My data is being used in the wrong order?

gianluca11
gianluca11 Posts: 6 ✭✭
edited March 2021 in My Mobile

I initially thought that data was used in the order of which data would expire first, but my friend gifted me data that will expire in about 60 days and now I see that that data is being used now instead of the data I have that will expire in 10 days. Is this normal? And is there anything I could do to fix this? Thanks.

Best Answer

  • Idefizz
    Idefizz Posts: 2,997 ✭✭
    Answer ✓

    Without a screenshot from your part, I give you my understanding. So bear with me, it involves blue arrows and different expiration periods depending on data type.

    SHORT ANSWER: It is because the 10 days you see is literally for the plan, not its data.

    Also, your plan's data will be rolled over further (i.e. on a later date) than the gifted data which inherits YOUR cycle and NOT your friend's anymore. So the date you receive data from your friend influences the bucket prioritization. And to be precise, this excludes data you received from yourself in a past rollover operation.

    LONG ANSWER:

    It is indeed expressed by many members that the consumption will be picked from the block that will expire first. But I believe (and so can be mistaken) it is not entirely accurate because data changes timeline (from your friend to yours). Looking at the official sources:

    • In the Rollover's promotion, your plan's unused data will be rolled over other 2 months. See: https://fizz.ca/en/rollover
    • In the Rollover's documentation: "The blue arrow will tell you which data bucket you are currently using" . See : https://fizz.ca/en/faq/how-do-i-know-if-i-have-rollover
    • In that same paragraph #4, "Gifted data is valid until the end of the RECIPIENT's payment cycle that follows the cycle during which the data was gifted. For example, say I receive gifted data on May 15, but my payment cycle ends on May 27. That gifted data will therefore be valid up until the end of my next payment cycle on June 27th"
    • In the Data gifting's documentation you can observe an important illustration where a Perk has precedence over the Plan (because of the blue arrow). See: https://fizz.ca/en/faq/what-is-data-gifting-and-how-does-it-work I believe this is because Perks do not carry over as far as a Plan (30 days usually). So even it the plan expires in 9 days, its unused data will be rolled over for 2 months afterwards thus have in reality a longer expiration period. In other words, the 9 days left is for the plan (literally expressed) and not the data. ALSO you can observe that the plan is somewhat consumed (20%-ish) but it is the perk that is chosen, and that is because the perk was received in between.


    Searching the forum, I read that rarely a bug created an anomaly and was only fixed by chatting with Fizz. This could apply to you if my answer is unsatisfactory


    PS: Fun fact: "Gifted data always match the recipient’s coverage. For example, if you have Quebec coverage and gift data to someone with Canada - US coverage, the data you gift will have Canada - US coverage". So no bad surprises coverage-wize.


    I really hope this clarifies things.

Answers

  • StefanM
    StefanM Posts: 1,453 ✭✭

    I think @Idefizz assessment is the closest answer you can get. From what I could see in my account, rollover data is always lesser in priority than gifted data, even when it expires earlier.

  • StefanM
    StefanM Posts: 1,453 ✭✭

    This might be a good suggestion for the future. Maybe fizz can implement it that data that expires soon is used first!

  • Idefizz
    Idefizz Posts: 2,997 ✭✭
    edited March 2021

    It is still the case: the data to be used in priority is the one that will expire first.

    I believe the problem is more in the way it is presented than algorithm behind. The " x days left" is applied for different types of information. It means something different for the plan itself than for the plan's data. (click to enlarge)

    And that new bucket will be called Rollover, thus actually surviving the 0.10GB Perk shown. That is why the blue arrow is on the PERK and not the Monthly Plan despite SHOWING a longer expiration period.

  • gianluca11
    gianluca11 Posts: 6 ✭✭
    edited March 2021


    Perhaps I should clarify with a screenshot. Indeed the blue arrow is at the top as it should be, but yesterday I was watching a movie with my data so I could clearly see the data going down gradually. But the data that was going down was the data part of the 4 GB of data that had been gifted to me which has 58 days left and not the 1 GB perk which only has 10 days left! That's the problem. So it isn't like you said that the 10 days I see are for the plan. I always thought that it was cool that the data that expires first is the one used first which is why despite the 1 GB Rollover being partly used when I added a perk which expired first, the perk started being used instead. But now I added a gift expecting the perk to continue being used, but the gift is being used instead even if it's not at the top of the list.


  • Idefizz
    Idefizz Posts: 2,997 ✭✭

    Interesting.

    And when did you receive that 4GB Gift exactly ? Maybe the algorithm rounds by the day and thus ignores the time of day. For instance, if you received the 4GB in the same day you started to consume a lot, maybe the algorithm is meant to switch bucket only the next day. Another way to answer that is to observe how it consumes 24h hours after the receiving time.

    Now, the advert on the page does mention that the consumption prioritize the oldest data ... BETWEEN the monthly plan data vs Rollover data. It does not mention the other data types (like Perks or Gift). That indeed requires further clarification:

    Your mobile plan will always use the oldest data first (thus, your rolled over data).

    see: https://fizz.ca/en/rollover#:~:text=Your%20mobile%20plan%20will%20always,gifted%20to%20another%20Fizz%20member.

    All in all, as I shortly mentioned, some people DID in fact have real bucket prioritization issues and was fixed only by chatting with Fizz. By the use-case you are showing us now, I believe you deserve a clear answer by chatting with them. If you do, please come back tell us a more informed story.

  • gianluca11
    gianluca11 Posts: 6 ✭✭

    Thank you Idefizz. Indeed I got the gift yesterday the same day I used a lot of data. I also contacted Fizz so I'll let you know what happens!

  • StefanM
    StefanM Posts: 1,453 ✭✭

    Same thing in my case. Hence my suggestion. Either something is wrong with the way they display it, or it has not been implemented.

    Exactly the same as with gianluca11. So it is not used in the priority of days. Can only tell you what I see in my account.

  • mwong
    mwong Posts: 88 ✭✭

    I found that too. Once upon a time , there was around 120m data stay blue and I never were able to use it, until it finally expired.

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