fight at&t $4000 roaming charge

Question

Level 1

0 points

fight at&t $4000 roaming charge

About one month and half ago I went at a AT&T center to ask informations about an international plan for my iphone because I was about to travel internationally. Because the plans were too high for the use I needed, I asked an employee if there were anything I should know about the iphone and he said that the only thing it was that I shouldn’t use it in Italy (were I was about to travel) but I could still use it as ipod. I boughth my iphone in August so I didn’t have much experience with it.
I went to Italy for Christmas Holidays for three weeks and I turn on my iphone just few times to take off some phone numbers I needed and some music. The phone could receive and make calls but OF COURSE I never use it, but the internet connection never worked at all. Last time I turned on the phone I received a message from AT&T saying to call International Costumers Assistance because my bill was high. I called the international number and the employee I spoke to told me that my international internet usage was very high : 4.000.00 !!! I said I turned on the phone just few times, that internet didn’t work at all and , plus, when I went to ask for informations nobody warned me about anything. I was totally shocked!!! If I had the minimum doubt I would left my iphone at home. Now I can’t use my phone and it’s a big issue for my job.
I deeply think that this situation is totally unfair and incomprehensible.
Can anybody give me any kind of advice to how to handle this crazy situation??? Thank you!

iOS 4

Posted on Jan 13, 2011 10:36 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Jan 14, 2011 12:11 AM in response to DanyDany

I doubt you will get much sympathy here. It didn't occur to you that making and receiving phone calls from the US to Europe would be very expensive? How much did you use the phone? How many calls? $4000 is a lot of calls. Was this your first time outside the US with or without a cell phone?

Use it as an Ipod - can Ipods make telephone calls?

Personal responsibility here I'm afraid - you should have done your research and thought about it a little more.

Good luck!!

Reply

Answer 2

Jan 14, 2011 12:30 AM in response to jeffkinn_uk

what you have to do here is one of the main things that works with companys like these and all phone companies.'

firstly tell them you want to talk to the costumer care and suport center not the first tier support they will do nothing for you.

BE ASSERTIVE, tell them firmly yet kindly that you went through every precaution through the company to find out if things like this would happen and how to avoid them and that you explained yourself to thier support and this still happened.

how long have you been with att?

you can use this to your advantage. telling them that you have been a loyal costumer to them and bring up the price of your bill a month. i bet its high since ur on this site. and then add it up out loud over the phone to how much u pay a year and then tell them how long u have been with them the costumer suport rep will get the point .also talk about how thier service is crap yet
you still stay with them instead of going to verizon and taunt that u can easly go with them now that they have the iphone.

just be assertive and tell and them you wont take them doing this and they will lose loyal costumer and just how u didnt even use it and u contacted them to AVOID THIS..

this will work trust me./

Reply

Answer 3

AKRBTN

Level 6

8,875 points

Jan 14, 2011 1:45 AM in response to Wizard of the night

Yes do all that by all means, but also ask them to break down the bill item by item.....then look at it and try to be honest with yourself. If there's alot of usage there that could not have been down to you then challenge it but be aware that international calls and, more importantly, data download can be very expensive internationally. If you've downloaded emails, music, apps or streamed media on cellular networks abroad, and if you have apps which use the internet (like news apps for example), the costs quickly mount up. And it's down to you to know that.

Reply

Answer 4

DanyDany Author

Level 1

0 points

Jan 14, 2011 6:55 AM in response to AKRBTN

That' what I'm saying, I never download music or anything else. And even if I would, the internet connection never worked anyway. I only used the ipod with the music already in.And no phone calls at all. I'm wondering how come is possible.

Reply

Answer 5

DanyDany Author

Level 1

0 points

Jan 14, 2011 6:59 AM in response to Dan Mitchell1

I had the ihpone since just few months. I went to AT&T center before to travel internationally in fact to know if there was anything I should do. But notobdy told me there were something like that to do. So I guess I didn't.

Reply

Answer 6

deggie

Level 10

167,537 points

Jan 14, 2011 7:05 AM in response to DanyDany

In the months you've had your iPhone did you ever read the manual? It is bookmarked on your iPhone.

I would call AT&T, calmly repeat your conversation with the AT&T worker (this was an official corporate AT&T store?), and ask what you can do to work this out to a more manageable bill.

