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Original poster

£28000 mobile phone bill

120 replies

saveforthat · 08/03/2015 16:51

Ds 19 had his contract phone cut off. When he went into o2 shop to investigate, turns out he opted out of roaming cap when on holiday in tunisia. Also forgot to change his address so they couldnt contact him. Found out yesterday and and I was in shock. Now feel sick, how is this actually possible, we were only there for a week. Going to try to see citizens advice tomorrow but does anyone have any expeeience of this?

OP posts:
WaxOnWaxOff · 08/03/2015 20:25

O2 will have written to him, at the address he forgot to tell them he was no longer at Hmm.

They'll also have emailed him.

They will have also texted and called him, you know, given that they know his phone number Wink before they've cut off his phone.

I simply don't believe that the first he knew of a 28k bill was when his phone got cut off.

emotionsecho · 08/03/2015 20:28

I'm guessing Tunisia wasn't that enthralling if he had to download so many films to pass the time, however, it will be a holiday he will never forget even if it's for all the wrong reasons.

Talk if that's the case won't O2 have evidence of the messages sent? I must admit I think he switched off the roaming cap knowingly.

bagelfiend · 08/03/2015 20:30

We went to Tunisia last year and my DP managed to rack up an £11000 phone bill on his work phone in just one week Shock

Luckily he works for a big company who dealt with the situation. You have to be SO bloody careful!

TalkinPeace · 08/03/2015 20:33

emotions
yes
O2 will have the logs of what they sent him, when they sent it and what time he opened the messages

frankly watching films on a phone sounds a pretty stupid thing to do even when there is wifi

any user should know how to switch of data on their phone - he will have done it to fly there after all

Methe · 08/03/2015 20:33

You just have to be sensible surely?

Roaming off
Location services off

It really is not hard.

AnnieLobeseder · 08/03/2015 20:35

Well, quite, Quangle, my mum wouldn't know either. But she certainly knows enough that she would ask me or DH to sort her phone before she went.

I also suspect that an older person who didn't actively use the internet while abroad but racked up costs from apps running the background might have a case to appeal. They certainly wouldn't be downloading movies! But a 19 yo (assuming NT) would be expected to know that they were using data. Mobile phones have been around their entire lives and unless they've been living under a rock they are more aware than most adults how to use them. Knowing how to use them responsibly is another matter.

I'll bet the OP's DS knew he was incurring costs, he just didn't imagine they would be so high.

But again, who TAF would ever risk downloading a movie on their phones while abroad? And OP, if you knew he was downloading movies, why didn't you check he wasn't using data to do so?

AlpacaMyBags · 08/03/2015 20:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Feckeggblue · 08/03/2015 20:47

Let's be realistic- there is no way they're getting anything like that sort of money and they know it. They also have no way to get it from him (can you imagine them having the front to go in front of a judge to claim it? Grin)

Personally I'd tell O2 you will only deal with them not the dc agency so they debt will have to be returned and tbh id not be prepared to pay more than a few hundred. If that.

ememem84 · 08/03/2015 20:54

oops.

when i was away at christmas, I used my phone, and came back to a bill of almost £200. not great, but i had been texting,a dn called my family on christmas day and new years. so i knew that i was going to have a bit of a bill.

but £28K??? wowzer.

completely disagree with a previous poster that media coverage will maybe reduce it. he knew what he was doing, and needs to sort it out. i do feel a bit sorry for him as i suspect he knew it was going to cost, but just not that much

letsplayscrabble · 08/03/2015 21:56

He's clearly a bit of an idiot, he needs to beg the company to reduce it but he'll have to pay at least a couple of grand I'd think. What on earth was he thinking downloading films abroad?

Ludways · 08/03/2015 22:09

The reason a bill can amass so high so quickly is that he wasn't using the O2 network at the time, so they won't have been aware, the Tunisian network will have then billed O2 for the usage. More modern countries this happens quickly, so more likely to be caught before such a huge bill.

Contact O2, they will negotiate.

BerylStreep · 08/03/2015 22:19

I think some of the views are a bit harsh. Why on earth would a 19 year old know the complexities of overseas download charges. Can I suggest contacting Radio 4's You and Yours?

