Incorrect roaming data limit texts

[valdemarp]

I notice several other posts in here complaining about this issue and that the replies mentioned the underlying issue had been solved last week.

I got a text yesterday about having used up 80% of my monthly 12GB fair use data limit today. For reference, I am outside the UK, currently in Portugal, since 3rd Aug.

My normal uk allowance saying that I still have 95Gb to use until the end of the month, which in theory says that I have used a max of 5Gb since the 1st of Aug (nowhere near the 12GB)

When can we expect a fix for this? And will I be at risk of being charged for "extra" data that it is being wrongly calculated?

[Kirstyoneil1]

I'm having a similar issue but I've not left the country. Just a very late Friday evening text saying I've used 80% and then I woke up to a 100% text this morning. My app is showing I still have 3.6G left of my data. I'm confused. Do I have date or not? 

[JonathanB]

Hi @Kirstyoneil1,

I'm not sure if you saw my reply to your other post about this? It sounds like you're experiencing a different issue relating to UK data rather than roaming. I've asked for a bit more info on that other thread.

Thanks,
Jonathan

[JonathanB]

Hi @valdemarp, @linewait,

I received an update from a support team that they thought they had solved this issue, but we've received a few similar reports of these issues since then. We've asked the team to reopen their investigation as it seems like there's either a couple of overlapping issues, or it's more complex than we initially thought.

I'll PM you both to give you a link to chat with some colleagues that are gathering details about these issues. If you're able to chat with the team, this will help us investigate, and we can make sure there's no incorrect charges on your accounts.

To view your private messages on the community, click on your avatar image in the top right of any community page, then "Messages".

Thanks,
JonathanB

[Annie1]

I have also received notification that I have used 80% of my fair use data allowance despite only having used 2gb of my allowance. Last month I got the notification within 24 hours of arriving in France despite being in bed asleep most of the time and logged onto the hotel WiFi. What is going on? Can I ignore the message or will I be charged once I receive the next incorrect message telling me I’ve used 100%?

[JonathanB]

Hi @Annie1,

Are these 2 instances definitely different billing months for your Three account? Your billing should accurately calculate if you've went over the 12GB in the same bill, but if anything doesn't look right when the bill is ready please let me know.

Thanks,
Jonathan

[ConnieSword]

Hi Jonathan,  I got the same text today, could you put me in contact with your team?

[DeeJay]

I have posted this on another part of the forum but I wanted Jonathan to see it:

I ansolutely agree with everything that has been said above.

I first had all this on a trip to France in April and it caused considerable stress. I was responsible for a group of skiers and needed emergency contact with them at all times. I started getting the same 80% warnings within a very short time of starting the holiday and with hardly any data being used. Then the same threats of the service being cut off etc. I spent hours firstly trying to make sense of the totally hopeless Three app, then trying to find any way of speaking to someone. I failed to find any customer phone number that led me to anything other than the list of options, none of which led anywhere. The app clearly suggests that 333 will lead to speaking to an operator and as we all know, it does not. I spent a considerable time, a number of hours trying to live chat and wad cut off multiple times mid chat and reverted to the sign in page. Eventually I did manage to get through a chat session to the point where I was assured that I had not used anywhere near my quota and to ignore the texts. I was also told that the problems were caused by my spend cap being too low, which it was not as I had already calculated my normal bill total plus £2 per day of the holiday plus some leeway. The app was of absolutely no use in checking what was going on.

This last 17 days, I have been in France again. The day before I left, I spent a considerable time on the app and then the website trying to find how to buy a 14 day add on to reduce the £2 per day charge. Eventually I found the right page and managed it. 20 minutes after my ferry left Dover AND WITH DATA ROAMING STILL SWITCHED OFF I got the first text to say I had used 80% of my allowance ! Having then driven to my hotel, now with roaming on, I spent over two hours trying to resolve the problem on live chat. Despite my best efforts to type quickly on my admittedly small iphone, the chat operator kept interrupting my description of the problem, which they seemed unable to grasp, by asking if I was still there and ic not they would end the session. Eventually I was told that all would be well. I continued to my destination an met friends, an older couple who are also Three customers and had already been in France for 3 weeks. They absolutely rely on their phone for a serious medical condition and they had also received the threatening data usage texts to the extent where they were so frightened of loosing the service that they had switched the phone off completely for most of their holiday. I checked their phone and found they had used under 2 Gb of data in the whole of the last 12 months, let alone 12Gb in the last three weeks!

I spent over 5 hours then trying to live chat, being cut off from the session multiple times (with a very good mobile signal) to rectify the problem with their phone, then mine.

The whole system is absolutely disgusting and only those that have experienced it will reslise the stress that it causes.

Eventually, in desperation, I tried the only option left on the 333  and chose ‘are you thinking of leaving us’. For the first time this then routed me to an operator. I was able to explain the situation and they did try to help. This still took some time and  I am absolutely certain we were given incorrect information about the spending caps, but at least some of the issues were put straight so we could use the phoned. Throughout the 13 days that i have been here, I have received multiple texts re 80% usage and threats of being cut off despite only using around 6Gb of data so far.

yesterday my 14 days of European roaming add-on came to an end and I spent over 2hours trying, on the app, to add a further 3days for £5. This would not work and a box showed saying that ‘we are unable to complete actions for this number. Please try again. This morning I tried again amd received the same message, then I received a text to say I had been charged £2 for the day. Then more to say I had reached my data limit. Tonight I have eventually managed to add the 3day roaming pass by using the web site rather than the app.

I am absolutely appalled that this situation is being allowed to continue.

[linewait]

I've just posted a thread about this:

https://community.three.co.uk/t5/Network/Don-t-rely-on-Three-quot-go-roam-quot-services-abroad-data-...

In case your experience parallels mine, be prepared for the possibility everything stops working completely, before your return to the UK!

It's not made at all clear, but it seems that the used allowance that you are shown in the three app, only relates to what you've used in the UK, and the 12GB EU "fair usage" allowance is somehow separate and there is no way of finding out how much you have used or got left. It feels that the principle of "fairness" does not work both ways.