Samsung cell phone eating Top-Up money

[Bundooman]

Please note that this subject is quite long-winded as it explains a particular situation in detail. Constructive replies and advice would be appreciated, Thank you.

Recently, I have become increasingly aware of a problem regarding my Samsung cellphone, (Duos Galaxy). The phone is about 6 years old. Works fine. AIS ‘One to call’ is my preferred provider and I always used ‘Pay as you go’, renewable here in CM from all 7/11s, Tesco and some other outlets, until fairly recently.

A few years ago, I decided to change from pay as you go, when the 7/11s lost their agreement with AIS to sell ‘Pay as you go’ over the counter. I settled on a 3G unlimited, internet package from AIS, “Mau Mau’ for 399฿ per month.

Great! I used to put 500฿ on my phone at the end of each month preceding the due date. The additional 100฿ was intended for phone calls which wasn’t included in the monthly internet package.

Then, I began to notice that by the end of the month, the 100฿ was used up. I carelessly brushed it off as maybe phone calls I had made during the month, even though I usually don’t do so, but occasionally it would happen.

About three months ago, I topped my phone up and added an extra amount of 200฿, paid for by my wife – to transfer to her phone later that day. For some reason it couldn’t be done there and then, so she went and topped up her own phone on another day, which meant that I had an additional 300฿ on my mobile. By the end of the month, it too had disappeared. I had made no phone calls and when I checked my record ‘Log’ – correct. No phone calls out only some incoming calls and – AIS.

I then checked my messages. Usually, I receive notification that I have paid “Mau Mau,” and that I have topped my phone up. Other than that, anything else is deleted, i.e. messages from AIS.

Two Months ago, I upgraded to a 4G package, (3G MM was becoming slow and was being replaced anyway). OK I thought, only an extra 100฿ – well worth the extra speed, etc. While upgrading, I mentioned to the girl I usually deal with in this particular outlet, (a very helpful and pleasant lady), about the loss of phone money. She explained that sometimes unwanted incoming messages were charged to me. It wasn’t specified at that time if they included AIS unwanted calls or whether it was just from ‘another’ external source. (Just for clarification, I don’t play games, etc., either).

I recall thinking then that it was almost downright theft to send someone messages they didn’t want – and then charge them for receiving them! The girl checked my phone and told me she had used a ‘something’ number from AIS to block unwanted incoming messages. Fine. I would not receive them anymore. I paid my fee, and left. Later that week, I went to Lotus and topped my phone up an additional 100฿ for private, emergency call purposes.

I had forgotten that you have to go personally to an outlet the following month after a new package agreement to continue the package. (Thereafter, AIS reminds you for 6 months to ensure funds are in your phone – but after that, you need to go in yet again. Pain in the butt, but OK – if that’s what you have to do).  By then, my additional 100฿ had disappeared yet again!

So, off to the outlet to renew the monthly package. I mentioned the loss of 100฿. This time I was told, by a different person, that I hadn’t renewed on the due date and therefore, the money had been deducted for internet services used.  I wasn’t happy and mentioned that I thought the money had been deducted long before my package date expired, but hey, I could have been wrong.

This month I have been very careful. After I paid my 4G package, I topped my phone up 100฿. I haven’t made any calls, yet my balance today, the 16^th July, is now, 2.4฿! I have no idea where it’s gone! I estimate that my losses of ‘top-ups’ over the past year is about 1,500฿.

It isn’t a big deal. But how many other customers are losing money this way? If there are, (Conservatively estimating!!!), 20 million AIS customers, then there is a huge hole somewhere filling up with disappearing monies worth 30 million Baht.

It’s a good little earner for someone don’t you think? Does anyone have any ideas? Has this happened to you? If so, what did you do about it and how did you stop it? I would be very interested to hear your views.

[Peterw42]

I cant explain your AIS situation but I am on a similar DTAC package, 200 baht for a months internet and I usually put 200 baht to cover calls etc. But if I dont renew my month internet when it runs out there is a default internet access of 50 baht a day that gets drawn from the credit (same if I go over my 2 gig usage). So if I dont notice the SMS telling me my month (or my data limit) just ran out (and then dont renew, as its not automatic), I am on 50 baht a day until I renew, and my call credit is gone in a couple of days. Maybe something similar in your case.

Many moblie internet packages have a monthly data limit and maybe you are going over the limit then incurring charges.You are not running out of time, you are running out of data, them paying per MB from phone credit.

AIS office should be able to provide a printout of all charges/calls etc over a month that would explain the charges.

Edited July 16, 2018 by Peterw42

[55Jay]

Not sure if it's the same thing but I had a similar experience with AIS 12Call pre-paid (not post paid package).  My top up credit was being used even though I never turned on mobile data, and rarely made or received phone calls.  Only the home Wifi and LINE, no SMS.

 

The first thing discovered was the unsolicited VDO text messages in Thai were sucking credit somehow.  Wife found you have to unsubscribe and when she did, I got a text message to confirm it. 

