Bogus data charges from IMS Service

Hey guys -

Just a heads up to others who are using the eternity without an unlimited data plan.  I have two on a family plan.  I recently canceled my unlimited data as I wasn't using it.  I checked my current usage and noticed all sorts of data charges over the last couple of weeks.  They showed up as Internet/MEdia Net sent to ims.cingular at all sorts of random times of the day, including the middle of the night when my phones were on, but charging in the other room. 

So, I called up AT&T, spent an hour and a half on the phone with them.  I had to go through several people, most of which didn't have a clue.  The first girl kept telling me it was charges for "Instant Messaging" and could do a one time removal of the charges.  I argued with her for a while, telling her I don't use IM and even if I did, that should be charged to my text messaging, not data.  Anyway, finally got to tech support which was awesome.  Unfortunately they couldn't figure it out for sure, but made a guess that it was the IMS service that was sending data occasionally.  So I turned that off (settings -> connectivity -> IMS Settings -> IMS Service) and lo and behold, no charges in the past 36 hours (I was getting several per day before).

Bottom line is this -- if you're using this phone without unlimited data, turn off IMS Service!
<edit>
I forgot to mention.  IMS service has something to do with video share.  You can still use internet, IM, messaging, etc with that service turned off.
</edit>

-Justin

 IMS is "IP multimedia subsystem" IMS is a network architecture that allows wireless and wireline networks and devices to work together and provides for standardized interfaces between applications, network layers and back-office systems. It’s basically what will enable AT&T to deliver communications virtually anytime, anywhere and on any device.


What this basically means is that IMS is for most of our real time multimedia needs...

Anywhere from REAL time video to VoIP...


Hope this explains it for you....

I literally spent hours on the phone with AT&T trying to figure out what these charges were.  Thanks for stickying this Specialist!  Pulling from zrooster99's thread, here's what the charges in question look like (mine were exactly the same except for times and sizes of course): 

07/02    11:21 PM     ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    4KB
07/02    03:31 AM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    21KB
07/01    04:50 AM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    3KB
06/30    11:09 PM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    4KB
06/30    03:19 AM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    15KB
06/29    07:28 AM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    16KB
06/29    04:38 AM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    2KB
06/28    11:37 AM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    15KB
06/28    03:07 AM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    6KB
06/27    03:46 PM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    9KB
06/27    04:25 AM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    11KB
06/26    05:04 PM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    9KB
06/26    03:36 AM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    12KB
06/25    07:06 PM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    6KB
06/25    07:45 AM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    11KB
06/25    04:55 AM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    2KB
06/24    11:15 PM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    4KB
06/24    03:24 AM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    17KB
06/23    04:04 PM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    12KB
06/23    07:33 AM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    10KB
06/23    04:43 AM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    2KB
06/22    11:03 PM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    4KB
06/22    03:12 AM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    18KB
06/21    07:22 AM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    16KB
06/21    04:32 AM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    2KB
06/20    10:51 PM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    4KB
06/20    11:31 AM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    10KB
06/20    03:01 AM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    6KB
06/19    07:10 AM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    19KB
06/19    04:20 AM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    2KB
06/18    11:19 AM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    16KB
06/18    05:39 AM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    5KB
06/17    06:58 AM    ims.cingular    Internet/MEdia Net    Sent    19KB

 I also had the same issue, the CSR says it should be accidental usage when it is in your pocket. it shows I have used 0.3 MB of data used in past one week.Huh this is ridiiculous

i would give you a cookie if i could.

So if I had the IMS service on, which I did until I read this, can I talk to a representative to get the charges off? If so, what would I say?

I have the same issue with the other phones on my acct. There are thousands of people who are going thru this and I have seen mention of a class action suit on other forums. I for one am in favor of it be cause I am sick and tired of ATT being stubborn and unsympathic to the issue.  I don't like being nickle'd and dime'd to death (3 phone not data plan=$2-$4 a mon). If I am paying for unlimited text(pictures too) why should the only solution be to turn off something on my phone that is suppose to be include in the first place 

It is a very serious problem in our country yes.

The real problem it creates other than a higher cost of almost all of the service industries passed on to the consumer is that real and legitimate claims have a much harder time being heard in a timely fashion. Sometimes there is no recourse but to sue someone whether it is an individual or a company. When everyone out there is doing it though thinking that they "deserve" something then those that really do are getting the shaft.

I will laugh for the next 10 years while AT&T keeps any class action tied up in technicalities. There is a reason they are the oldest communications company still left in the world.