Data allowance and overages AM I CRAZY?

[mbaity1]

For the past 3 months, I have gotten the warning that I am approaching my data allowance early in my cycle period. The first month I chalked it up to my son being out of school for the summer and thought, we probably WERE using more data between us.

The second month upon getting the warning again, I upped my plan from 6MB to 8MB to keep from getting charged the 'overage' charge. I also had a long talk scolding my son, sure he had been doing something 'extra' that he shouldn't have been that once again had increased our data usage.

But here we are again- that warning saying I'm approaching my limit even earlier in the month than last time after I had increase it last month for the extra data (and charge!). 

We(my son and myself) have been extra careful to turn data off at night to keep from anything running that would make this possible.

We've rarely used the phone except everyday calls and text(which are unlimited) and have even went days without turning data on at all on either phone to try and avoid this- so why am I still approaching this limit every month and so early? I've increased my data plan and am still hitting that mark earlier than I did at 6MB, it just doesn't make sense.

I can't prove anything concrete that this is something that verizon is doing to up my monthly bill, but do feel something just isn't right. 

I've talked to CS and you know the drill- nothing is out of the ordinary on their end or ever their fault.

Of course I'm missing my unlimited data plan that I was forced to give up if I upgraded phones last year. It was either stick with the old phone and keep unlimited data plan, or switch to their 'new' data plans and get new phones. I had my previous phone for 4 yrs, it was time to upgrade. So I feel there really wasn't a choice. It was have a phone, or no phone.

And though I love my Galaxy SIII- What's the point of having it if I can't use it to its capacity without having to mortgage my home to do so???

Am I crazy for feeling this? Or are there others out there who feel their data usage has increased without explanation or contribution on your part toward it???

[Klue]

Have you gone to your Verizon account to see the detailed usage report of your data?  That is where I would start.

[SglGrma]

Nope, Mine has done the same thing over the past 3 months!

Watch your Wi-Fi vs 4G signals closely! Mine kept dropping, switching back and forth for no reason. (even on my home wireless system).

I had to get a replacement phone (due to another issue, not this).... but I have watched my replacement phone here to see if it drops and switches.... and so far nothing.... Hopefully my usage will go back down over the next month to being normal.

[marciajanelle]

I too had a sudden spike since March, with no reason for it, I have called repeatedly with no response, they

have you, you can't prove it and Verizon doesn't care, I have sent a complaint to the Attorney General to investigate, this is Verizon taking advantage.

[vzw_dolphin]

Have you looked at your phone's (and your son's phone if you each have separate phones) Usage stats under Settings > Usage. You can move the white bars  and narrow the range to specific dates over the last month to see what the usage was over a specific day or two, a week, or the whole month. The date and total data used for the range you have selected is displayed right below. You can and should Set a Data Usage Limit. Check the box for "Data Usage Limit" which is on the same page under Settings > Usage. Once checked there is a red horizontal line/bar which you can raise up or down to increase or decrease the limit on the phone. If you have 6GB data allowance, I would suggest try setting it at between 2GB and 2.5GB on both your phone and your son's phone. That should protect you from going over till you figure out whether Verizon is accounting for data usage beyond what you and your son are using. I assume your son has a separate phone so you can check his phone, set the Reset Date to match your billing cycle, set a a limit > 3GB on his phone, and monitor his usage over the 30 day cycle.

[62andeven]

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Message was edited by: Admin Moderator

[shutterbug07]

I have the s4 and you can track your data usage, what programs use data and how much they use in a cycle. I typically use little less than 3 a month with average use. Fb instagram email websearch those kinds of things. Check your breakdown and then see if its still verizons fault or not.

[forozo]

I have had the same issue and in the end of Oct and up until now the data usage has skyrocketed. I have not changed my usage in one year, I do not stream or download music and videos.  I called and they said they will send me a used jet pack, it is not my jet pack my iphone is not working right either. Well the issue is I have a new iphone and it can not connect to 4g even 3g at times, and has the lowest speed I have ever seen, sent text are not received, when I talk to people they tell me I am breaking up, internet pages will not load they time out.

This is not just a mifi jet pack issue it is network. The internet is running very very slow, keeps timing out, dropping internet on my jet pack and iphone. 

I have read so many posts about data issues for the last three months, and Verizon is brushing it off. I was told by 3 techs that the data is getting burned up because it keeps pulling while loading a page, stops and starts over and it is burning up all my data. No refund for the whole month is did not work right. I still have very little use of my mifi and iphone accessing the internet. I have Verizon towers all around me and in one the best spots for Verizon, there is no excuse for this.

[vzw_customer_support]

@ forozo,

I definitely want you to have the best speeds on both your Jetpack and iPhone!

Where are you located (zip)? Are you having issues with the data speeds on the iPhone while connected to the Jetpack or with the data speeds on the iPhone itself? How long has this been going on? What Jetpack and iPhone models do you have and what software version are they running?

JohnB_VZW

Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

[parrib1]

I am still trying to figure out why my phone burn through hundreds of Megabytes of data while I am sleeping.  I have no idea what could possibly be going on that I would approve of happening that would create this sort of usage.  I can only assume it is some sort of data mining that I am paying for.  I have yet to get a reasonable answer as to why in a single month the phone would need to use over 500 Mb while it is not being used.  If you look at you data usage you will probably see it is getting burned up in the middle of the night.