Is True Move running a scam with data charges?

[elzach]

Let's get to the numbers right away and please tell me your opinions or if you had a similar experience.

I have a prepaid TrueMove H, 2 baht / MB if NOT on a data plan (which is a lot I know, but it came with the particular SIM card I'm using).

I had a data package, it expired at exactly 12 midnight last night.

At 12:10 am I get their sms "remaining credit is 18.35 baht".

At 12:15 am another sms "your remaining balance is 1.23 baht".

What was my usage after 12:00 am:

* Line app (chat messages with one person, no voice messages, no video call, no photo downloading)

* Wechat (just running, no chatting, no messages, maybe Moments was updating?)

* No internet browser activity

* Auto sync off, background data off

* 0 voice calls

* 0 SMS

By way of comparison, similar usage in Shanghai (where telecoms send you SMS with your data usage every day) is 10-12 MB per 24 hours, not per minute or per hour.

At 12:40 am I went to the 711 next door and topped up 30 baht just so I have a balance and can see what's going on.

I go home, turn on the Wifi (maybe I left the data connection on at the same time), go to sleep an hour later, checking that data connection is off.

I wake up this morning, check my balance, 17 baht. Unless I was using my phone in my sleep, I have no idea where 13 baht went.

Now, the amounts are small, but if you multiply them by top up frequency and subscriber numbers, you can easily see what TrueMove may be thinking: "the beauty of data charges is that there is no way for a subscriber to know what and how much he/she is consuming".

I called their Customer Service line and after going thru the above and not getting any clearcut answers (surprise), I asked her to tell me exactly how many MB I consumed from 12:00 am to now. She said she can track it but have to refer to another dept and will call me back. I'll update when she calls back.

PS. I spent another 100 baht (before I got the data package) on data charges in 1-2 days, so this was a good opportunity to rant a little on a saturday afternoon. The real incovenience and problem is when you find you have no balance for any urgent calls or sms because of questionable data charges.

Edited February 27, 2016 by elzach

[Argus Tuft]

I think you are going about this the wrong way to be honest

Two things:

- Why would you be on a per Mb default usage when you could find a suitable package for data?

- If you are not using data, then turn it off completely. You are trying to calculate various app usage, but your mobile will chew small amounts of data regardless of whether you are using any apps or not. Handshakes between your mobile and the provider use packets of data, regardless of whether you have certain chat or browser apps open

At 12:40 am I went to the 711 next door and topped up 30 baht just so I have a balance and can see what's going on.

I go home, turn on the Wifi (maybe I left the data connection on at the same time), go to sleep an hour later, checking that data connection is off.

I wake up this morning, check my balance, 17 baht. Unless I was using my phone in my sleep, I have no idea where 13 baht went.

You didn't turn off the data connection until sometime after 12:40 am according to your post. So some data would have been used prior to that [again, regardless of whether certain apps were open or not]. Plus the data calculations are not always instantaneous - they make take a while to show up on your usage.

You are ranting about small packets of data being charged against your also small balance, but honestly you should stick sufficient credit onto your mobile and whack a sensible package/plan on

From what you have detailed, no scam here

Edited February 27, 2016 by Argus Tuft

[Argus Tuft]

I wake up this morning, check my balance, 17 baht. Unless I was using my phone in my sleep, I have no idea where 13 baht went.

To reiterate, you don't necessarily need to have chat/browser/any apps open to be using data.

And to be quibbling over 13 baht usage...really?

Educate yourself better about mobile data usage, and stick a plan on

[Lannig]

+1 to this, except for:

Handshakes between your mobile and the provider use packets of data

These mostly aren't IP traffic and not counted against your data allowance. Well, maybe some very, very little IP traffic but that's negligible.

On the other hand, just every news, wheather or stock quotes widget, Twitter, Facebook, Whatsapp, Line or any of the zillion apps that run in the background will generate traffic that's counted. Whether you open the app or not. As long as you have mobile data turned on.

Edited February 27, 2016 by Lannig

[Argus Tuft]

+1 to this, except for:

Handshakes between your mobile and the provider use packets of data

These mostly aren't IP traffic and not counted against your data allowance. Well, maybe some very, very little IP traffic but that's negligible.

On the other hand, just every news, wheather or stock quotes widget, Twitter, Facebook, Whatsapp, Line or any of the zillion apps that run in the background will generate traffic that's counted. Whether you open the app or not.

Agreed, probably didn't articulate that point very well.

My meaning was that any apps whether open or background will initiate handshakes - checking for updated apps, syncing time/location data, etc etc - they don't necessarily have to be the apps the OP would consider as using data.

Any app install has a bunch of "do you agree that this app will' blah blah and that can mean data used regardless of whether anything appears on the mobile to the user

[Lannig]

I realise that OP wrote "Auto sync off, background data off"

​Well, theoretically, this should stop traffic from all background apps. But based on my own observation, it does not work for all of them and specifically not for many widgets apps (news, weather etc.)

YMMV.

[jacko45k]

Phones allow you to turn data off completely, do that!

Background data consumption is catching you... comms apps do that.

My Wi-Fi and data are turned off unless I want to use them, to reduce data and battery use.

Most phones allow you to zero your data consumption totals and then tell you which services and apps are using data.

If that doesn't suit you get a package that includes data, mine covers calls and a limited amount of data at a fast rate, switching to lower data speed at that limit, but incurring no extra costs. The packages available here aren't that great price-wise, they hit me up for SMS, particularly International ones.

It is a battle of wits!

