My SprintPCS charged me $170 in ONE day!

[Girlnterrupted7]

Hello guys,

I need some desperate help. I connected my SprintPCS to my computer as a modem, and it worked great.

However.. I later received a bill for $170, for ONLY one day worth of Internet!!! I was online for probably 3 hours, since the person who sold me the phone told me that I could use my "minutes" on the Internet, so I had the off-peak option and took full advantage. The minutes, however, turned out to NOT be my actual minutes, and appeared in my phone records as “Casual Use PCS Wireless Web Minutes.”

I think I probably made a mistake by going straight to AOL. I didn't really pay much attention to the Snapdialer and I just plugged the phone, connected to AOL, and was impressed when the whole thing worked. But then the bill came..

Later I decided to try the number everyone else uses, #777, and it worked, plus I didn't get billed.. However, when everything seemed perfect, another problem arose: Suddenly my connection started to fail and give me a message that said: “Connection lost due to hardware failure..”

So, apparently there is no way I will ever be able to use this Cell phone as a modem. If it's not a hardware problem, is the billing, if not, I'm sure I'll have the PCS police chasing me once everything finally works. I really don’t use my cell that much as a modem, only now that my roomate cancelled her line and the internet altogether. But for emergencies I like to be able to use my cell.

So basically I have three questions. Does anyone know:

(1) Why did I get billed $170 (I already called Sprint, but they “can’t do anything until I get my invoice.”)
(2) What’s the deal with the “hardware failure” message? Does anyone know why this happens and how to correct it? Apparently it happens only on and off, because it suddenly started, then it stopped, then it started again.
(3) How much time can you be online per day without getting in trouble with Sprint? I know you’re not supposed to use it as modem, but as long as you use it very moderately, it shouldn’t be a problem. I know sprint counts internet usage not by the minute, but by the Megabyte, or one of those measures, right? Does anyone know how to transform those measures into time, and what’s the limit measured in time? Is there any place in your computer where you can see how much you’re using?

Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer!

[macaddiict]

What model number is your phone? (If you don't know - you can find it here: http://www.sprintpcs.com/support/guides/allPhones.html)

[Girlnterrupted7]

What model number is your phone? (If you don't know - you can find it here: http://www.sprintpcs.com/support/guides/allPhones.html)


I have the VGA1000 from Samsung. It's the Model SPH-A620.

Does the type of phone make a difference in the billing? And regarding the hardware, it started working just fine, and just suddenly it refused to connect. So, it's not really a problem of having the wrong parts, it's just that I must be doing something wrong.. or something must be not connecting well. At some point I began to suspect that the PCS police were tracking me down, because usually the problems began after a somewhat long session of surfing the net. But that's probably just my imagination... I haven't even heard from them.

Can you answer any of the 3 questions I asked? If you can, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks

[ctnchrisw]

You dialed aol, thats probably the problem.

[scirio]

You dialed aol, thats probably the problem.
Yes. And aol teh suck

[plurseed]

The 620s are all vision based so no min used. What might have happened the rep probably forgot to add the vision on your account and you got charged for all the vision usage. Or it could be another problem as well. They should be able to look at you “UNBILLED USAGE” and tell you were the charges are coming from. (Minutes, vision, downloads, 411, etc.)

The hardware error is either the battery or your phone. Can’t really tell you that, I’m just guessing. Take it back to the store and have a tsr look at it. Make sure he sees it happening or they cannot do anything, unless they have equipment for testing. Another thing is don’t tell them your using it as a modem, or you vision will be disconnected. Your account won’t be flagged by using it for a couple of hours your first day. It has to be constant. Or downloading like crazy. Probably around 20 MB a month. Or over 10MB in a week.

The charge without the vision package (premium or picture pack) is $0.01 a kilobyte.

Also I noticed if your having connection problems with the modem, it most likely the driver or the software in you computer. Just reinstall the software.

I hope this helps you a bit.

[mrvid]

Anybody using AOL should get another internet company.

[Fubar101]

If you do a direct call to your isp you are not using vision. You are doing a data call over Sprints network and you will be charged for the data even if you have vision. I think data calls are something like 40 cents a minute.

