Suddenly receiving excessive usage messages this month.

[Sue-K]

Hi,

I have had the Business Broadband Option 1 plan (max monthly usage 10GB) for about a year, using it for emails and web browsing and very occasionally listening to the radio.  Suddenly this month I have received emails warning me that I've exceeded my monthly usage limit.  This is a mystery to me because I don't download music or films etc.

The only difference is that my OH has been watching the Olympics on the BBC website and has started to use FTP to receive some business files.  Could either of these have caused a sudden surge in broadband usage? 

Sue K

[Kirok]

I have issues against all FUPs and the false advertising with ambiguous purposely vague policies around them but thats besides the point just wanted to state my opposition.

Video streaming can eat up bandwidth that may be the issue, FTP will depend on the size of the files but its more likely the former. What I imagine there doing now is looking at daily usage which has spiked and projecting it forward.

If you email support@btbroadbandoffice.com they'll give you more information and a breakdown, theres a dedicated FUP helpdesk also but I forget the number, just call the main helpdesk and they'll give it to you.

[Timbo66]

   I have  frequently had a warning about getting close to excess usage.. all I really do is download emails etc.. usual business stuff. for May I have had an email saying I actually went over the limit.

   To be Honest I am on the verge of leaving BT as I dont think 10 GB is good enough for even a small business like mine and I refuse to upgrade and pay even more.

  I was told when I signed up that all that would happen is I would get an email or a call telling me I am close to the limit.. no extra charges would be levied.. but hey presto once they have you tied then we get " Oh No you will be charged an extra fee for that" 

[dotty]

Hi all - Im new here - Im looking for some help - Ive been getting emails since April this year saying Im over my monthly useage limit - trouble is BT have been sending them to an email adress they invented for us that we know nothing about - they email us other information each month to my normal email address - i have checked our contact details online & they are correct

We have been on Broadband option 1 for nearly 2 years - we were on option 2 for a while but BT reviewed our account and advised us to change to option 1 as our useage was low - In December 2009 they sent us an email with a graph of our useages which was 5% of our 10gb monthly allowance - that was the last contact i have received regarding our useage

It seems they have been charging us every month since April for going over our limit - on one month the charge was £25 -

My query is - how suddenly has our useage gone up so much - we have the same 2 computers & the same staff - also how am i supposed to know there is a problem when they send the warning emails to an unknown address

I have contacted several departments but got no joy - they just pass you around - eventually putting me through to a number that does not even exist anymore - with a message saying call the original number

Perhaps someone from BT is watching & can advise me -

[alastair]

ask BT tech support for your last 3 months usage.

if it has increased from what it used to be....

check your broadbands router has security on the wireless so people dont "leach" your broadband using your wireless.

check your users arent up to anything they shouldnt be e.g. downloading movies, music.

check for virus/malware

[Alun]

Hi dotty,

Sorry to see you are having issues. I would agree with alastair that first port of call would be the Broadband Technical Helpdesk to check the usage.

Just to make you aware also: Information on usage, changes in terms & conditions, Openzone vouchers (if eligible), contract renewals etc are all sent to the primary btconnect.com email address, as BT can can ensure it is active. All information on this email address is provided with the Broadband Welcome pack.

Hope this helps.

[dotty]

Hi Alun

thanks for the quick reply - i have sent a message to technical support so wait so see what they say

all the emails i get from BT about new contracts, billing & offers etc all come to my usual works email address - i have also checked on the bt.com login page for our preferred contact email & it is the same

you say BT use this btconnect email address because you can be sure that the info is received - then surely BT are also aware that none of these emails have ever been opened or read

i keep copies of all the emails from BT about new contracts  - it does say that we get 10 email addresses free & that 1 has been activated but it is not on the order form as the contact email - my usual one is.

My 2 issues are firstly - how could our usage have gone from about 1gb/month in dec 2009 (the last time you informed us) to over 20gb/month now - & secondly - if we had been made aware we could have done something about it - either moderate our useage or move onto option 2 with unlimited allowance.  this would have been much cheaper the paying out over £100 in useage charges

Dotty

[Alun]

The preferred contact email may be something else but the notification on usage will still get sent to the btconnect.com address. As BT has thousands of customers it is not feasible to chase up every email that is sent, this is also part of the reason why it is sent to the BT email address.

alastair has also provided a few examples of scenarios that would result in higher usage.

[jassythedog]

Sorry to jump in here as I have posted seperately regarding a problem I have with BT charging for going over the 10GB limit.

Thing is I never did get an e-mail saying I was even close to going over the limit. This means as far as I am concerned that BT have charged me without warning and I was right to complain. However BT cust service is so poor they never get back to you, so I am moving to Opal who are cheaper, support business and offer no download limit.

Tony

[LDWH37]

I know this is an old thread but I have suddenly been getting excessive useage limit notices.  Only in the past 2 months.  For 6 years my useage has been 2 - 3 GB per month, as confirmed by BT when I renewed my contract last autumn.  Now the past 2 months I have got the over limit use message saying it is over 10 GB per month.  Nothing has changed, in fact I am using the internet way less than ever, I am the only one who uses it, there is no one within 1 mile (very rural).  The ONLY difference was that BT put in a new line to the property last October and since then the useage shot up, first to around 7 - 8 GB per month, and now over 10 GB.  Any ideas? Or who started this thread originally did you get to the source of your excess useage?  Thanks.