Re: Verizon Jetpack hotspot minute usage going through the roof, but I'm not doing anything differently.
jeffrey0707
Enthusiast - Level 1

Brian,What if I have a iPad? Do I still need to turn the hotspot off?

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Re: Verizon Jetpack hotspot minute usage going through the roof, but I'm not doing anything differently.
Prepper
Enthusiast - Level 1

Welcome to the crowd, you are not alone, by a long shot apparently.  We had went over once in 2 years, upgraded to MiFi Jetpack with 4G capability and have since been "over" 9 times out of 12 months.  We like others state on here aren't doing anything different.  No movies, no streaming or downloading music, just general browsing and emails.  We only use it at home, not traveling, no neighbors close enough to steal data, Verizon tower within a mile of home, so not going thru other carriers towers but still getting charges dating back to other months.  Question:  if they round up to the next gig for billling, how do I get charges later saying for overages in previous months?

I will be shopping other carriers in December when my contract is up and will spend my money elsewhere after being a long time Verizon customer.  They may have a better network but others have caught up in our area and I'm more than willing to give them a chance to not be robbing me of my hard earned money.  What a shame.

Re: Verizon Jetpack hotspot minute usage going through the roof, but I'm not doing anything differently.
frootloop
Enthusiast - Level 2

What about those of us who turn everything off at night - Jetpack and computer - never stream movies, etc and still encounter these massive mb overages?  I'm not engaging in conspiracy theory here, implying that Verizon is intentionally running up the data number so subscribers will graduate to the next (more expensive) tier in an effort to avoid overage charges, but something is definitely amiss with their data tracking system for this sort of thing to be happening to so many users, not all of whom are computer illiterates.

Re: Verizon Jetpack hotspot minute usage going through the roof, but I'm not doing anything differently.
sodone
Enthusiast - Level 2

my point exactly, there is definitely something wrong within the program that records and logs data usage. But I have spent way too many hours trying to straighten out my bill with them. Over the course of two years. I have filed a report with the FCC, and I encourage each of you to do the same thing. Just because verizon contacts you after you get completely fed up and throws you a bone on your bill does not make what is happening ok. Because it will continue and they will not correct the problem until a regulatory body such as the FCC steps in and makes it happen. The FCC is not going to do this based on one report, however they can not excuse a hundred. This is considered fraudulent billing practices. Verizon is a corporate giant, I have lost a lot of money that I couldnt afford to lose because of their false data charges. The Fcc makes it very simple to file the report. They are online, and so is the report. I know they view each report because I was contacted by verizon telling me that they had been contacted by the FCC in regards to a complaint I filed. Of course Verizon wanted to make it go away and wanted to know how we were going to resolve the matter. I told them the only thing that they could do for me at this point, (which it should not have come to)was terminate my contract. I will be leaving Verizon as soon as I am out from under their contract. After many years of being a Verizon customer, even before they were Verizon, I shouldnt even be under contract, but I am. Two lines fall out in two months. The other two lines have another year, of course one of them being the 4G jetpack. Please consider filing a report

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Re: Re: Verizon Jetpack hotspot minute usage going through the roof, but I'm not doing anything differently.
Counselor2002
Enthusiast - Level 3

I filed a complaint with FCC but have not heard anything. M

Sent from my iPhone

>Personal info and link to personal blog deleted<

Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator

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Re: Verizon Jetpack hotspot minute usage going through the roof, but I'm not doing anything differently.
prettyppam
Enthusiast - Level 3

I'm looking at hundreds of dollars of fees for high usage and like so many, NO REASON to believe it is real.

Haven't gotten to the bottom of this yet since there is NO REAL PERSON I can talk too this PM.  I chatted earlier and was told to call back to tech support  (no warnings about short hours,)  but I've been busy the rest of the day as I told them I would be. 

I put my folks on my VZ F/F plan so that they could have better internet connections.  They live in a remote area (separately) and have BAD internet access.  All the great grand kids live LONG distances away and web cam is their only reasonable means to see them.  That said, they don't web cam very often. 

My dad has done OK since getting the hotspot device about 8 mos ago, occasionally going minimally over his 5 GB.  Lately he had done better.  Though he has long worked with computers, at 87 years, he keeps asking 'what is using his data or causing his charges'.  He has talked to the local store, requested reading info, etc.  NEVER has he been able to fully understand why his usage was going over the 5 GB.  He generally turns off his computer if he is not there.  He lives in a remote area and I doubt any neighbors have a good signal from his device.  He turns it off when not in use. 

Regularly I got texts from VZ about his usage.  Mid cycle, I would get notified if he was close to 50%. My last notice was Oct 3, end of cycle and he was at 90%.  I've gotten 28 messages from VZ about his usage. 

