Woman shocked by $200K cell phone bill

[Teh One Who Knocks]

It was no mistake
The Associated Press


MIAMI (AP) — A South Florida woman got a shock when she opened a recent cell phone bill: she owed $201,000.

It was no mistake.

Celina Aarons has her two brothers on her plan. They are deaf and cannot speak, so the easiest way for them to communicate is by texting. Normally, that's not a problem. Aarons has a data plan that usually costs about $175.

But her brothers spent two weeks in Canada and Aarons never changed to an international plan. Her brothers sent over 2,000 texts and also downloaded videos, sometimes racking up $2,000 in data charges.

T-Mobile told Aarons the bill was correct. She called Miami TV station WSVN, which contacted T-Mobile. The station reports that T-Mobile cut Aarons' bill to $2,500 and gave her six months to pay.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Screw personal responsibility....just claim stupidity and then if that doesn't work, get the press to help to try and give the company you are dealing with some bad press until they cave :thumbsup:

[Muddy]

200k is retarded man... I'd have told them to suck my balls and they weren't getting the $2500 either..

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Exactly....claim stupidity....it's not your responsibility at all to know and understand the products you own and use on a daily basis :thumbsup:

[Muddy]

Over $200,000 for a months cell phone bill? Sure, no problem.. Stupidity it is.. ;)

[RBP]

Oh lance.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

What? I'm on your guys' side....fuck it....use and do whatever you want, who cares! Blame everyone else instead!

What? What do you mean those PPV movies were $6 each? I thought it was $6 for the whole month :confused: Do you really think I would have watched 1000 movies at $6 each if I knew that was how much they really cost? :-s

Sorry, I'm not paying...it's your fault Mr Evil Corporation :nono:


:dance:

[Muddy]

What? I'm on your guys' side....fuck it....use and do whatever you want, who cares! Blame everyone else instead!

What? What do you mean those PPV movies were $6 each? I thought it was $6 for the whole month :confused: Do you really think I would have watched 1000 movies at $6 each if I knew that was how much they really cost? :-s

Sorry, I'm not paying...it's your fault Mr Evil Corporation :nono:


:dance:

Thats only $6,000 dollars...

$201,000 is abusive and ridiculous... make the guy pay for the unlimited top tier plan they offer, and hit him with a overage fee... 200k? C'mon dude... That's a fucking prison sentence over a stupid cell phone bill that cost the cell phone company all of about 7 dollars.

[Hal-9000]

There was a story a few months back about a guy who went overseas and used his cell phone as a modem (?) to do something and left it active the entire time he was there.
I don't recall the particulars but his bill was over 600, 000.....after talking to reporters and being interviewed on TV, the provider graciously cut down the bill to something like 50, 000. (GF may remember this story as it was with Rogers)

To address both sides of the previous comments in this thread - For the user, the thing he was using his phone for was a real gray area...you had to be able to read legalese within the contract and not many users were/are aware of the caveat.e.g. Like texting, most people think it works worldwide with the same charges.

On the providers side, the user was accessing a service that costs money and they did provide the rule, buried deep within his service contract.


*wish I could remember what he was doing, as most phones use data now like computers on the net.

[Godfather]

I'd love to see the hard math showing where they get to $201,000...

But like Hal said, these stories are common. And most never make the paper. My cell phone bill is supposed to be $50 a month and somehow it's double all the time. I've called asking why on at least a dozen occasions in the last 7 years to ask why they made mistakes on their end ALL the time.

I got a $400 bill one time for calling/texting a number on my My5... it took phone calls and several emails for them to get their shit together.

[JoeyB]

$201,000 is abusive and ridiculous... make the guy pay for the unlimited top tier plan they offer, and hit him with a overage fee... 200k? C'mon dude... That's a fucking prison sentence over a stupid cell phone bill that cost the cell phone company all of about 7 dollars.

Agreed...

[Godfather]

Thats only $6,000 dollars...