[TerrylSky]

I think points on both sides are valid; turn off data etc. when not needed - but I too like to keep things online and running (like my computer) at the ready - but also, hey, why the discrepancies in charges? My experiences in Thailand dictate that a "running" audit of all transactions to avoid being ripped off is quite warranted! That 10baht savings can buy one of my neighbourhood kids a candy, me a shot of raokao, or even an extra condom.

Edited February 28, 2016 by TerrylSky

[mcfish]

A bit off topic. I'm using True move and was going to just use the top up service for my tablet for occasional use out side the home.

Is the top up the best option for very light use, maybe just 2 hours a week ?

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

[Suradit69]

Amazing how many posters immediately leap to the "scam" word when they don't understand something.

When I first got a smartphone my credit balance with AIS almost immediately went to zero, twice. A quick search through helpful posts on TV brought me enlightenment and I switched off the "mobile data" thingee on my Samsung phone. No scam, just ignorance on my part. Problem solved.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

A bit off topic. I'm using True move and was going to just use the top up service for my tablet for occasional use out side the home.

Is the top up the best option for very light use, maybe just 2 hours a week ?

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

Of course it depends on what you will be doing in those two hours. Streaming an HD quality film or just accessing an email.

Just buy a package for that day or week or month...

If you've no need for speed, 214 baht gets you 4GB for month at 512 kb/s after which it is slowed down to 64kb/s. *900*8976#

One day package for 10 baht *900*8908# if still in existence or they haven't increased the price. Unlimited use for one day at 512kb/s.

A couple of examples.

[mcfish]

A bit off topic. I'm using True move and was going to just use the top up service for my tablet for occasional use out side the home.

Is the top up the best option for very light use, maybe just 2 hours a week ?

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

Of course it depends on what you will be doing in those two hours. Streaming an HD quality film or just accessing an email.

Just buy a package for that day or week or month...

If you've no need for speed, 214 baht gets you 4GB for month at 512 kb/s after which it is slowed down to 64kb/s. *900*8976#

One day package for 10 baht *900*8908# if still in existence or they haven't increased the price. Unlimited use for one day at 512kb/s.

A couple of examples.

Thanks, it would be just surfing like when waiting at immigration that sort of thing. The day package sounds ok, where can I get that?

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

[Jiu-Jitsu]

A bit off topic. I'm using True move and was going to just use the top up service for my tablet for occasional use out side the home.

Is the top up the best option for very light use, maybe just 2 hours a week ?

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

Of course it depends on what you will be doing in those two hours. Streaming an HD quality film or just accessing an email.

Just buy a package for that day or week or month...

If you've no need for speed, 214 baht gets you 4GB for month at 512 kb/s after which it is slowed down to 64kb/s. *900*8976#

One day package for 10 baht *900*8908# if still in existence or they haven't increased the price. Unlimited use for one day at 512kb/s.

A couple of examples.

Thanks, it would be just surfing like when waiting at immigration that sort of thing. The day package sounds ok, where can I get that?

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

You dial in the code supplied and the press the Dial button. Wait a few seconds and the package will be applied.

If it is in a Tablet with 3G/4G capability and can't be bothered to remove the SIM to a mobile phone to apply, you can perhaps choose a day package via http://hlife.truecorp.co.th/ or http://m.hlife.truecorp.co.th/

[elzach]

Thank you all for the input.

Obviously, we are not talking about 10-20 baht. I was talking about topping up 100 baht for example and expecting to have most of that for calls or sms, instead of it diasappearing a few minutes later on data charges.

As I mentioned, I was on a 7-day data package which had expired a few minutes before.

In any event, I'll just make sure I'm on a data package the whole time from now on.

[gregk0543]

I have a similar thing happening in august 2018. I am only in country a week at a time. I buy these 90 baht top up cards and keep them for arrival.

 

Everytime I come back its on Zero.  I add 90 and it seems to disappear overnight 12 baht each day.

 

I am connected to wifi overnight. So its interesting but data not turned off.

 

Its leaking all the time. Very hard to see where the data and money is going.

 

I buy the 24 hours or 3 days packages.  I wonder if I have some kind of package I dont know about on it.

How can I check all the packages on it? #123# just gives balance details.

[2008bangkok]

True do a unlimited 1mb package for 1 year for about 1500 baht, maybe you should look into that.

AIS do similar 600 baht for 6 months and 1200 per year

[KneeDeep]

4 hours ago, 2008bangkok said:

True do a unlimited 1mb package for 1 year for about 1500 baht, maybe you should look into that.

AIS do similar 600 baht for 6 months and 1200 per year

 

Truemove H 1 and 4 Mbps package is the same price as AIS. 

 

 

 

 

 

[KneeDeep]

7 hours ago, gregk0543 said:

I have a similar thing happening in august 2018. I am only in country a week at a time. I buy these 90 baht top up cards and keep them for arrival.

 

Everytime I come back its on Zero.  I add 90 and it seems to disappear overnight 12 baht each day.

 

I am connected to wifi overnight. So its interesting but data not turned off.

 

Its leaking all the time. Very hard to see where the data and money is going.

 

I buy the 24 hours or 3 days packages.  I wonder if I have some kind of package I dont know about on it.

How can I check all the packages on it? #123# just gives balance details.

 

Turn off mobile data/cellular data on your phone or switch data off on the SIM; *902*02# 

To turn it back on; *902*01# 

 

To check promotion: *835# then press the dial button.

 

http://www3.truecorp.co.th/truemoveh/selfservice/prepaid?ln=en