Out of plan data being used when in-plan data still available

[Ski_Sunday]

My data usage history shows zero in-plan data usage from last August onwards but my out of plan data has gone down by approx 12GB in 5 months, which equates to my normal data usage. 
Has anyone seen this before?

Support don’t seem to get it even with my screenshots to help them, how can i speak to a human?

[MSF]

@Ski_Sunday Yes, I have seen this situation.

I had a 2Gb data add on sitting on my account but was not using my monthly data allowance and so the add on remained untouched. A few months ago, the add on suddenly started being used instead of my plan data and so I queried this.

It took a fair bot of digging - most staff were unaware - but the system has changed so that it uses any data add on first.

Now, in fairness my data add on was a complementary one (as a 'sorry' for an earlier mistake) and it was explained to me that it was used up now for that reason. From what you say, it may be that ALL data add ons sitting on an account are used before plan data.

How you will get a definitive answer, goodness knows, because I think that Smarty may have made their systems more complicated than many of their staff can deal with - judging by the time it took me to get a proper reply. Good luck!!!!

[Ski_Sunday]

Wow, thanks for your reply. 
i had bought a data add on and also had some extra free because I had seen that when i got low on my plan data it stopped using plan data and ate out of my add on. So if they have changed the rules to use out of plan data first before using plan data it doesn’t seem fair as it’s not how it worked when the purchase was made - Good till used - means nothing if they use it up first. 

[MSF · Accepted solution]

@Ski_Sunday The thing is that a lot of Smarty staff didn't seem to know about it, but it was confirmed for me (I forget exactly who it was now).

[Ski_Sunday]

Actually I've just found a line in the 'terms and conditions' that mentions a use case for out of plan data, it states:

"5.18 If you have unused data in a Data Add-on you can use to roam in the EU once you’ve used up your monthly EU data fair use limit."

So it really doesn't make any sense for them to argue that out of plan data is to be used before your in-plan data. when this clearly states the opposite.

[MSF]

@Ski_Sunday  Since when did everything make sense??🙄

[Ski_Sunday]

I persevered with my complaint and to give them their due they did investigate the usage and came back saying that it was due to a change they had made and was an unexpected side effect. Initially they had offered me £5 before i pushed back and they investigated fully, now they’ve apologised, given me 16GB of out of plan data and 3 months of my line rental as cash back to my credit card. So i’m happy with that and once I raised it as a complaint it got investigated properly and Imm happy with that too. Big 👍 to Smarty. 

[MSF]

@Ski_Sunday  Looks like you done good there!!!!😎

Question is.......will your 16Gb of data be used before your plan data - as they explained to Meis now the rule with complimentary data add on?

I think you are right - where people put a clear and sensible point to them, it does frequently get properly investigated.

[Ski_Sunday]

Haha, I hope it won’t get used ip prematurely,  my out of plan data suddenly just stopped being used up , but that maybe becuase what I have left now was purchased instead of being gifted by them. Time will tell. 

[Ski_Sunday]

Oh well, I was wrong, out of plan data now being used up, seems the issue isn’t fixed yet at all…

[MSF]

@Ski_Sunday See my earlier comment of 09/01/2025 🤣