I Phone 5 BOGUS DATA OVERAGES

[sunshinegirlie]

Although Apple and Verizon issued a JOINT PRESS RELEASE *weeks* ago regarding the bogus data overage charges that Verizon I Phone 5 owners are accruing, when you call customer service in *both* companies, you are told that employees are UNAWARE of the issue and have not heard anything about it. My typical "Share Everything" usage is the following: July 2012=2.4 GB August 2012=2.8 GB September 2012=2.5 GB. Here comes the purchase of the I Phone 5. October= 6GB's used with TWO WEEKS LEFT in the cycle. I just had to increase my GB for this cycle to a whopping 8 GB's. The press release states that Verizon customers will not be charged for the overage-yet customer service cannot say how Verizon will know which customers were effected. Apple has issued a so called FIX on there support website, yet the Fix DOESN'T WORK. Since the fix-4 days ago, we have blown through *3* GB's. I finally got a tech support person on the line from Verizon this morning who acknowledged this is a problem. (Ya think? it's on the front page of the New York Times and Huffington Post). The tech support person told me "there is no fix". but that she would be happy to send me a text message with my reference number to keep checking back to see if and when a true fix comes out. The problem is: I Phone 5 AND older versions that have had the IOS6 update, are being charged for WiFi usage. These are bogus charges to customers. I have zero confidence that when I call in for my credits at the end of the billing cycle, that it will be a smooth process. And because there is "No fix"-per Verizon...I have to look forward to the same thing next month. I have an idea Verizon: LIsten up!! THE FIX SHOULD BE TO PUT *ALL* I PHONE 5 OWNERS ON *UNLIMITED DATA* UNTIL YOU FIND A FIX. This way, your customers are not being charged bogus data charges and wasting countless hours of their time on the phone with your reps, wasting their time (which you are paying for) to tell us there is no fix!!

[jrigdon112]

How has this worked out for you?? Is it better now? Because I we are using up data like it's candy around here!! Already at 0.7gb for this billing cycle and we are only 4 days in with just two phones. This was our average monthly usage per phone when we were on USCellular with Androids. Just switched to Verizon and got our iPhone 5's last week and the hubby would kill me if we started having data overages because of the switch

Anyways, we are on Verizon 13.3 too and iOS 6.0.1 too. Did yours get better after doing what the tech had you do?

[sunshinegirlie]

It has not actually been resolved. However I have decided that I am refusing to allow it to suck up hours of my time this month. I called, and had it documented mid month, that we were over our allotment once again and yes-we have done all of the updates and even took a trip to the Apple store and they configured all of the settings. I will call again when my bill cycles for my statement credits.

Once again-our 6 month *average* was 1.6 GB per month. Here comes the purchase of the I Phone 5 and we blow through about 11GB's PER cycle. The I Phone 5 is mostly hooked up to wi fi and not cellular data. I have tried everything-and the 2nd carrier fix did not solve the problem, either.

Interestingly, I was receiving text alerts on a daily basis last month and this month-when we used our allotment, I had not received one sincle text alert (should get at least 3 before you hit 100% of data consumption). I called customer support and she said I am enrolled and had no idea why I haven't received them. Curious.

[casiwalters]

I just got the same overage message but when I get on my account it says we are nowhere near our overage?  HELP!!

[jrigdon112]

Have you been charged any overages to date since you call and document it with Verizon? I can't believe they can't figure this out!! It's so strange that some ppl have a problem but others nothing...

[girlsfly2]

I finally made my way to my local Verizon store. Long story short - manager (as he flipped his hair at me and acted so very superior) "has never heard about this and has no way to make the problem right". How can he know about this if I am the only person within the Verizon community having this problem??? The guy who sold me the phone, did get on the internet, reviewed some of the letters and articles in newpapers/tech magazines, and said he sees where there is a problem but hopes with this new 6.0.1 and 13.3 carrier FIXES, I will no longer have any problems.  We will see - my monthly data plan just renewed for the month. 

So far I am VERY UNIMPRESSED with Verizon - especially with their management folks.  I suggested I go back to the 4G but they said I shouldn't until things get worked out, I need to stay with 6G's.  WHY?  Well they can't refund any monies at their level.  I asked, "what is it you can do? Sell phones and then claim no responsibility at all?"  Yes, that's about the size of it. 

I am going to have to keep up with this and when the class action suit comes - and it will - I will be one of the first to sign up!!!  I've only been a Verizon customer for a little over a month and so far - NOT IMPRESSED and pretty much HATE THE LACK OF PROFESSIONALISM AND LACK OF SERVICE!  I will not renew my contract with this company and I will warn everyone I come into contact with about this company.  The good thing - I am part of a very large military community and medical community and I look forward to relaying all the dealings I have had with Verizon.

