HITS MOBILE

[patricia]

Just to quote Whicksy from her post about Endesy and her experience with Movistar.

"On a positive note, hats off to Movistar whose PAYG SIM I had recently bought just as a spare second one in our UK phone. It had somehow switched onto data when the phone was turned on in the UK despite the fact I was told it was just a very basic phone/text SIM when I bought it. Data was switched off on the phone so it seemed to do this and take 4€ of my credit all by itself. Very impressed with Movistar customer service who replied immediately to my email, to say they had switched off the data facility on the SIM and refunded my 4€. Not a huge sum I know but a prompt and positive result .

I have been using HITS pay as you go and a few weeks ago I purchased a smart phone - yes I know I am a bit slow - however I got into trouble because I have the internet at home and so I turned on the wifi just to see what I could use from my phone in the house and not thinking about it went out and about with the phone not realising that I was using the data facility of HITS mobile. I only contracted to use the phone for calls etc but non the less the date was turned on and they 80 euros out of my account and have no intention of giving it back.

I contacted them by phone and email to which they have not replied, by phone they have said it was my fault for not configuring the phone correctly.

80 euros is a lot to lose, in one day the took 30 euros out of my account.

I was passed over to them by Telec who I was using for my fixed phone and I had no idea that they were also proving the internet.

Not sure where I stand. I am so angry because I had no idea that they supplied this service along with the internet.

[elusive]

I presume its not just a top up PAYG? A family member has top up PAYG with them so theres no bank account connected to the phone. I would change it over to that as possible to avoid any issues. Also having the wifi on has nothing to do with using data. You need to turn off your mobile data on your phone to stop this happening.

[patricia]

I presume its not just a top up PAYG? A family member has top up PAYG with them so theres no bank account connected to the phone. I would change it over to that as possible to avoid any issues. Also having the wifi on has nothing to do with using data. You need to turn off your mobile data on your phone to stop this happening.

Yes it is a top up pay as you go but I use the bank account. But I had automatic top up. I have to pay for it somehow. How does your family pay for it then. Also I have no idea how to turn of Data. Where is that on the phone.

I shall have to look for it as I do not know what to look for for data. I have so far turned everything off that I can see to turn off and they have also turned it off there end. However I do not want to get caught out. Money was going out of my account left right and centre. 80 euros within 14 days.

Thanks for your reply.

[gerryh]

Assuming you have a smartphone running the Android OS.
on your phone swipe down from the top.
You should see a cogwheel in the top right-hand corner.
Click on this and you should see a screen called Settings.
Click on the entry called connections.
Click on Data Usage.
Switch off Mobile data.
That should do it but the method might be different depending on the make, model and version of Android OS.
Cheers
Gerry

[patricia]

Thanks for that Gerry. I have done that now. I had no idea about data roaming at all!! I have read of course, in the past of people who took their phone abroad and had bills for 1000's of pounds. I had no idea that I would get caught out like that. What is the use of Date roaming for goodness sake!!

Thank you for your response.

[gerryh]

Data roaming is different than a data connection.
But if you have switched off the data connection then you won't have data roaming either.
Cheers
Gerry

[patricia]

Hello Gerry, Yes I have that off thank you. What is the point anyway of data roaming!!

[elusive]

I presume its not just a top up PAYG? A family member has top up PAYG with them so theres no bank account connected to the phone. I would change it over to that as possible to avoid any issues. Also having the wifi on has nothing to do with using data. You need to turn off your mobile data on your phone to stop this happening.

Yes it is a top up pay as you go but I use the bank account. But I had automatic top up. I have to pay for it somehow. How does your family pay for it then. Also I have no idea how to turn of Data. Where is that on the phone.

I shall have to look for it as I do not know what to look for for data. I have so far turned everything off that I can see to turn off and they have also turned it off there end. However I do not want to get caught out. Money was going out of my account left right and centre. 80 euros within 14 days.

Thanks for your reply.

He just tops up by going into a shop who do phone top ups or you can do it on hits website. Puts say ten euros of credit on it.once you have used all your credit you cant make calls etc.he had in the past left his data on by accident. He wondered by his credit dropped a few euros and it was because of that but because he only has top up credit on the phone at the worst it would have only cost him what was left on the phone ie 5 euros.He uses it very rarely just to make the odd call. Doesnt use data on it while hes out. Depending on the amount of calls etc you make you might be better getting a month to month contract with them that does include data if you want to use it in that way. Hits do a package for all of around 6 euros a month. That includes free minutes and data.

