Man Downloads Wall-E Movie In Mexico, Gets Stuck With $62,000 Wireless Bill

consumerist.com:

If you're going out of the country for more than 15 seconds, don't forget to turn off, remove, leave at home, freeze in a block of ice, disable, or otherwise render unusable your wireless card. Above all, do not download Wall-E for your nephew to watch on your computer.

Read the whole story: consumerist.com

Comments

[davidwayneosedach]

Tough! He won't do it again.

[hulagirrrl]

I agree, he should have been warned by his service provider about this charge. Also, some phones are build in a way that you can unintentionally start the media while putting the phone into your pocket, on mine (Sony Ericsson) it happens even with locked keypad. I think that they build this on purpose, and that may run up charges for many.

[vagabondvet]

Should have gotten that unlimited data plan from his cell phone company.

[Tom95134]

That wouldn't help. HE WAS IN MEXICO!

[vagabondvet]

Shouldn't have tried to download data on his phone while in a foreign country. Should have gotten that unlimited data plan. Roaming across borders is always ridiculous.

[InspiredByTruth]

If the guy is smart he'll through a press conference in front his congressman's office with a petition for a bill to ban these kind of outrageous charges. Then they'll forgive the bill.

[Tom95134]

It was in Mexico. Last time I checked Congressmen have very little influence in Mexico. He's lucky they offered him a reduced price. Use of w wireless network in a foreign country is subject to international agreements and you usually have very little room to negotiate.

[guch33]

Daughter ran up a cell bill to iraq of over 1100 bux.......­i told them to take it from Halliburton's trough....­..never heard back......­..........­.. I guess they are waiting until the late fees go over 10K.
Next life they will get that cash......­..........­Eat the Rich

[dadw5boys]

Anyone ever notice how few small claims courts there are in the USA ????

Think that was an oversight or a planned oversight ????

Courts stand ready for lawyers everywhere anytime.

But the consumer had to travel 100 miles usually and then hope the business will show up nothing can make them.
.

[Deaninphilly]

What are you talking about? There's a small claims court in every county courthouse

[MrWampler]

There are plenty of small-claims courts on the teevee.

[Tom95134]

$62,000 is NOT a small claim.

[justsaynosarahp]

Most counties have small claims courts -- mileage will, of course, depend on the size of your county (or parish).
I don't think lack of access to small claims courts is the problem.
I do think judge's attitudes to the un-schooled consumer-litigant ARE.
Example: read through the small claims court info on your local county's website, and you are likely to see assurances that judges will give a relaxed reading of the law to the uninitiated.
Were this were true.
I have gone to small claims court twice. I have won twice. I went with my friend once, and he lost.
Two of the three judges in my experience gave lip service to fairness, but in practice, demanded AND penalized consumer-litigants who DID NOT KNOW subtleties of the Rules of Civil Proceedure -- rules not evident from a thorough reading of the claim, or through a thorough reading of the county small-claims 'help' websites.
Two of the judges seemed quite AMUSED at the consumer-litigant's efforts at defense, even given the fact that the consumers were facing professionals sworn to the state bar.
One judge actually ruled in error, concerning an objection to the business hearsay rule, ostensibly because the consumer-litigant used approximate vocabulary, instead of the exact vocabulary of the Rules of Civil Proceedure.
Upshot -- 2/3 of the judges = Arrogant Fools, with opinions weighted towards professional lawyers, not towards consumer-litigants.
Small Claims courts exist, but beware -- it's very easy to loose.

[swift goat pet for truth]

Should have bought the CD.

[IbeHappy]

Should have engaged brain.

[GerryS]

the doofus probably thought he was in NEW Mexico----­----------­------

[WVP]

Holy crap! Even at 17K this is a bit outrageous.

The funniest response to this article, IMO, was from Yebo who commented at the article's site. And I quote: "why is he bringing he nephew to mexico to watch Wall-E?" HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Thanks for the morning chuckle, Yebo!

[RechargeYourMind]

Ridiculous.

[WVP]

This entire story is ridiculous.