TMO Network Coupon 2101 QOS1000

[torak]

After being told by sms that my credit had depleted to below £1 I looked online to see my account usage. To my horror the pesky "TMO Network Coupon 2101 QOS1000"s had been draining my funds to almost zero. There were about 27 pages of account activity. They're only 2 or 3kb chunks costing abount 2 or 3p each, but they're happening every 20 minutes. Some of this activity was costing and some wasn't. I bought the 8110 PAYG free internet package back in July (£150ish from Play.com) so I was expecting all internet access to be free. I understand I can't use it as a tethered modem - that sounds fair I 'spose.

So what's the catch?

I was irritated by Web 'n' Walk not letting me change the home page so I installed Opera Mini. I am also a fan of Google Maps so I installed this app on the phone. I also downloaded Googles Gmail app which I think came bundled in Google Mobile. Do these apps get free internet access also? I am now in the process of finding out. Am I really forced to use Web 'n' Walk for free browsing?

Google Gmail checks for updates every 20 minutes so that explains the many TMO coupons. This app stays 'loaded' until you exit it despite navigating back to the main t-Mobile screen. It always checks email. Nice feature if it didn't cost! Incidently, the Google Mobile app seemed to dial home so often it made a big impact on battery life!
I'll check out Google Maps and see if that is costing me also.

I'd be interested to hear of anyone elses experience of the 'Free' internet T-Mobile provide

[torak]

I don't understand T-Mobiles costing. Why the deuce is some data priced and some not?

For Example:
Fri Sep 11 09:24:06 BST 2009 1000 TMO Network Coupon 2101 QOS1000 5 Kb £0.00
Fri Sep 11 09:18:55 BST 2009 1000 TMO Network Coupon 2101 QOS1000 22 Kb £0.00
Fri Sep 11 09:08:15 BST 2009 1000 TMO Network Coupon 2101 QOS1000 1 Kb £0.00
Fri Sep 11 00:54:14 BST 2009 1000 TMO Network Coupon 2101 QOS1000 23 Kb £0.00
Fri Sep 11 00:52:57 BST 2009 1000 TMO Network Coupon 2101 QOS1000 127 Kb £0.65
Fri Sep 11 00:48:58 BST 2009 1000 TMO Network Coupon 2101 QOS1000 22 Kb £0.17
Fri Sep 11 00:44:25 BST 2009 1000 TMO Network Coupon 2101 QOS1000 23 Kb £0.17

What's with the different costs? I don't understand why there's a difference.

I asked T-Mobile to confirm what plan I am on.

But you know, looking back through the last months usage in an excel chart, it looks like they're charging only some data transactions to keep a constant drip feed from my credit. It's a remarkably straight line. Or am I being too cynical this time?

[dictoresno]

unfortunately, i dont know what a network coupon is. might wanna try bringing this up to tmobile themselves for an explanation as to whats going on.

[torak]

I think the "...Network Coupon..." jargon is just a geeky way of describing a bunch of received bytes. Nothing sinister it seems.

To their credit T-Mobile called me back within a day of me emailing and questioning my plan. I insisted on receiving the 12 months free internet access as advertised despite a few suggestions for other plans. After the helpdesk took some time out to check all the information I was told to text 'get email' to 441 to enable the offer, which I did.

Well I got a text back 1/2 hour later advising me I now have 12 months free email & internet access. Fingers crossed.

(mumble) Is this a case of RTFM? I will check the blub that came with the phone. You expect it all to work out of the box don't you?

It's strange though how only some of the internet access was charged.

[torak]

Yes, there in black and white (well white and pink) are the getting started notes. Top-up first then text 'get email' to 441. .

After aquiring a multitude of new icons on the phone and registering my gmail email, the recent activity still shows oodles of TMO Network Coupon 2101 QOS1000 but now with £0.00 after them. It would be usefull to have the option to filter these out to just see call/text message activity.

Thank you Crackberry for being a sounding board to this problem as a result of my indifference to product literature.

Perhaps if the 'Read me first' leaflet wasn't printed in white and pink and pasted with gawdy images of teenagers with stupid hairstyles I might have taken the contents a bit more seriously. I'm from the old school who expect important instructions to be written in black & white.