wow that's pretty dumb. Then again, it happened to me for a much lesser amount, but my operator Orange sent me a texto signalling me before..

Posted By adrian on September 4, 2009, 6:39 PM

Apple = Overglorified Brand that will lose its market in the next 5 years. Thanks.

Posted By A Consumer on September 4, 2009, 6:41 PM

Consumer, you're making little sense. That has everything to do with AT&T as well as the industry as a whole and nothing to do with Apple. Apple products are usually well-designed and the iPhone is no exception. Although, it's a shame that it is locked to AT&T and everyone is forced into one plan. That's actually the reason I haven't gotten one. I don't want to pay for data when I'd use Wifi anyway.

Posted By AL on September 6, 2009, 3:09 AM

That's ridiculous. I would laugh if they sent me a bill like that!

Posted By Dan on September 6, 2009, 6:38 PM

This is common sense advice to anyone who travels overseas. The person deserves to be stuck with the large bill..."I didn't make any calls, all I did was check email, stream video, check facebook and sent text messages".

Are people really this stupid?

Posted By Brian on September 8, 2009, 5:48 PM

I don't have an Iphone. I am getting old and I don't want to learn how to use all this new stuff. I don't text people and I actually don't usually even answer my phone. If I had my way we would go back to the telegraph. But PLEASE don't make me get rid of my ipod.

Posted By Diane Kirse on September 9, 2009, 6:28 AM

This should be common sense for anyone who owns one of these phones. I recently went to Australia and was dilligent about putting the iphone in airplane mode and turning off the auto data push. If you own a smart phone, you should be smart enough to know how to use it.

Posted By Slags on September 10, 2009, 11:26 AM

It's not a lack of common sense if you have no idea this could happen, it's just a lack of awareness. I'm in the biz and people don't know what they don't know. It's easy to ridicule someone about something you may know, but I'll bet there are things you don't know either Brian and Slags so lighten up.

Posted By Mike Kistler on September 10, 2009, 12:14 PM

"A Consumer" makes no sense at all. The problem was not with Apple, nor was it with ATT, it was the uninformed user.

Posted By Elle on September 10, 2009, 1:22 PM

Slags is right: If you own a smart phone, you should be smart enough to know how to use it.

I can't feel sorry for people who do these things; making either Apple or AT&T out to be the culprit implies that people don't have personal responsibility for their purchases. Comments about how the iPhone is locked to AT&T are irrelevant, as are comments about Apple and it's brand. (Actually, "A Consumer" is a little mis-informed as the Apple brand has become more popular over the last few years).

If you travel and you expect things to be the same elsewhere, you haven't traveled much, and you certainly didn't do your homework.

Posted By Header on September 10, 2009, 1:28 PM

I wholw heartedly agree with Slags. If you want a "smart phone" be smart and know how to use it.

Posted By Debra on September 10, 2009, 1:54 PM

Different view: I blame ATT for allowing a bill to get this large without getting in touch with the customer. Wireless companies in the US are double and triple charging YOU and ME every day compared to the world market. We pay both ways when we make a call. In Europe and Asia, for the most part, only the caller pays. Just one way they eat us alive. Sure, the iPhone owner bears some responsibility but these things are very complicated and it takes a real education to use them. Thanks to ATT for backdating her account to clear some of the charges. Shame on ATT for not caring more for customers like you and me.

Posted By lanfarm on September 10, 2009, 3:15 PM

I also think it should be noted that this could happen with any phone with any carrier. At&T and other carriers offer roaming packages (as well as the option to block them). We need to be educated consumers here. The reason you get "slammed" with high rates, is the local company overseas you're roaming on charge your carrier high rates for using their towers, and your carrier passes them to you. You are paying for you own usages, and should educate yourself on pricing before going. Often times, all that requires is calling cusotmer care or visiting a local retail store and simply asking

Posted By Sharilyn on September 10, 2009, 3:16 PM

This is the reason I have Motorola's cheapest dual-band GSM phone with a French SFR SIM card for use in Europe.

