Massive Unexpected Bill

[cott_lad]

Last week i got my broadband bill.  I was expecting my normal ripoff £20 or so for my measily 30gb.  I've never used over my 30gb before always being 15-20 or so.
Imagine my surprise when i open the bill and see they want £194.  They say my useage was 86.5 GB over my 30 limit. 
I was told by cust serv that the bill was correct and the useage was legitimate.  I explained that it surely couldn't be right and i had no way of paying £194 as i'm currently unemployed.  They said they would pass me to collections to see if some arrangement could be made.  Collections told me in no uncertain terms that this must be paid within 1 month or they would disconnect me and continue billing me for the service even though i couldn't use it.  Talk about rubbing salt into a wound   I made comment about the girls extremely sharp attitude and tried explaining i was out of work and that i had no money to pay such a massive and unfair bill.  She may as well have said 'tough titty you sucker, pay up now or we'll shaft you some more!'
I put the phone down not knowing what on earth to do.  I can't pay the bill within a month and don't relish the prospect of being cut off and still having to pay for a service i can't use.  I'm basically backed into a corner without options.

Now whether there was someone listening into the call, or the girl had second thoughts i don't know but 10 minutes later i got another call from her.  She told me she'd just spoken to a cust serv manager who'd promised to investigate the bill further and ask the tech guys to verify the useage.   They would call me and no money would be taken before they looked into it.  At least this was better than a brick wall.   They still haven't called and i'll phone them 2moro as it's been a few days now.  But what if they say (as they did before) that the useage is valid and the bill stands?  Do i have any option but to somehow get this paid?  I don't want them to cut me off so what else can i do?
Has this problem cropped up before and was there a solution?  I wonder if anyone else has been using my internet...... is it easy to hack someones details and use their wireless internet?

Would really appreciate any advice.  I just don't know what to do

[Scotty]

Sounds to me your wireless router may have been accessed externally by somebody else, and someone is using your internet connection.

Change your routers wireless key, and/or the security method used, or this may happen again!

[Sean]

Also Karoo email you when you're about to go over, so this would alert you there was a problem before it gets too bad!

Even if you don't normally use your Karoo Mail, perhaps set it up and check it every few days just for this purpose.

[pdwright2k]

I really dont know how much to trust the karoo usage monitor, they have had to reset usage a number of times over the past year or so just to "issues" with it.

I was on mid2 30gb and found i was going over it by about 8gb each month therefore costing me an addional £16 so i changed to mid3 for the 50gb usage allowence, strangly my usage for this month was 58gb therefore again being charged an addional £16 yet my usage has not changed.

To the OP, i would be asking for proof of this usage

[chriscoates81]

I thought they had to prove that you had gone over?

[dylan]

Karoo have had some issues in the past with their broadband usage metering. If you do a search in these forums you should be able to dredge up some examples. You might find these examples useful in fighting your corner i.e. if Karoo's metering system is so flaky, how can they actually *prove* anything.

In the first instance you need to send a written letter to Karoo directly disputing the charge. Don't make it offensive, just say you don't agree with their findings.

If you don't get anywhere, contact the ombudsman service which Karoo is signed up to. http://www.ombudsman-services.org/communications.html

If you don't get anywhere with them, try Ofcom.

[Obii]

you don't live on the Boulevard do you? there are a couple of kids wandering around with a laptop using "free" internet as they call it.

[dylan]

you don't live on the Boulevard do you? there are a couple of kids wandering around with a laptop using "free" internet as they call it.

Western Library on the Boulevard has free wireless Internet. They weren't near there were they?

[bobthebuilder]

i am not to far from there lol i have to take me laptop and go  and have a look lol

[Obii]

you don't live on the Boulevard do you? there are a couple of kids wandering around with a laptop using "free" internet as they call it.

Western Library on the Boulevard has free wireless Internet. They weren't near there were they?

no nearer Anlaby Road sat on someone's front wall.

[Celebrim]

Do you have a Thomson router?

If you do and still use the wireless password that was printed on it then its very easy for anyone to get

An android App called REDACTED will easly get any thomson wireless password
REDACTED

i suspect its PC savvy neighbours leaching your internet

as said before change your wireless password

Sorry, if you're tech savvy enough to figure out how to snarf passwords from wireless routers then you'll be able to find this info, but if you're not, it shouldn't be made this easy for you   Edited by Dylan