Four Episodes of Friends Cost One Man $25,000
Stories like this keep us up at night. One woman was using her husband's Vodafone mobile phone to download four episodes of friends. The downloads were interrupted as the man left his home in the UK for business trip in Germany, but once his plane touched down, the downloads continued.
(As the headline suggests, this doesn't end well.)
When the man arrived back home, Vodafone actually called his firm to alert him of the huge data charge coming in the mail—all £11,000 of it—based upon some sort of punishing out of network rate from the Germany portion of the downloads (despite the fact that Germans using Vodafone don't pay £11,000 phone bills every month).
Given that this isn't the first time mobile carriers have exploited their Europe-trotting customers, the European Union commissioner is giving wireless companies until July 1st to justify exorbitant cross-boundary charges.
We wish Vodafone the best of luck in their great time of difficulty. [telegraphuk]
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@flyboy: That was great. For me, that definition works.
SonOfMagicFact
why do ppl even download shows via fone is beyond me
Arsenal6
um the company should be able to do whatever they want.... we don't need more government control bc there are stupid ppl in the world.
dantaylor08
@nut ditto
dantaylor08
seriously - 'get out of my emergency room' doesn't really explain what I take a goomer is meant to be...
flyboy
@SonOfMagicFact:
yeah what is a goomer?
flyboy
@mrsalty:
yeah the govenrment should fix all our problems... better to legislate than to pay attention and take responsibility for our actions. God forbid you don't buy a cell phone with a data plan and then ignore the terms and conditions - mobile data is your god given right. So yes, lets pass some more laws that enable people to be ignorant - that's just what this world needs.
nutbastard
$22,000...isn't that how much Joey gets for a "Hey...how YOU doin'" at the auto show?
Zapp Brannigan's Girdle
wow. just wow.
MrBlahBlah
You couldn't pay me 5$ to watch 1 ep of Friends.
I'm embarrassed for the guy -maybe he's gay?
Denver_80203
@Szin: Thanks a lot ASSHOLE.
*Pounds head with fists, MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT STOP!!!*
workingonyourinvoice
@Biggy: Such the master baiter you are... :P
Gadgetgirl
Chandler: Could this BEEE any more ridiculous, I think so! =D
fusedinertia
@Hiphopopotamus: You and I both know the online videos you pay for may involve two and a half men, it has nothing to do with the TV series.
loserface
This should make him feel better...
So no one told you life was gonna be this way.
Your job's a joke, you're broke, your love life's D.O.A.
It's like you're always stuck in second gear,
When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year,
I'll be there for you
There everything should be all better now.
Mayor McRib
I wonder if the writers get any of that money with thier new new media contract.
Lupison
For downloading that shitty ass show he deserved it.
ColonelDebugger
22k? try 18.5k. conversion rates are not two to one (yet)
slickfast
@Biggy: I'm guessing YOU + PARTY = EMPTY ROOM
dolo54
@ Biggy
That was a rude thing to say and completely irrelevant. I notice you didn't mention that they guy should have noticed he was roaming?
courtneywoah
Isn't Vodafone supposed to have that "Passport" thing where you pay a connection fee and then get charged just as if you were still at home? Or is that voice only?
jamar0303
Can't pay, Won't pay. Eat my shorts Vodafone!
ecobore
Buy the DVD FFS! I mean really - friends ? It's on 30 times a day in the UK!
adz1902
How these companies can justify these insane prices they bill for (usually) accidental data usage is beyond me. Why governments have not cracked down on these practices is also beyond me. Verizon was supposed to put me on the unlimited data plan (which I paid for), and they messed up their data entry and signed me up for a limited and an unlimited data plan. My first month's bill was $2400. I did not pay it, I got it worked out...but it took nearly half a year before it was. Crazy.
gadjitfreek
@halfshaft: You still got burned!
DaWickedBird
I will challenge you on that any day!@Biggy:
echrada
And everyone complains that Blu-Ray is expensive? Or that downloads will kill Blu-Ray? LOL
xAppleFan
Wonder if he and the wife are "on a break" now?
Markii
:( Largest bill for texting (mostly receiving) 300 dollars... that was before T-Mobile had their unlimited plan.
ph15h
XD Chandler sarcasm FTW!
nightmajik
Could that phone bill BE any higher?
