A Florida couple, Rene Remund, 71, and his wife Lynda, 65, were hit with a massive phone bill after returning from a trip to Switzerland. The bill, totaling a staggering $143,442.74, stemmed from using mobile data while abroad, according to ABC Action News.
Remund, a loyal T-Mobile customer for nearly 30 years, claims he informed the company about his travel plans before their trip.
"They said you're covered. Whatever that meant. You're covered," Rene told ABC Action News.
However, upon returning home, they faced an eye-watering bill for using just 9.5 gigabytes of data during their three-week vacation. This translates to a shocking average of over $6,000 per day for data usage.
Mr Remund said he immediately called T-Mobile and waited on hold while a representative reviewed the charges.
"She gets back. 'No, this is a good bill," the representative told Remund.
"What do you mean it's a good bill?" Remund asked.
"Well, this is what you owe," the representative said, to which Remund replied, "You're kidding me?"
The couple disputed the charges with T-Mobile but initially received no response. They even sought legal help to challenge the bill. Finally, after media intervention, T-Mobile responded and agreed to credit Remund's account for the entire amount.
The event underscores the significance of comprehending data roaming fees and employing precautions such as activating airplane mode and connecting to Wi-Fi when traveling abroad, particularly if your plan lacks international data coverage.