Pipbin · 08/03/2015 22:30

Why on earth would a 19 year old know the complexities of overseas download charge
Because they are an adult and most likely understand data than the rest of us.

BerylStreep · 08/03/2015 22:37

I'm an adult too, and relied on my hotel's wifi when I was on holiday. If it was patchy, I sure as hell wouldn't expect a £28k bill.

Also, looking back, as a 19 year old, I wasn't nearly as savvy as I am now, adult or not. I think a lot is being assumed / expected of him.

NotGoingOut17 · 08/03/2015 23:36

Gosh OP, feel sick just reading this so can't imagine how you and DS feel. Really hope you get it sorted- agree with the advice given about offering O2 a settlement.

Think people are being harsh, yes your Ds has been foolish but such a bill is ridiculously disproportionate and whilst he is an adult I can honestly say I was not as responsible at 19 as I am now - in fact I racked up many a big phone bill at 19 (ringing a boyfriend on a different network) because I just didn't think through the implications - luckily my mistake cost me £100 (which as a student was a hell of a lot). I learned my lesson and I am sure your DS will have learned his now but no he doesn't deserve to have to consideroptions such as bankruptcy for a silly mistake at 19 which can have far reaching implications for him - wishing you the best luck for resolving this

SnowBells · 08/03/2015 23:48

Oh dear. This makes me actually like being with Three, and going on holidays in countries where their "Feel At Home" service is provided (whereby you can use your monthly allowance as though you were at home - which I hardly ever go over). That was great, because it made me feel at home even in the USA.

I do think the boy needs a proper telling off. How can you possibly be so daft?

PostOfTheDay · 08/03/2015 23:52

£28,000 is a newsworthy amount - I'd call some newspapers and ask for a fee to offset the Bill.

You son made a humongous mistake. It was only a matter or turning off roaming - it's easy to turn it off but I can understand that it's possible to forget.

Any chance of a screenshot of the bill (only the £28,000 bit! Obviously!)

Pipbin · 08/03/2015 23:53

I do agree though that a phone bill that highs utterly ridiculous and I would think there is something you can do about it.

Pipbin · 08/03/2015 23:56

Many year ago my bil had to use a satellite phone through his work. He was in Malaysia I think. He made one call, for work. The cost was £70k

keepitsimple0 · 09/03/2015 00:04

Why on earth would a 19 year old know the complexities of overseas download charges.

what complexities? Roaming costs? high! domestic costs? Low!

you can easily monitor your usage. Doesn't O2 tell you when you are roaming and how much data costs?

FacebookDramaYo · 09/03/2015 00:24

I've been going on holiday since I was 12. Everyone know if your phone had Internet/location services Ect as soon as you got on the plane BEFORE you left you switched of data roaming, location services and everything else off! Hell you switched everything off bar wifi so you couldn't get charged! he's 19 not 90 he was perfectly aware he'd get charged the earth for it and ignore it.

I wouldn't be bailing him out for his massive stupidity, it's his bill and he needs to deal with it.

PeppermintCrayon · 09/03/2015 01:09

£28,000 is a newsworthy amount - I'd call some newspapers and ask for a fee to offset the Bill.

How much do you think newspapers pay?! You'd get a few hundred, if that, I imagine.

differentnameforthis · 09/03/2015 01:12

I hardly think this is newsworthy, SO many people have made this "mistake" that the papers are probably bored of it, I certainly don't think they will pay a fee for a story that many have told a fair few times already.

This isn't rocket science. If he is old enough to have a phone he is old enough to read his manual, his contract etc & KNOW that roaming costs an absolute bloody bomb! It's in his contract terms, along with the cost of roaming, if he didn't read it, that's his own look out.

Like a pp said, ignorance is no defence.

PostOfTheDay · 09/03/2015 01:25

It's the incredibly high amount that I thought would be newsworthy. £28,000 Shock !!!!!

PostOfTheDay · 09/03/2015 01:27

Peppermint. My post was slightly tongue in cheek. I don't know if they would pay anything at all.

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