[mcyberey]

Sprint charges I believe $0.01 per KB if you dont have vision. You might be able to get this charge removed if you explain the sales rep told you the wrong information. If not, complain to the manager of that store. $170 = 16.6MB and that sounds about right for 3 hours online.

VGA1000 is an ok phone, lacks SMS messaging and randomly shuts off.

I hate sounding like an ass, but joining this forum to find info is hard. For example, we know aol is a bad isp and online services provider, but you dont have to post worthless posts.

[Fubar101]

Sprint charges .01 cents a kilobyte for vision usage if you do not have vision on your account. If you dial your isp directly, you are not using vision but making a data call and it is significantly more of a charge. You are bypassing vision and using the phone as a modem. Using vision and dialing a data connection are very different.

[Girlnterrupted7]

Thanks for the info. So when I use #777 I'm basically using vision? How's that? I mean, did sprint set it up so that you can go online, (Even though it's supposedly NOT allowed...?) It seems kind of contradictory. For them to not allow it, but to impose no restrictions whatsoever.. and even have their special fees applying..

So does anyone know what is the limit on usage? I have no clue how to count megabytes when I'm online.. If I'm only surfing the net and not downloading anything, how much am I using? And how long could I remain online daily?

And if anyone could explain to me what exactly is a data call? And what is the purpose of those "data calls" ? I mean, other than making the kind of mistake I made by calling AOL, which is not supposed to be done, is there an actual use for a data call? Or why would sprint allow it, AND even have a special charge for it?

Thanks.

Sprint charges .01 cents a kilobyte for vision usage if you do not have vision on your account. If you dial your isp directly, you are not using vision but making a data call and it is significantly more of a charge. You are bypassing vision and using the phone as a modem. Using vision and dialing a data connection are very different.

[Girlnterrupted7]

The 620s are all vision based so no min used. What might have happened the rep probably forgot to add the vision on your account and you got charged for all the vision usage. .

Thanks for the info. I actually DO have vision, and I use it all the time to read the news on my cell phone, so I doubt that's the problem.

The hardware error is either the battery or your phone. Can’t really tell you that, I’m just guessing. Take it back to the store and have a tsr look at it. Make sure he sees it happening or they cannot do anything, unless they have equipment for testing. .

Well, actually I re-installed the whole thing like 10 times already and nothing. So what I basically did is, I just created a brand new connection without using the futuredial software (just through the windows resources)and just put the #777 as a dial-number and viola. It's like if futuredial had never existed. Now my new connection works perfect, while the futuredial crap is screwed and will never work.. why even bother to buy that sh*t?

Another thing is don’t tell them your using it as a modem, or you vision will be disconnected. Your account won’t be flagged by using it for a couple of hours your first day. It has to be constant. Or downloading like crazy. Probably around 20 MB a month. Or over 10MB in a week.

How long would you advice that I use it? I am not downloading anything with my cell as modem. I basically just check my email, surf the net, and write in different forums/chat on IM. Could you tell me how long am I allowed to be online daily without getting in trouble?

Also I noticed if your having connection problems with the modem, it most likely the driver or the software in you computer. Just reinstall the software. .

Yeah, it was the futuredial software. Good for nothing. I could've gotten the wire for the phone and I would've been fine and would've saved myself hours of installation-uninstallation-reinstallation-start-all-over.

I hope this helps you a bit.

Thanks, it did. If you could answer my questions regarding the time and the MB usage allowance, that'd be great.

Thank you.

[ctnchrisw]

And if anyone could explain to me what exactly is a data call? And what is the purpose of those "data calls" ? I mean, other than making the kind of mistake I made by calling AOL, which is not supposed to be done, is there an actual use for a data call? Or why would sprint allow it, AND even have a special charge for it?

Thanks.
probably for people who need to make a fax call.

