Cell Data overages | FerrariChat

Cell Data overages

Discussion in 'Technology' started by Whisky, Jun 7, 2025.

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  1. Whisky

    Whisky Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Jan 27, 2006
    31,809
    In the flight path to Offutt
    Full Name:
    The original Fernando
    Consumer Cellular (CC)

    A month ago, I was dinged for using 1.27GB of data - of which 900mb of
    it was used on a weekday at precisely 6am.

    Here's the deal:
    I've never used more than 330mb in an entire month - EVER - and
    I was sleeping from 3am to about 10am, AND - my phone is connected
    to WiFi - and my WiFi never went down during this time, or for the week,
    for that matter.

    My phone shows my browser used 1.15gb of data for that month - but I've
    never watched any movies, videos or live events, but as I said, I was sleeping,
    and I was connected to WiFi - which I am every time I am home.

    CC cannot tell me where the data was used, what app, Google Store, etc. but
    regardless, even if it did app updates, it has NEVER used more than 330mb
    in any one month, period, it's usually between 205mb and 300mb.

    I know the overage only cost $5, but it bugs me that I don't think it really
    happened on my end, I think CC screwed up somewhere?

    That ever happen to any of you?

    PS - and yes, I know, most of you use 1-2-3-5GB a month, but I don't.
     
  2. INRange

    INRange F1 World Champ
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    Jan 27, 2014
    12,510
    Virginia/Florida/Caymans
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    JD
    Consumer Cellular does not have its own network. It uses AT&T as well as T-Mobile's network. They have no visibility into data usage without tracking it down with AT&T and T-Mobile which they are not going to do for $5.

    We have burps in data usage recording all the time.....which are rarely noticed by customers. In your case .....it was either a data burp (most likely) or a cloned phone (least likely) using your phone's virtual IP address.

    So.....if you want a real answer switch to T-Mobile who would not have charged you for the overage. A carrier with their own network can look up the data activity and see what was going on that consumed the data.
     
  3. Whisky

    Whisky Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Jan 27, 2006
    31,809
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    The original Fernando
    The $5 doesn't bother me, saying I used a gig of data at 6am when there is no way on earth that happened - bothers me.
     
  4. INRange

    INRange F1 World Champ
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    Jan 27, 2014
    12,510
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    JD
    Which phone do you have? Both Android and Apple run around 1GB for their updates. For major updates....like IOS 18 it can be 4GBs.

    Pretty sure it was an operating system not App update. If you check your OS version it will tell you the last time it did an update which may line up with the data usage. As to why it did the update on cellular data and not the wifi......some security updates use cellular data not wifi for the update. The cellular data side has end to end security on it. The update on wifi has security but introduces another network to the update which in some cases can be problematic.
     
  5. Whisky

    Whisky Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Jan 27, 2006
    31,809
    In the flight path to Offutt
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    The original Fernando
    #5 Whisky, Jun 27, 2025
    Last edited: Jun 27, 2025
    My phone has never used more than 330mb of cell data in any month - EVER - several years.
    I know when it does system updates because it prompts me to either approve them, or schedule them
    for a later time.
    It doesn't just 'do them' without me knowing. I've had a cell phone since we bolted a Motorola 2000X
    into my car in 1986.

    Galaxy S20+
     
  6. INRange

    INRange F1 World Champ
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    Jan 27, 2014
    12,510
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    Full Name:
    JD
    Did you check when your OS was last updated? I get you are not happy about this but it was something simple like an OS upgrade or it was a billing mistake.
     

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