[Contel]

>Post deleted. Cross posting and duplication of posts are not permitted on this site<

Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator

[chellenyc]

hi everyone -

i recently switched my son and me to verizon from AT&T.  at the same time we got the iPhone 5 and also upgraded shortly after to iOS 6.  my son's phone seems to have the data-eating bug and mine doesn't.  we went over our data this month (after one week we had already blown through 50% and a few days later 90%) which is weird because we never went over with AT&T, never even came close to our allowance. i did hear about the wifi bug and though i purchased later in october, i checked to make sure we are both running 13.3 firmware. 

i'm not sure if it's related to this problem but our iMessage and even text messages are slow and often do not arrive at all or arrive in bursts when they do.  my friends don't have this problem with their 5s and they don't have this problem with anyone but me and my son...

i switched because verizon's network covers all the little towns where my family lives, but so far it's been completely disappointing.  i think i saw that verizon had an official rep in the forum?  has anyone had contact with or assistance from that rep?

thanks,

michelle

[jrigdon112]

I haven't had any contact with the rep... but I probably should... we are at 1gb already for 5 days...

[Dani7 · Accepted solution]

Yes contact them.  If the research I've done is all accurate, it's a problem that won't likely stop before you go over and get charged!  Verizon credited me last month and said they will this month again.  I also heard today from a VZW rep that when the iPhone 5 goes into sleep mode, it disables the wifi??  No one knows why, just that it's another bug, but that basically means all of the updates and such that are done at night are using your data even when you think it's connected to a wifi.

Apple is also aware of the problem, but doesn't have a solution... as sad and frustrated as that is!  Hopefully this will help you understand or at least give you ammunition before you call in.  I had to call in 5-6 times in the last 2 months before I finally got a Rep that would listen and do something rather than tell me it was just me and to use less data!  And that was just last night!

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4347104

This article explains it a bit more, but the "solution" doesn't actually solve the problem they realized AFTER publishing this as a solution.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/01/iphone-5-data-apple-verizon-fix-bug-overages_n_1930180.html

Apple might not be done apologizing just yet.

Just days after issuing a mea culpa for the lackluster quality of its Maps application for iOS 6, Apple is again acknowledging a problem with its new iPhone: This time, it's a bug that's causing Verizon customers to go through huge amounts of cellular data even though they are connected to a Wi-Fi network...

Good luck!

[sunshinegirlie]

Thank you for attaching the link to the Apple forum. It is useful to see the 200+ people in a single thread STILL having this problem after not one but TWO carrier updates. I stated in my original posting that the "fix DOESN'T WORK" and that seemed to have fallen on deaf ears, both in this thread as well as with Verizon and Apple employees. I honestly do not think that everyone in both companies are this clueless. They have to be coached on what to say and given there is no solution (which my aggressive tone has gotten employees from both companies to admit)...I think they are just being told what they are being coached to tell the customers. Sad. For anyone that says to "just call in"..doesn't understand the point that customers should not HAVE to take all of this time (away from our families/our work/our leisure time) to straighten this out! Verizon NEEDS TO provide UNLIMITED DATA TO ALL CUSTOMERS EFFECTED UNTIL THEY FIND A FIX! THAT is the only acceptable solution! Oh, there will be class action lawsuits. I may have been credited my measly statement credits-but so far, nobody has credited me for my time! Funny, I was out of town on a National Leadership Conference last week and we were asked to provide an example of a company that comes to mind that displays excellent customer service (and how many people we have told. Melting Pot was my example). We were also asked to provide an example of a company that has displayed POOR/substandard customer service and Verizon was my example. I have honestly probably told thousands of people about this experience in the last 2 months, not including the 500 in the room that day!

[commonsense101]

I like how you guys are mad at the wrong people.

apple's over there  -------->

[Dani7]

Actually, they don't really know where the "blame" lies ... with Apple, Verizon or both - which was stated one way or another with reps from both companies that I spoke to today.  It's hard to say for the simple fact that this excess data issue and data calculating even while connected to an operable wifi only affects the Verizon iPhones, but it's also only affecting those running the updated ios6 software... 

Just thought I'd clear that up - the anger toward both companies is more than warranted!  If you've dealt with this for the past 2 months to speak to rep after rep that doesn't know the problem exists, knows but can't help, gives you ridiculous 'fixes' that you've already done repeatedly, and more - at BOTH companies - you'd understand why we're "mad" at both companies, and justifiably so!

[sunshinegirlie]

Considering BOTH Verizon and Apple issued a JOINT press release, claiming responsibility JOINTLY, I would say it is BOTH of their responsibility. At lease Apple is offering replacement phones if the "fixes" don't work...SOMETHING to appease their customers. Once again, Verizon should be offering UNLIMITED DATA to those effected until there is a fix that works.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/10/01/technology/iphone-5-data-overage/index.html

[homeistexas]

I hope they get this fixed soon. I gave up the fight and gave my iphone 5 to my grand daughter who still has unlimited data. What is strange I went back to my droid and now that im on the tiered data my droid is using data even when im not using the phone which makes me think that there is something wrong with their tiered data plan. maybe something in their programing. I retired from working on fiber optic systems so I do understand data.