I even had Verizon turn off text operation on our LG CDMA phones. No text = no received text Spam messages to pay for.

Posted By Rick on September 10, 2009, 5:17 PM

I called ATT before I went out of the country to check on the price of the plan. When I was informed about the cost, I decided to keep my phone off while on foreign soil. I checked my email at the hotel (for free) and on the ship (small charge). It sure was nice to be phone free for several days! And a lot cheaper!

Posted By beckers on September 10, 2009, 5:30 PM

AT&T has some awful, probably illegal, overseas rate plans.

For example, on my Blackberry Bold, I can get something like 50Mb of overseas data for ~$60 for one month. AT&T tells you not to turn it off the overseas data plan for 2 months after you get back, otherwise you will be billed a high overseas roaming rate. (Something to do with delay in billing to AT&T from overseas companies.)

In practical terms, this means if you buy their one-month overseas data plan for $60, you essentially have to pay an additional $120 to cancel the plan. AT&T says you don't have to pay for the extra two months after you return to the USA, but if you don't let it run for those extra two months, you risk not getting the 50Mb for $60 plan that you paid for (i.e., you could get hit with massive overseas roaming charges like the person mention in the article above unless you pay AT&T $120 for unusable services).

I've spent hours on the phone with AT&T arguing in circles about it. When I had signed up for overseas data, they had told me the extra billing cycles would be credited on my account, but when I called them to credit it, they wouldn't credit it ("we have no record that anyone told you that.")

The only way I could get my $120 back was to call their cancellation department.

I had bought the Blackberry Bold because AT&T advertises it as a "World Phone" and had unlimited overseas data plans that they said I could upgrade to later. When I went to upgrade my plan, AT&T said I wasn't eligible for the unlimited overseas data plan and that I could only use the $60 per month overseas plan (which has what amounts to a $120 cancellation fee every time you use it).

I highly doubt that what AT&T us doing with overseas data plans is legal.

Posted By Josh on September 10, 2009, 6:07 PM

No one is "overcharging" us if we choose our plans and pay the bills willingly. Is service cheaper in Europe? Yes it is, but to imply a service that we willingly patronize is exploiting us is simply wrong.

And as for Apple, they do build nice stuff for the most part. Their educational share really took a hit this year though. Student sales were butchered by PC Netbooks, of which Apple has none - yet.

Posted By Ron on September 10, 2009, 6:44 PM

The problem is NOT with consumers but with the wireless carriers GOUGING their customers on the data plans. If you check the annual financial statements of wireless operators you will see that they make multi-million dollar annual profits on roaming services. This is why they are able to "forgive" a $5,000 bill - it's just chump change to them in the bigger picture.

Posted By Anthony Maw on September 10, 2009, 6:50 PM

Get a majicJack for 20 bucks and get a local phone number. Make calls via voip and your friends can call you for free. Same thing with Skype. Use the hotel's complimentary business computer if you "have" to update your Facebook without paying for in room Internet for entire day / stay.

Posted By Professor Hagrid on September 10, 2009, 9:35 PM

To everyone out there with any type of cellular devise; you're going to PAY no matter what your plan is. Consumers are only given minimum amounts of information regarding their service plans; it then becomes a learn as you go game. This turns out to be very expensive no matter which way it goes (extra costs to upgrade, unexplained fees or charges, etc.). Every cellular company does this to all their customers; that's why they rake in as much as they do. Changing companies seems to be less expensive but when you think about it, its just the same old-same old.

Posted By Gerda on September 11, 2009, 7:29 AM

I thought I would get around ATT's overseas rates this summer by getting a European SIM card from Telestial.com. It worked fine in the US, but didn't work at all in Europe. My phone just kept recycling on and off. And yes, it was an unlocked 4-band phone. Telestial did refund my money though.

Posted By MBrandes on September 11, 2009, 9:43 AM

I own an iPhone and the phone came with information clearly stating, numerous times, to turn off the digital roam, data push and put on airline mode when traveling. iPhone tells the purchaser on their website as well that the charges can be controlled by performing these easy steps. Header is exactly right. Take some personal responsibility, people!

