Family given $13,470 phone bill after incurring data roaming fees

[midian182]

WTF?! If you’re traveling abroad, always be aware of any potential roaming fees when using your phone. As one San Jose family found out, the costly charges can quickly mount up: soon after they came home from a vacation in Vietnam, T-Mobile sent them a bill for $13,470.

Vivian Chung and her children had just come back from their annual trip to Vietnam, where they celebrated her mother’s 84^th birthday, when they received the bill for roaming and internet charges. What was even more surprising for the family was that their iPhones were set to airplane mode as a way of avoiding these fees.

The massive bill was reportedly incurred by son Nicholas during a half-hour period while flying over Vietnam. He admitted to playing games during this time but said the mobile apps were offline. However, as KGO reports, some apps that don’t require internet connections still use data to update software, send ads, or refresh social media. The chess game Nicholas was playing is one such app.

“When cellular data is on, apps and services use your cellular connection when Wi-Fi isn't available. As a result, you might be charged for using certain features and services with cellular data,” notes Apple.

T-Mobile didn’t explain why the bill was so high, but it did say Vietnam wasn’t included in its free roaming plan, though that’s now changed.

After appealing to T-Mobile, it agreed to reduce the charges to $3800. That’s still a huge amount, of course, but when ABC7 also contacted the company, it wiped the entire bill.

Remember, if you’re traveling somewhere that isn’t part of your provider’s free roaming plan, the best way to avoid fees is to turn off a phone’s cellular data.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/76194-family-given-13470-phone-bill-after-incurring-data.html

 

[amstech]

One of the biggest jokes is how much these phone companies charge for data usage, to force users into getting 'unlimited' data plans, that are not 'unlimited' but cost well over $100.

My Verizon bill is $79 a month, its for 2 smartphones with 2GB shared, and its the most I will pay, phones are paid off.

 

[NimbusTLD]

My Verizon bill is $79 a month, its for 2 smartphones with 2GB shared

$80 for 2 GB?? **** I thought Australia was expensive. My wife pays AU$16 a month for 3 GB and unlimited calls and texts. And she doesn't even have to share it with me.

I recently went on holiday to Malaysia, bought a SIM with unlimited data for 1 month for US$10...

Is it really this bad in the USA?

 

[ShagnWagn]

My Verizon bill is $79 a month, its for 2 smartphones with 2GB shared

$80 for 2 GB?? **** I thought Australia was expensive. My wife pays AU$16 a month for 3 GB and unlimited calls and texts. And she doesn't even have to share it with me.

I recently went on holiday to Malaysia, bought a SIM with unlimited data for 1 month for US$10...

Is it really this bad in the USA?

The base price isn't, but if you add on monthly charges for purchasing phones, then warranty, and taxes, then it could be. Any carrier can also throw in bullcrap charges as well.
https://www.verizonwireless.com/plans/#shared

"After appealing to T-Mobile, it agreed to reduce the charges to $3800"

Gee, thanks?

t-mobile execs need another vacation home, because that wouldn't be going into their infrastructure.

 

[NicktheWVAHick]

Last month I confiscated all of my family’s iphones on the plane at JFK, turned off their cellular data and roaming, turned OFF the phones, put them in the hotel safe for 2 weeks in Europe, turned them back on at JFK, and still came back with $10 daily AT&T “international day user” charges. Somethings not right.

 

[mbrowne5061]

Turning your phone to airplane mode is not sufficient these days. You need to pull the sim card if you really don't want your network to know you traveled abroad with your device. Mine comes out state-side, before I get on the plane, and I buy a prepaid card when I land.

 

[Capaill]

In Europe, the mobile operators have a feature called Anti Bill Shock (ABS) where a roaming subscriber would be blocked at around $60 of usage and would have to click a link to accept the charges to continue. And would then get the same block at every multiple of $60. Does this not exist for US cellular operators?

 

[Theinsanegamer]

The "uncarrier" ladies and gentlement, same as the carriers.

 

[Squid Surprise]

In Europe, the mobile operators have a feature called Anti Bill Shock (ABS) where a roaming subscriber would be blocked at around $60 of usage and would have to click a link to accept the charges to continue. And would then get the same block at every multiple of $60. Does this not exist for US cellular operators?