[sunshinegirlie]

Funny thing happened today. I ran a detailed analysis for the month of October (the month that I purchased the I Phone 5 and this data problem began) Even though I was getting data alerts telling me that I was blowing through about a GB every other day, which prompted me to keep increasing my data to 10+ GB in the month of October..(and to start this thread)....according to Verizon's OWN data analysis when I log into my account>>>>we used less than *4* GB in the month of October. (Our plan is 4 GB)

Riddle me this. Is the problem truly with the data, or is the problem with the text alerts, prompting people to increase their data UNnecessarily. How can Verizon have told me that we blew through over 10 GB when their own tool says we used less than 4 (which is still double our normal usage measured on 3+ YEARS worth of past bills-typically at 1.6 GB per month).

This is getting sketchier and sketchier by the day.

My bill cuts tomorrow for November usage. We will see if the "automatic credit" is automatic after all or if I have to spend hours of my life on the phones again trying to explain and get my credits.

To the above poster^^^ I am right there with you. I am about to sell mine to someone with unlimited data and pick up another 4S.

[mannyc]

I just got off the phone with the "loyalty" department. Apparently, if you've complained enough, they can just replace your phone with another device... Samsung galaxy anyone? One thing the loyalty department doesn't know, I am loyal to apple!

[sunshinegirlie]

I checked my new bill that cut today. Surprise, surprise-there was no "automatic credit". I once again, took the time to make another call and was transferred to tech support for the I Phone 5...she credited me the $45 in overage charges and I expressed that I am still unhappy there is not a resolution. She confirmed (which I already knew, as I had $45 in data overage charges) that the Apple carrier fix #1 did not work, and Apple carrier fix #2 did not work and that Verizon is "waiting to see what Apple is going to do next". She advised that I replace the phone with a NON APPLE phone, as Verizon's expense-even though we are not due for an upgrade. I appreciate the attempt to help the situation, and I may take her up on that in the next month or 2, but for now-I have literally thousands of dollars sunk into my apple account-which I could not use the products that I have purchased on a non apple device. I told her that I can't imagine that Verizon is just going to keep crediting customers back every month as a resolution and she agreed. That's the best I've got. Still no fix. Get another phone. If you keep the 5-it is what it is.

[sunshinegirlie]

I have figured something out that obviously will not fix the problem, but it's helpful. I figured it out on my own, and not via an Apple OR Verizon employee. Nice.

When I am on WiFi...my phone still uses cellular data when sending/receiving messages and pictures. I reset my usage calculator on my phone to 0..went to a few sites (facebook/twitter/pic stitch) and played a game (Draw Something) to test it out. I was still at 0. I received a text message and responded. Bam! It went against my usage. Not alot, and as I understand, you would have to send a million or something text messages in a month to exceed data this way HOWEVER, it SHOULDN'T be happening at all! There is a bug in the software and it is NOT fixed! My phone has been through BOTH carrier updates. All set there. And I did the 'hard shut off" after each update (as Apple instructed me that the carrier update does not work unless you manually do the hard shut off).

Something else that I do not understand. Most people that I know/text have I Phones. Most of my messages go through as I Messages. On Apple's own site, it says that I Messages are FREE and do NOT consume data. But they do. I have checked into forums about this and most of the general public agrees that I Messages do consume data, unless you are on Wi Fi, in which case it does not. This is untrue. Once again, I reset my phone usage calculator, sent an I Message and data was used WHILE ON WIFI.

I went into my settings>general>cellular data>OFF and turned my cellular data service, sent a few text messages, watched a video, browsed facebook..checked my data and it was still at 0.

So, I guess a workaround would be to turn your cellular data OFF while on a wi fi connection. If it is doing this for text messages, it is doing it for other things.

Another question...if I have unlimited text messaging with my plan as well as unlimited video/picture messaging WHY are ANY of these things going against my data?

[homeistexas]

I think something is wrong with the tiered data plan. Since I switched back to my droid it has used 72 meg of data 21 days into my plan and I haven't hardly used the phone I pulled up facebook a couple of times  and only for a couple of minutes and looked at my email once. With the droid I cant reset data usage or look at data usage on the phone. I also show data usage on the phone when im home and it's on wifi.

[customer_service_anyo]

Unlimited data?  I had unlimited data with my iPhone 4, but when it quit working andI upgraded to a 5, I lost my unlimited data.  They told me that if you changed phones you could not be grandfathered in... funny but my buddy at AT&T (even though they suck) has been grandfathered in with all his new devices because his account is still the same account... and he has even been in their top 5% of data users.... and still no per gig charge!

[homeistexas]

I was switched to tiered data when I upgraded to the iphone 5 but because it was eating so much data i gave it to my grand daughter who is still on the unlimited data plan. I was able to keep her unlimited data cause the upgrade wasn't done on her phone. they told me I can use her upgrade at the end of december and have it switched to my phone. as long as i dont activate the phone on hers she will keep her unlimited data.