OT--ultimate cell phone nightmare

[dennismurphy]

I had this extra cell phone on my plan that I let a friend use for reasons that aren't relevant. He returned it to me a little over 2 months ago, and I kind of lost track of it. Today the new ATT called to ask whether I really had run up $7,200 of roaming charges in Guatemala during the last two months. Evidently, I put the phone in my glove compartment when my friend returned it, and it was quickly stolen without my noticing it. So now, because I didn't report it missing, ATT says I have to cough up 7 big ones. I asked why it took 2 freaking months for ATT to receive any charges, and they said it was because the Guatemala service company just sent them the bill. Not looking good for future speaker parts purchases.

[shawn_a]

Now that is something that hurts a lot. This is the reason why I always yank out SIM cards when I 'retire' a phone. If the handset is worth keeping (read I haven't beat the poop out of it by one means or another) I'll charge up the battery and toss it in the glovebox so I'll have a spare handy if something really bad happens to my main handset. That and it does come in handy to call 911 in a pinch if need be. I hope you can come to some sort of arrangement with AT&T on this whole mess. Seven large is something I would be missing a lot.

shawn

[dlsbobby]

> I had this extra cell phone on my plan that
> I let a friend use for reasons that aren't
> relevant. He returned it to me a little over
> 2 months ago, and I kind of lost track of
> it. Today the new ATT called to ask whether
> I really had run up $7,200 of roaming
> charges in Guatemala during the last two
> months. Evidently, I put the phone in my
> glove compartment when my friend returned
> it, and it was quickly stolen without my
> noticing it. So now, because I didn't report
> it missing, ATT says I have to cough up 7
> big ones. I asked why it took 2 freaking
> months for ATT to receive any charges, and
> they said it was because the Guatemala
> service company just sent them the bill. Not
> looking good for future speaker parts
> purchases.

I'm not one for litigation, however, that is a lot of money. I'm sure you have a friend that is a lawyer and he/she could give you some advice. Maybe go in pro per and fight it. Bad luck anyway you look at it. Robert.

[trevorg]

Can I borrow your phone???

Im sorry...

That def does suck... My mom has ran into a similar issue with her phone company so I feel ya man...

[dennismurphy]

> Can I borrow your phone???

> Im sorry...

> That def does suck... My mom has ran into a
> similar issue with her phone company so I
> feel ya man...

If I could, it would be all yours, dude. Of course, any pending charges would convey. Oh--please don't feel me. I'm grumpy already.

[Wolf]

> If I could, it would be all yours, dude. Of
> course, any pending charges would convey.
> Oh--please don't feel me. I'm grumpy
> already.

I think you could prove your presence in the states, and chalk it up to another using the phone.
Later,
Wolf

[dennismurphy]

> I think you could prove your presence in the
> states, and chalk it up to another using the
> phone.
> Later,
> Wolf

That's not in dispute--it's my failure to report the phone stolen in a timely fashion.

[Dirk]

> That's not in dispute--it's my failure to
> report the phone stolen in a timely fashion.

Is there some sort of legal limitation? When you received the phone call was the first time you noticed it missing. That's bull puggy. Say someone broke into your house and stole the Murphy family jewels (the *other* ones, Dennis). Let's also say you didn't notice it for 60 days because you've declined your upcoming formal engagements and you don't wear them while vacuuming the carpets like you used to. Would you be able to report the theft to police when you noticed? You bet yer bippies.

[dbe]

homeowner's policy. If you have an identity theft contingency supplemental it may be covered under that umbrella. We are with Met Life and the policy offers no cost coverage for all of crap like that when it rears it's ugly head. It may be covered under the standard policy with some firms.

That sucks.

Nos illigitimi no carborundum.

Dave

[mikebw]

I agree, there should be some sort of limitation of liability here. I mean how could you have reported it stolen if you didn't even know it was missing in the first place?

> Is there some sort of legal limitation? When
> you received the phone call was the first
> time you noticed it missing. That's bull
> puggy. Say someone broke into your house and
> stole the Murphy family jewels (the *other*
> ones, Dennis). Let's also say you didn't
> notice it for 60 days because you've
> declined your upcoming formal engagements
> and you don't wear them while vacuuming the
> carpets like you used to. Would you be able
> to report the theft to police when you
> noticed? You bet yer bippies.

[richard_swerdlow]

For that amount of money, it might be worth it to try legal help.

I once needed to talk to a lawyer about 10 years ago, just to find out if I had a legal case in a conflict with a former employer. I called the Lawyer Referral Service run by the Montgomery County Bar Association at 301-279-9100. They now have web page <A HREF="http://www.montbar.org">http://www.montbar.org</A> and an email address <A HREF="mailto:BarMont@IX.Netcom.com">BarMont@IX.Net com.com</A>.

I was quickly referred to someone with experience in employment law, and found that I didn’t have a case. It only cost me $20 which was a fee for the referral service.

[wg_ski]

> Today the new ATT called to ask whether
> I really had run up $7,200 of roaming
> charges in Guatemala during the last two
> months.

I wonder how much incriminating evidence is embedded in those phone records. Anything the DEA might be interested in? You know whatever they were doing wasn't legal. If you're gonna get stiffed for 7 grand (or even put up with the hassle of getting it cleared) maybe you can see to it they get busted for something big.

[jkrutke]

You will likely be able to fight your way out of it. I recalled this story from earlier this year about a $26,000 cell phone bill. 5 seconds on Google and I found it.

<A HREF="http://finance.yahoo.com/expert/arti...lionaire/30108">http://finance.yahoo.com/expert/arti...lionaire/30108</A>?

I don't know if this will tell you anything you don't already know, but it's a good read for everyone.


(Originally posted by: jkrutke)

[dennismurphy]

[dennismurphy]

Well, but----those family jewels wouldn't have been running up any charges while they were stolen. Here we have to sort out liability for those charges between me and the phone company, and so you have to ask who was in the best position to avoid the injury? But I better not use up any more of PE's bandwidth--thanks for the replies everyone. I'll sure follow every angle.

[jonpike]

Youch indeed!!!

I'd think you should be able to prove your presence in the USA during that 2 month period, and they'd waive the charges. Ask for the dates and times, and see if you can document your presence here during them.

And then offer access of the phone records to the DEA... (great idea, BTW!)

[jtaylor]

> Youch indeed!!!

> I'd think you should be able to prove your
> presence in the USA during that 2 month
> period, and they'd waive the charges. Ask
> for the dates and times, and see if you can
> document your presence here during them.

> And then offer access of the phone records
> to the DEA... (great idea, BTW!)

Stolen Cell Phone use is probably not a Drug Cartel use. It is mostly used by people who charge poor people a small fee so they can contact relatives. If the Cell Phone company didn't make the owner from being resposible, what do you think would happen on a common basis?

Low Lifes would get a Cell Phone and run the bill way up and then claim the phone was stolen. This is an old time Credit Card Game that has been going on for years, but as more and more stores have camera's at each sales station in most department stores, this kind of theft has been reduced dramatically. Plus with Credit Cards a person can usually only play this game once without bringing to much heat upon themselves.

My brother got stuck with a $7,000.00 phone bill because a stepson ran up Phone Porn Bills without his knowledge. He refused to pay the charges and ended up having his credit ruined. His wife was the only one with a bank account so they couldn't garnish his bank accounts. He was basically financially screwed with no way out but paying or dying, which he did from Leukemia just a year ago.

J. Taylor