Teen runs up dad's cell bill to nearly $22,000

[chloe]

HAYWARD, Calif. — A 13-year-old teen was probably in hot water with his father after running up a cell phone bill of nearly $22,000. Ted Estarija said he was expecting his bill to be higher this month after adding his son to his plan, but wasn't expecting a bill of $21,917 in data usage charges.

The Hayward man said his Verizon Wireless bill soared after his son apparently downloaded about 1.4 million kilobytes of data last month.
His plan didn't cover data usage, so he was charged by the megabyte.
Estarija said after the first media reports, Verizon said they would credit his account for the entire amount.
He has also suspended his son's account.

http://www.wral.com/news/strange/story/6625403/

[Jeff]

HAYWARD, Calif. — A 13-year-old teen was probably in hot water with his father after running up a cell phone bill of nearly $22,000. Ted Estarija said he was expecting his bill to be higher this month after adding his son to his plan, but wasn't expecting a bill of $21,917 in data usage charges.

The Hayward man said his Verizon Wireless bill soared after his son apparently downloaded about 1.4 million kilobytes of data last month.
His plan didn't cover data usage, so he was charged by the megabyte.
Estarija said after the first media reports, Verizon said they would credit his account for the entire amount.
He has also suspended his son's account.

http://www.wral.com/news/strange/story/6625403/

Damn I saw the title of this thread and was ready to kill my kid, LOL, but then I seen it was in Cali not GA

[Noir]

The Hayward man said his Verizon Wireless bill soared after his son apparently downloaded about 1.4 million kilobytes of data last month.

Thats a hell of allot of porn :popcorn:

...just thinking about that, 1.4 million KBs, thats 1367 MB, thats only 1.335 GB...which is like nothing =/

[Trinity]

Thats why when I got mine and my boy's phones I got the everything data plan..............................with unlimited data, text, and picture messaging and unlimited mobile to mobile for any cell phone provider, with 1500 anytime minutes but I'm lucky if we hit 400 for 3 phones cause all mobile phones are free weekends are free and after 7 is free.

[Noir]

Kinda reminds me of a few years ago when I got my first contract phone, it's had 1000 minutes on it, and becuase it seemed such a big number I thought I would never go over it, turns out I was well wrong, and my first phone bill was £390 rather than £40, but ya live and learn lol.

[Trinity]

Kinda reminds me of a few years ago when I got my first contract phone, it's had 1000 minutes on it, and becuase it seemed such a big number I thought I would never go over it, turns out I was well wrong, and my first phone bill was £390 rather than £40, but ya live and learn lol.

Yeah I did that a few years ago too.......but everyone me and the boys call have cell phones, other then business calls I need to make which aren't many.

[glockmail]

This shows how much of a racket these pricing schedules are. That $22K cost Verizon exactly nothing to provide.

[avatar4321]

Why dont companies sent out some warning flag for parents if this happens? i mean seriously, how difficult would it be at like $300 to let the account provider know the bill is already this high?

Its just wrong.

[Nukeman]

Here's a question, why is there NO stop gap put in place for these types of overages. I mean come on how hard is it to write a simple program that alerts a customer that they have exceded their alotted time or data usages. I am not saying it should kick in after only a few charges but when your payment DOUBLES, TRIPLES, or runs to $22,000.00 in one month where is the responsililty of the provider to ensure that someone doesn't get stuck with something like this. Numbers and access are stolen all the time!!!

I fully understand that people use what they use but come on, it realy can't be that hard!! Credit card companies notify you if your card is being used in a different manner than usual, the same should be said for your mobile phone carrier!!!!!!!

[Nukeman]

Why dont companies sent out some warning flag for parents if this happens? i mean seriously, how difficult would it be at like $300 to let the account provider know the bill is already this high?

Its just wrong.
You and I must have been think the same thing at the same time:beer::laugh2:

You beat me by a couple of minutes!!!!!!

[Noir]

Why dont companies sent out some warning flag for parents if this happens? i mean seriously, how difficult would it be at like $300 to let the account provider know the bill is already this high?

Its just wrong.

Our phone companies over here do that, with, err..unexpected consequences, because i took out a phone contract in my name for my Ex cus she couldn't have one, and even though its all paid by her ect i'm still the account holder and ergo the on the company must contact if there are problems ect, anyways back in October i got a phone call from the phone company, asking if i knew that my bill had exceed double its normal, because of calls made to premium rate lines, of course i then had to call her to pass on this information...talk about being mortified xD

[Trigg]

My daughter went over her limit by 150 texts one month. Thank goodness it didn't cost us that much.


She more careful now......she doesn't want to loose her phone for another month.

[Noir]

My daughter went over her limit by 150 texts one month. Thank goodness it didn't cost us that much.


She more careful now......she doesn't want to loose her phone for another month.

You took the phone off her for a month! Jezy Crezy.

[Trigg]

You took the phone off her for a month! Jezy Crezy.

Ya, she thought I was a mean heartless mom.

I told her cell phones fall under want, not need, and if she wasn't going to watch her texts she'd loose it again.

[Noir]

Ya, she thought I was a mean heartless mom.

I told her cell phones fall under want, not need, and if she wasn't going to watch her texts she'd loose it again.

But i assume its a contract phone, inwhich case you paid for a months worth of calls and text that were not used, which ironically would prob have costed more that the 150 texts,

And i know you'd argue otherwise but i'd view it as a need, as i would see the social conectivity that it provides is a need, but thats moot i guess.

[Trinity]

Here's a question, why is there NO stop gap put in place for these types of overages. I mean come on how hard is it to write a simple program that alerts a customer that they have exceded their alotted time or data usages. I am not saying it should kick in after only a few charges but when your payment DOUBLES, TRIPLES, or runs to $22,000.00 in one month where is the responsililty of the provider to ensure that someone doesn't get stuck with something like this. Numbers and access are stolen all the time!!!

I fully understand that people use what they use but come on, it realy can't be that hard!! Credit card companies notify you if your card is being used in a different manner than usual, the same should be said for your mobile phone carrier!!!!!!!


My account actually does have a spending limit on it, if it reaches $450.00 my phones will be shut off so no more charges are added to it.

[Trigg]

But i assume its a contract phone, inwhich case you paid for a months worth of calls and text that were not used, which ironically would prob have costed more that the 150 texts,

And i know you'd argue otherwise but i'd view it as a need, as i would see the social conectivity that it provides is a need, but thats moot i guess.

she's on our plan so we share the minutes and texts, they didn't go to waste, we just didn't go over so no extra charges.

she's 14, she rides the bus to and from school, so there is no need for a phone to let us know where she is. Also we have a home phone, so she was still able to talk to her friends, just no texting.