Reply

Answer 7

deggie

Level 10

167,537 points

Jan 14, 2011 7:08 AM in response to DanyDany

But were they off the entire time you were in Europe? AT&T will be able to provide you with details on usage and in some parts of the world the roaming charges (without an international plan beforehand) are so extremely high that just having it on for 15 minutes to get some numbers could result in mail downloads, stock checks, mapping connections, etc., that run up a huge bill. Again, only AT&T will be able to cover this with you, it is pretty much futile to argue it here.

Reply

Answer 8

DanyDany Author

Level 1

0 points

Jan 14, 2011 7:18 AM in response to DanyDany

I'm having advices from fiends like:
1) to go to the small claims court
2) to get a lawyer from Legal Aid
3) to not pay at all even if it will hurt my credit score. And deal after with the collection company

What do you think about those solutions?

Reply

Answer 9

pinoytoy

Level 1

0 points

Jan 14, 2011 7:40 AM in response to DanyDany

whenever im overseas and have my phone... i make sure its on airplane mode if i'm not ever going to use the internet or make a phone call... that i know for certain that i'm not going to send/recieve data on my phone.

Reply

Answer 10

varjak paw

Level 10

182,680 points

Jan 14, 2011 7:53 AM in response to DanyDany

Avoid #3 as an option. Collection agencies are much harder to work with then the company will be, and if you just ignore the bill and let it get into collection, a court will have little or no sympathy for you. And you DO NOT want to have it hit your credit report unless there is no other option; trying to explain down the road to a bank or mortgage company why you defaulted on a $4000 debt won't be fun.

I would suggest you continue to try and work with AT&T. It may be difficult to convince them that you did not incur such charges, but that will be a lot easier with them than if you try to go to court, where you would be expected to provide some sort of evidence of your case. I don't know how AT&T would track such things, but perhaps their records will show where your iPhone was purported to be connecting when these usages were incurred and if so you may be able to show that you were not in that location on the days of the purported use. But that might be an avenue to pursue with them.

Good luck.

Reply

Answer 11

Jan 14, 2011 8:00 AM in response to DanyDany

Hello

Perhaps there is a bug in Iphone :

read here :
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/7907169/Apple-iP hone-users-hit-by-unexpected-data-charges.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB014VJxjX8

I hope it helps

Reply

Answer 12

deggie

Level 10

167,537 points

Jan 14, 2011 9:58 AM in response to DanyDany

I think you should attempt to work out the issue with AT&T FIRST. Then move to getting an attorney if necessary (if you can afford an iPhone and a trip to Europe you are not going to qualify for Legal Aid).

And whoever gave you #3 is a complete moron and a "fiend" as you described them.

Reply

Answer 13

bill120

Level 1

8 points

Jan 15, 2011 6:02 AM in response to DanyDany

I feel your pain only my pain was initially more like $2000. I went to Europe for nearly three weeks just after I got the very first Iphone.

I spoke with the apple folks in the store and the AT&T folks at their store. They all told me no problem you can use it without worry.

I did have a fun time with it and I got a lot of people wanting to see the new Iphone but I had no clue that the data and roaming charges were churning away and I got a huge surprise when I got back and saw my bill. Some of the charges are just not negotiable it is what AT&T was charged by the various networks in Europe.

I was able to get the bill under a $1000 and Apple gave me a $150 credit at their store. It was a lesson learned. I am going to Europe again and my Iphone 4 will be in Airplane mode or I will remove the SIM card while I am there.

My advice is to be assertive and persistent with AT&T but also except some responsibility for the situation. Request all the detail on each and every charge. See if you can negotiate a reasonable mark down. Also talk with Apple especially if you are a loyal Apple guy.

The bottom line is that you are ultimately responsible.

Reply

Answer 14

Russa

Level 4

1,343 points

Jan 15, 2011 6:38 PM in response to DanyDany

How do you know the iPhone's Internet never worked while in Italy? Did you try to use it?

Was data roaming set to "off" on your iPhone while in Europe?

Did you happen to take you SIM in use it in another phone?

Sounds like pilot error to me.

Reply

Answer 15

Tamara

Level 6

13,744 points

Jan 15, 2011 6:52 PM in response to DanyDany

How do you know? Was the SIM out of the phone? Did it say no service?

I'm betting that when you turned the phone on to use the iPod, your phone automatically started downloading email, checking for push notifications, using locations services, etc.

Reply