Data roaming is what its called when you are abroad and use your data. If you are in spain its just normal data usage.most people have a package that allows you to use so much data every month as part of your monthly payment. If you go abroad and roam it doesnt cost you anymore to use data due to E.U law. That was brought in to stop all the crazy bills people got when on holiday.aslong as its turned off like gerry says then it wont work and there will be no charges. Use wifi in cafes etc if you are out and about

[elusive]

Just looking on hits site its pre paid then pay for what you use LA del 5 tariff that he has.. so he just tops up as and when and you can only use whats on your phone.yours is the automatic one i guess

I have a month to month rolling which includes mins and data

[gerryh]

Hello Gerry, Yes I have that off thank you. What is the point anyway of data roaming!!

If data is on then your phone will use some of your data allowance when you are here in Spain.
If you have data roaming and data on and you are not in Spain, then it will use your data, but you will usually have to pay extra for it.
You can't use data roaming if you don't have data on.
Cheers
Gerry

[patricia]

Just looking on hits site its pre paid then pay for what you use LA del 5 tariff that he has.. so he just tops up as and when and you can only use whats on your phone.yours is the automatic one i guess

I have a month to month rolling which includes mins and data

Yes it is. It just tops up when it is necessary. I had no idea about date roaming or what it was. I have read about these awful bills that people have had and also about the new laws that came in.

I do not wish to use the internet or Wife when out and about. I only use it as a phone that is all and I have the internet in the house so I do not need it outside.

I am still waiting for them to come back to me re my emails but I guess that they will not, so I will be changing companies. I certainly do not want to get caught again. I feel furious. I have no idea why they had it on at their end, they have turned it off now.

I suppose I am not up with all the technology as I didnt give it a thought at all.

I feel fuming to be honest. What a con it is.

Thanks for letting me know and explaining it to me.

[patricia]

Hello Gerry, Yes I have that off thank you. What is the point anyway of data roaming!!

If data is on then your phone will use some of your data allowance when you are here in Spain.
If you have data roaming and data on and you are not in Spain, then it will use your data, but you will usually have to pay extra for it.
You can't use data roaming if you don't have data on.
Cheers
Gerry

Thanks Gerry for your explanation.

[elusive]

Your welcome. When i joined hits 5 plus years ago and then got a new phone .when i set them up for the first time my phone data wouldnt automatically work you had to go into your phone settings and do all sorts of things with the configuration.i guess they have changed that now. Which is good in one sense but not another.

If you travel to another E.U country theres no extra charges anymore if you make calls or use data. You will just be charged what you are in spain. (Spanish network)

[patricia]

When I am in the UK I use my friends new work so I do not need it on my phone. I am not one of these who wants to be on the internet when I am out and about which is why I am so angry.

It is a pity that you do not have to ask the phone company first or that they do not have the data roaming on until you ask.

I have a UK sim so do not use my Spanish number, however I do take it with me. However I have not had a smart phone before so I knew nothing about data roaming.

I feel so angry to be caught out like that.

[Enrique]

Hi patricia,

"If you go abroad and roam it doesn't cost you any more to use data due to E.U law."....Not strictly true.........Most UK Companies will have a "Fair use Policy".......... GiffGaff for example will allow only two months Roaming and then switch to eye watering rate......... They give you warning two weeks before the switch.

If you're on a "Package" with UK Company you need to turn Auto Renewal OFF

[patricia]

Hi patricia,

"If you go abroad and roam it doesn't cost you any more to use data due to E.U law."....Not strictly true.........Most UK Companies will have a "Fair use Policy".......... GiffGaff for example will allow only two months Roaming and then switch to eye watering rate......... They give you warning two weeks before the switch.

If you're on a "Package" with UK Company you need to turn Auto Renewal OFF

Hello Enrique,

I have a vodophone number for the UK, however of course I would of and can put the sim into this mobile so I may have been hit by that the Data roaming charges out and about! With vodophone I just top up myself when it runs out. I do that over the internet, but it last for ages and ages. I didnt give roaming charges a thought, although I have the phone on here all the time because of people calling me from the UK. It is in a smart phone but I have not had a problem with "data roaming". I will take a look at the mobile I have to see what the settings are. Lovely little smart phone I purchased in Sainsbury's about four years ago for £20.00!!