Canada has this at $100.... which I found out when I got cut off in the middle of my Paris vacation.... I had Rogers' "roam like home" which is an additional $12 a day.... on the 9th day of my trip, my data was cut off - and I received a text saying if I was OK paying, to type in "GOROAM".... I did that and of course it said "error".... Called Rogers and they manually enabled it (required turning off and on my cell phone - which was annoying as that was the phone I was on tech support with!!)...

"Roaming" is quite the scam these days... almost every major carrier has agreements with carriers abroad so there really should only be charges somewhere like Antarctica or the north pole...

 

[Sausagemeat]

Crazy. I travel to SE Asia a lot and you can get a prepaid SIM with about 10GB on it for like $40.

 

[wiyosaya]

In Europe, the mobile operators have a feature called Anti Bill Shock (ABS) where a roaming subscriber would be blocked at around $60 of usage and would have to click a link to accept the charges to continue. And would then get the same block at every multiple of $60. Does this not exist for US cellular operators?

In the US? LOL
US laws tend to be favorable to the company and not the consumer. It is supposed to further "Trickle Down Economics" which amounts to feeling something land on your head, then realizing you've now got a head full of that white stuff that is bird urine, and as a consumer in the US, you are supposed to jump for joy.

These overage charges are total BS. They amount to an upsell - because companies can do this.

 

[p51d007]

Gotta love it...just like how when someone sues, they sue for 100,000.00 but....we'll "settle" for 5,000.00
Same with these international roaming fees garbage. Send them a bill for 14,000 bucks, but, because we are soooooooooo nice, we'll "allow" you off the hook for 3,800.00
STILL a ripoff!
Remember when phones first became wireless? They charged a pretty penny for how many minutes you used. Then came text, which didn't cost the carrier a DIME to send/receive as it piggy backs on the cellular signal. Then data came along and out of the goodness of their heart, they "give" you free minutes & text, but charge a premium for data!
I use straight talk. I know each month, my bill is 50 bucks, tax included. 10 GB data (enough for me, I'm on wi-fi most of the time anyway), unlimited everything else.
None of this 49/month plus tax, plus this surcharge, plus that fee, plus this and that.

 

[cliffordcooley]

Does this not exist for US cellular operators?

No, because our government no longer works for the people.

 

[Khanonate]

One of the biggest jokes is how much these phone companies charge for data usage, to force users into getting 'unlimited' data plans, that are not 'unlimited' but cost well over $100.

My Verizon bill is $79 a month, its for 2 smartphones with 2GB shared, and its the most I will pay, phones are paid off.

Glad I pay $60 a month for 2 phones, unlimited everything....

 

[adamrussell]

Airplane mode is supposed to be a safety feature. So if its still sending data, then how is that protecting the aircraft?

 

[Squid Surprise]

Airplane mode is supposed to be a safety feature. So if its still sending data, then how is that protecting the aircraft?

Lol, the airplane was never in any jeopardy... if it was, you wouldn’t be allowed to take cell phones on a plane at all

 

[cliffordcooley]

Lol, the airplane was never in any jeopardy...

I don't really believe that. What I do believe is that the danger was eliminated, well before airplane mode was ever invented. But they wanted us to believe in a threat continuation, and engineered a lie in using airplane mode.

 

[Sir Alex Ice]

Come to Romania:
- unlimited calls to all country's networks
- unlimited calls to all land numbers in the EU and a few extra countries (and US and Canada... I think)
- 2~4 hours or so mobile calls anywhere in the EU, I don't remember
- unlimited SMS pretty much to the Moon or Mars
- 6Gb traffic included, 4G/LTE speeds
Cost: 12 Euro / less than 15$ per month

And this is one of the 2nd class rates, not the cheapest of the bunch.

 

[That Dude There]

Data is the biggest scam. It is nothing. They charge you for nothing. I work hard and sweat for my money, while they literally just have money pour in. Yes they invested in towers, but that probably was paid for by old school land line phone bills, and tax payers money. The fact that they charged $13,000 is laughable, and even had the nerve to still try to get them to pay $3800 is shameful. I don't like any of these companies.

 

[Danny101]

So Airplane Mode is really just a spoofing ploy.