DATA BEING USED AT RIDICULOUS, UNREASONABLE SPEED! Definitely an ERROR with PM! Not happy at all.

[JaydeNicole]

[••Sorry In Advance - THIS IS LONG!!!!••] So, normally I don't actually have much of a problem with Public Mobiles service, their customer service etc. HOWEVER, this time I am extremely angry and actually kind of shocked hat this is even happening & why nothing is being looked into deeper.
I'll start from the beginning - my plan renew date for this month was July 28, 2017. I get 1GB of data included in my 30 day plan and it's almost ALWAYS (like 98% of the time) enough that it lasts me through the entire billing cycle OR at the worst, till the 2nd or 3rd last day before my bill is due. Because I'm ALWAYS on WiFi at home (which I'm unfortunately stuck in all the time, and have been for the last couple months due to being on bedrest) and when I'm on WiFi, I make SURE that my Cellular Network (Data) is OFF a completely so it doesn't switch over at any time just in case my WiFi signal is weak etc. So, I moved last week. I didn't have WiFi/cable for 2 days until I could have my home services transferred to my new address. So, I received a text from PM on July 26/27, 2017 (unsure which date for sure at the moment) stating I'd used 95% of my data. Understandable because the month was almost over and I had been without wifi for 24 hours. So, I got a 200MB Data Add-On for the rest of my billing cycle and until my services were transferred. So, I paid my bill on July 28, 2017, online, at about 2:30AM. I didn't receive the confirmation text saying "You've
Successfully topped up your PM account" etc. UNTIL 12:00PM July 28, 2017. So, my plan was renewed and that means I had a new start with the usual 1GB in my plan that comes with it. I'll also add that I've been a customer with PM since December 2012. So I've been with them for 4, almost 5 years now. I'm a loyal customer and THIS specific situation has NEVER happened to me!! So, STILL the same day - July 28, 2017 ... I receive a text around 11:40PM (give or take a few mins) from Public Mobile saying "you've used 75% of the data included in your plan" ..... it has now only been ELEVEN (11!) hours since I've confirmed my account has been topped up. Somehow I managed to "use" 824MB of data within that 11 hours, 9.5hours of which I was at home and connected to WiFi - NOT on the PM Network. Of course upon reading this I contacted a Mod and they told me that it shows them I used this much data, and that's that. Basically "suck it up, buttercup" .... so I was still angry but left it for the time being. So now it's after midnight and it's July 29, 2017. I then purchase ANOTHER 200MB Add-On. TODAY - I didn't get any text, nothing... my data just stopped working suddenly at about 11:00PM tonight (before midnight, on July 31, 2017). I had no choice but to use my boyfriends hotspot (since we weren't home and are staying in the hospital due to me being on bed rest and complications with my current pregnancy - I'm 8.5months pregnant) to come onto the Self Seeve PM site and I just purchased ANOTHER 200MB Data Add-On because it's so late now, I won't get a response from any MOD at this time and I needed the data due to spending this one night in the hospital. Though I spent the entire day at home - on wifi, until 9:30PM and then came out to the hospital, and by 11:00PM my data stopped workin (the 200MB Add-On I pudchased on July 29, 2017).
So I added ANOTHER 200MB just a few hours ago, so I had some data while at the hospital. It's been 2 hours, I haven't been. On my phone much since I actually was sleeping! Since it's now 4:28AM here in Toronto.
I came into PM site to look at my usage.... it's telling me I've used 114MB of data out of my 200MB, within the time span of 3-4 MAX hours, most of who I was actually asleep for.... HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?! I have my "Cellular" turned on for ONLY a few necessary apps, I don't EVER watch videos on Facebook, I have it set to "never auto play videos" and I mostly write, otherwise and sometimes check out Kijiji, use FB Messenger but mostly text - which takes no data.... and I have my "Google Chrome" turned on for data use. Everything else is OFF. My location is off, my background app refresh is off. I'm doing EVERYTHING right, and everything I can to avoid using data that I do not NEED to use and STILL somehow I'm getting OBVIOUSLY overcharged for data when I'm not even using it. I've spent so far $62 since July 28, 2017 and it's $72 since July 26. 2017....
it's not my phone. It's not an error in my judgment, nothing. I know for a fact that there is some type of error in PM's system or tre way they're measuring or reading data... something. I am honestly so upset and angry about this, I've been with PM for almost 5 years, like I mentioned, and I'm actually considering just switching to another company.
Long story short (sorry guys, I know this is really long! Lol I'm just really angry about this!!!) - HAS ANYONE HAD THIS EXPERIENCE OR SIMILAR??? ANYONE ELSE HAVE DATA BEING EATEN UP SOMEHOW, AT AN ALARMING/RIDICULOUS RATE????
PLEASE ADVISE, I seriously am wondering if it's suddenly JUST me or what the heck is going on.
Please & thank you in advance for all your answers, input and advice. It's very much appreciated! 😊

[srlawren]

@parkcontracting you need to look on your phone (process varies from phone to phone--what are you using?) to see which apps are using up your data.

[cavemantoronto]

@parkcontracting I've had no issues but unexpected usage is usually from background apps.  It only takes one to download video in background for full page ads.

