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298 Comments
- newtonip, on 04/26/2009, -0/+222This has happened often enough that carriers know it is possible but they take no precautions against it. They are purposely allowing customers to rake up huge bills by mistake so that they can profit from it.
I bet that they reduced his bill to the $17,000 they claim it cost them because he made a fuss about it.
They could could set the default to disable data roaming or international roaming and make it necessary to have their customers enable it. Or, they could have a system that notifies the customer if he is starting to accumulate unusually high charges (like my bank and credit card issuer already do).
I know this is possible because my Canadian carrier (PC mobile) disables it by default, if I want to roam internationally, I have to enter a code (I think its #PCROAM) before leaving Canadian land or call a 1-800 number and ask for it. - IOhBot, on 04/25/2009, -5/+216It's just crazy that in this day and age, ***** like this can still happen. The mobile carriers are right up there with the sleazy music/video content cartels for just blind ripping off consumers and being totally out of touch with newer technologies which they seem to take as a threat instead of an opportunity as they cling to their old ways of doing things.
- dagwood, on 04/26/2009, -1/+176"the carrier reduced the bill to $17,000, arguing that the five-figure charge was what it cost them to deliver the movie"
riiiiiight - oboshoe, on 04/26/2009, -2/+166If it really cost $17,000 to deliver the movie, then how can they offer international data roaming for less than $100?
They very fact that they have a relatively cheap international roaming plan illustrates that the $17k figure is a lie. - NiftyG, on 04/26/2009, -0/+154My credit card has a limit. If I spend too much, it stops working.
Cell phones should have a limit as well. - GrayOne, on 04/26/2009, -0/+152They blame the carriers because the average user probably believes they are going to be charged more for roaming, but not something unholy like $62,000
It doesn't cost $62,000 to transfer 700MB anywhere. Even getting data back from the Mars rovers would be cheaper. - blowjustinup, on 04/26/2009, -2/+130No one said it was an illegal download..
- Jerim, on 04/26/2009, -1/+122They say they are just passing the costs along to the customer, but then they go on to state that had he signed up for the international plan, he would have gotten a much cheaper rate. It doesn't make sense that there is a cheaper rate plan, if they are simply passing the costs along to the customer. It should all be the same price regardless in that case.
- inactive, on 04/26/2009, -9/+127Why should that stop the MPAA?
- arizona01, on 04/26/2009, -35/+147$62,000 is nothing compared to what the MPAA is going to sue him for.
- robbiedo, on 04/26/2009, -1/+110I am really bothered by this on several levels:
1. The original bill was over 60k.
2. Their markup was 17k to 62k, a 45k profit?
3. What would the cost had been if there was an international roaming data plan?
4. What do they charge local customers?
5. Could the end user have had even a reasonable/informed expectation to the end cost. - UberNick, on 04/26/2009, -1/+78Not when you consider that the packets were delivered via carrier pigeon
- ARTLUKM, on 04/26/2009, -3/+68I'm usually all for free markets and capitalism. But this is ***** *****, and should be completely illegal. There should be a $1000 cap on any monthly cell phone bill. Period.
- inactive, on 04/26/2009, -0/+58No credit card is going to let you charge $62,000 over your limit.
- rmw132, on 04/24/2009, -3/+57That's worse than Montezuma's revenge.
- dasunst3r, on 04/26/2009, -1/+49$ 17,000 = 680 copies of WALL-E on Blu-Ray, 3-disc special edition with digital copy. Would you like FREE Super Saver shipping with that?
- azAZ09, on 04/26/2009, -1/+45I wonder how much they would charge for the popcorn.
- TheNepenthe, on 04/26/2009, -0/+41FINALLY someone points that out!
-Exactly- - Networktwenty3, on 04/26/2009, -2/+41The mobile phone companies are sure fast to text you when your bill is due, but never tell you that you are going over your 400 text messages, or you are going into excessive costs. ***** them.
- biblebelter, on 04/26/2009, -8/+45good movie, but not THAT good. O.O
- alwilson, on 04/26/2009, -0/+34Looks like the perfect excuse to file bankruptcy.
- MWeather, on 04/26/2009, -1/+34At 6,553.6 messages per megabyte and $0.15 per SMS an 8 GB DVD would cost $8,053,063.68.
- Ajajadude, on 04/26/2009, -0/+32And smoke signals.
- Asianwaste, on 04/26/2009, -0/+30Ironic thing? It's a movie about society's dependence on technology gone awry.
