Charged by O2 for using the hotel's wireless network abroad

Adam

Adam

Adam

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
9,238
On holiday this week I connected to the hotel's private Wireless Network. It was a bit flakey and kept dropping but I would reconnect and it would be ok for another 5-10 minutes. During this time I knew the connection was lost (even though my iPhone showed that it was connected still) because I received an error message stating that roaming for data was off. I left this setting off to avoid running up a large bill incase I checked my emails not thinking etc.

2 days later I receive a couple of warning text messages telling me that data is expensive and I had already racked up over £30 in charges (£3 per mb). I don't understand how they came to this conclusion as I never actually connected to a single website or used any applications (the message about roaming appeared everytime).

I called O2 when I returned and some Indian guy informed me that of course I would be charged when using the hotel WiFi. I argued that this doesn't make sense as the connection is between my handset and the hotel's wireless access point, it never went via O2 or movistar that I was connected to.

He was so sure that he was correct that I said I'd do some more research and call back. To me this makes no sense and I don't understand why O2 would decide to charge me for using the hotel WiFi.

While it's not a massive amount of money, I do want to get to the bottom of it. If I am wrong then a lesson learnt the hard way I guess!
 
Maybe when the wireless dropped your phone automatically connected to mobile internet instead? I know mine has done that in the past and ended up going over my contract usage by a few quid.
 
You would not get charged for using the hotel wifi - nothing goes near the O2 network.

The only explanation is that Data Roaming was on at some point. Either that or magic.
 
O2 have zero way of knowing whether you used Hotel wifi or not. You have been charged because you used mobile data on a mobile network, whether you think you did or not.
 
I've always wondered when tariffs offer unlimited wifi, what they are actually providing
 
Skillmister said:
Maybe when the wireless dropped your phone automatically connected to mobile internet instead? I know mine has done that in the past and ended up going over my contract usage by a few quid.
Click to expand...

This. Unless you think it's plausible that O2 have somehow installed a trojan on your phone which monitors your WiFi usage and 'calls home' so that they can bill you for it.
 
Skillmister said:
Maybe when the wireless dropped your phone automatically connected to mobile internet instead? I know mine has done that in the past and ended up going over my contract usage by a few quid.
Click to expand...

No I don't think so, every time it dropped it says "Cannot Open Page, Data roaming is turned off blah blah"

[TW]Fox;16879225 said:
O2 have zero way of knowing whether you used Hotel wifi or not. You have been charged because you used mobile data on a mobile network, whether you think you did or not.
Click to expand...

Fair point, but surely no data would be transferred via the mobile network as the connection is between my handset and the wifi network? Are you therefore suggesting that every piece of data I download at home when connected to my wireless router goes via O2 as well?
 
Adam said:
Fair point, but surely no data would be transferred via the mobile network as the connection is between my handset and the wifi network? Are you therefore suggesting that every piece of data I download at home when connected to my wireless router goes via O2 as well?
Click to expand...
I think Fox is suggesting exactly the opposite.
 
Adam said:
Fair point, but surely no data would be transferred via the mobile network as the connection is between my handset and the wifi network?
Click to expand...

Correct.

Are you therefore suggesting that every piece of data I download at home when connected to my wireless router goes via O2 as well?
Click to expand...

No, I am suggesting you downloaded data via the mobile network instead of wifi on occasions. I am suggesting this is your mistake, not O2's.
 
I had something similar to this coming back from France on a P&O ferry.

I was surprised to see free wifi on the ferry in the port at Calais. I checked some email and the news pages and when we came out of port the connection went.

The bill at the end if the month showed about 5 quids worth of data usage tagged at the time I was on the ferry.

Data roaming is definately off. I had been in the Czech republic, Germany, Belgium and France. Yet the only data charge was whilst I was on the ferry. There was also no login page to get onto the ships wifi, it just worked.

As it was only a fiver I couldn't be bothered to argue with O2 as I figured they wouldn't believe I had roaming switched off.
 
[TW]Fox;16879248 said:
No, I am suggesting you downloaded data via the mobile network instead of wifi on occasions. I am suggesting this is your mistake, not O2's.
Click to expand...

Which would make sense and I would have no problems paying if this was the case. However, if data roaming is off (I checked this and I have never altered the setting) then how could I have downloaded any data?

If I wasn't connected to the wireless network and tried to navigate to a website then the error message about roaming would come up immediately and the site would not load. I do not see how they can charge me for this.

Not sure how I am going to argue this with them though.
 
[TW]Fox;16879225 said:
O2 have zero way of knowing whether you used Hotel wifi or not. You have been charged because you used mobile data on a mobile network, whether you think you did or not.
Click to expand...

This. Fox is absolutely correct. Data leaked through - somehow. The most likely answer is that you left notifications turned on on the iPhone and something in the background phoned home. I've heard of this before and the Roaming setting alone is not 100% guaranteed.

I turned both Roaming and Notifications off when I went to the States, and I also ensured that I always had either phone signal or wi-fi, but never both (i.e. using the Airplane and Wi-fi toggles instead of relying on anything else). That did work 100% - not even 1p worth of data leaked out. It's a faff but worth it given the potential cost of the alternative.
 
Last edited:
Adam said:
I called O2 when I returned and some Indian guy informed me that of course I would be charged when using the hotel WiFi. I argued that this doesn't make sense as the connection is between my handset and the hotel's wireless access point, it never went via O2 or movistar that I was connected to.
Click to expand...

The guy is completely wrong if he said this, are you sure you understood him correctly. Not that it makes much of a difference but all O2 call centres are UK based so it's not like you were shipped off to some offshore place.
 
I think Foxy is right on this one I'm afraid.

Whenever I use my iPhone abroad for Wifi, I've always stuck it in flight mode but turned Wifi on. This avoids using the mobile network in any way.
 
Glad I'm not the only one that does that then! Since I knew it was unlikely anyone would call me I just left it in Airplane mode unless I wanted to make a call, or use GPS.
 
Maccy said:
I think Foxy is right on this one I'm afraid.

Whenever I use my iPhone abroad for Wifi, I've always stuck it in flight mode but turned Wifi on. This avoids using the mobile network in any way.
Click to expand...

I went through everything and switched it of, as said I expect OP did not check and just relied on a text saying it was off.

I had to switch it back on to get google maps,
various apps/emails etc downloaded 1.5mb before I even opened up google maps.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom