ATT + iPhone int'l. roaming data horror story: $3K bill - UDPATE
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BoingBoing reader Dave Stolte says,
I have a caveat emptor to top them all. I purchased an iPhone on opening day to use in lieu of a cumbersome laptop while traveling in Ireland and England for two weeks in early July. AT&T promises "easy, affordable, and convenient plans" in their advertising... turns out I got two out of three.On the way to the airport, I activated the per-use international roaming data plan - the only one offered to me. The rep quoted me $.005 per KB but did not disclose what that would translate to in layman's language (i.e., X amount per e-mail, X amount per web page, etc.). I'm a web developer as part of my career and I couldn't even tell you how many KB the average web page is, no less a text message to my son, an e-mail with a photo to my mother, or a quick check of Google Maps. That's part one of the trap. However, I now pay $40 per month for unlimited data usage on the iPhone, so really -- how much could it be? $100 at the most, right?
Keep reading.
As we know, the iPhone can't be unlocked to use a European provider's SIM card for more reasonable rates while traveling. There's part two of the trap.
To be safe, I went online to My Account at AT&T a couple days into the trip and again a week later and was told "usage data is currently unavailable"... and that's part three. I had no way of knowing specific usage data until I received my bill over the last weekend.
A bill for $3000.
Two weeks of travel with sporadic AT&T EDGE network usage off and on mixed with wifi when available... $3000.
Doing some research, I learned this morning that AT&T offers unlimited international data usage at $70 per month to its Blackberry customers.
Here's my bottom line: I want this same usage plan to be made available to iPhone customers and to be applied retroactively to my account.
Billing phone reps offered me a $400 "courtesy credit" on the $3000 charge if I would agree to sign up for a $300 per year international data plan with a max of 20MB per month. (I'm not planning any international travel for a while anyway, but 20MB would be burned in a day or two of average use - they must be kidding.) I have until August 14th to resolve this or all my family's phones (including my wife's business line) get disconnected. Obviously, there's no way I can pay $3000 for something so egregiously wrong.
I'm writing you in the hope that the exposure of my story might force AT&T's hand in admitting they have an inadequate solution in place for international iPhone users, that they've discriminated against the iPhone in favor of the Blackberry, that they failed to adequately disclose the exorbitant nature of their rate plan, that they kept me in the dark about my usage specifics until it was too late to modify them, and that by disallowing unlocking to use a European provider's SIM with more reasonable rates, I was trapped without knowing it until that $3000 "gotcha" came knocking at my door.
Thanks for your time, and please do not hesitate to contact me (dave@3rdeyedesign.com) with any further questions.
Reader comment: Ryan Kerr says,
I love boingboing and have been reading it for years, but this is the first time I have been motivated to email one of the editor's. I manage an ATT dealership. We are not allowed to sell iphones because Apple's contract with ATT only allows ATT corpororate stores and Apple store to sell the iphone. Dealer's generally have way more experience than the kids in the corporate mall stores, and definetly have more experience than someone working in an Apple store that has never sold cellular products. The decision to not allow dealer iphone sales also forces people who do not live close to a corporate ATT store or an Apple store to purchase their phones over the internet. Any experienced Dealer would not have let this guy leave without an international Data plan.Jason Coyne says,p.s. someone who is a web developer should know how many kilobits different basic online tasks use, or at least have known that any per Kilobit charge will be through th roof.
P.S.S. The customer was probably charged more than the amount in his contract for Data roaming as the foreign wireless companies can charge whatever they please...
While I sympathize with Dave and his situation with the iPhone, part of the story really doesn't mesh. Dave has a career as a web developer, yet not know how large the average web page is, or how many bytes are in email or images. Page weight is a very important part of page design, and it seems unusual for him to claim he didn't know the amount of traffic he was getting.Anonymous says,Also, in comparison to the "verizon can't do math" stories, there was no misquote to Dave about the data rate.
Should AT&T offer the unlimited international data plan? Yes. Should they offer unlocking? Yes. Are they obligated to do either? No. Did Dave use the service, knowing he wasn't on an unlimited plan? Yes. Should Dave be responsible for his own actions? Yes.
The only part that mitigates things in Dave's favor, is that they didn't have a way to let him get his usage. Thats what he should focus on if he tries to pursue things with AT&T. Everything else was a voluntary choice he made on his own.
