I-PHONE: Man racks up $4,800 iPhone bill - AT&T is cruising for a bruising

[abdulhakeem]

AT&T is cruising for a bruising

But then the Baby Bells are gonners, init?!?

By Nick Farrell
10 September 2007

A HUMAN called Jay Levy says he has been stung by Apple's iPhone pact with AT&T after he took an Iphone on a Mediterranean cruise.

They didn't use their phones, but when they got back they had a 54-page monthly bill of nearly $4,800 from AT&T Wireless.

The problem was that their three Iphones were racking up a bill for data charges using foreign phone charges. The Iphone regularly updates e-mail, even while it's off, so that all the messages will be available when the user turns it on.

Levy is fuming, claiming that Apple and AT&T were acting like a bank which has automatic access to your ATM machine and is siphoning money out during all times of the day and night.

Normally it does not cost US users for domestic data transfers, but the Iphone's international plan in 29 countries, mostly in Europe, costs $24.99 for 20 megabytes.

Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris points out in its terms and conditions that it will cost an arm an a leg to use an Iphone out of the US even if no services are intentionally used.

So reckons News Day (http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzappl0908,0,2929341.story?coll=ny_home_rail_headl ines).

http://theinquirer.net/?article=42235

[abdulhakeem]

Hewlett Harbor man racks up $4,800 iPhone bill

BY RICHARD J. DALTON, JR.
September 7, 2007

Jay Levy and his family took their iPhones on a Mediterranean cruise. Now the Hewlett Harbor entrepreneur feels as if he got taken for a ride, receiving a 54-page monthly bill of nearly $4,800 from AT&T Wireless.

While Levy, his wife and his daughter were enjoying the trip, and even while they were sleeping, their three iPhones were racking up a bill for data charges. The iPhone regularly updates e-mail, even while it's off, so that all the messages will be available when the user turns it on.

"They have periodic updates on their data files, and they translate into megabucks," Levy said. "This is akin to your bank having automatic access to your ATM machine and is siphoning money out during all times of the day and night without your knowledge."

Levy and his daughter each have three e-mail accounts on their iPhones, and they were each billed more than $1,900.

His wife's phone had one e-mail account, and her bill hit $890. One connection alone ran $223. Levy said he has complained all the way to office of AT&T's president.

Data transfers are not a problem domestically, where the AT&T Wireless plan includes unlimited data transfers for the iPhone.

But the iPhone's international plan in 29 countries, mostly in Europe, costs $24.99 for 20 megabytes. In countries outside the plan, charges can run from $5 to $20 per megabyte, said Ben Wilson, editor of iPhone Atlas, a Web site owned by the online news company CNet.

"It was a big surprise," Wilson said. "Consumers didn't expect that the charges were going to be so high and that the phone was going to be doing all this data transfer in the background that they weren't aware of."

Herbert Kliegerman, 68, a real-estate agent from the Bronx, said he incurred $2,000 while visiting Mexico. He filed a lawsuit seeking class-action status in New York State Supreme Court last week, alleging that Apple did not properly disclose the international roaming charges.

AT&T Wireless offered to refund $1,500 to Kliegerman, but he said that's not good enough. "I want a full refund," he said.

Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris said the company adequately discloses the potential charges on the Web site and when the phone is activated.

The 6,707-word terms and conditions document on the AT&T Web site says: "Substantial charges may be incurred if phone is taken out of the U.S. even if no services are intentionally used."

Kliegerman said said most people don't read the lengthy terms and conditions. Furthermore, the rate plans listed on the site indicate "unlimited data (Email/Web)," without an asterisk. He said that's misleading.

Kliegerman's lawyer, Randall S. Newman of Manhattan, said about 15 people from around the country have called him complaining of international roaming charges and the inability to unlock the phone to use it with another carrier.

Apple hasn't yet released the iPhone abroad. Levy said he didn't expect data transfer charges internationally because he believed the data network in Europe wasn't compatible with the iPhone. The Levys brought their phones with them for voice calls.

Other smartphones also automatically update e-mail and other data such as weather and stock prices, but those phones offer a wider variety of international pricing plans in more countries than is available on the iPhone, AT&T Wireless spokeswoman Ellen Webner said.

http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzappl0908,0,2929341.story?coll=ny_home_rail_headl ines

[Mace]

Actually, my wife and I both have iPhones and we've travelled outside the country with them.

Out of the box, the phone does not retrieve emails in the background until you go to the Mail app. Of course, many people change that to automatically retrieve mail every so many minutes.

This is exactly the same as many other phones that be set to automatically retrieve mail at certain intervals.

Obviously if you are roaming internationally, you want to turn this off so that you aren't paying roaming data charges. Again, regardless of the phone you have (unless you have an unlimited international roaming plan)

When we were in England and France with our iPhones, we just used WiFi wherever possible to check our mail and we came back with less than $100 in roaming charges. Most of those were from voice calls. With a few data sessions to get directions and to look up restaurants in zagat or whatever when WiFi was not available.

[Suliman]

Actually, my wife and I both have iPhones and we've travelled outside the country with them.

Out of the box, the phone does not retrieve emails in the background until you go to the Mail app. Of course, many people change that to automatically retrieve mail every so many minutes.

This is exactly the same as many other phones that be set to automatically retrieve mail at certain intervals.

Obviously if you are roaming internationally, you want to turn this off so that you aren't paying roaming data charges. Again, regardless of the phone you have (unless you have an unlimited international roaming plan)

When we were in England and France with our iPhones, we just used WiFi wherever possible to check our mail and we came back with less than $100 in roaming charges. Most of those were from voice calls. With a few data sessions to get directions and to look up restaurants in zagat or whatever when WiFi was not available.

Exactly, so the dude that got a huge bill is just stupid. Where as you are obviously not :D

Btw, I want an iPhone :P also did you get your rebate or did you buy it when the price dropped?

[Mace]

Exactly, so the dude that got a huge bill is just stupid. Where as you are obviously not :D

Btw, I want an iPhone :P also did you get your rebate or did you buy it when the price dropped?

We haven't gotten our rebates yet. I think what we're getting is actually a store credit. So someone in the family will be getting an iPod for Eid, I suppose. I don't need anything else really right now.

[muslimah85]

thats nothing where I work a customers bill amounted to £28,000 for a month :)

[ibn suleman]

thats nothing where I work a customers bill amounted to £28,000 for a month :)

:rubeyes::rubeyes::rubeyes:

accidently?

[Suliman]

thats nothing where I work a customers bill amounted to £28,000 for a month :)

How? That is surely (almost) impossible????? They would stop it after a certain amount surely?

[muslimah85]

nup

you would think they would but they dont. I even had a customer (17yrs) who has a contrct under his fathers name his bill ws £799 which is father willingly paid

the most ive seen is £35k

scary stuff cos its what some people earn over a yr!