Teen Racks Up $21,917 Cell Phone Bill, Dad Flabbergasted

[b] This is BS! If a user runs up a bill for individual downloads, the bill should NEVER be more that it would cost for the unlimited access plan.

How can cell phone companies get away with this? If they offer unlimited access plans, there is NO WAY they can say it costs THEM $20k for one months worth of internet access.

WTH is the FCC? [/b]

I really feel bad for this guy I know what its like to open the cell bill and get suprised although mine wasn't that bad. Our daughter was responsible for paying the cell bill after that until she desided she couldn't afford it anymore. So what we did was drop her from our plan and made her get one of her own. Now she has a plan and she has everythin gon it. She now sends approximatly 18,000 text messages a month. She starts texting the minute her eyes open and desn't stop until she goes to bed. She even sends text messages while she is at work.
As for what this Carol said about people getting things that they can't afford. Cell phones are one thing but people buying houses that they can't afford. Our house was purchased in 1992 and last year my husband lost his job. before then we were doing just fine now we are running into a little bit of a problem. Its people like you that makes me want to spit in your face. You probably live in an apt. because you have messed up credit and can't buy a house so you have to dump on those that do have one. Try and make your own life better before you start judging other people. You have no idea what people are going through and sacrificing trying to keep what they have.

There goes the kid's college fund!

Verizon's plans suck

Guess what kid? time to get a full time job !

well, verizon and everyone else...i too got pounded with a large bill..my son was texting out of the country and i racked up a phone bill for 1,700....and i was told it was unlimited text messaging...but then they said it was within the country...so i was stuck paying for the bill...now i just wait till i can ride out my contract with them to switch....my oldest son has sprint and he pays so much more less than i do for 3 phones....i only have 2 phones with verizon...i have shopped around and verizon is the most expensive one...and their service is horrible...

"As for what this Carol said about people getting things that they can't afford. Cell phones are one thing but people buying houses that they can't afford. Our house was purchased in 1992 and last year my husband lost his job. before then we were doing just fine now we are running into a little bit of a problem. Its people like you that makes me want to spit in your face. You probably live in an apt. because you have messed up credit and can't buy a house so you have to dump on those that do have one. Try and make your own life better before you start judging other people. You have no idea what people are going through and sacrificing trying to keep what they have."

Stay classy, autumnlights1.

Also remember those downloaded ring tones can add a monthly charge. My kid did this and I was charged $20 by two companies and my service provider helped me get them to drop the charges dropped. You really need to go over you bill and see if your paying for a extra you did not approve when someone is added onto your account. The best way is a perpaid for someone who needs your credit to have a cell phone. I've had family members ask to join, two lines is all I need my husband and I now that the kids are on there on.

When I was in high school I worked at an amusement park spring through fall and not really during the school year so my agreement with my parents was that I paid my cell phone and car insurance May-September and they paid it during the school year. This was almost 10 year ago though, so there weren't quite so many things to be charged for. I know I had unlimited text messaging though for $5 a month. I always thought that was a pretty fair arrangement.

Is it the Dad's fault? Yes due to being dumb, Is it the son's fault? Oh yeah! But, I think Verizon, on some level, should have at least notified the account holder that all this activity was going on. My credit card company does it whenever a large transaction posts to my account.

The parents are completely responsible for what their children do in their house. If they plan on getting their child every electronic device under the sun with NO RESPONSIBILITY the parent deserve what they get! These devices are not made for children.It is amazing to me that parents are denying their responsibilities then passing that kind of behavior onto their kids. Do you see what these kids are doing with this unrestricted power? Parents, we know you love your kids, but now you need to start caring about them!

I think that if you're going to allow your kid to have a cell phone, you should consider a prepaid cell phone. At least once the money is used they can't keep using it and making the bill even bigger.

Cudos to Verizon! Myself, I put my kids on Cricket. They have unlimited texting, local and long distance, pictures and internet for $45 a month per phone! I always know what my bill will be - no surprises! I learned when I bought my ex husband a cell for Christmas with a limit of 1,000 minutes a month and he used them all up the first week! I figured the kids would be worse and took no chances and nowadays, not only does Cricket have some nice phones, you can buy one elsewhere and have it flashed to their service.

I put a comment here yesterday...now I need to say this again. . I am a parent of 3 young adults, it was my responsibility when I would give them anything, If they mucked it up, we worked together to fix it. From 16-19, my son had a cell phone, he paid for, he never mucked that up, he used all the tools at his disposal, the tools for educating yourself on ANY service, ANY device is out there, It is up to the consumer to educate themselves and ask questions. Companies are not parents, cust service reps are not babysitters. When you call csr for ANY company, they do not know you, they care, but they still do not know you, your limits or your education level. They are there to clarify your bill, your service whatever. Most cell companies have tools in place to keep track of your usage. Why not take advantage of it? From your handset or your home pc, you can find out how many mins, how much data, how much txt, etc. I have an idea.......instead of blaming companies, why not educate yourself on what you sign up for? If you read the contract and dont like the terms, no one is holding a gun to your head to sign, walk away :) But I know why most dont, the attraction of that steeply discounted phone, it has all the perks, bells and whistles, you dont want to leave it, you want the status. My final word, Your account, your responsibility.

It's unbelievable to me that anyone here could POSSIBLY blame anyone other than Verizon. "Phone companies aren't the parents"; "Pay for what you get" blah blah blah. VERIZON OVERCHARGES. DATA DOESN'T COST THAT MUCH TO PROVIDE. THAT'S WHY VERIZON COULD AFFORD TO CANCEL THE BILL. Just because someone charges you for something (even if they tell you ahead of time that they will) doesn't make it justified.

Idiots here quick to blame the company instead of the customers ignorance. Just because you spend a lot of money with the company, does not mean you are entitled to the Royal Treatment. So what if you go to another carrier, the company is not going to go bankrupt because it loses you as a customer! Your 500 dollar phone bill is really nothing to a cell carrier that makes Billions. I work for a cell carrier and laugh my ass off when a customer "threatens" me that they are going to cancel their cell service and go to another carrier. I just tell them okay, let's go and cancel your service, and they just look at me stunned because I called their bluff and did not kiss their ass!

If you must get your kid a phone,buy a phone that uses prepaid cards that will stop working when there is a 0 balance.That will stop the text messaging and download nonsense like this guy was lucky to get away with.If it werent for this being in the press,he could have been legally forced to pay this bill.It will also teach the child responsibility.The little brat was probably downloading porn.

People... the kid was probably tethering the phone. That means he was most likely using is as a wireless modem for his laptop computer. The kid probably knew full-well what he was doing, but his parents were very likely unaware. Tethering is usually not covered under a regular cell phone's "unlimited data" plan, since it is easier to rack up massive amounts of data using this method as opposed to a regular cell phone's browser.

I got my Grandson a Verizon Straight Talk phone for Xmas and for $45 pm he has unlimited usage and can stay on the phone as long as he likes! He does my shopping for me in return so we both win! all parents should do the same as part of a kids allowance and then bills in the thousands won't happen