However I do feel that Hits could have warned me about Data roaming. Just as well that most times I go out I always forget my mobile. I could not work out what the charges were for and didnt connect it what so ever with Roaming charges and even when I phoned Hits they didnt offer to turn of the Data roaming appt, so I had to take the sim out and put it back in my old phone!! They have now turned it off but not until a few days ago.

Well I found 80 euros bad enough. 30 euros in one day alone!! I have only just purchased the phone, very nice little Motorola but with a bill like that I could have splashed on something smarter instead of giving to Hits for nothing . Who the hell wants to troll through facebook etc whilst out and about!!

Thanks for helping me

[markwilding]

Hello Gerry, Yes I have that off thank you. What is the point anyway of data roaming!!

If data is on then your phone will use some of your data allowance when you are here in Spain.
If you have data roaming and data on and you are not in Spain, then it will use your data, but you will usually have to pay extra for it.
You can't use data roaming if you don't have data on.
Cheers
Gerry

One little correction, If you are outside the EU and certain other countries such as Switzerland, extra tariffs apply, You can use data at no extra cost throughout the EU as if you were in Spain with the extra benefit that while you are in any other EU country, calls to other EU countries are charged at the same cost as you would pay in Spain. As I pay a flat charge I don't pay for calls at all whilst I'm out of Spain but still in the EU.

In effect, the conditions are better while I'm in other EU countries because while I'm in Spain, they charge for international calls. For example when in France, it's free to phone anywhere in the EU but cross back into Spain and the same mobile to mobile call can be quite expensive.

Patricia, When you are in the UK, it might actually be cheaper to use your own Spanish phone than your friend's.

With the current crisis the benefits of data and the internet are priceless. I have been able to keep classes going at least for the time being just using WhatsApp and email.

[patricia]

Hello Mark,

No I do not use my friends phone. I use their internet connection and take over my lap top.

I have downloaded whatsapp and that is free. Is that something that I cannot use without Data Roaming then!!

I have the internet which includes my fixed phone and all calls on my fixed phone to any number whether mobile or fixed phone in the whole of Europe is free. So really I do not use the mobile at all. I just take in when I go out - if I remember - or when I go away so that people can ring me or I can ring if I need to. Whenever I go to a hotel they always have free Wifi so I do not need to use my phone at all and I am not one of these who wants to use the internet whilst I am in the doctors etc etc. I take a book instead!!

I do not know what I will do in the future, but I am certain I never ever want to be ploughing my way through Facebook or looking at emails on a train etc. I must say one thing which was most annoying was that the mobile kept pinging and I wondered what it was and obviously it was the Data Roaming appt downloading loads of bit and pieces none of which I wanted or was the slightest bit interested in, however the maps and directions would be very useful and perhaps I may invest in a package at some time.

Thanks for your help and suggestions. I am certain if you have a package then it would be very useful and you are a teacher I believe so you can contact and still teach pupils in these strange and uncertain times.

[elusive]

However I do feel that Hits could have warned me about Data roaming. Just as well that most times I go out I always forget my mobile. I could not work out what the charges were for and didnt connect it what so ever with Roaming charges and even when I phoned Hits they didnt offer to turn of the Data roaming appt, so I had to take the sim out and put it back in my old phone!! They have now turned it off but not until a few days ago.
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Bit confused with what you are saying patricia. If its a spanish SIM card when you are in spain its not data roaming. Data roaming is when you use a spanish SIM in the Uk etc.

Taking the SIM out and putting it back in your old phone will make no difference. Its the SIM that is your contract with hits not the phone. If you put it back in your old phone,if its a smart phone you need to turn the data off on that aswell. Like advised with your other or you will have the same problem.

[gerryh]

Hello Gerry, Yes I have that off thank you. What is the point anyway of data roaming!!

If data is on then your phone will use some of your data allowance when you are here in Spain.
If you have data roaming and data on and you are not in Spain, then it will use your data, but you will usually have to pay extra for it.
You can't use data roaming if you don't have data on.
Cheers
Gerry

One little correction, If you are outside the EU and certain other countries such as Switzerland, extra tariffs apply,

Yes, I'm fully aware of the roaming rules. Patricia often goes to the UK which I believe is, or soon to be, outside the EU.
Not sure whether or not the free roaming will continue.
I was trying to keep it simple. Perhaps I should have said "might" instead of "will usually"
Cheers
Gerry