Unusually High Internet usage and Overage charges.

[randyMundt]

I have 2 TV's that stream, other than that there is not a lot else connecting to the internet. I have a $159.00 for 1.2T that apparently due to overage charges is now more than $500.00 for a one month usage. I am more than ready to find another service provider that doesn't gouge it's customers. We pay the bill every month, there is no excuse to be charging overages for more than $340.00. 

[ComcastTeds]

@randyMundt 

Apologies for the issue and the experience that you described above. 

As a courtesy, I have credited back any late charges, reactivation fees and data overage charges incurred over the past 24 months. I hope that helps in making the overall balance due more manageable.

Those credits will post overnight and will be available to view in My Account.

I've aslo asked our data team to review your account and contact you directly. 

Thanks for your patience. 

Providing some additional information, background and tips below from our team that does the data overage reviews.  

Customer owned devices 
- One example are devices like Ubiquiti uNiFi, which our team most commonly sees as an issue with data usage.  The device has an internal metering system along with a periodic speed test built into it. The speed test can accrue massive amounts of data usage without reporting to its own internal metering system because it’s part of its system functions, not a device using data even though it is using data. We report its usage because we monitor for all data traffic going to and from the modem/network, not per device connected to their network.

- The number and kinds of devices connected to your network matters.  Suggestion is to log into your router to see and verify all the devices connected to your network" (very applicable with customer owned devices). 

Metering System: 
-  Comcast does not have direct access into the metering system to the extent to be able to artificially input or output data usage results or information. Our metering system is regularly audited as well where information on it can be gathered from https://www.netforecast.com/.
It includes everything from the yearly audits to how the metering system works on a technical level. This is done third party outside of Comcast.

Comcast data metering accuracy reports at the link below:
https://www.netforecast.com/comcast-internet-usage-accuracy-reports/

- The metering system is delayed by up to 24 hours. "I watched my meter and it went up by 100GB in the last 3 hours and I just booted up my computer for 15 minutes!" is not accurate - the metering timeframe is not 1:1 - its delayed because it needs to validate data and remove any data that we do not count towards the metering system. This includes things like firmware updates we push out and any other possible data we may push to the network for normal operations.

- Greatest opportunity with Windows 10 devices.  Windows 10 has a built in data usage meter for its own data tracking per application/software used on the device for 30 days(Settings -> Network & Internet -> Data Usage tab).

- Similarly could be done for other devices, ex: “Go into Netflix settings and make sure that it pauses after not watching it for a while”, etc.

Overall:
There is no trend or consistency indicating an issue in metering, but rather these have all been unique issues per network requiring the subscriber to troubleshoot/review their network.

The common trend topic is “there is no way I can use this much data”.  While the number amount of data a customer can see on the meter is more than what they know to be using, doesn’t mean it isn’t being used.

Common data users:
- Streaming devices left on even when TVs are turned off – continuously streaming and/or misconfigured settings on streaming devices
- Data backups (including cloud backups)
- Large file downloads for entertainment (video games, updates, locally downloaded movies/videos from online services, etc.) or business purposes (files of information/data for business needs, Data backups downloaded from or uploaded to, etc.)

[strega7]

If those TVs are 4K, you might want to set them to HD streaming. Have you already used your courtesy month?  Also, this page says overage fees are capped at $100. 

https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/data-usage-exceed-usage

Other options: you should be able to find Internet plans at Xfinity for well below $159.  In fact, I could add unlimited data to my plan and still be well below that.  It looks like you're paying for a very fast plan, but two TVs and "not a lot else" probably don't need it.

[Jmang]

This is happening to me all the sudden this month also. I have never come close to going over and now all the sudden I have blown past the allotted terabyte with no changes in my activity. Actually I have gotten rid of some stuff that used wifi. I feel this is another comcast sneak by all the posts I have seen saying they had a spike

[tsmith556]

I couldn't agree more. I have had xfinity/comcast for way over 23+  years and I have not once been notified that I was nearing my limit.  Nothing on my end has changed, but all of a sudden I going over my limit. This just so happened during the pandemic where my state has shut down. Talk about being kicked in the teeth when you are already down. I think it's funny they're charging me overages, and my service is down at least once a week (either internet cable or usually both). Where is the refund for all that lost time? And yes, I have called and complained, basically to someone in a third world country who can barely speak English. I think it's time to look for a new provider. This is absolutely ridiculous.