[parkcontracting]

I'm having the same issue I've gone through  more then 10 gb of data 

Nothing is different on my phone then last month when I was with bell I've not downloaded 

Anything no new apps nothing is different with bell I used about 3 to 4 gb a month 

Now with pm I've gone through  10.4 gb in 2 weeks pm has a data thieving problem 

[Shutdown]

It's very likely your phone. You should be checking the data usage on your phone then comparing that to the site.

[TaraD]

Lol, thanks. ‘Gentle into that good night’ lol, good one. 👍🏻

[ChuckYeah]

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@TaraD wrote:

I see that I’m a big arsehole lol. Seriously I had my phone stolen last month and this data issue has occurred since using my new phone. Why, b cause I didn’t correct my settings, meaning I’ve been using data at home when wifi was available. Gonna go choke on some humble pie. Thanks 😬

---

I hate to bravo this, but it is difficult to admit when we are wrong and you deserve kudos for being so brave. You could have just posted nothing and have gone "gentle into that good night!"

[goldilock]

@JaydeNicole @TaraD 

There are apps running in the background that are eating up your data. You can go into your apps and disable the ones you don't use. Turn off notifications for anything that you don't need. Turn off icloud drive cellular data. Stop apps using cellular data. Disable background app refresh to stop cellular data.

Here are some step (depending on your phone the steps might be slightly different):

Stop  cellular data

Settings > Cellular/Mobile Data and scroll down to switch off a number of apps' cellular privileges.

Stop background apps:

Open the Settings app and go to “General” followed by “Background App Refresh”
Toggle the top switch to the OFF position (this will impact all the apps listed below, no need to change them individually)

Stop icloud"

Go to the Settings app and choose “iCloud”
Go to “iCloud Drive” and toggle ‘Use Cellular Data’ to the OFF position

Disable wi-fi assist to reduce celllar data usage:

Open the Settings app and go to “Cellular”
Scroll all the way to the bottom and find “Wi-Fi Assist” and toggle that to the OFF position

Turn off autoplay video in Facebook, Twitter & Instagram

Turn off push notifications
Go to Settings > Notifications

Stop fetching email

Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Fetch New Data and if Push is turned on, turn it off.

[TaraD]

I see that I’m a big arsehole lol. Seriously I had my phone stolen last month and this data issue has occurred since using my new phone. Why, b cause I didn’t correct my settings, meaning I’ve been using data at home when wifi was available. Gonna go choke on some humble pie. Thanks 😬

[jor123]

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@TaraD wrote:

I’m experiencing the same issue. I have 2.5 GBs per thirty days and after two weeks was told I’d reached 95% of data?!!! I work at home and use wifi primarily. I just bought another gig yesterday and today I’m told I’m at 75% usage! My billing cycle is in another 8 days. There is absolutely no way I’ve used that much data. I’ve been with PM for a while and never even gotten a message of being close to using up data and suddenly now I’ve used almost three and half gigs in less than three weeks! No way. I’m seriously frustrated because this is definitely an error on their part and having no live person to talk to is maddening. I’ve sent moderators a message but I want answers. My data usage on the website explains nothing. I will find another provider if need be because this is not right. 

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What do you see in the data usage records on your phone itself? 

[TaraD]

I’m experiencing the same issue. I have 2.5 GBs per thirty days and after two weeks was told I’d reached 95% of data?!!! I work at home and use wifi primarily. I just bought another gig yesterday and today I’m told I’m at 75% usage! My billing cycle is in another 8 days. There is absolutely no way I’ve used that much data. I’ve been with PM for a while and never even gotten a message of being close to using up data and suddenly now I’ve used almost three and half gigs in less than three weeks! No way. I’m seriously frustrated because this is definitely an error on their part and having no live person to talk to is maddening. I’ve sent moderators a message but I want answers. My data usage on the website explains nothing. I will find another provider if need be because this is not right. 

[shawnie_boy]

You need to restore your phone and start fresh. 

[ute1978]

To make it short: It is not PM's fault. It is your phone.

[jeffster1970]

You may have unknowling installed an app that is doing a lot of background data usage.

If you have an Android, go to setting, click on battery, and see what systems (apps) are hogging the battery. Look at the highest usage app, and if they are new and/or none-critical, turn off background data.

If you have an Apple, got to Settings, go to Celluar, and find each Apps usage in there. Look for something unusual, take screen shots of it, the reset statistics. Go back and see what App has used the most data. 

Sometimes app high-jack your data, and really, you did nothing wrong, just a weird wipe combo that messed things up.

If worse comes to worse, do a factory reset.

And in the future, spend the extra $$$ for 1 GB of data, cheaper in the end, and it never expires.

Congrats on your impeding doom.....I mean your impeding pregancy! Soon you'll get the mooch out of your body, happy days return. (other than dirty diapers and throw-up in the mouth) Just a word of warning, be prepared for this devil knowing all the answers to your tech issues with 3-5 years.  We, at PM, we appreciate you and deeply regret not hearing from you anymore once your genius gets a hold of your smartphone.

[SD08]

Here is a recent thread where a customer was experiencing high data usage:
https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Plans-Add-Ons/Data-usage-seems-to-be-going-quick/m-p/...

Do you have a data usage monitoring app installed?  It would be useful to see where exactly your data is being eaten up.  I recommend My Data Manager, which is customizable to PM's 30 or 90 day plans.  (But in your case, use wifi to download it, of course.)