| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to phantom roaming charges on iPhones has happened again at O2. Despite O2 claiming that a software issue was resolved several months ago, recent cases suggest that the problem may still persist. Customers have reported being billed for data roaming charges even after turning off data roaming on their iPhones while abroad. Some customers have received refunds for these charges, while others have had their refund requests denied, indicating inconsistencies in O2's responses to the issue [6427].
(b) The software failure incident related to phantom roaming charges on iPhones has also been reported by customers of other networks, although the majority of cases seem to involve O2 customers. This suggests that similar incidents have occurred at multiple organizations, not just O2. Customers of different networks have experienced unexpected data charges despite turning off data roaming on their devices, leading to questions about the effectiveness of the solutions provided by mobile networks to prevent such charges [6427]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the case of O2 users experiencing "phantom roaming" charges despite turning off data roaming on their iPhones before leaving the UK. O2 admitted there was "talk of a software issue" in the past, which was supposedly resolved several months ago. However, recent cases suggest that the problem may still persist, indicating a failure introduced during the system development or updates [6427].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is evident in cases where O2 customers believed they had been billed for phantom roaming charges even though they had data roaming turned off on their iPhones. This suggests a failure introduced during the operation or misuse of the system, as users were not able to prevent the charges despite following the recommended steps to avoid data roaming charges [6427]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident related to phantom roaming charges on O2 iPhones appears to be primarily within the system. O2 users experienced unexpected data roaming charges despite turning off data roaming on their iPhones before traveling abroad. Some users reported being billed for data usage even when data roaming was switched off, leading to disputes with O2 over refunds. The issue seems to be related to how the iPhone and O2's network interact, potentially indicating a problem within the system [6427].
(b) outside_system: The contributing factors to the software failure incident do not seem to originate from outside the system based on the information provided in the articles. The focus is on the interaction between the iPhone settings, data roaming feature, and O2's billing system, suggesting that the issue lies within the system itself [6427]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
The incident of phantom roaming charges experienced by some O2 users was attributed to a potential software issue. O2 admitted there was "talk of a software issue" in the past, which was supposedly resolved several months ago. However, recent cases raised questions about whether the problem was completely fixed [6427].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
Some users who experienced phantom roaming charges despite turning off data roaming were given mixed responses by O2 when they complained. Some users were refunded the charges, while others had their refund requests turned down. O2 suggested that the issue might be due to a fault with the users' iPhones and recommended visiting an Apple store to have it checked [6427]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The incident reported in the article is primarily related to software issues rather than hardware issues. Users experienced unexpected data roaming charges on their iPhones despite turning off data roaming before leaving the UK. O2 suggested that the problem might be with the users' iPhones, but there were doubts about this explanation [6427].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The software failure incident is attributed to software issues. O2 users encountered "phantom roaming" charges even after disabling data roaming on their iPhones. O2 acknowledged a past "software issue" but claimed it had been resolved. However, recent cases indicated that the problem persisted, raising doubts about the effectiveness of the fix. Users reported being billed for data roaming charges despite having data roaming turned off, suggesting a software-related issue [6427]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the articles does not seem to be malicious. There is no indication that the failure was due to contributing factors introduced by humans with the intent to harm the system. Instead, the incident appears to be non-malicious in nature, possibly stemming from technical issues or errors within the software system itself [6427]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions, accidental_decisions |
The intent of the software failure incident in the reported articles can be attributed to both poor_decisions and accidental_decisions.
(a) poor_decisions: The incident involves poor decisions related to the software issue that led to phantom roaming charges despite users turning off data roaming on their iPhones. O2 initially admitted to a "software issue" but claimed it was resolved, yet users continued to experience the problem even after the supposed fix. This indicates a poor decision in handling and resolving the software issue [6427].
(b) accidental_decisions: On the other hand, the incident also involves accidental decisions or mistakes made by users or the software itself. Users reported unexpected data charges even after turning off data roaming, suggesting a mistake or unintended behavior in the software system that resulted in the charges. Users believed they had followed the correct steps to avoid roaming charges, but still incurred them, indicating accidental decisions or behaviors within the software system [6427]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to development incompetence:
- The incident of phantom roaming charges experienced by O2 users despite turning off data roaming on their iPhones suggests a potential software issue that was previously acknowledged by O2 [6427].
- Some users reported being billed for data roaming charges even after ensuring data roaming was switched off, indicating a possible flaw in the software system that handles data roaming settings [6427].
(b) The software failure incident occurring accidentally:
- Users complained about unexpected data charges even after turning off data roaming, implying that the issue may have been accidental or unintentional rather than a deliberate action by the users [6427].
- The ongoing problem of phantom roaming charges despite efforts to prevent them suggests that the issue may not have been intentionally introduced but rather a result of unintended consequences within the software system [6427]. |
| Duration |
permanent, temporary |
The software failure incident related to data roaming charges on iPhones experienced by O2 users can be categorized as both temporary and permanent.
Temporary: The incident seems to have occurred intermittently over a period of time. Users reported unexpected data roaming charges even after turning off data roaming on their iPhones. Some users were refunded while others were not, indicating a temporary nature of the issue [6427].
Permanent: Despite O2 claiming that a software issue was resolved several months ago and insisting there is no longer a problem, recent cases of users still experiencing phantom roaming charges suggest a potential ongoing problem that has not been fully addressed [6427]. |
| Behaviour |
omission, other |
(a) crash: The incident described in the articles does not involve a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions.
(b) omission: The software failure incident is related to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). Users reported being billed for data roaming charges despite turning off data roaming on their iPhones before traveling abroad. Some users experienced unexpected charges for data usage while abroad even though they believed they had data roaming turned off [6427].
(c) timing: The failure is not related to the system performing its intended functions too late or too early.
(d) value: The software failure incident is not about the system performing its intended functions incorrectly.
(e) byzantine: The incident does not involve the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The other behavior observed in this software failure incident is the system incorrectly charging users for data usage abroad even when they believed they had turned off data roaming on their iPhones [6427]. |