Help! Stepsons mobile bill > £4500

[shockedandstunned]

Just got my stepsons phone bill and it's just over £4500.
He's been to Turkey for 2 weeks with his mum and left data roaming on/been on the internet as it's all data charges. We really do not have the means to pay this at all. I've spoken to his mobile phone company, Orange, and they are going to call me back tomorrow. They have said that they may be able to put a credit on the account but 'to manage my expectations it won't be a significant amount'.

Any advice gratefully received?

It's actually in my partners name but I am speaking to them on his behalf.

[grumbler]

£4500 is about 300 550Mb. He seems to have had a lot of fun in Turkey, not just "left data roaming on/been on the internet".

There is so much information on this around that it is beyond my understanding how two(!) adults allowed this happeneing and were able to learn only from their own mistakes.

Try asking Oranage to apply 500Mb/£175 roaming bundle retrospectively.
http://www.orange.co.uk/roaming/turkey/

[shockedandstunned]

It's actually 500MB and it's the same data amount that he uses every month (checked it against his usual bills)

Thanks for the suggestion about applying the roaming bundle retrospectively.

[grumbler]

Yes, my mistake. It's even more than 500.
4500/8=562

[shockedandstunned]

I know it's shocking. But that's a whole other argument to be having with stepson and my partner. For now, I just need to try and sort out what we agree with Orange.

I appreciate the suggestion, thank you.

[Guys Dad]

If Orange won't allow retrospective roaming or reduce bill, then apart from any errors in data used, the bill is due.

Even arranging a pay off over months will usually mean that the service will be suspended and, of course, the Experian credit record will show arrears.

What you have is a right old mess whichever way you look. Yes, roaming charges are extortionate and we can all commiserate with your partner on that.

Grumbler is right about so much information being out there on huge roaming costs. Your other half wouldn't have gone on holidday to Turkey without medical insurance, would she? Because we know that overseas medical costs can be crippling.

Well the same applies to smartphones and you must be living in a bubble if none of you knew in advance about this possibility.

That's why, even as a very experienced mobile user who also ran over 100 company networks, never, ever take my smartphone out of the UK. Instead, I have a couple of Nokia dumb as can be cheapos that don't have internet set and use them.

Afraid there is no magic bullet to wipe out these costs if Orange don't offer any goodwill.

[macman]

Orange don't have to agree any discount I'm afraid. But often a (polite) call to them throwing yourself on their mercy will result in a lump sum deduction.
But you are still facing a bill for a couple of thousand probably. What does your stepson have to say about it-he can hardly have been unaware of the charges?

[shockedandstunned]

I realise all the reasons why this is incredibly stupid and many parties involved could have done things differently.

I was hoping that someone with experience, or better knowledge may have been able to offer some practical advice. With the greatest respect pointing out how stupid we have been is not a great deal of use now. In my personal defence I am not the boy's parent, I wasn't on holiday with him, and I don't pay for his contract. I am just trying to help sort out the mess that has been created.

[grumbler]

£2065.26 Orange Mobile Phone Bill
Orange data roaming.....a decent outcome...!
bill dispute with orange
horrendous data roaming charges
£3000 Orange Bill - HELP!
...
...

[macman]

Originally Posted by shockedandstunned

I realise all the reasons why this is incredibly stupid and many parties involved could have done things differently.

I was hoping that someone with experience, or better knowledge may have been able to offer some practical advice. With the greatest respect pointing out how stupid we have been is not a great deal of use now. In my personal defence I am not the boy's parent, I wasn't on holiday with him, and I don't pay for his contract. I am just trying to help sort out the mess that has been created.

You have been offered practical advice. Ring up Orange, 'fess up and grovel a bit. What is there to lose?
If you do a forum search you will see that this issue comes up with depressing regularity.

[MissKeith]

I'm afraid there isn't a whole lot you can do other than hope Orange will be good to you. I've got a lot of experience within this industry so I know you don't have a leg to stand on. I'm really sorry but there's nothing more to say than what's already been suggested.

[mattyprice4004]

Originally Posted by shockedandstunned

I realise all the reasons why this is incredibly stupid and many parties involved could have done things differently.

I was hoping that someone with experience, or better knowledge may have been able to offer some practical advice. With the greatest respect pointing out how stupid we have been is not a great deal of use now. In my personal defence I am not the boy's parent, I wasn't on holiday with him, and I don't pay for his contract. I am just trying to help sort out the mess that has been created.

