Question about absurd 4g data overages
BJ10
Newbie

I was told that leaving it on was what caused me to be charged for 15 gbs of data.  I do email and Facebook only, no movies or music.  My normal usage up until receiving the 4g device was less than 5 gb per month.  I did not change my usage nor did I add any devices that were not on my 3g plan.

When I called Customer Service, it was about the inconsistent service with the 3g device.  Oh, they said, you can fix that if you upgrade to the 4g device and it will only cost you buy $50 per month.  It will be a long time before you get to 5 gbs of data per month that would require more than $50 per month.  Their statement was based on previous usage with the 3g device which had never come close to 5 gb.  So I upgraded and overnight my data went to 15 gb.  So they lied...actually, this is more like fraud.  I filed a complaint with the FCC.  I am on fixed income and cannot afford the bill  and it will also cost me money to get another service because of their lies.

According to CS, If I leave it plugged in, I can expect these huge data overages.  Hey guys, anyone else ready to do something about this absurd problem

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Re: Question about absurd 4g data overages
John_Getzke
Champion - Level 1

Leaving your device attached to a power cable will not consume any data.  Sounds like something was taken out of context or the CS rep did not understand what you were asking them.  Power is power, wireless data is something completely different.

That being said, leaving the device powered on all the time is not a good habit to have either.  Its much safer to power on/off your mobile device when you need to use it and only for that period of time.  That way you minimize the risk of your devices chatting on the network while you are away and racking up data on you.

In addition to shutting down the device when not in use I would suggest checking in on your data plan frequently until you can get the data leak under control.  Pay close attention to what you are doing through the day and take advantage of the monitoring tools that VZW gives you (email alerts, myVerizon and the 1800 number).  Once data is consumed it cannot be un-consumed. All we can do is try to watch it and pull the plug when it starts to get out of control.

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Re: Question about absurd 4g data overages
Intocable
Contributor - Level 2

John Getzke wrote:

Leaving your device attached to a power cable will not consume any data.  Sounds like something was taken out of context or the CS rep did not understand what you were asking them.  Power is power, wireless data is something completely different.

That being said, leaving the device powered on all the time is not a good habit to have either.  Its much safer to power on/off your mobile device when you need to use it and only for that period of time.  That way you minimize the risk of your devices chatting on the network while you are away and racking up data on you.

In addition to shutting down the device when not in use I would suggest checking in on your data plan frequently until you can get the data leak under control.  Pay close attention to what you are doing through the day and take advantage of the monitoring tools that VZW gives you (email alerts, myVerizon and the 1800 number).  Once data is consumed it cannot be un-consumed. All we can do is try to watch it and pull the plug when it starts to get out of control.

are you insane? are you suggesting we should only keep our phones ON when we are using them then turn it off after we finish. >Removed name calling<

no one should be demanded to keep the mobile data off neither. even if you have facebook and twitter syncing every 30 minutes that shouldnt be enough to make you go above 5gb a month.

to the OP you fell for their famous hook line and sinker.

they tell consumers that their usage never goes 2gb so dropping their unlimited shouldnt be a burden on them. what the consumers fails to realize is the flawed argument comparing 3g usage with 4g usage.

the FTC needs to intervene int his matter .  by the time the consumer realize he/she have been ripped off its too late. the 14 days trial have long passed.

we live in a ignorant society and the corporations are cashing in. this is the country where people do anything for money. ETHICS IS UNKNOWN IN AMERICA.

Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator

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Re: Question about absurd 4g data overages
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

BJ10 - We definitely do not want you to have a bad experience with your online service. I want you to be happy with your upgraded device so you can take advantage of the faster speeds. One thing I would recommend is that you please check your computer's, or laptop's automatic updates setting. The reason I state this is because not everyone realizes that their computers check for security/system updates automatically. Unless the setting has been disabled, your computer will download it's updates in the background, and you would never catch it unless you knew what the icon looked like as it was performing that action.

By no means am I saying this is the main cause of the problem, but it definitely can be a contributing factor as some of those updates can be fairly large. You also mentioned Facebook. Facebook refreshes every couple of minutes, so if you leave your browser open with Facebook, that page will load with the new images and posts all night. Every little bit will start to add up over time, so please keep these things in mind!

If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask!

Thank you John and Jim, as you both gave great feedback as well!

Thank you all, and take care!

NicandroN_VZW
Please follow us on Twitter @vzwsupport

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Re: Question about absurd 4g data overages
John_Getzke
Champion - Level 1

Lets all remember that the OP posted to the Broadband and Netbook area of the forums.  It is an assumption that unless otherwise specified anyone who posts here is using either a USB modem, JetPack or Netbook product.  Mobile phones have their own areas and should be used to avoid confusion.

I'll say it again, it is a good idea to shut down or disconnect mobile broadband devices when they are not in use.  The longer you leave them online and connected the more vulnerable you are to excessive data usage situations.  The truth is that the vast majority of mobile broadband devices do not understand what data really is or how it is accumulated over time.  Smart phones do a better job at managing data because they are optimized to do so through apps and vendor requirements.  Home PC's and laptops are not designed to be run on a metered internet account and will treat all incoming connections the same.

A mobile broadband device requires knowledge and discipline to operate correctly.  We should not assume that these devices can be used however we want without consequences.  Watch your data, be patient and learn what is really going on before jumping to conclusions.

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Re: Question about absurd 4g data overages
vwbugged
Enthusiast - Level 2

I too am having the same overage issue.  I bought a 4G router with voice and was fine with it for the first couple months.  Then a couple months ago I started getting messages about every couple days that I had used another gig.  I even used over 2 gig one night when I was sleeping. 

I couldn't find anything on my computer (like automatic updates) that justified the uploads I was getting charged for, so I  began to suspect the Verizon device.  This forum confirmed my suspicion when I saw that other people were experiencing the same thing. 

I turned off the new device and reactivated my old 3G USB device and I am now back to the usage I had before the new router.

Verizon needs to acknowledge this issue and fix it!

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Re: Question about absurd 4g data overages
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

Hey there VWbugged,

I'm sorry for the issues that you are having with your 4G router. Which make and model router do you have? Do you have the Verizon 4G LTE broadband Router or the 4G LTE Broadband Router with Voice?

Have you reviewed your usage through My Verizon? Does anything jump out to you as unusual? Do you have multiple devices connecting to it throughout the day? Is your router password protected? Do others have access to it?

Please provide details so that I can further assist.

NicholasB_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

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Re: Question about absurd 4g data overages
vwbugged
Enthusiast - Level 2
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Re: Question about absurd 4g data overages
vwbugged
Enthusiast - Level 2

Router with voice, model T1114. 

I have reviewed my usage closely over the past month or two and the usage reported is way over what I have actually used.  When I started getting overage e-mails and phone messages, I started looking at it a little closer.

I had one computer connected to the device with an ethernet cord and wireless turned off, password protected, etc.  It appears that the device uploads a usage report every 6 hours, so it is easy to see what happens overnight.  It had been reporting high usage overnight with very little or no actual activity.  I made no changes to my computer when I reactivated my USB device a couple of weeks ago, and the data usage report has been entirely different and back to a reasonably accurate level.

Re: Question about absurd 4g data overages
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

Thanks for the details vwbugged. I'm pleased to hear you were able to identify the issue and gain a better handle on your usage. We recommend completely powering off all devices(including the router and usb modem) at night to ensure data isn't transmitted.

JonathanK_VZW
VZW Support
Follow Us on Twitter@VZWSupport



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