'Suss--
I mean I want to know what phone this was done on.
sxr71
I just want to what kind of phone this was done on.
sxr71
@SonOfMagicFact:
Perhaps he meant "gomer".
Galley
$22k is worth it if they are the episodes where Chandler gets all sarcastic...
girraffesack
Settings > General > Network > Data Roaming > Off.
See, no stupid data charges. Though to be honest, you'd think he'd notice the phone downloading the videos. What I want to know is what the hell was she downloading it to?
Barry99705
@GiltProto: As soon as I find out the meaning of the word "goomer," I'll attempt to avoid them. That being said, I think "goomer" is a truly adorable word. Though I get a feeling in the pit of my tummy that a goomer is a truly awful thing. Which would only make sense. :'(
SonOfMagicFact
@halfshaft: You got done - 2 bucks is OTT for an episode of that crap.
Spankermatic
@halfshaft: Now THAT is burnage... they should have paid YOU... and a lot more than $2....
Mandatory_Field
So no one told him life was gonna be this way.... *clap clap clap clap*
Szin
When i first read the headline i was expecting some sort of Pirating charges.
Ryanraven
@Galley: Awww. Now I know what "gomer" means and that word simply isn't where near as awesome as "goomer." It just makes me smile when I say it. "Goomer" Hehe!
SonOfMagicFact
I guess that couple will be sticking to DVDs from now on...
redkamel
Well Vodaphone, we'll see ya in court!
whiteknight
I paid $2 for an episode of 'Joey', so i feel better now.
halfshaft
Well, good for Vodaphone. Consuming that much data should be illegal. I mean, what do you think this IS - The 21st century or something?
Aqua32
That is a completely reasonable price, a bargain even. That show is really good.
BLAKELEY
You'd think the guy would notice the downloads and the alert that he was roaming.
gamecrazychris
$11,000 bill after a hurricane made it necessary to connect my business server tethered to my phone. No roaming, just data charges!
The company however let me negotiate the bill to $6,000 which I paid. :(
Braf
@Mandatory_Field: Links please! ;)
chuloallen
when translations go awry;
friends=stupid enemies
I know it's weaksauce, even for my standards, but it's been a really long week for me. Maybe this spring weekend will give me some time to rejuvenate (what a gay word!)
/lol
discounteggroll
I got a $400 bill last year beacuse my phone was checking the headers of my email inbox every hour for a week when I was oversea in Japan. Criminal roaming rates!!
Drvec
And to think I go crazy when I get charged 15 or 20 cents for every text message I receive from some idiot goomer at work. Never give out your phone number or e-mail address to goomers at work.
GiltProto
@thesoundman: I think that joke was over your head.
bestpersonintheunivers
@Mandatory_Field: If you're spending more than $5, you're getting burned...
thesoundman
That's almost as large an overcharge as that 99 cents I paid on iTunes for an episode of Two and a Half Men.
Hiphopopotamus
Women + Technology = Stupid Humanity. Thank god for men!
Biggy
come on this how roaming charge thing is ridiculous. The government needs to look into this crap. At most the roaming network should not charge anymore then 10% above pay per minute use phones on their network.
mrsalty
That's what European travel does to you. You don't know rates across countries that are so close together and which types of charges would occur. I know my internet is slow, but it shouldn't take that long to download 4 episodes of Friends unless she started the download within 2 days or less of his take off. :( Too bad he couldn't have known and just cancelled the download. What man wants a wife's download on his phone? Other than her picture of course.But honestly, with data plans and roaming and overrages and the size of an episode. The prices would skyrockect, but it's sad it would get that high.
ph15h
BitTorrent is your friend.
federahhhh
@Lorne: @Mr. Black: You guys never saw that one? Mind you, it wasn't all that great: It also featured Marcel, the monkey....
Mandatory_Field
@Lorne: Great minds think alike
Mr. Black
They better have been the un-aired all nude, all female, episodes...
Mr. Black
Maybe if one of them was the notorious Europe-only lesbian make-out party episode.
Lorne
If you're spending any more than $15,000 for four episodes of Friends, you're getting burned....
Mandatory_Field
I recently heard of someone getting a $30,000+ bill after a few week trip to Europe with his iPhone that he just loved to show off to everyone.
Z.
Zoot
Warez: "It's cheaper!"
tutelary