Intl roaming and GPRS with Simplus/Optus outside Australia

[robertz]

Please accept my humble apologies if this is in the wrong area

Hi
Has anybody had any experience with SimPlus / Optus charges for International GPRS?

I live in the US and use my Optus sim for International Roaming. Since I've had my PDA, there has never been a data section on the bill.

The only thing Im getting charged for are these weird 999000000XX (XX is
another 2 numbers) and a min/sec.
Which I presume, the prefix 999 refers to GPRS. and the XX are the seconds.

The rate looks like 0.43c connect rate and then 1c per second.

Ive emailed Simplus a few times and they are saying this is a timed charge to connect to the local network for GPRS, then they charge their GPRS amount for the kb download.(Which I never been billed)

There is nothing in their price list that says there is a per minute network
charge to use GPRS on an overseas network. Unlike SMS and MMS, which
clearly says the additional charges.

Question is, has anybody come across this, and can share some light?
I'm thinking that this is actually the kb download but they are charging it
as a min/sec instead..

--
Rob

 

[Guest]

Complain directly to optus roaming in australia, there is a dedicated area for this. Kick up a huge stink about it and they will comp a portion (or all) of your roaming charges you complain about.

It's very standard for all carriers to give you credit of some kind for this and I have had no problems in having charges like this removed from my telstra, optus, vodaphone, tmobile and AT&T accounts.

If you don't use GPRS at all, call your carrier and have it disabled. Nothing worse than having a few cents added to each bill for something you don't/can't/never have used.

I'll take a check for 10% of the refunded difference, thanks.

 

[EI]

Hi robertz,

I'm a little unsure of what you're actually asking here. Do you have a problem with the charges appearing on your account (as if you haven't used GPRS) or are you just curious?

Optus charge you by the Kb for Int GPRS roaming, however, this never seems to work properly on the billing side of things when the charge is transferred to your home network bill.

This is why you have the strange number that appears on your bill. The 999 charachter code is a standard across all carriers in Australia to enable them to distinguish from a normal call and a GPRS connection whilst roaming.

The per second part of the bill is done this way as some carriers (although not many) are unable to bill via Kb, and therefore, most carriers will bill you in a per second billing cycle but it should only ever equate to what you end ub using in KB.

The best way to check this is to keep track of how many KBs you use whilst roaming. Most GPRS enabled mobile phones have a tracker for you to keep an eye on your Downloads built in to them.

If you are disputing the charges on the bill, I would suggest that you talk to your home network provider, as Optus will have no billing records for you and may not be that helpful! You will get more information and more of a chance if you get your phone company at home to investigate on your behalf.

Hope this answers some of your questions. I spent 3 years setting GPRS networks in Australia for Telstra and Optus, however, the information I have provided is relayed from a friend who is in charge of a Telstra Wireless Data call centre. If you want to know anything extra, just let me know!

_______________________

EI aka Dave!

 

[robertz]

Thanks for taking the time to reply.
Oh and d00t

I'm a little unsure of what you're actually asking here. Do you have a problem with the charges appearing on your account (as if you haven't used GPRS) or are you just curious?

OK, Been using and paying for GPRS for the last couple of months, but only this month I decided to check the charges against Simplus/Optus price list.

Optus charge you by the Kb for Int GPRS roaming, however, this never seems to work properly on the billing side of things when the charge is transferred to your home network bill.

This is why you have the strange number that appears on your bill. The 999 character code is a standard across all carriers in Australia to enable them to distinguish from a normal call and a GPRS connection whilst roaming.

OK, I understand that.

The per second part of the bill is done this way as some carriers (although not many) are unable to bill via Kb, and therefore, most carriers will bill you in a per second billing cycle but it should only ever equate to what you end ub using in KB.

What your saying makes complete sense, since I have never been billed for GPRS as a separate part on my invoice
But how do they actually know if the 999 prefix is actual downloads or minutes, if some use kb and some use minutes.
Ive used 3 different networks here in the US (Cingular, T-Mobile and AT&T Wireless) and the charge is always in the same format on my bill.

So it looks like I have 2 problems.
1) If Simplus/Optus are charging in m/s for kb download.(10 second rate = 60c as opposed to 10kb = 20c.)
2) Trusting the US networks to relate kb download back to min/sec.

The best way to check this is to keep track of how many KBs you use whilst roaming. Most GPRS enabled mobile phones have a tracker for you to keep an eye on your Downloads built in to them.

Your absolutely right. This is the only way I am going to be able to find out if Im being overcharged.

Thanks again Dave. Will do a tester and report back..

Rob