- kanojo1969, on 04/26/2009, -1/+29Bingo.
It's just a sign of how stupid and out of touch the telco is that they don't think we could figure that out. Disgusting. - duggdowncatisad, on 04/26/2009, -1/+28I'm going to open a restaurant, put "all prices are in thousands" in 4 point type on the back of the menu, and get people like you to come eat there.
- forcwithu, on 04/26/2009, -1/+27that's really ***** of the phone company...
- Technopundit, on 04/26/2009, -0/+26But where's the profit in that?
- ARTLUKM, on 04/26/2009, -2/+28*****: this sort of thing has happened in the United States and Canada too.
Just one example: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7141935.stm
Are you this much of a prick in real life too, or just when you're hiding behind the computer with a picture of a gun in your digg profile? - Khast, on 04/26/2009, -2/+26Should have just bought the DVD, it would have been cheaper.
- duggdowncatisad, on 04/26/2009, -4/+28Don't be so sure about that, many of them let you keep charging over the limit and then nail you with an over the limit fee.
- Super6, on 04/26/2009, -1/+251. That's very scummy of the phone company, there's no way in hell it costs that over 1k, much less 17k for the data
2. That guy was retarded, talk time costs more overseas, did he not think that data would too and did he not realize he was getting a fairly large amount of data? - ARTLUKM, on 04/26/2009, -1/+23It's not possible to "use more than $1000 worth of service" on a cell phone. Cell phone plans are a ***** scam to begin with, let alone this *****.
- Cliffjumper182, on 04/26/2009, -3/+24I bet if he downloaded the movie illegally the mpaa would have sued him for less...
- linagee, on 04/26/2009, -1/+22$632/min. What a movie! ($62,000 / 98 minutes)
- TheNepenthe, on 04/26/2009, -0/+20Wow, no kidding on #2.
- sexybobo, on 04/26/2009, -1/+21If you read his comment.
They said the $17k is what it cost them.
Then they say it would have been a lot cheaper if he had signed up for a roaming plan.
How would him signing a different plan make it cost the phone company less? - freshgrease, on 04/26/2009, -9/+29Was going to RAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEE all over the MPAA and say "***** THE MPAA". Might as well while I'm here.
***** THE MPAA! - SaladCactusKing, on 04/26/2009, -1/+20Incredibly scummy.
- JackGrinnan, on 04/26/2009, -8/+27I don't agree with this, but, it pays to read the fine print...
- Leezus, on 04/26/2009, -0/+19Honestly, I don't see the profit in this kind of policy. There's no way the guy is going to pay the 17,000 dollar bill. All they likely did was ruin his credit and lose a customer.
- LostOverThere, on 04/26/2009, -0/+17Wow, that really sucks. Poor guy, never will he do that again.
- PanicAK, on 04/26/2009, -0/+16That's because the show is called Prison Break.
- ARTLUKM, on 04/26/2009, -0/+15Really it would be just like how we have anti-usury laws.
- TheNepenthe, on 04/26/2009, -0/+15The fact that we have to abide by buyer's beware is just sad. Can't they just do honest, clean, business? Just make the fine print.. normal size, at least?
- 818Rob, on 04/26/2009, -0/+14Yes, international data transfer may be expensive but $62,000???
To me that seems like a company who is having hard economical times just trying to rape some poor end user for his hard earned money. ***** all of these cell carriers who think they can just charge whatever they want and get away with it. Something needs to be done with the cell phone industry, It is full of sheisty people just trying to make a buck. - sexybobo, on 04/26/2009, -0/+14hell mine locks up if i buy to much stuff online in one day even if i am no were near my limit.
I spent $100 over 5 websites in one day and i had to call and tell them i actually mad the purchases. - microview2007, on 04/26/2009, -0/+14Yep, easy mistake. When I travel I always upgrade to international plan. I also carry an unlocked motorola from TMobile. When I'm in another country I simply buy a local SIMM card and load up minutes.
- MWeather, on 04/26/2009, -1/+15I wonder what it would have cost to base64 encode it and send it in text messages.
- ryanshepherd, on 04/26/2009, -0/+14Here in Canada, the best advertised U.S. data roaming rate I can find is $3/MB, and gives you 3GB non-roaming for $60/mo. 2 out of the 3 telcos in my area don't even list the international roaming rate on their websites.
That means if I were to download a 700MB DivX of Wall-E would run me $2100, a DVD-R for $14100. Best price! -
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