topic Re: Huge data bill in Sky Mobile

Huge data bill

Coopes57 — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 17:27:09 GMT

My wife visited Cameroon for 3 days and switched her data off whilst there. We have received our bill today stating she used 90GB costing £194 !!!!!

is there a way of checking the usage for which app or whatever ? Sky say to set the usage date but we can't seem to do that.

its an iPhone 14

Re: Huge data bill

caesarome — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 17:31:18 GMT

@Coopes57

She should haved switch data and roaming off before leaving the UK because as soon as the device conects to a tower data will be used, if only in the background. Making calls and sending text will also see the charge stack up.

Does anything show against the bill itself ?

Re: Huge data bill

Coopes57 — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 17:36:39 GMT

Nothing on the bill. Just the date ! We assumed that turning data roaming off and using WiFi it wouldn't incure cost in data

Re: Huge data bill

63johnw — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 17:41:04 GMT

Hi @Coopes57 as mentioned data and roaming should have been switched off before leaving the UK, flight mode also should be activated just to be doubly safe then connect to free WiFi when available. As you have found it doesn't take long to run up a big bill. Did you not have spend caps set ?

Re: Huge data bill

Coopes57 — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 17:44:34 GMT

Didn't have a cap set unfortunately....... is there no way of checking what app used the data to stop it happening again

Re: Huge data bill

Daniel0210 — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 17:46:38 GMT

@Coopes57

To stop it happening again the advice from @caesarome and @63johnw should be sufficient.

Re: Huge data bill

Coopes57 — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 17:52:38 GMT

Ok, thank you all for responding........... will have to wait and see what Sky say, I still feel agrieved at the fact that this happened without her even knowing

Re: Huge data bill

63johnw — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 18:01:52 GMT

@Coopes57 wrote:
Didn't have a cap set unfortunately....... is there no way of checking what app used the data to stop it happening again

Your phones data monitor can show you what's used data but not specifically when @Coopes57

Sky won't be able to tell you either and as you have admitted the data has been used and you didn't set any spend caps then unfortunately you will be liable for the payments.

Re: Huge data bill

63johnw — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 18:02:48 GMT

Just to add @Coopes57 its unlikely to be one app, it will be many apps working in the background, emails etc.

Re: Huge data bill

Coopes57 — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 18:12:01 GMT

Thanks again

Re: Huge data bill

oj01 — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 18:15:36 GMT

@Coopes57 wrote:
My wife visited Cameroon for 3 days and switched her data off whilst there. We have received our bill today stating she used 90GB costing £194 !!!!!
is there a way of checking the usage for which app or whatever ? Sky say to set the usage date but we can't seem to do that.
its an iPhone 14

90GB seems an awful lot without realizing that it was being used. Having said that, 90GB would cost a lot more than £194 I would have thought. Are you sure those figures are accurate?

Re: Huge data bill

Coopes57 — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 18:32:20 GMT

That what Sky have put in our bill

surely there should be a disclaimer somewhere to say just switching data roaming off will not stop usage and being charged

Re: Huge data bill

63johnw — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 18:33:36 GMT

But if she waited until she arrived then the phone will have connected to the local network and used the data @Coopes57

Re: Huge data bill

Coopes57 — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 18:39:59 GMT

We wwmere not made aware of that otherwise we would have done it

Re: Huge data bill

PandJ2020 — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 18:42:04 GMT

@Coopes57 wrote:
We wwmere not made aware of that otherwise we would have done it

The problem is all the costs are detailed in the contract/tariff and they were incurred.

You are at the mercy of goodwill deductions.

Re: Huge data bill

TimmyBGood — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 21:18:30 GMT

@oj01 wrote:

@Coopes57 wrote:

My wife visited Cameroon for 3 days and switched her data off whilst there. We have received our bill today stating she used 90GB costing £194 !!!!!

90GB seems an awful lot without realizing that it was being used. Having said that, 90GB would cost a lot more than £194 I would have thought. Are you sure those figures are accurate?

90MB at the regular £2.16 per megabyte 'Rest of World' pricing is almost exactly right for that cost, and somewhat quicker to burn through without knowing it.

Having said this, according to the Sky Mobile Tariff Guide cellular data in Cameroon itself on a Sky SIM is actually twice that rate: I guess it's not impossible there was inadvertent usage in the airspace above a neighbouring country where the more usual £2.16 applied, prior to roaming being switched off.

90 gigabytes at £4.32 per megabyte would be a quite astoundingly huge amount of money for a phone bill: it's rather more than what Rightmove says is now the average UK house price....