Ideally, however i would like virgin to tether the user’s data downloads when allowance is reached rather copping them with a huge bill! Telstra is already leading the way with mobile data shaping so if enough people voice their concerns, i think we can make them do it.

In the past I exceeded my call cap and I now regularly check my usage on the iPhone app and I reset my data on my roll-over date every month. Last month when checking my call usage I was shocked to see that I have exceeded my data limit.

This matched my phone’s recorded data usage but I have no idea what I downloaded. I had not changed my usage habits, no new apps, no jailbreak and my phone is PIN locked. Thankfully I saw it when I did – I turned off my data only 25MB (i.e. $50) over my limit but if I had used it normally for the rest of the month the excess charge could have been more like $300.

When I saw my bill I saw that 900MB (thats equivalent to 15 hours of YouTube) had been downloaded in ONE day! I called the complaint line to ask for details about the usage to prevent this happening again.

I was told that:
The could not give details of usage (for privace, yet my bill contains every phone number I call) and there is no way to limit usage. The suggested that “You can switch off your 3G”.

Thanks a lot. That’s why I bought the phone. A little like a manufacturer telling me that their product is only dangerous IF YOU USE IT.

I am 12 mths into a 2 year plan but at this point I am considering changing providers (for me and my family) as soon as I can. From what I can see the Vodafone Easy Data 35 is the most reasonable.

But if there is an entrepreneur looking to offer a limit or shaped plan you’ll have my business.

thanks for that info. I have a question, when optus sends an itemized bill with the MB downloads for a wireless mobile modem, is there anyway that their info is incorrect? and if so, how can you actually find out? I received a bill for $2100 download when on an average we have a bill of $150, i have gone to optus before and asked if i need a password for my wireless and they said no, later i found out that is not true.

can i request an internal investigation?

A shame. Virgin was the frontrunner in my search for a better deal except for this inequitable issue.

Virgin like to be seen as the common sense provider – with realistic contract exit costs and a better handle on tech-savvy low to midrange plan users, but why oh why are mobile (phone) data plans not shaped???

You’d get me as a customer for sure, but by then I’ll probably end up with another carrier.

The risk of a mega-bill is just too great.

Thanks for your common sense and clear presentation of the facts Angus -