Posted By edhodge on September 11, 2009, 10:27 AM

Oh please, let's blame everyone but ourselves. As edhodge said, Take some personal responsibility! Whenever I travelled abroad, I contacted AT&T and made sure I had the appropriate plans and let's face it, it just is going to be expensive if you use your device a lot.

I just bought an iPhone and the first thing the AT&T customer rep did was to explain to me the data roam and switched it from roam to wi-fi for me. I haven't yet travelled with it, but you can be sure I will have the settings and plans in place before doing so.

Posted By Melody on September 11, 2009, 5:35 PM

This entire problem could have been avoided if she had gone to the AT&T web site, done a simple search, and found out about the international data plan. AT&T even tells you to turn off the data roaming capability and warns that emailing photos burn lots of K. If emailing a photo is going to cost you, can't imagine what watching YouTube will result in.

We went on a trip to Rome in March and I needed to keep in touch with clients back home, primarily by email. I went to the AT&T site and found out the deal. We also made sure that there was WiFi was available where we stayed (because of security measures, free WiFi spots in Italy are limited).

I'm no AT&T apologist--the service can be absolutely horrible--but even I know you have to do your research before you travel.

Posted By AprilTwoCats on September 13, 2009, 10:30 AM

AT&T is greedy but the truth is that any roaming with US companies or EU companies is staggeringly expensive. There is no reason to charge as much as they do except they can do it. Once you are outside the rule of law of your own country the carriers say that they don't have control and have to collect your money. I am sure it hurts their souls to take our money but they are obligated to do it. I am sure they would rather not (HA) make huge profits off of us by fiat but that is indeed what they do every day of every year. It doesn't seem like it is going to stop any time soon.

They will stop when we stop paying them. Then they will change the plans and offer morally acceptable alternatives.

Posted By Brian on September 14, 2009, 3:41 PM

Come on people...I have an original iPhone (the ol silverback!) and under network settings it even TELLS you to do this...and I quote: "Turn data roaming off when abroad to avoid substantial roaming charges when using email, web browsing, and other data services."

What more do you want?...someone to spoon-feed this to you while you have a bib hanging from your neck?

It's not like it's just a button that says OFF/ON and you have no idea what the function itself does...I'm just not sure how much clearer you'd have to be.

Maybe it's just me but I blame the user for not doing their homework.

Something our society is really beginning to lack:

ACCOUNTABILITY.

As I was told many times back in college: Figure It Out.

Posted By beargonepanic on September 14, 2009, 5:13 PM

Here's my question:

If you are living in Japan with an iPhone and a contract that's not in English, does it make the argument any different that it's not the consumer's fault. 10 years of solid study will not give us the fluency required to read a contract in Japanese kanji.

We took 8 kids on a church mission trip to Thailand in March, used our iPhone to send an email saying we had arrived safely, and had an immediate $600 charge on our bill. That to me is unjust and unacceptable.

Posted By Brad on September 14, 2009, 6:22 PM

I'm surprised to see this much animosity towards the average consumer. I've been researching and talking to every U.S. carrier for months and still have not come up with an affordable option for my smart phone international travel needs. If it's common sense, I'd appreciate some enlightenment. What's the best smart phone + plan for someone travelling around the world for approximately 6 months who wants to use the phone primarily for e-mail and mobile web-browsing, as well as for tethering in the places that don't offer wi-fi? AT&T stopped offering unlimited international data plans.

Posted By Frustrated on October 5, 2009, 11:23 AM

I bought the LG Dare about a year and a half ago and it's basically a cheap wannabe iPhone. You just can't compare the touchscreen with that of the iPhone, though I will say it's camera and video recorder are very good. I'm just waiting for the iphone to be sold through Verizon, and I hope it's soon because my Dare is falling apart.. Hurry up Apple, stop being so "exclusive"!

Posted By Jaime Arellano on February 6, 2010, 8:38 PM