Huge Increase in Phone Bill

[sophie]

This could very possibly be down to my ignorance of "equipment" but the increase has coincided with the purchase of an all singing phone and an upgraded Kindle which does everything but play the Star Spangled Banner with a brass band!! In the past all Emails have been sent using my desk top PC, but now that I have the other two gubbins I sit and send Emails and Sykpe using the phone and Kindle as well (in the house) Does that mean that instead of Emails and Google going "through" Multimax direct plus the router and the cost being included in our years subscription to Multimax, or is the Turkcell system somehow or another charging me as well? OR, have I just been talking too long on the phone until the novelty of the phone and Kindle wear off?????

[meldy]

We had a similar problem with hubby's phone and discovered that 'cellular data' was switched on. Now it is off his credit is lasting forever. On an iphone you go to settings, cellular data and then switch off 3G or cellular data, whichever is on. As far as I know my kindle goes through my wifi as it is not connected to my phone credit.

[waddo]

Switch off 3G on both mobile and kindle! Make sure your phone and/or kindle are only WiFi enabled and that they are connected to the Internet via your router. Also, check with Turkcell that you have not enabled a 3G package or you will pay a minimum of 15TL extra each month even if you do not use it! Good luck.

[sophie]

Now all I have today is find out where the 3G info is on the Kindle. The phone is an android not an iphone, so I'll have to have a rummage around to find the appropriate section.

[Marions]

I've got an android too (but I call it 'Andrea') and you need to go to the settings at the top and switch off 'Mobiel Data'. Of courseyou could be like me a nd buy a package which gives you 4gb of mobile data eachmonth, then it doesn't cost you an arm and a leg. I have a super Platinum package which suits me as a journalist. Before with Telsim Icould not afford otphone anyone. But I had an ordinary phone. Now I have 'Andrea' and Telsim told me I could not pay with myinternaitonal credit card any more, I have swopped to Turkcell. Go and tlak to them to see if there is a package for you that is affordable and useful. I am sure there is.

As to kindle, same applies. Just put on themobile data when you want to download. If I can help, give me a ring!

[erol]

Now all I have today is find out where the 3G info is on the Kindle. The phone is an android not an iphone, so I'll have to have a rummage around to find the appropriate section.

Unless you have physically put a mobile phone sim card into the kindle, you do not have to worry about it. It is the phone that does (presumably) have a mobile sim card in it that you need to worry about.

[squashmad]

Your Kindle will not increase your phone bills as Erol rightly points out in msg 6 however leaving on 3G will reduce your battery time a little quicker so we turn ours off when not downloading any books.

Press your menu button and a number of options will come up and choose the one that will say 'turn wireless (or 3G) off'

[sophie]

Erol, you more than anyone was aware of the probs with the first Kindle!!! I replaced it with a much more advanced one, but not put a mobile sim card in it. (yes phone has mobile Sim card as you said). I can't see anything on the phone or Kindle which even mentions 3G (is here a more technical description) but I am now clicked off on the top two sections i.e. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, which should help with battery life if nothing else. I used Wi-Fi on the phone a lot for emails and Google searches, perhaps I shouldn't do that so much?

[erol]

Your phone (or tablet if it has a mobile phone sim card in it) can get data from the internet in one of two ways. Via wifi or via the mobile phone network. If you phone is connected to the internet via the wifi of your home multimax connection then there is no incremental cost on usage on your phone bill. If however it is getting it via the mobile phone network then there can and usually is incremental cost on usage. The more you use the internet this way the more your mobile phone bill goes up. It is 'mobile data' you need to make sure is turned off as far as phone bill goes. There are usually several ways to turn 'mobile data' on or off and can vary from device to device, but one way is from setting - more networks - mobile networks - mobile data (make sure it is unchecked). Most android devices have little notification symbols that show if various things are turned on. There is one for Bluetooth , one for wifi and one for 'mobile data'. The one for 'mobile data' looks like little up and down arrows with a letter by it (H, H+, E, 3G). If you see this symbol then worry - it means you have mobile data switched on. If you see this symbol and the up and down arrows 'light up' then worry more - it means you have mobile data switched on and the phone is sending or receiving data via this. The various status symbols will look a bit like these (there may be some small differences per device)

The first 6 of these are all different types of 'mobile data' and there are some other types as well but they all share the same 'up and down arrows' and only vary in the letters/numbers added. If you see any such symbol on your devices' status bar then worry.

[wallysend]

HI im having the same too. Bought a Samsung galaxy s4 min. about 6 weeks ago. First few weeks it was ok the the passed 2 weeks ts eating my credit up. I put 50tl on the other day giving me 790 units checked phone next day I was -92. ive gone right through the phone switched mobile date of etc and as many apps as I can that don't need. this morning put another 50 tl on and it apart from the 92 units I owed it ate another 50. ive switched the wifi off now . because frightened to loose credit again. I, like the rest of you thought the charges had gone up . Anyone know how to solve my problem or shall I just go to turkcell Monday. help please. thank you

[erol]

HI im having the same too. Bought a Samsung galaxy s4 min. about 6 weeks ago. First few weeks it was ok the the passed 2 weeks ts eating my credit up. I put 50tl on the other day giving me 790 units checked phone next day I was -92. ive gone right through the phone switched mobile date of etc and as many apps as I can that don't need. this morning put another 50 tl on and it apart from the 92 units I owed it ate another 50. ive switched the wifi off now . because frightened to loose credit again. I, like the rest of you thought the charges had gone up . Anyone know how to solve my problem or shall I just go to turkcell Monday. help please. thank you

Wifi usage on a mobile phone can not increase the phone bill. Mobile data usage can increase the phone bill but it is not the only thing that can do so. Obviously phone calls out from the phone will increase the bill (or decrease the credits). So too will text messaging. There are also 'services' that can increase the phone bill - like answerphone services that take messages for you (I think turkcell turned on such 'services' for all users recently ?) and a 'service' that lets you know if you had a call when your phone was switched off. Any and all of these can increase your mobile phone bill - wifi can NOT increase the mobile phone bill. There may be some separate cost for wifi - like if you use it in an airport or a hotel where it is not free but these will NOT be on your phone bill (or taken from your mobile phone credits) but will be charged for separately by some other means.

