Wireless Billing

Do you keep your data usage to a bare minimum in a month or are you a super user? Data usage sure adds up quickly, and most often is the culprit behind an out-of-hand wireless bill. Thus, we do tend to share quite a few tips on reducing data usage. Hey, we arrest costs…it’s what we do as The Bill Police! We are here to tell you that data consumption — for different types of files — is not created equal.

 

Data is measured in kilobyte (kb) and its usage is driven by several factors. For example, there is a huge difference between sending a text-only email with no attachments and streaming a video. The email uses approximately 100 kb of data, which is not much at all. In contrast, sit down to watch a movie for 60 minutes, and you have just consumed 358,400 kb. That’s a mere 358,300 kb difference! In other words, you can send 3,584 emails for the same data usage as watching 60 minutes of one movie. And let’s face it, how many movies only last one hour? Many run about 90 minutes, so the data usage jumps to 547,600 kb.

 

To help you gauge what you’re using in a day, here are some averages:

 

100 kb = text only email

500 kb = visiting one webpage

61,440 kb = listening to 60 minutes of music

358,400 kb = watching 60 minutes of video

3,072 kb = downloading/uploading one hi-resolution photo

5,120 kb = using navigation for 60 minutes

 

The variances in kb usage come with adding the visuals. For example, when you add pictures or attachments to an email, they use more kb. You have probably noticed this when working with email on a pc. It allows you to sort by size and those types of messages go right to the top of the sort under categories such as “huge.” Also, the simple act of replying to an email makes the message carry more weight since it includes the original message. Visiting websites that have more elaborate content such as photos and videos will increase the amount of data used as they require more to load.

 

Text messages are measured as events rather than in kb and are charged per address (recipient) sent or received.

One message sent to one person = one event

One message sent to 10 persons = 10 events

 

The text messages show up as a tally on the wireless bill as the number sent and received. Wireless plans vary, with some putting a ceiling on the number of texts per month to unlimited options. By understanding how much data and messaging you use in an average month, it positions you well for selecting the right plan to meet your needs.

 

If you have questions about saving your company money through the auditing, optimizing, or managing of your wireless services, please click here to contact The Bill Police.

 

Still Protecting Your Wireless Rights…

Subscribers and enterprises who take the initiative to contact their wireless providers over billing increases and due credits are not usually happy campers. Why? Take a quick scroll through the comments on the Consumer Affairs website in the cell phone category and you’ll get an ear full…or perhaps we should say eye full!   The playing field does not appear level for the subscribers who contact customer service in hopes of resolution. In some cases, they are finally promised credits only to have to repeatedly call. What a hassle!

 

One subscriber was being charged for wireless data access to the provider’s network for an iPad he no longer owned. The service and auto-billing had been cancelled, yet three months later a $20 charge started to appear on the credit card originally attached to that service. A call to customer service put the subscriber in an unsatisfying loop – without a phone number for the device (which by the way never had a phone number), he could not be connected to a live person. And when he disputed the charges through the credit card company, policy allowed only two months of overcharge to be returned. Even after requesting the credit card company to block all future billing, the provider started the charges again month after month with the subscriber caught in a quandary, and wondering how many others were being mischarged as well.

 

The takeaway lesson….Watch your bills like a hawk. And in this case, it wasn’t even the phone bill where the extra charge was noticeable but the credit card, previously automated for payment. We’re hoping the subscriber was able to put a successful stop to this hamster wheel of a problem!

Another subscriber signed up with a company during a promotion where he would receive $200 for surrendering any competitor’s smart phone. When the $200 didn’t show, he followed up with a customer service agent who said there was no such program. Persisting, the subscriber connected with a manager who agreed that the program existed and that he should receive $200. The subscriber demanded this in writing and received it via email. Another month goes by with no results, and customer service once again says the program did not exist, followed by another manager who said he should receive $200 on the next bill. It didn’t happen, another call and only $40 credit gets set up followed by a frustrating conversation with a manager who reluctantly gives the full $200 stating that she was doing the subscriber a favor. Sheesh!

 

The takeaway lesson…Keep a paper trail beginning with the original transaction. Document every phone conversation and ask for any promises in writing. It won’t necessarily alleviate the aggravation, but you will have the facts at hand and ultimately proof.

 

 

Just imagine the monetary impact of fiascos like these to your enterprise. The overcharges and missed credits would affect the bottom line dramatically.   At The Bill Police, we specialize in identifying bill discrepancies and resolving issues with wireless providers. If you have questions about saving your company money through the auditing, optimizing, or managing of your wireless services, please click here to contact The Bill Police.

 

Still Protecting Your Wireless Rights…

Cellular plans are not one size fits all, so picking a plan to fit the needs of your company is step one to cost containment. It would be lovely if that was it; select the plan and the bills stay at the anticipated amount. But somewhere in all of the fine print there are variances and potential charges for going over the limits. That’s where reading and evaluating the bill comes in — so you can avoid the weeping part.

1. Know the numbers.

Get a handle on what’s included in your monthly plan. What are the total number of voice minutes, sent and received text messages, and megabytes of data allowed? Next, take a look at what you are seeing on the bills. How do your employee usage numbers align with the plan’s voice, text, and data limits?

 

2. What is the bill cycle?

Know the start and end dates of the bill cycle so there are no costly surprises. Monitor usage numbers, and ask if your carrier offers alerts to notify you if usage is getting too close to the limits.

 

3. Is this plan serving your company?

For what your team needs to accomplish, does the current plan suit? Is the usage indicating a need for a higher or unlimited plan? Ask the carrier for options and whether or not there is a fee attached to changing plans.

 

If you have questions about saving your company money through the auditing, optimizing, or managing of your wireless services, please click here to contact The Bill Police.

 

Still Protecting Your Wireless Rights…