$12,000.00 Cellphone bill?

[mc1962]

Have you heard the recent news about the people that received a $12,000.00 cell bill because of over usage?  The story is:

When the St. Germains of Massachusetts got their cell phone bill, they thought surely there had been a mistake. The bill that month for the family, normally about $100, was more than $12,000. When Bob St. Germain called Verizon Wireless to inquire, he was told that the next month's bill would be nearly $6,000.

 

Verizon explained that when the family had renewed its two-year contract, a free data download promotion had ended. Not realizing the service had changed, Bryan St. Germain, then a college student, downloaded 816,000 kilobytes of data the first month and 375,000 the second. Thus, their total bill for two months was nearly $18,000.

 

I downloaded 1.19 million kilobytes last month. It cost $29.99. That's Verizon's monthly charge for an unlimited data plan for my smart phone. Two months would be $59.98.

 

We don't know what a data plan cost in 2006, but if it was free for two years, it must not have cost the company $12,000 a month. Even if the St. Germains were 100% at fault, should making a mistake with your cell phone plan cost more than a new car? -------------->> what do you think?

[muush88]

I think the laws are being changed now to prevent that. but hey this is not surprising what company isnt out to screw the masses?  Some people with unlimitted minutes are getting cancelled coz they make to many calls 

[xxchynaxx]

Thats why I have a prepaid cell phone no extra charges and no surprises!!!!!

[dreamyxo]

This is why I hate contracts and will never get another one.  Haven't had a contract on over five years.  I do just fine with my prepaid plan thank you very much.  Contracts do nothing but rip people off no thanks.

[lowki02]

I hate when a promotion or sale ends and you're not notified. This family did nothing wrong, it was Verizon Wireless who should claim responsibility for not informing their customer that the promotion was over.

[noelea]

 THAT SOUNDS CRAZY.  i only use pre-paid now. NO SURPRISES NO EXTRA FEES. I LOVE IT. I HAVE ONE FOR MY DUAGHTER ALSO PAY 85.00 A MONTH FOR BOTH INTERNET TEXTING ANYTIME USE. LOVE IT.

[thetotalfool]

I used to work indirectly for a cell phone company, and it always frustrated me when people would get surprise charges after a promo expired.  The right thing to do is to apply the unlimited data plan fee to the bills, and remove all overages.

The easiest way to avoid expensive messes is to read all the paperwork, and only buy directly from official stand-alone stores.  Most of the problems I saw were caused by mall/store kiosk employees who had no training.   

[girlswin2]

Thats crazy!!       I guess I'm just set in my ways I us my cell phone to make phone calls and nothing else.   I don't feel the need to have to have all that stuff on a phone.  My hubby uses the internet on the phone to check weather  and stuff like that but we have just a regular cell phone nothing special. 

[dkanofsky]

That kind of stuff doesn't surprise me at all. We have become so dependent on those cell phones that the majority of people just use those things continuously even when they really have nothing to say. It just makes them look important.

[mc1962]

That kind of stuff doesn't surprise me at all. We have become so dependent on those cell phones that the majority of people just use those things continuously even when they really have nothing to say. It just makes them look important.

............
you are right, I see people in Walmart talking to each other WITHIN THE STORE.......its like: "hunny I am back by the milk isle, take the soda pop isle to the toilet paper then go straight back and you will see me"    silly just silly!!  LOLOL 

[Storm61115]

i've never had that problem. i dont have a contract and i dont plan on getting one unless i really have to.

[eaustin92]

Have you heard the recent news about the people that received a $12,000.00 cell bill because of over usage?  The story is:

When the St. Germains of Massachusetts got their cell phone bill, they thought surely there had been a mistake. The bill that month for the family, normally about $100, was more than $12,000. When Bob St. Germain called Verizon Wireless to inquire, he was told that the next month's bill would be nearly $6,000.

 

Verizon explained that when the family had renewed its two-year contract, a free data download promotion had ended. Not realizing the service had changed, Bryan St. Germain, then a college student, downloaded 816,000 kilobytes of data the first month and 375,000 the second. Thus, their total bill for two months was nearly $18,000.

 

I downloaded 1.19 million kilobytes last month. It cost $29.99. That's Verizon's monthly charge for an unlimited data plan for my smart phone. Two months would be $59.98.

 

We don't know what a data plan cost in 2006, but if it was free for two years, it must not have cost the company $12,000 a month. Even if the St. Germains were 100% at fault, should making a mistake with your cell phone plan cost more than a new car? -------------->> what do you think?

omg, if that happend to me, id probably wanna die! haha that would be a nightmare. Thats why you have to be careful with cell phones haha.