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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think that my mother-in-law should pay for this

19 replies

jellyjem · 31/10/2011 22:11

I;m really peed off with my MIL, our phone bill this month is more than twice as much as it used to be.

I;ve just rang Sky and they told me this month we have been billed for lots of calls to mobile phone numbers and competition lines, one of the calls lasted 4 minutes and cost £10 sky said it was a promotion for something :( We never make these kind of calls and are really careful with our phone bill and everything else because we're skint, however my MIL has always enters loads of competitions and has been caught out with those premium calls in magazines and stuff in the past as my FIL used to moan about how gulible she was.

MIL was here when I rang Sky, I asked my OH if he had been making these calls (even though i knew he wouldnt, not his kind of thing) and she just sat there with a little smile on her face and never said a word.

MIL is hard work but she is also good to us and collects our daughter from nursery twice a week when I am at work. she has only been doing this since the beginning of September which is when our phone bills started to rocket. Its costing us an extra £45 this month which we can't really afford I feel like asking her for the money but how can i when she hasn't addmitted she made the calls.

OP posts:
mousyfledermaus · 31/10/2011 22:13

block all premium numbers on your phone and tell your mil that she can use the phone in emergencies only!

WilsonFrickett · 31/10/2011 22:14

Do you need the landline?
Can you get certain numbers barred?
Or can you take the handset to work with you?

Clearly she should pay, but she isn't gonna, is she? So I'd be trying to prevent her using my phone, personally.

troisgarcons · 31/10/2011 22:14

unplug the phone ..... tell her you've been cut off due to non payment .... evil grin

Flisspaps · 31/10/2011 22:15

I would get DH to ask her outright if she's making these calls, and if she admits it, he should ask for the money.

Ask Sky to put a block on premium rate numbers. Get an itemised bill so that you can see when the calls were made - then you will know if it was during the times that she was in your house looking after DD.

If they can't, ridiculously drastic and childish as it sounds, hide the phone handset before you leave the house - however wonderful she is, she shouldn't be making high-cost phone calls from your house even when she's looking after your DD.

squeakyfreakytoy · 31/10/2011 22:15

Can you get an itemised bill which shows what time the calls were made. It should be easy to see who made them, unless she trys to say your toddler is doing it...

pengymum · 31/10/2011 22:15

if you have itemised bills, it will list the time, no and cost so you can see when the calls were made. If MIL was only adult in house then I would get your OH to talk to her. If he won't then you will have to suck it up, soz. I wouldn't advise tackling her if OH won't. You will be the bad guy if you do it! His mum, his problem.

RedHelenB · 31/10/2011 22:15

Look on it as money for her collecting kids BUT do block those premium numbers. She should have admitted it if it was her though.

pengymum · 31/10/2011 22:16

and suggest you get the premium nos blocked - easy to do.

Madinitials · 31/10/2011 22:16

I think I'd unplug the phone and hide it before I went out. Get your bill itemised in case she catches on and brings her own phone.

Kayano · 31/10/2011 22:16

Have you actually asked her if she made the calls?

PomBearAtTheGatesOfDoom · 31/10/2011 22:17

Get rid of the landline and just use prepaid mobiles so that you and DH can call each other, and for emergencies. That way you can control exactly how much you spend on phone calls. Or unplug the actual handset and take it to work with you. Or just say to her (or get DH to say to her) that there's a dish by the phone for her to put the money in when she makes the premium rate calls. Or tell her you're very sorry, but there's no tea, coffee, milk, biscuits or anything else in for her to have because you couldn't afford it because the phone bill was so high. Or ask her to bring some baby food/whatever your daughter eats with her when she next comes because, although you HATE to ask, you have no money because the phone bill was so high, or squeeze out tears at this point, wring your hands, and act like you're confiding in her, sob that you think DH has been phoning sex lines because why else would the phone bill suddenly go up like that and you are worried the heating will be cut off this winter and DD will suffer...

jellyjem · 31/10/2011 22:20

Great idea, did'nt realise i could block the premium numbers. I've just looked at my bill and the £10 call was made during the time i was at work, its either my 3 year old or my MIL.

Gawd. Im rubbish at confronting her and my OH is even worse

OP posts:
mercibucket · 31/10/2011 22:21

pombear you are quite evil Grin

MurderBloodstabsandgore · 31/10/2011 22:21

Get the numbers blocked right now.

Get the bill itemised and ask her directly.

itspeanutbutterjellytime · 31/10/2011 22:23

pombear that's evil Grin

DesperatelySeekingSedatives · 31/10/2011 22:24

YANBU doubt she'll pay up though.

Definately block those numbers. infact, is there any way you can get a code put on your phone that only you and and DH know? My DP had to do that with his landline once when a couple of the guys who rented rooms in his house took the piss with the landline and wracked up the bills.

FruitChute · 31/10/2011 22:25

Turkey her.

LemonDifficult · 31/10/2011 22:26

You must speak to her about it. If it was me I'd pay the bill, not ask her for the money but tell her what it cost you and that you feel let down by her, especially when she was in the room when you discussed it.

Doodlez · 31/10/2011 22:27

Pombear Shock

Brilliant but Shock

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