Log in

View Full Version : T-Mobile G1 Still Uses The Internet - Even When You Tell It Not To



Hands0n
9th April 2009, 09:12 PM
Now this is a very scary situation for anyone to find themselves in! Innocently you take your T-Mobile G1 abroad with you. Being tech savvy you do all the right things and turn off data roaming and anything else that may cause the handset to request data from the network.

Later, you return home and a short while later the T-Mobile bill lands on your doormat with a very unhealthy sounding thud!

Be aware. Be very aware ....


One unfortunate Gizmodo reader has found out the hard way that apparently the G1’s internet access can’t be fully turned off.

During a recent trip to the UK, the unlucky G1 owner was hit with a $102.85 data roaming bill - even though he had turned off data roaming, data sync and 3G prior to his trip.

Upon returning home he contacted T-Mobile customer service and was informed by a supervisor that “the G1 always accesses the internet whether you are sending text messages or calls—even when the data roaming features are off. ”

Quote:
As it turns out, he was charged approx $.15 every 3-7 minutes on average—but not all of it was from calls and texts. In his words, it was “almost as if the phone is pinging.”

If you’ve experienced any similar activity with your G1, let us know in the comments.

Source: Talkandroid.com (http://www.talkandroid.com/android-forums/android-news/806-t-mobile-g1-still-uses-internet-even-when-you-tell-not.html)


I would have thought that you'd have some basis of appeal for refund from T-Mobile for these unnecessary costs. But really it is going to be up to the luck of the individual.

Nasty. Very nasty.

3GScottishUser
18th April 2009, 08:09 PM
All this new auto-connecting Internet access stuff is fine and dandy as long as you are in the UK. I wonder how many new smartphone users will get caught out when they head off on holidays and their flash new toy starts munching data at £8 a MB.

I predict a lot of very angry feedback after the summer bills hit home.

Ben
19th April 2009, 02:21 AM
Hmm yes all very odd. At least the iPhone, afaik, turns off the data when you tell it too. I did use a couple of megs in France but that was deliberate... sometimes you've just gotta have data, whatever the price!