Really if you do not know what is causing the costs (eating up your credits) then you need to go to your mobile phone operator and ask them what is costing what and do not leave until you are happy you understand what the costs are for.

[ifonly]

We too had the same problem. We both have new Galaxy Young phones (since end of April) and in May our phone bills went from 22TL - 45TL on1 and 35 to 70 on the other. We have just had June bills and went hot footing it to Turkcell. 45TL bill gone up to 70TL and 70 TL bill to 104 TL !!!!
The lady in Turkcell went through our calls and also our phones checking what was on and wasn't. She cancelled the text you get charged for on a missed call. At one point i had turned "mobile data" on accidently and that accounted for 23 TL. The rise in the bill is because call charges etc have gone up BUT we had also both sent/received messages/calls in Turkey (at International rates). She told us if we receive calls in Turkey we are charged for them - likewise text messages. She was very helpful and looked at other packages to see if it was worth swopping. She doesn't think so but told us to leave it a month (not going to Turkey) and see how July's bill is.
The charge on "mobile data" was only for a couple of hours - it would be easy to run up a whacking bill if you don't know it is on.
If you are not sure go along to Turkcell - we went to the one just past the Lefcosia roundabout before you get to the turning for the police station.

[Laidbacklondoner]

I had a new phone too, and monthly bill went very high, luckily it was only a week or so before my bill came in, I went to pay it and asked the girl on the counter why it had gone up so much, she said " do you have a new phone ? " I said I do, but I'm not very good with gadgets, she said I was using something, as other posts have said, she turned whatever it was off from her computer and this month my bill is back to normal !! That was in Turkcell shop at the Lefkosa roundabout near town, very helpful young lady !

[wallysend]

Thank for info . I sat yesterday and went through everything on the phone switched mobile data off. I think there is something else operating too like you have said i.e answering service for missed calls. i know that took some credit but , still cant figure out what it is. I will pop down on Monday though as you have all said and get them to look at it. I will keep off the wifi till then too, switch wifi on a minute ago checked credit down to 567 units and not even used it apart from switching it on.

[wallysend]

Also do you think it is cheaper to have a contract instead of pay as you go. I don't use phone a lot really but ive put a 100tl on in about 3 day not usually it lasts me a while.

[sophie]

As suggested by Erol I went into Mobile Data Usage and nearly fell on the floor. I don't know what other people have, but mine resembles an old fashioned temperature chart, and it was going through the roof. I've immediately turned it off, but I'll have to bite the bullet as most of next months bill will be much the same I guess. Erol, the only one I can't figure out how to turn off is the capital E, although this does have a red dot in the middle of it. Not sure if that makes it worse or better?

[erol]

Erol, the only one I can't figure out how to turn off is the capital E, although this does have a red dot in the middle of it. Not sure if that makes it worse or better?

If you have a status symbol of a capital E with up and down arrows showing on the phone then you have not turned off 'mobile data' I am afraid. I am not sure what a capital E with red dot in the middle means I am afraid. E with up and down arrows means mobile data is NOT switched off.

[erol]

Any status symbols of the following with up and down arrows mean mobile data is on (they represent different generations of mobile data connections)

G
E
3G
H
H+
4G

[sophie]

Hi, I'm sitting here with Mobile Date definitely switched off and have looked at the capital E through a powerful spy glass and the Red Dot is actually a Red Cross and I don't where else to look. I'm sure there is absolutely masses of Google Stuff which is totally unnecessary and is costing me money but as Motorola is owned by Google, it comes through even when you don't want it!! Methinks I can feel another phone "coming on"!!

[erol]

Hi, I'm sitting here with Mobile Date definitely switched off and have looked at the capital E through a powerful spy glass and the Red Dot is actually a Red Cross and I don't where else to look. I'm sure there is absolutely masses of Google Stuff which is totally unnecessary and is costing me money but as Motorola is owned by Google, it comes through even when you don't want it!! Methinks I can feel another phone "coming on"!!

If you definitely have mobile data off then you are fine. I just do not know what the symbol you refer to means - if you can tell me exactly what model of Motorola phone you have I might be able to find out. Any revenue accrued by the use (known or unknown to you) of mobile data would go to your mobile phone operator and not Motorola or Google (who have now sold Motorola to Lenovo by the way).

[sophie]

For those of you who may already have suffered or might suffer in the future, my problem has now been solved but not until I panicked when I looked on my phone account and was staggered to see 6.5 pages of App downloads. I had no idea and still don't know how this happened but I've switched the relevant Data download to off (how it was switched on to ON heaven only knows) but more importantly I went to pay up at Turkcell and my phone has now been amended so that no Apps can be downloaded or updated without going through my own Wi-Fi i.e. Turkcell has been barred re downloads. The assistant said that even in the past when I have been out of reach of my own w-fi then Turkcell will have taken over until I was back in range. She also said that people who buy G packages are more likely to have this problem. Whew!!