[Lord Bricks]

pay the bill and do some research.. all your questions have been answered many times on this forum

[monkeyboy]

And if anyone could explain to me what exactly is a data call? And what is the purpose of those "data calls" ? I mean, other than making the kind of mistake I made by calling AOL, which is not supposed to be done, is there an actual use for a data call? Or why would sprint allow it, AND even have a special charge for it? What you did in dialing out to a regular ol' ISP via an analog modem interface is use the old 2G CDMA modem facility, which Sprint calls WW (Wireless Web). Prior to Vision, phones could be used like actual analog modems to dial into other arbitrary modems (the actual modem circuitry is at the Sprint office, these 2G phones just presented a Hayes modem like interface into that facility. The cost of using this feature was $5/mo (WW) plus airtime minutes OR $0.39/min.

With Vision phones, some of these phones still retain the ability to use the old 2G WW facility. However, a bug in the Sprint billing software leads to a $0.39/min charge for using WW REGARDLESS if you have Vision OR WW on your plan. Sprint has said that they have no intention to fix this bug. So, if you have a Vision phone, you will rack up huge bills by using WW 2G modem dialout.

[Girlnterrupted7]

Thanks for the replies. I was wondering if anyone could answer my main question:

"Does anyone know what is the limit on usage? I have no clue how to count megabytes when I'm online.. If I'm only surfing the net and not downloading anything, how much am I using in MB? How long could I remain online daily? How do I translate MBs into minutes?"

Please, I have read a bunch of different threads on this subject, but it appears that EVERYONE knows this stuff, so I can't find an actual explanation on how to calculate the conversion. Could anyone please enlighten me, or tell me where I can find the answer to this?

Thanks again.

[Girlnterrupted7]

Thanks for the answer guys! (Or lack thereof..)

I was just wondering.. Does anyone know what is the limit on modem-online usage on a sprintpcs? I have no clue how to count megabytes when I'm online.. Like, if I'm only surfing the net and not downloading anything, how much am I using in MB? How long could I remain online daily? How do I translate MBs into minutes?"

Does anyone know the answer? Or most people here are just not knowledgeable enough to know this? I am disappointed that so many people seem to not know the basics about their sprintpcs... :furious:

[wanga]

my suggestion is to stop being a cheap homo and get a netzero account for $5, download AIM and voila!

The reason why your question isn't answered is because we don't know. My best guess is if you're going to go online on a daily basis not to stay on for more than 30 minutes.

I am disappointed that so many people seem to not know the basics about their sprintpcs... In the above, you are talking about yourself, are you not?


Happy New Year!

[Fubar101]

The official answer is no, Sprint does not allow you to use your phone as a modem. If you are caught they can terminate your internet service on your account. Sprint can tell when you are using your phone as a modem. Some people get away with casual usage but their is not a limit set by Sprint. Sprint states any use of your phone as a modem is against the T&C's of your contract. It's up to you if you want to roll the dice and see if Sprint notices or not.

[Bohemian Iconoclast]

Sprint charges I believe $0.01 per KB if you dont have vision. You might be able to get this charge removed if you explain the sales rep told you the wrong information. If not, complain to the manager of that store. $170 = 16.6MB and that sounds about right for 3 hours online.

VGA1000 is an ok phone, lacks SMS messaging and randomly shuts off.

I hate sounding like an ass, but joining this forum to find info is hard. For example, we know aol is a bad isp and online services provider, but you dont have to post worthless posts.

....better to not be insulting when chastising a user for being insulting....

Everybody knows AO*HELL* sucks except AOL users.

That is not an insult to AOL users, as I was a newbie once....

my suggestion is to stop being a cheap homo and get a netzero account for $5, download AIM and voila!

"Homo" went out as an insult about the same time the mullet (http://www.ratemymullet.com/) did.

PS. if the user followed your advice, the billing problems would be the same.

Moreover, the Terms of Service give them the right to cut your phone off for tethering (to a computer). When I had a customer with that issue, I had CS give him both a voice AND data plan for the phone. He *KNEW* what he was getting, and he will have no problems (over a year and counting....)

Girlnterrupted7, as you can see from my answer, the Terms and Conditions are pretty precise, and the only way around it is to add a data plan. If you do more than email (3 hours+ was what you said, I believe), you are asking for trouble.