One other thing occurred to me. At $0.005/kb a $3000 bill would mean 600,000KB of data, or 600 megabytes (minus whatever his normal plan cost, so say $100-200 to be generous). 600 Megs is a rediculous amount of data to send over an phone connection with EDGE only, and there is no reasonable way you could get there in just browsing and email, unless you were sending and insane amount of attachments via email. The phone has no tether option, so the normal culprit of games and P2P sharing are not applicable. There could be some other issue at play, like each GPRS session being rounded up to the nearest 10k or something like that, which would vastly inflate his usage numbers, and that would also be an avenue for fighting the bill.
I did find a comment from Dave on a different website mentioning that he was misquoted on the price. ($.05 vs $.005) This is the same as the "verizon can't do math" story, and you have a good chance of having the bill reduced since they did misquote you. I highly suggest you read the "verizon can't do math" stories on the web, which will give you the right things to say to fight the bill (even though this is AT&T).
Felix was all over this a couple weeks back. The link details very precisely how the international data rates will hose you (regardless of who is a web developer).
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I searched the intenet and found this post.
I was called by a close friend of our family a day ago, he received $2800 bill for data usage of the cell phones he just bought for his son and daughter months ago. There are still a thousand dollar for current month which is not billed yet. He didn't notice AT&T's previous two months bills, since they used Singulr before and the bill was in Singular's envelope. Due to AT&T and Singular merge, now it is sent in AT&T envelope. They never went out of US in that time period. The most charges are coming from data usage. His son used the phone to google some information, of course cell phone is a interesting toy for a 14 year-old kid. He called AT&T to block all additional service now. I am searching internet to look for some help and advise.
Eric
Class action law firm Coughlin Stoia www.csgrr.com wishes to hear from iPhone customers charged exorbitant roaming fees.
Or call investigator Steve Ellman at 561 310 0781
I had the same problem. I was in Canada for a hockey camp for two weeks. When we got back my bill was $400 for the first week and $2300 for the second. AT&T was nice enought to credit us $1000 but we were still stuck with a huge bill.
$1600 bill for two days in Israel. iPhone is a toy. I'm going back to my BBerry.
We traveled to Jamaica last week on 09/08/07 through 09/15/07 with my new Apple i-Phone. Later today on 09/19/07 AT&T sent me a text message saying that my phone bill was very large and for me to call them.
When I called them, I was told my bill was $2,405 that was charged last week to my phone for data that was apparently transferred to my phone unknowingly and authorized. Keep in mind that I could not make any phone calls on my phone because the service said it wouldn't connect. So I left the phone in the charging dock and used it as an alarm clock and an mp3 player.
I naturally challenged the data amount used since my wife has the exact same phone and she was charged only $161 for the same time period. They said they could not investigate this and that we owed the amount. Then they said that we could settle for half payment if we made the payment today.
I said I would need to think about it and he said that if I didn't decide right now that he would shut my phone off right now even though the bill is not even due until October 3rd, 2007. He then offered me a half off and said they would take $1,200 if I again settled today. Please help me I am being held hostage by these guys.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
I went on an overseas trip and activated international data roaming on my wireless laptop card on 7/24/07 – it has been noted in the AT&T system that we called on 7/24. It is a flat fee of $139 per month. I confirmed the rate plan again this morning by randomly calling AT&T company store.
We now got a bill for $16566.38 for data. And they have also added 6000 minutes for $299 to the same number. When I asked how do you expect to use minutes on a card in a laptop they had no answer. We are not able to get anywhere with AT&T customer support. Now they tell me that we have been charged a higher per KB as it is not noted correctly in the account.
We are AT&T customer since 2002, we have over 35 lines and we have not paid our bill yet. I am seriously considering a move to Verizon sometime tomorrow. AT&T has been given timeframe until close of business today to resolve this. Please let me know if anyone can assist us.
I can be reached on 408 805 0500.
I was in bahamas 5 weekend days end of august, and checked email a couple of times a day, but left the iphone in the safe, due to lots of water sports with my kids. Dialed out 2 times to US. Got $470 data bill.
I was using my blackjack 5 week days in europe in June, checked email all day every day - sent emails, texts, and power used all during the trip. The bill was $175.
The Iphone uses too much data transfer, then does not even hold the emails resident on the handset, as they usually say - email data not downloaded when you go to read the email. You can see the header, but not the email. For all this data transfer not to see the data, then get a bill that is a whopper, Something is not right.
I have yet to receive a credit from AT&T.
