Verizon Waives Teen's $21,917 Data Fee

Sounds dramatic - "kicked his son off the Verizon Wireless account", or he could have just restricted data use as Verizon should have suggested in the first place, then again, why did the kid have a media capable phone if he wasn't supposed to use it for media. The whole story and situation is stupid.

What could you possibly do on a phone that uses up 1.4GB, anyway? Get a computer ffs.

So kicked him off and sold to a hobo not knowing the plan was still on them.. Maybe

And there is the problem.

Jeez, 1.4gb of data in a month? WTF was he doing? I dont know about everyone else, but with my data speed on US Cellular, i'd have to download 24/7 to rack up that much traffic.....

I used 800megs this last month. Streaming videos and using the web daily, I could see a kid doing 1.4gigs easy.

I used about 800megs on my last bill. Youtube, app downloads, movie trailers and web surfing, ya, it can add up easy.

My free with new contract phone from 5 years ago had media capabilities. Maybe not 1 gig per month capabilities but I digress.

The guy needs to switch to sprint, it's only $20 for each additional line.

I couldn't imagine using 1.4GB on a phone alone. However with my Verizon 3g Modem I can easily reach and usually do reach the 5GB limit, its not hard to do on the computer over a month's time.

What's probably the most ridiculous about this is that the guy was charged what, $15/meg? I'm from Canada and even we don't pay that much, and we have atrocious wireless data rates

"...in other news another San Jose teen was killed by his father"

If they had been smart instead of greedy aholes, they could have charged him $100 or so and warned him about excessive usage. Verizon then would have earned a $100. Course they'd lose the free publicity.

Porn.

I can see dling that much on a standard Internet connection (DSL, etc..), but a cell phone...no way. Like someone else stated, I have US Cellular and yes, I'd have to have it downloading 24/7 to make it to 1.4GB.

i was thinking the same thing unlce meat.

this also goes to show how much price-gouging goes on in the cell companies. $21000? RIDICULOUS!

lol agree with the posters above, my first thought was porn, I mean the kid can barely talk or text to anyone so he found out he could watch endless amounts of porn. I am more amazed at the rate it cost if you don't have a data plan. People argue that's a lot of data, but even if you used a tenth of that you would still have a 2,200 dollar bill which is pretty ridiculous anyway. Verizon has been very vocal about other wireless providers so they were almost required to waive the fee.

UMMM being verizon this is not new. My plan in unlimited and they always charge me for "Overages" till I call them. I would love to know and maby you VZ fanboys can tell me (FYI I have VZ for the next month then done with there crap) why it costs 20+ bucks for them to turn on the WIFI on the droid? As for the "MAP" adds its Crap. I live where it says we all have 3g and half the time your out of range of even cell coverage. Face it VZ and ATT are just both evil. Its just a matter of sides. Red Vs Blue.

Put aside for a moment that it must have been hard for this kid to download 1.4 gb in a month, and think, how in this day and age of computers with ever increasing storage and speedy internet like Fios, Cable internet and 3g, could 1.4 gb cost 21,000 dollars!

$21,918 for 1,4BG data? Bad BAD image to the public Verizon.. wtf costs so much over their services for 1,4GB? lol are you fn serious?

13 year old kids don't deserve cell phones with data capabilities. Back in my day...

Verizon should drop data charges and simply charge for content purchased.

a-hm. 15$ for a 1 megabyte? It cant't be so expensive.

I think when someone signs up to a cell phone, a data plan (or a variable rate data plan) should be added automatically, and it is activated once a person reaches a certain threshold (like $15 etc).

But they are so bent on charing someone 7 cents per KB.


But what is studpid, is, if you dont pay your internet bill for cable/telephone, you wont have internet access, so i dont see how cell phones can give you access (or allow access) to internet without giveing you a proper bill for it with such internet access added. It just a big scam.

$22,000 for 1.4gb worth of data? WTF is verizon charging per kb? I don't use the data plan so I would not know what their standard charges are.

tell ya what, i don't think AT&T would have wiped the bill clean, they will most likely need the $$$ for when Verizon takes up the iPhone contract & AT&T has nothing left...

Why does an unemployed person have a cell phone? This is fault number 1. Next, why the hell does a 13 yo need a cell phone? Fault number 2. Why does a person with no money buy another phone for a person who doesnt need it? Fault number 3.

Im thinking the person is a moron and deserves the fine for the mere fact that he is a moron, and probably doesnt legally belong here in the first place?

Why does a 13 year old even need a cell phone?

If they must have a cell phone, then why not a prepaid phone? The blame here lies with the parents.

i dont approve of any teen having mobile internet

1. It's pretty hard to land a job if no one can get hold of you. You need a phone, and most people today are turning off their land lines for cellular. It's cheaper. Just because he is unemployed, why do you jump to the conclusion he has no money? I didn't read anywhere in the article one thing about the guy being broke, did I miss something? If you are going to comment, you should stick to the facts, you won't look quite so ignorant if you do.
2. A 13 year old does not "need" a phone, but it is not a bad idea. You can come out from under your rock and join the rest of us in the 21rst century anytime now.

It should be illegal for a phone company to operate in this manner. If they are going to charge you for something, and charge a complete obscene unheard of amount for a service, it should be something you have to add to your service, not something that is simply there, hidden in the small print, and available on a secondary phone, and if you happen to use it, they are going to rob you blind for it. 21+ grand for 1.4 gigs of data??? Come on, that is simply unfair, completely and insanely out of line. This is not an isolated incident, it happens all the time. All the time. I know several people with children that have had the exact same experience.(not quite for that amount though, but I have seen bills that range $1000-$1500) It should be illegal, and the phone company should be fined for this nonsense.

Here in finland even first graders get their own phones.
Landline phones are close to death. (pretty much no household has one).
Even unemployed people have phones.
And filling up 1.4gigs? easy. My friend can get easily up to 600kb/s download with his connection. IF you do not put on a plan it is unlimited on speed but charged per megabyte. I have a 1Mbit plan where I pay a bit under 20 per month and it works. Even minimal months can go up to 100 megs due to email and stuff.