We've posted what knowledge we have, that if Orange won't retrospectively add a data bundle you're stuffed.

Sounds like you just want someone to post what you want to hear, but its not going to happen, there's not going to be an easy way out of this.

Instead of criticising the help people gave, why not use the advice instead of moaning about how 'unhelpful' the correct posts are.

[loracan1]

I have no knowledge of roaming charges/use abroad. What I do know is that after our son had run up a bill of £40+ one month (how does ANYONE send in excess of 3000 texts?), my ex had some sort of block put on his contract - I took my son to Greece for a week last month and he'd put some sort of £10 credit for texting - after the credit ran out he was limited to the free wifi at the poolbar. Bit late to help now but get some sort of limit placed!

[Guys Dad]

Originally Posted by shockedandstunned

................. In my personal defence I am not the boy's parent, I wasn't on holiday with him, and I don't pay for his contract. I am just trying to help sort out the mess that has been created.

I agree that telling you and yours what they have done wrong is not of much help to you. And I do accept that you genuinely wanted to find out if anyone had any advice for you, and I don't agree that you sounded like someone who wanted to post what you wanted to hear.

However, I see that you are a new member. Well other new members often read the forum months before making their first post and by reading all of the comments on a thread, it may help someone other than the thread starter.

You asked for advice. Well, contacting Orange and seeing if you can retrospectively apply a roaming bundle or getting some sort of goodwill reduction is the first and best advice.

Paying off whatever is agreed in one payment is the next best advice as any staggered plan agreed is likely to show on your wife's credit record (and will be associated to you as well) and the contract is likely to be suspended, although still charged, until the arrears are paid off.

You, therefore, need to assess whether paying off in one hit - even if you have to borrow the cash - is preferable to having a tarnished credit record. There are numerous threads on here where people have been refused bank loans or mortgages because of mobile phone debts, so, if you are thinking of taking out a new mortgage or bank loan or even HP on a car over the next 6 years, that could be affected.

That's about as much as anyone here can do to advise you, I fear.

[Earthworm]

The only level of advice I can offer on top of this is to ensure he doesn't take a smartphone abroad again. When abroad a phone is best for emergencies which is why having a basic brick always works great.

The £175 bundle sounds best and I wish you luck... Bear in mind if they agree to do this it still may cost more than the bundle if he exceeded the 500MB allowance... E.g. 50MB over is £400

[wantmemoney]

Just got my stepsons phone bill and it's just over £4500

may be it's time the Networks were told to allow customers (not just parents) to be able to put spend limits on accounts.

[NFH]

Although I have little sympathy with those who neglect to check the cost of a service before choosing to use it, Orange's standard non-EEA data roaming charge of £8000/GB is unreasonable, particularly when compared to its typical intra-UK data charge of around £10/GB.

Next time get a local SIM card:

http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/turkey.html

http://prepaidwithdata.wikia.com/wiki/Turkey

[gjchester]

Originally Posted by wantmemoney

may be it's time the Networks were told to allow customers (not just parents) to be able to put spend limits on accounts.

And ther first time Little Jonny can't phone mum to get a lift home after school, or the 18 year old girl is stranded outside with a car breakdown on a country lane and can't phone dad or the AA because they've hit a limit then who will get the blame?

The goverment who will bring it in or the network enforcing such a dumb rule? The networks will regardless, they can't win.

Sorry but people need to be responsible for their actions, there are many options, PAYG and Capped contracts on Tesco, as well as restraint, people need to think for themselves not rely on others to do it for them.

[wantmemoney]

Originally Posted by gjchester

And ther first time Little Jonny can't phone mum to get a lift home after school, or the 18 year old girl is stranded outside with a car breakdown on a country lane and can't phone dad or the AA because they've hit a limit then who will get the blame?

The goverment who will bring it in or the network enforcing such a dumb rule? The networks will regardless, they can't win.

well the customer would no doubt get the 'blame' if they posted on this forum.

what an irrational desperate argument.

If a customer decides they want a spend limit on their account why should that bother you.

Originally Posted by gjchester

Sorry but people need to be responsible for their actions, there are many options, PAYG and Capped contracts on Tesco, as well as restraint, people need to think for themselves not rely on others to do it for them.

what is your real problem with customers being allowed to request a spending cap.

[NFH]

Originally Posted by wantmemoney

what is your real problem with customers being allowed to request a spending cap.

The main problem is that the networks don't want spending caps because that equates to revenue caps, and the networks obviously want to maximise revenue.