[Bohemian Iconoclast]

Wirelessly posted (Psy-Bin: Mozilla/4.0 (MobilePhone SCP-5300/1.0) NetFront/3.0 MMP/2.0)

Thanks for the answer guys! (Or lack thereof..)

I was just wondering.. Does anyone know what is the limit on modem-online usage on a sprintpcs? I have no clue how to count megabytes when I'm online.. Like, if I'm only surfing the net and not downloading anything, how much am I using in MB? How long could I remain online daily? How do I translate MBs into minutes?"

Does anyone know the answer? Or most people here are just not knowledgeable enough to know this? I am disappointed that so many people seem to not know the basics about their sprintpcs... :furious:

We need to recognize that AOhelL users are shielded from the internet...they refer to their business plan as a "Walled Garden." Click on FAQ (Freq. Asked Questions)

[jonnythan]

Thanks for the answer guys! (Or lack thereof..)

I was just wondering.. Does anyone know what is the limit on modem-online usage on a sprintpcs? I have no clue how to count megabytes when I'm online.. Like, if I'm only surfing the net and not downloading anything, how much am I using in MB? How long could I remain online daily? How do I translate MBs into minutes?"

Does anyone know the answer? Or most people here are just not knowledgeable enough to know this? I am disappointed that so many people seem to not know the basics about their sprintpcs... :furious:
How do you connect? On my laptop, the Sprint PCS connection manager, which I used with my Sanyo 8100, counts incoming bytes. With the Bluetooth connection through my PM325, Windows' networking keeps track. There is an icon in the system tray showing that I'm connected and if I hover over it, it shows usage. Double clicking the entry in Network Connections brings up the same info.

[jonnythan]

Oh, yeah, uh, get rid of AOL. Too much money for not enough service plus the hassle of a big bloated program that ruins your %#!@% computer ;)

[lgmayka]

1) With respect to the $170 (presumably from $0.39/min "casual Wireless Web"--i.e., using Sprint's analog modem pool), I can only suggest that as soon as your bill gets posted on Sprint's Web site, you call and beg for mercy, on the basis that this bizarre possibility is not documented for Vision users. (It is documented for the old Wireless Web users, some of whom are still around, but there was no way you could know to look up Wireless Web documentation when you subscribed to Vision.)

2) The lowest "safety limit" I've seen (in these forums) on modem-style Vision usage is 150MB/mo. I suggest staying below this limit, particularly in your first few months of service.

[severach]

I spent about 30 seconds with my phone teathered to a Latop which probably cost about $10. With danger lurking all about, that was both the first and last 30 seconds I used.

Unlimited Internet is $5-$20/mo on a phone you already own. The PCS Connection card is $80/mo and $179 to buy. If you want Internet on your phone, buy Nextel. If you want Internet through Sprint, buy the PCS Connection card. $20/mo for unlimited Internet anywhere seems like a dream come true but it's cheating the system, and you'll get cheated by trying to use it.

Unfortunately, your post indicates that Internet over your phone is something you wish to pursue having been bitten already. It is unreasonable to ask for redress from the Lion's wounds then go right back for more.

[Bohemian Iconoclast]

Wirelessly posted (Psy-Bin: Mozilla/4.0 (MobilePhone SCP-5300/1.0) NetFront/3.0 MMP/2.0)

If you want Internet on your phone, buy Nextel You either mean tethered or...? Verizon has 3 different data plans, and better service. Not Tethered, Sprint Rules. :^)

[Bohemian Iconoclast]

Here are the numbers for the data plans (new memo today). You must call in to have this *added* to your plan:

- $40 per month for 20MB of data,
- $60 per month for 40MB of data, or
- $80 per month for 300MB of data.
- The overage rate is $.002 per additional kilobyte (KB) of data
downloaded.

[rjflyn]

As a side note funny AOL getting mentioned. Im sure most hear have seen the TV ads touting free antivirus from AOL. Guess they have yet to figure out AOL on a computer it and of its self is a virus.

rj :D