$201,000 is abusive and ridiculous... make the guy pay for the unlimited top tier plan they offer, and hit him with a overage fee... 200k? C'mon dude... That's a fucking prison sentence over a stupid cell phone bill that cost the cell phone company all of about 7 dollars.

Totally.

[redred]

always read the small print they fucked up they should pay,sorry but it's not the first time a case like this has made the news so it shouldn't be new to them

[JoeyB]

always read the small print they fucked up they should pay,sorry but it's not the first time a case like this has made the news so it shouldn't be new to them

Come on, who really reads that stuff? You read all the fine print for everything? Where do you find the time, and how do you remember it all? We all get services and download programs without reading the PAGES of tiny and confusingly worded data.

This is predatory, pure and simple. Maybe they made a mistake, but...200,000 dollars? That's just bullshit.

Frankly, I find the 2500 'settlement' to be complete bullshit too.

[redred]

Come on, who really reads that stuff? You read all the fine print for everything? Where do you find the time, and how do you remember it all? We all get services and download programs without reading the PAGES of tiny and confusingly worded data.


your right i may not read it all, but i do know that when you take your phone out of the country you get stung for data charges because of cases like that being in the news, and those charges would have to be listed somewhere by law wouldn't they?

so plead the stupid case after all this is what they are for not checking

[Teh One Who Knocks]

always read the small print they fucked up they should pay,sorry but it's not the first time a case like this has made the news so it shouldn't be new to them

:gimme5:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Yes, many charges and fees are hidden in the small/fine print, but who's fault is that for not going and reading it? These morons are the ones that signed up for the plan and agreed to it, nobody put a gun to their head and made them take the service.

Perfect example, here's the plan I'm on (the voice section of my plan):

http://i.imgur.com/xSEyi.png

There's what's included in my monthly bill. Pretty straight forward and simple. It's on me if I need to use something not included in the above and I don't check it out before hand. And all you people wonder why this is turning into a nanny state. Maybe we should let the government take over wireless service so the evil corporation don't target poor unsuspecting people anymore :(

[Godfather]

My bill is straightforward too... that's why I always find it shocking that they fuck it up so regularly.

When I re-negotiated my contract it took 9 phone calls and three trips to their retailer to actually get it right, have them send me the new phone, change my monthly contract, and give me the discount they promised. Isn't that supposed to be routine?

And every time they fix their own mistake, they want my thanks, calling it an 'accommodation' :roll:

Fuck them, cell phone companies are evil.

[Hal-9000]

I pay 29 dollars per month for voice and texting, picture messages.No data.No overseas calling as I've had it locked out.I couldn't send an email on my phone if I wanted to..

I've always wondered if I could even send a text to Redred or Leefro over there in England.I guess if I can't call, I can't text to that destination.

[Godfather]

I pay 29 dollars per month for voice and texting, picture messages.No data.No overseas calling as I've had it locked out.I couldn't send an email on my phone if I wanted to..

I've always wondered ifIi could even send a text to Redred or Leefro over there in England.I guess if I can't call, I can't text to that destination.

Probably have to punch in a 27 digit number :lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I pay 29 dollars per month for voice and texting, picture messages.No data.No overseas calling as I've had it locked out.I couldn't send an email on my phone if I wanted to..

I've always wondered if I could even send a text to Redred or Leefro over there in England.I guess if I can't call, I can't text to that destination.

What about to the US?

[Hal-9000]

They may consider that an international call :lol:

I did tell them to lock it out so maybe I can't communicate with you lot down there....



:cheerlead:

[Joebob034]

They may consider that an international call :lol:

I did tell them to lock it out so maybe I can't communicate with you lot down there....



:cheerlead:

fine, I can just look online for the latest news in maple syrup

[Teh One Who Knocks]

fine, I can just look online for the latest news in maple syrup

The world's best maple syrup comes from the US anyway ;)

Vermont maple syrup > everything else

[Godfather]

Is that where they make Aunt Jemima?

[Muddy]

Aunt Jemima lives down South...