 

But the problem persisted.  The final straw that brought it to light was when AIS started charging me into the negative numbers when my credit ran out, which never happened before.  When I did top up, it was less that amount right from the start.  

 

I finally created a login for the AIS website and was able to view my account activities.  Despite my mobile data always being switched off, I was being charged for mobile data internet use.  My phone's data track graph (Samsung) showed Zero usage as well.   I also saw the former VDO SMS charges, and the sudden stop after unsubscribing.

 

Finally went to AIS and after some dancing around on their part, they said it was my phone pinging the tower (for internet link).  They shut it down and I learned afterward, on ThaiVisa, there's a code you can type in yourself to do the same, and another to turn it back on.

 

I left it shut down and since then, my credit amount lasts a long time, no more leaks.

Edited July 16, 2018 by 55Jay

[55Jay]

A copy of the activity showing the VDO text message charges.  Below is a snip showing the tower pings as "internet" - usual was 8.56 Baht, a few are higher.  

 

Didn't realize any of this being a simple pre-paid customer, never bothered creating an AIS login.

 

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[Bundooman]

On 7/16/2018 at 11:49 AM, Peterw42 said:

I cant explain your AIS situation but I am on a similar DTAC package, 200 baht for a months internet and I usually put 200 baht to cover calls etc. But if I dont renew my month internet when it runs out there is a default internet access of 50 baht a day that gets drawn from the credit (same if I go over my 2 gig usage). So if I dont notice the SMS telling me my month (or my data limit) just ran out (and then dont renew, as its not automatic), I am on 50 baht a day until I renew, and my call credit is gone in a couple of days. Maybe something similar in your case.

Many moblie internet packages have a monthly data limit and maybe you are going over the limit then incurring charges.You are not running out of time, you are running out of data, them paying per MB from phone credit.

AIS office should be able to provide a printout of all charges/calls etc over a month that would explain the charges.

I hadn't thought of a data excess charge - I'll have to check on that, Thanks for the tip.

[Bundooman]

On 7/16/2018 at 1:00 PM, 55Jay said:

Not sure if it's the same thing but I had a similar experience with AIS 12Call pre-paid (not post paid package).  My top up credit was being used even though I never turned on mobile data, and rarely made or received phone calls.  Only the home Wifi and LINE, no SMS.

 

The first thing discovered was the unsolicited VDO text messages in Thai were sucking credit somehow.  Wife found you have to unsubscribe and when she did, I got a text message to confirm it. 

 

But the problem persisted.  The final straw that brought it to light was when AIS started charging me into the negative numbers when my credit ran out, which never happened before.  When I did top up, it was less that amount right from the start.  

 

I finally created a login for the AIS website and was able to view my account activities.  Despite my mobile data always being switched off, I was being charged for mobile data internet use.  My phone's data track graph (Samsung) showed Zero usage as well.   I also saw the former VDO SMS charges, and the sudden stop after unsubscribing.

 

Finally went to AIS and after some dancing around on their part, they said it was my phone pinging the tower (for internet link).  They shut it down and I learned afterward, on ThaiVisa, there's a code you can type in yourself to do the same, and another to turn it back on.

 

I left it shut down and since then, my credit amount lasts a long time, no more leaks.

Wow! That sounds more like it; I think I will have to visit the AIS website too. Thanks very much - very helpful!

[Bundooman]

On 7/16/2018 at 1:09 PM, 55Jay said:

A copy of the activity showing the VDO text message charges.  Below is a snip showing the tower pings as "internet" - usual was 8.56 Baht, a few are higher.  

 

Didn't realize any of this being a simple pre-paid customer, never bothered creating an AIS login.

 

----------------------------------

Thanks 55Jay, I've just checked my own phone log and can see a very repetitive number cropping up, which I think is the number AIS shut down for me about 6 weeks ago. You just can't trust anything thesedays, can you? Haha! Thanks again for your help.

[55Jay]

2 hours ago, Bundooman said:

Thanks 55Jay, I've just checked my own phone log and can see a very repetitive number cropping up, which I think is the number AIS shut down for me about 6 weeks ago. You just can't trust anything thesedays, can you? Haha! Thanks again for your help.

No problem, hope you get it worked out.  Good luck.

 

[55Jay]

@Bundooman, here's the link to previous thread on this.  Worth a read from Page 1 as there's good info there about how you might inadvertently get signed up for a pay service from a RoboCall in Thai language. 

 

Member named RichCor provided codes to turn data services on and off from the AIS side.

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/925118-ais-mobile-stole-my-money-for-apps-i-did-not-approvewhat-to-do/?do=findComment&comment=12082881

 

Quote

AIS 1-2-Call  --  Account Preferences

 

*129#        DATA Internet Account Preference STATUS

*129*1#    DATA Internet OFF / Activity Disabled

*129*2#    DATA Internet ON / Activity Enabled

 

...so, yea, always a good idea to disable BOTH the mobile data on the phone and data on the account -- just to be sure.

 

Edited July 18, 2018 by 55Jay