I too have a tale of Iphone woe. I went to Egypt for 10 days with my Iphone and returned to a bill of $7000. Although I did use the data package, 75% of the time the page never loaded, and i figured it probably was inoperative. I've been arguing with ATNT about the exorbitant bill and have really gotten nowhere. The first time around I got to a supervisor, who was very condescending and uncooperative, although she offered $500 off. I then spoke to another person who said he would email his supervisor about getting 1/2 my data charges waived. $3500 is a TON to pay for 10 days worth of internet, and I feel that ATNT is price gouging here.
I'm still in the process of negotiating with ATNT and considering legal action.
If anyone has any advice or knows an attorney who has successfully dealt with these iphone complaints please contact me at mike.jue@gmail.com Thanks.
my problem is At&T cell charges that we have not made. the heading are-- Data Transfer - Data Media Net Pay Per Use - Anytime - GPRR - Out. these charges are at odd times, very early morning times. we have not made these charges.
At&T cust. svc. is of no help, they do not belive us. please, we only text. no picture transfer, no internet use. only text, our bill is 300. of pay per use. help please. thank you.
Clara, did you happen to get any resolution. I am having the EXACT same problem! Let me know if you have had any luck and if I find anything, I will let you know. What phone do you have? I have a blackjack. Thanks so much!
I've just begun researching this problem after several frustrating conversations with AT&T. I bought a Nokia N75 hours before leaving for an overseas trip. It got shut off after 7 days (the bill was up to $2800 and I didn't have a history of large bills, so they shut it down)they claim it is data use, I think Dave's might be the last bill that they forgave?
I will start my writing campaign, better business bureau, at&t, local news shows (Hey, it worked with Toyota when they refused to replace my waranteed engine!). I can't believe that they know that this can happen and haven't done anything about it!
I can't believe that there are so many people out there with the same story. Here's mine:
I left on Jan 2, 2008 for Hong Kong on business. I carried with me the Blackberry my firm provided for my use and my husbands iPhone as a 'back up'. I wanted to use the iPod and take pictures with it.
Imagine my surprise when I received a text from the Data Alert Center. I called the number and was informed that my current data usage on my line had exceeded my existing data plan. What? I didn't understand. I had maybe used my phone once to make an emergency phone call (when my Bberry charge had died) and browsed the internet about once or twice (again for emergency purposes). I explained this to the person I spoke to at AT&T and she explained that this problem had nothing to do with the 'phone' but with the data. She then went on to tell me that I had accrued 'x' amount of data and that I had to pay for it...EVEN THOUGH I HAD PHYSICALLY DONE NOTHING. I'm no computer wiz or phone wiz so I was completely shocked and appalled.
She told me that thus far (it was about the 23rd when I found all this out) I had accrued about a $2300.00 bill and that she couldn't tell me what else would be pending. I freaked out understandably and she was kind enough to tell me how to turn off this automatic data download feature or whatever it is. I did so and had to make a horrible call to my husband to let him know what was going on. The very next day he (my husband) shut the service off knowing that I had my Bberry which I was using anyhow.
Explain to me how something you don't even touch, that is simply ON and is sitting in your purse, can cost you money? Where is the disclaimer in the contract that says they will do this to you? Why didn't I know this?
To add insult to injury, ever since I got home (last Saturday) my husband and I have been on the horn with AT&T to see if they can help us out. They opened a 'ticket' to consider our case. Amazingly enough, they tried us and found us guilty of usage without even hearing our side of it (though they assured us over and over again that they looked at all the 'notes' associated with our case). Tonight, I'm here writing this frustrated comment because the night manager, or whatever he is, told me bluntly that our case had been 'denied' and that we were liable for the full amount (in a rather condescending tone) thus far (which isn't the full amount either) and that if I want for it to be further escalated, I need to write a letter. A letter?
I'm at about at the end of my rope here. The money is outrageous but more so, this is pure highway robbery. I don't think my husband and I would have a problem with paying the amount of something we actually did USE. And to be honest, we can't afford to pay this ridiculous amount for nothing.
Any advice, any at all, would be appreciated. Meanwhile I plan to write a couple of letters to the BBB and the FTC regarding this (since it seems rather common).
I have to say, both my husband and I, customers of Cingular for several years, feel very let down.
AT&T iPhone Roaming Charges $7,757.29
Incident
I am a Cingular AT&T customer for the last 5 years with 2 family accounts including 7 mobile phone numbers for my wife and 5 kids. I switched my Mobile phone from Blackberry to AT&T iPhone first week of December last year just before leaving for a 2 weeks business trip to Israel. The iPhone was so slow in downloading my emails and in most of the cases failed to do so. The iPhone constantly checks back and forth for data until you lose your patient.