Mid Oct we went to England to visit family.  I set up global access, bought a small data plan, etc.  Recently I may have noted a higher than usual bill coming thru on my credit card, but I just decided it was my usage in England even though I never could get great connections and didn't do any high usage things.  While looking up the cost of a phone I was carrying for a local ballot issue, I noted a warning about high usage.  I still thought it must be an error on my phone.  I call VZ, got transferred around, then was told that it was my Dad's hotspot device.  When I called, they thought I was responding to their request for my call.  I did NOT get an Email OR Text from VZ, NOR a freekin' call!!  I was just alarmed at the over usage, thinking it was my phone.  The VZ rep tried to tell me they didn't have an Email for me, yet I've received emails from VZ on 2 of my EMail accounts.  When I signed up for this forum, one of my emails automatically filled in on the form.  AND, the rep tried to tell me that I wasn't signed up for text notices.  I have 28 of them!!! Maybe they changed all of that when I 'upgraded' to global before I left for England?  I left the country and set up the same coverage in April about a month after getting his device, the one in question.  Notifications continued while I was out of the country for a month and until Oct 3. 

Now I'm looking at 30+GB overage this month and not even half way through... HUNDREDS of dollars plus the hundreds from last month. I'll bet VZ keeps jerking my chain and keeps telling me BS about my service, etc. 

I HATE their politics, but changing from VZ has always seemed a problem because it would leave several people hanging w/o good internet connections, phone service, etc.   Their actual coverage while not perfect for us, has been better than others. 

Recently I learned what people around the world pay for cellular service which is widely used and it's NOTHING compared to what we put to the large corporate bottom lines with VZ, ATT, etc. 

Time to revolt!  Time to dump VZ. 

Message was edited by: Pamela <Name and comment deleted per the for privacy and language.> and they've posted my name??????? 

Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator

Re: Re: Verizon Jetpack hotspot minute usage going through the roof, but I'm not doing anything differently.
Counselor2002
Enthusiast - Level 3

I am writing the President of Verizon and FedEx ing him all of the emails and problems. M

Sent from my iPhone

>Personal info and link to personal blog deleted<


Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator

Re: Re: Verizon Jetpack hotspot minute usage going through the roof, but I'm not doing anything differently.
rmz
Newbie

I'm having the same issues. I shut my computer off my jetpack off everynight. It is totally unplugged from everything and I started going onver last month after over a year of never using the full 5. So there is a problem of some kind. I work over nights and my computer is shut down every morning when I get off and put in a bag and into by vehicle by 7:30 a.m. each morning. I'm not downloading anything my games and other things are already on my computer.  So mr Brian68. You do not know everything.

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Re: Re: Verizon Jetpack hotspot minute usage going through the roof, but I'm not doing anything differently.
prettyppam
Enthusiast - Level 3

Supposedly they have kicked this to the 'diamond team.'  Never mind I can't ever talk to them and it takes an act of congress to even get AWAY from Financial services.  (Of course, they are never open when I'm calling... LIKE NOW!!!)  I had to use my phone as modem in Summit Co, CO this past week.  With 2 of us TRYING to get access occasionally, we used 0.046 G of data.  Yep, even thought it looks good, coverage sucks there.... IN TOWN of Dillon. 

My Dad was sent a new modem and SIM card on WED before TG.  The Fedex guy was heard leaving by my dad who was in yard raking leaves.  He had to wait until the delivery truck made it back to it's base about 15+ miles away, then go after the new device that night.  Not sure if he tried to install on TG or not, but when he couldn't figure out the SIM card, he tried to call, called me for password, then noted he got 'weekend help' and would call today.  For whatever reason, he wasn't able to call today and has not been able to use or install new device.  They expect it back to them by mail ASAP.  Meanwhile, he is supposedly using over 1 G data daily and is now at 43G!!!!! about 75% thru the cycle. He is tracking his on and off times, but NO ONE at Verizon has been able to look at unbilled usage so we can compare even though someone along the way said they would help with it.  Each transfer is another ignorant nightmare. 

The only new information I have and have not been able to get ANY feedback from VZ is that his usage changed and skyrocketed after service at Best Buy to remove a virus.  They installed Web Root... weird that here they install Trend Micro as their anti-virus/security software.  Is that a regional thing?  I know someone in CO that worked for Web Root, so how is it the TX store is using Web Root and CO is using Trend Micro?  Can Web Root suck up that much data??? or is someone from Best Buy enjoying pirating my Dad's link that they somehow stole from his computer?  I've suggested the latter and got NO interest from VZ.  Maybe the Jetpack is known to be the problem and they just make people pay because they can't fight it?  I will say, though, this incident occurred AFTER Best Buy Service... immediately.

Additionally, while dealing with real people, customer service...maybe upper level, I discovered that when my Mom's hotspot purchased in Feb or March of 2011 FAILED by Feb of 2012, she returned to the store and 'upgraded' her to a SINGLE USB device, 4G and made my monthly NON contract phone a contract phone without my INFORMED consent so that they could 'use'  (STEAL) the 'upgrade' for her.  They should've just replace that defective 5 spot wifi like they have done... we hope... for my Dad.  Now, I cannot shut down that phone without an additional 130+ fee and I no longer need it. A complaint has been filed with VZ about that as well. 

<Comment removed for discussion of moderation per the Verizon Wireless Terms of Service.>

I, too, will be filing an FCC complaint. 

Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator

Re: Re: Verizon Jetpack hotspot minute usage going through the roof, but I'm not doing anything differently.
jeffrey0707
Enthusiast - Level 1
How long ago?
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