Does anybody else have Viber or Whatsapp charges on their AT&T phone bill?

@MT2MB -

Thanks for your feedback.

Since Viber's launch (well over 2 years ago), we have received very positive feedback regarding the feature of switching to a regular (GSM) call. This is very comfortable for users whose internet connection becomes choppy, and they wish to switch to a regular, cellular call.

As you said yourself, we show a very clear warning message that requires the user's confirmation before making/switching to a GSM call.

I have to tell you I am shocked at my current phone bill. I am in Colombia, signed up to VIBER and was so excited to have a way to keep in touch with some important family issues while traveling. My first bill was a whopping $ 181.00, followed by a charge each time I went on to VIBER. I did not get any warning message.

I called ATT&T and they were so nice. I think this has been a big problem for them.

VIBER needs to get this together and really communicate well to its' users. Otherwise they will tank.

I am not going to use the app until I am sure they won't put me from wireless to 3G. I was on wireless when I made the calls, actually made sure of it! Then, to see this happen....wow very dissappointed.

I am sorry to inform you but the call on my phone switches without notice. Why is this?

Thanks, I want to continue using this app, but am afraid of the charges.

I am worried - as will be many other people who are considering using Viber and hear about this serious issue.

If indeed, as one poster stated, Viber promote the app as a way to avoid "Bill Shock", it sounds as if it could be sued for false advertising.

The Viber reps replying on this Forum appear not to "get it". We understand that Viber does not profit from the call switching issue, BUT the reps seem unable to see it from the user point of view. Let me explain my concern...
I have two children in faraway countries. Viber allows me to keep in touch with them, using WiFi, for free. Brilliant.
My children also want to speak with their grandparents, who don't have smartphones, so they need ViberOut.

I am worried. Where they are WiFi is unreliable.
If WiFi drops out, and they are on a call, they will have their phone against their ear - NOT in front of their eyes.
IF an alert pop ups they will not see it.

Instead they will complete their call on GSM and could use up all their cellphone credit. In a 3rd world country that means a trip to a cellphone shop - a major hassle, requiring arranging to go to town with friends, not going on your own, etc for safety reasons. This issue could put them out of contact with us for days (no cellphone credit) or worse put them in danger.

Uninstall/reinstall the app doesn't solve anything - you don't hear a 'pop up' warning, you see it - but not if you're on a call, with your phone to your ear.

Even if it did solve the problem ... I could do it, but my daughter is not a techie. And downloading & reinstalling an App over dodgy WiFi in Africa is not simple & easy. Communication is literally a lifeline in some such situations.

PLEASE, just add the "disable in-call switching from WiFi" option. It cannot be that hard.

To have added this simple option requires less effort/time than replying to all your customers. And wins you friends. For every customer who has complained about this, 20 more will have told all their friends to avoid Viber.

The only reason NOT to do so would be if Viber is getting kick-backs from AT&T - which I hope is not the case.

PLEASE - if you got a shock bill for $200 what would you *feel* ?
Would you think "I will uninstall and reinstall the app, so this does not happen again" - and it might !
Or would you think "*** this" and tell your 200 Facebook friends to avoid Viber like the plague??

PLEASE hear the heart of what your friends here are saying - we want Viber to succeed and continue being there for us and for you. Just spend a tiny bit of Rakuten's money on fixing this, please.... :-)

Hi again,

Thanks for your feedback, we appreciate it! Please make your request official by filling out our feature request form here: http://bit.ly/1aOwGy2

Hey Now......

I AM DIRECTING THIS POST TO THE VIBER ROCKET SCIENTISTS THAT CHECK THIS BLOG........

After reading several pages of this nonsense, and perhaps without a full understanding, the solution seems clear from my view........

For one.......quit being a broken record that justs keeps repeating time after time the same spiel.........

For two........you seem to minimize these frustrated, and unfortunately unknowing billed users of Viber's issues by stating the Viber makes NOTHING off of these charges.......I think any reasonably intelligent poster here already knows that, however, that isn't even coming to a decent answer. Regardless if you made money or not, or if you give your app away for free or not, the goal should be to create an app, ie. Viber, that is intelligent enough and versatile enough, to allow your users to change settings that fit their own personal Viber use style. These settings need to include disallowing calls made using Viber to use GSM, or allow it, depending on what the user wants or thinks they need........

As far as the warning you keep touting.........i believe the app should generate a unique audible sound that would warn the user that their call isn't able to be made for free, or whatever the audible warning sound should signify that lets you know this.

This is all about flexibility for the user. Obviously, you can't change the app to please each persons whims or desires, however, from reading this blog......it should be obvious to the most casual observer that when the app allows any charges to be racked up by att,etc., that this is a BIG issue, and one not to be minimized, explained away, etc......

Viber could end up going the way of the dinosaurs if the rep's don't act quickly on to allow users to avoid the megolithic ATT monster that wants to suck every last penny from you......

And don't repeat that Viber doesn't get any of that money......THAT'S OBVIOUS, AND NOT THE POINT!!!!!! THE POINT IS, VIBER, IF THEY WANT TO STAY POPULAR NEEDS TO DO BETTER THAN MOST OF THE COMPANIES OUT THERE, BY LEADING, AND GIVING THE USERS WAYS TO AVOID THESE TYPE OF THINGS......

Luckily, i typically use Viber only for texting, so to the best of my knowledge haven't been slammed with any charges........

I fired TMobile long ago and have changed to a prepaid monthly plan that doesn't allow them to take any more from me, or bill me anything addtional..........

I highly recommend getting off of any contract plans with any carriers.....they are all just evil, greedy, bastxxxx.

I hope you finally get the point of what everyone has been telling you time and time again.........

Fix these things, or end up going the way of the dinosaurs.......

EXTINCT!!!!

I love you even though you don't seem in touch with this reality of things people are trying to help Viber and users with........

Namaste.........

';'

So let me get this straight......

After all of us have spent much of our uncompensated precious time sharing these issues with you and making suggestions to help the users and Viber, you now want us to take more of our uncompensated time to fill out some other FXXXXXX form.......

You're getting paid.......you sift thru this and fill out the **** feature request forms.........

Have a nice day..............

I used to like Viber until I read all your same repeated replies......

If you are a typical representation of what Viber's stand is on all this...........I'm gone.....

Skyping................

Jerk

It is interesting to see that this post was first opened in 2011. Now, we are in 2015 and this issue has still not been resolved. I am yet another user of this worthless app being charged $250+ by my service provider for international calls that were supposed to be free.

What's even more interesting is that 4 years later, Viber support team continues to be ignorant about this issue and stubborn about their *alert*, that has caused us users thousands of $$$$ and continuing to do so. I think it is time that a collective legal action is taken against Viber.