Upon my return to the US, I have reported these miserable performances to AT&T store where I got my iPhone and the sales representative has told me that Apple iPhone are aware of the slow performances and going to come out with a new software revision to fix the slow download process. I called AT&T customer service to tell them about it and asked for the details of my bill in Israel; they didn't have the details and said they will notify me as soon as they get it from Apple.
10 days later, January 16th. I left for a 3 weeks business trip to the Fareast with my iPhone, hoping for a better performance. Guess what? It was the same never-ending downloads.
A week later my wife called my hotel and told me we got a bill of $7,757.29 for my roaming charges in Israel. I switched immediately the roaming button on my iPhone to “off” and asked my wife to wait for my return to discuss it with AT&T customer service. My wife spoke with AT&T and they promised to check the roaming charges and even reduced it by $938. The next day my wife went to the AT&T store to complain and been told that the notes on the account says it is in a “Review status” and we should wait a couple of days. On January 29th AT&T disconnected all 7 phones including my iPhone without any prior notice by phone, email or letter. I was caught and trapped in Mainland China snow storm without any way to communicate by emails or mobile phone.
I have returned back to the US on Feb 6th and called the AT&T customer service. They told me that Israel is not on the list of roaming countries and I should not have used it there, I asked her to log on AT&T web and see for herself, it clearly says Israel is included and support the iPhone; Click to view the link: http://www.wireless.att.com/travelguide/coverage/roaming/step4.jsp?CIDL=376&CTN=7189094093&MNC=CING&DID1=309&DID2=&devicenum=1&STEP=4
In anyways, they refused to answer my question, why they have decided to close my 7 mobile lines even before my bill was due, and never warned us before doing so. I asked to talk to their legal department which they refused to refer me to, and said only my lawyer could do so.
My advice to all businessmen traveling in the US and overseas, forget about the iPhone Gimmick, and stay away from AT&T. It doesn’t work for us, Switch back to BalckBerry; there is nothing like it!
Damage Resulting
I was using my iPhone for my business and was trapped in the snow storm in China without my emails and mobile phone; missed 2 important meeting, tones of emails and phone calls. My wife and my 5 kids were left without any phones to communicate between ourselves.
Ok these are my thoughts:
Mr. Dave is obviously lying because
* ANY web designer in the world knows how many KB are on a webpage and how much its aprox being transfered
* He later mentions "20 MB that can be burned in a day or two" Huh? Woops, I thought you had no idea about any of those KB stuff....PLEASE!
And by the way, are you gonna tell me that you were not aware of the "TURN OFF DATA USAGE WHILE ROAMING" feature on your iPhone? BS!
I'm so tired of people making their own mistakes and then blaming on someone else. Of course I'd be bleeding through my nose if I get a $3k bill, but that is never going to happen because I'm not going to call in later saying "I didn't know" "The rep didn't explain" = C.R.A.P
And, my last cent, is that INDEED AT&T is an armed robbery, but in reality there's nothing else to do :-)
@benzehavi - follow the link that you, yourself posted. On the right side of the line where it says Israel there is a link to the details of the rates and coverage in Israel. $2.49 per min. roaming in Israel, and the data rate is $.0195/KB. All that Y/Y tells you is that your phone will work in that country, NOT THAT THE USAGE IS FREE! Use common sense and intelligence people. International rates are always more, and never free.
I have an iPhone and I am an international traveler. It amazes me how many people didn't take the time to read the rules which are not hidden, and then complain.
I traveled to Barbados and got a $3.5K bill from AT&T for data usage in Jamaica. Not only is Jamaica about 1000 miles from Barbados, but my alleged data usage was 176,389 KB and supposedly it was done at 2:30 am when I was most definitely sleeping. I checked my last bills and I have never before used so much as 30,000 KB in a month while on the iternet constantly during my 2 hour daily commute. So, ATT has got someone either hacking into their system, or they have major issues with these foreigh carriers trying to suck them for money. AT&t is passing it on to their customers. I called them 4 times, talked to customer service and fraud. First they said that Jamaica is right next to Barabdos and I was picking up Jamaican towers. Then they said it was a crossed wire and there is nothing they can do. They reduced my bill to over $1k and refuse to do anything else. I will cancel my service call a lawyer if they don't refund my money. On second thought I will cancel even if they do refund, just for wasting my time and giving me such a headache.
Lesson to be learned: Do not use your internet able cell phone overseas. You will have problems!