible makes you the only person that experiences this in Ireland which is interesting. Have you looked at the sim only advance plans which are 5 euro cheaper then the standard advance plans and allow "tethering" via any apn?

[cookie]

The sim only plans require no contract (30 day rolling) so you can join them as long as you're currently out of contract.

[O2_Paddy]

Did you contact the lads on Monday to check this like we discussed Topgold?

[topgold]

I have a SIM that slips into a very efficient black O2 dongle and that SIM should be able to constrain any charges when I use it in my Android phones. I just need to determine whether it uses open.internet as its APN.