13 year old runs up Verizon bill to $22,000

[Dragoro]

Uh article clearly states father didnt have a data plan.

the same charges would apply if you teather without a teathering plan. like using pdanet or something similar.

Yep but the fact that he didnt have a data plan, means theres no way of knowing whether he was tethering or just spending his whole days surfin. Ive had my phone for less then 2 weeks and well over a half a gig with no tethering, its not hard to get to huge data usage without tethering.

 

[gdoane]

Even though I have an unlimited plan and wouldn't get a bill like that, my bill from Verizon only seems to show what I've used through 3G and that doesn't reflect accurately what the Droid has done overall.

Basically, if it's nursing off my wi-fi (which it usually is) then data use doesn't count which is a don't-care monetarily because even if it did count it wouldn't cost me nothin' more but it screws up my stats. I'd like to know how actually useful the device is but it's online ... offline if that makes any sense.

 

[dezymond]

This is why the unlimited plans are mandatory.

agreed if it's a smartphone.

but for some people spending an extra $30/mo doesn't make sense for something that should be free with the phone contract itself.

 

[dezymond]

I am 15 with the droid and I had a phone since I was 12 and I have been responisble but not I have unlimited txting and data plan. Thank God. =.= Also that story is all of the news its amazing.

Unfortunately, your a rarity in today's society.

hahah also agree.

i'm only 20 and even my generation is nowhere near as responsible as this kid. good job! I went over text limit my first 2 months, about 4 years ago when i first got texting, so my parents settled for the unlimited. Now they're texting and i'm getting out-texted by them LOL

 

[Dragoro]

I am 15 with the droid and I had a phone since I was 12 and I have been responisble but not I have unlimited txting and data plan. Thank God. =.= Also that story is all of the news its amazing.

Unfortunately, your a rarity in today's society.

hahah also agree.

i'm only 20 and even my generation is nowhere near as responsible as this kid. good job! I went over text limit my first 2 months, about 4 years ago when i first got texting, so my parents settled for the unlimited. Now they're texting and i'm getting out-texted by them LOL

LOL Cheers Dezymond. Thanks for the backup. Figured Id be flamed off this thread by the kiddies for stating the truth. Didnt expect anyone to back me up lol.

 

[Hooblaim]

Unfortunately, your a rarity in today's society.

hahah also agree.

i'm only 20 and even my generation is nowhere near as responsible as this kid. good job! I went over text limit my first 2 months, about 4 years ago when i first got texting, so my parents settled for the unlimited. Now they're texting and i'm getting out-texted by them LOL

LOL Cheers Dezymond. Thanks for the backup. Figured Id be flamed off this thread by the kiddies for stating the truth. Didnt expect anyone to back me up lol.

Uhh thanks? I think I pretty much have a fear of my parents kicking my ass.

 

[dezymond]

Unfortunately, your a rarity in today's society.

hahah also agree.

i'm only 20 and even my generation is nowhere near as responsible as this kid. good job! I went over text limit my first 2 months, about 4 years ago when i first got texting, so my parents settled for the unlimited. Now they're texting and i'm getting out-texted by them LOL

LOL Cheers Dezymond. Thanks for the backup. Figured Id be flamed off this thread by the kiddies for stating the truth. Didnt expect anyone to back me up lol.

Hahaha no really, kids these days... I mean I see them in stores and public places and alot of them have no common courtesy or etiquette. Makes me sad that all they care about is who is calling/texting them or what song to listen to is on their iPod, even my generation does this and it's worse cause we drive. I mean my parents pay for my monthly bill and all my other expenses and I am damn grateful for that.

Just sad to see that kids as young as 13 are more preoccupied with their phones instead of paying attention to what's going on around them. I mean how long has it been since you seen a young adult hold a door open or let the elderly get ahead of them in the checkout line? I do these little things all the time and it feels good when a complete stranger appreciates my courtesy and etiquette, with a "you're very kind young man." Yeah sounds lame, but that's what's disappearing in today's fast moving society.

 

[souljerr]

Interesting that Verizon gave him a credit for the full amount when they really didn't have to. Excellent way to get positive publicity.

 

[Martin030908]

22 g's.... wow. Def good publicity for Verizon to credit the data plan..... talk about a hassle with collections :icon_eek:

 

[TheShaz]

My wife works at the VZW call center that took that call. Good PR move by VZW,right before Christmas.

My two older boys have cells, they are 12 & 11. Naturally mom as an employee has them BOTH locked down. Even with her employee discount...stupidity can happen.

I was going to give my eldest my Omnia, but it died right before I got the Droid, power/usb port is whacked out, pain in the arse to charge. With the discount we can afford the data plan. But looking at the Eris the wife got....he might get one of those.

Reading the article...had to be tethering IMHO

 

[Silverwing]

What was the father thinking giving a 13 year old a phone!!

i dont see this an issue... im 29 and have had a cellphone since i was a freshman(14 years old) in highschool back in the mid 90's. I have 2 cousins 1 is 12 and the other is 9 and they both have cellphones.

You've had a cell phone since 1994? Most kids in my school didn't even have one in 2001 - I remember on September 11th, I was one of the few kids that had a cell phone. Are you some kind of rich kid?

Btw, the year you claim to have had a cell phone, 1994, was the year Pulp Fiction was released and it was sort of a big deal that the Gangster Vincent Vega (John Travolta) had a *CAR* phone, not even a cell phone.

So, what is the truth?

 

[brianr0131]

What was the father thinking giving a 13 year old a phone!!

i dont see this an issue... im 29 and have had a cellphone since i was a freshman(14 years old) in highschool back in the mid 90's. I have 2 cousins 1 is 12 and the other is 9 and they both have cellphones.

You've had a cell phone since 1994? Most kids in my school didn't even have one in 2001 - I remember on September 11th, I was one of the few kids that had a cell phone. Are you some kind of rich kid?

Btw, the year you claim to have had a cell phone, 1994, was the year Pulp Fiction was released and it was sort of a big deal that the Gangster Vincent Vega (John Travolta) had a *CAR* phone, not even a cell phone.

So, what is the truth?

Good BS detector.

 

[wuyanks]

Chicago Bears fan hit for thirty grand for a bit of Slingbox ? The Register

this is an older story, similar scenario... funny, check it out

 

[wreckerbabe]

This kid has to be on the phone 24/7. :icon_eek:

 

[vzwmandroid]

After reading this I don't mind paying an extra 30bucks for data usage 22,000 that's crazy I think Verizon did the right thing I wonder what device the kid has