Of course, these things can (and probably do) sometimes happen on any US network, being caused by international data roaming prices. But that doesn’t excuse T-Mobile employees for purportedly assuring this particular customer prior to his Switzerland trip that he was “covered.”
Worse yet, a customer support rep apparently insisted the $143K+ bill was “good” after reviewing it, which Remund obviously did not accept, hiring a lawyer to try to reach the “president of T-Mobile” himself and ultimately contact the press. Surprisingly (or not), T-Mo decided to handle the situation in the only acceptable way we can think of after discussing the matter with a news publication, crediting Remund’s account for the whole $143,442.74.
The moral of the story is that you should be super-careful about the terms, conditions, taxes, fees, and surcharges on your wireless plan whenever traveling abroad, especially if your plan has been retired by your carrier and you receive vague assurances from customer care about your international “coverage.”
Last but not least, it’s important to remember that journalists can be your best friends if you ever find yourself in this type of sticky situation. Our inbox here at PhoneArena is always open, and although we obviously can’t promise we’ll get T-Mobile to waive your charges in a similar scenario, we could definitely attract some public attention on your behalf.
