Maybe they need a better calculator.

My husband and I have the 200 MB data plan from AT&T.  We have a wireless router at our house and try to use wifi when we are out and about.  We rarely go over our data usage.  About a week and a half ago, he got a message telling him he had used 65% of his data, so he started being mindful about when and where he used his phone.  Yesterday he got a 90% alert. 

We have really been trying to cut excess spending, so he disabled all of the push notifications and tried to disable the 4g.  He also checked to see exactly what his usage was and was surprised to see he had only used 109 MB.  Most people could figure out that that is just above 50% (54.5% to be exact).  Not that complicated... or so one would think.

He asked me to call AT&T to see which was correct.  Oh, my!  From the beginning, the customer service gal was not understanding the problem.  She confirmed that the 109 MB usage was correct.  I told her they needed to figure out why the alert was sent.  She said it was for both of us.  Though I, too, had only used 50%.  Trying to explain that was like trying to explain algebra to a kindergartner.  She kept saying, "Yes, but it is for both lines."  She finally realized that 200 out of 400 is not 90% no matter how you figure it.  Though probably 5 times she put me on a brief hold to calculate.  Then she decided my complaint was that it only took a week to go from 65% to 90% and started asking if we had used the internet connection.  Never mind the fact that both lines are nowhere near 65% according to the system. 

Finally she said I could upgrade my plan to be sure I wouldn't go over.  I didn't need an upgrade!  I have barely used half the data with only a week to go!  I told her, "Here's what I'm going to do.  I am going to take your name, write down the exact usage you are showing with the date and if I get charged overage, I will be calling back to get a refund."  She didn't have much of a response.

All I wanted was a confirmation that the alert was an error, and if so, bring it to their attention that the error had occurred.  Or, a guarantee that we would not be charged an overage would have been nice.  I was amazed at how difficult that was to explain.  I still don't know if she ever understood.