cell phone bill

Be alert consumers! A class action lawsuit has revealed that millions of customers may have been overcharged by AT&T, reports MSNBC. The lawyers handling the case hired a computer firm for $80,000 to test the gadgets against different carriers and found that AT&T "systematically overstated the amount of data used on virtually every transaction."

In fact, the company is being accused of routinely overcharging about seven to 14 percent on iPhones and iPads for data usage. However, there are cases in which the firm has overcharged up to 300 percent. These overcharges can on average cost you about an extra $10 to $15 a month.

Further, you might also be susceptible to "phantom" charges — engineers bought a new iPhone and disabled software and functions that would trigger data charges, and received a bill that charged them for 35 "phantom" transactions. AT&T customers, here are some tips to save on data usage and your money:

• Check your data usage. Track your data usage constantly, just like you check your minutes and your texts. Take note of any transaction that doesn't sit right with you.
• Use WiFi. When you can, use WiFi to reduce data usage and take advantage of the unlimited WiFi plan.
• Check quickly with these shortcuts. Call *DATA# on your cell or download the myAT&T app to check the data usage.
• Turn data roaming off when overseas. Don't end up with a huge bill after your travels and turn the data roaming on your phone off when you're abroad. Use WiFi instead and consider temporarily purchasing the firm's international data packages if you have need of it or will be overseas for a long length of time. For more ways to save when you're away from home, tech-savvy GeekSugar advises to turn your "Fetch" and "Push" functions off, Skype, and load up on offline apps before your international trip.

Verizon announced yesterday that it will refund $90 million to 15 million customers who were wrongly charged for Internet and data use on recent bills. The refund, which is one of the largest ever offered, came after news of a possible FCC investigation into customer complaints about unauthorized charges on their bills. The refunds will be between $2 and $6 per customer, and will show up as a credit on October or November billing statements. Customers who have left the Verizon network will be issued a refund check for any money they're owed.

Find out who should expect a refund after the break.

Mixed feelings about AT&T's new data plans are warranted — after all, it fundamentally changes the way that customers are billed for data usage. Now, new information means the news that Verizon is considering a similar pricing structure for its data plans shouldn't surprise anyone. Apparently, Verizon smartphone users consume the most data each month according to a company that analyzed over 20,000 phone bills between January and May of this year.

For their interesting findings, keep reading

With the iPhone 4 looming in our near future, AT&T has been preparing by making some changes. AT&T has already upped the early termination fee to retain customers, and now it has decided to do away with the unlimited data plan and add tethering to compete with other smartphones on the market that already have that feature.

The interesting part of these changes? The celebrated $30 a month unlimited plan for your iPad will also be affected. New iPad customers (once the price structures go into effect) will also be subject to the new data plans and prices. Find out how everything breaks down after the jump.

I've posted a few tips regarding international roaming before, but user beware — you could rack up quite the bill if you're using your phone on a foreign network abroad. Even on a cruise just outside of the US with a cellular service available, charges can skyrocket if you can't keep things short. Although Charlotte may not need to worry about the cost of international roaming charges, she does spend quite a bit of time plugging in text messages and making calls to Harry back home in Sex and the City 2. Even Carrie takes in a long convo in Abu Dhabi, which left me wondering just how much they spent on wireless calls during their fabulous vacation in the desert.

See what I came up with after the break.

When a friend (who is gainfully employed) confessed that her parents still pay her phne bill, I was shocked! She had been on a family plan for years, and just hadn't bothered to leave the plan. When I asked if your parents still paid your phone bill, you had some seriously strong (and some shocking) reactions. But about 40 percent of you have parents who still pay your phone bill. Here, what you had to say:

• "I got my phone when I was sixteen — the condition for me getting a cell phone was that I had to be able to pay for it. I've always paid for my own bill and any new phones I've wanted." — clairestrose
• "Actually my mom is on my husband and my family plan. She only pays us every once in a while. My younger sister used to be on our plan too." — reboehme
• "I have trouble taking employed people who have their parents pay their bills seriously. " — joliz
• "My mom has always paid my phone bill. I'm in college right now and it helps out. " — ManiMartinixo
• "In college my parents paid for the cell and even for a year or two after while I got on my feet joining the real world but once my job started paying decent I paid my own bill. But when my parents paid my bills if I wanted the fancy phone I had to pay for it on my own. Now, the plan is in my mom's name because of her county discount but I pay the bill every month." — Anonymous