Overly Stupid Parents

[Kip Powick]

On YYZ TV News….

CASE # 1

Apparently the parents of the 15 year old girl got tired of her whining that she didn’t have a cell phone…all her friends had one….. so they bought her one.

Reporter: So Tina this is the first time you have had a cell phone?

Tina: (Sobbing) yes… I thought I could use it anytime I wanted.

Reporter: So what did you think when your Mom showed you t your first cell phone bill?

Tina: (Sobbing) I thought the cell phone company made a mistake and so did Mom so we called the cell phone company and they said those were my long distant charges.

Reporter: I understand the cell phone company said you were on the phone to your friends in Jamaica for close to 10, 000 minutes and that was the main reason your cell phone bill was just over $9,600.00 for the one month…is that true?

Tina: Yes

Tina’s Mother: We can’t afford to pay that bill ..what are we going to do?

Reporter: I’m afraid we can’t help you, all the calls have been verified and your daughter did make the calls. I can only suggest that you work out a payment plan with the cell phone company.

CASE # 2

Edited for brevity….. Another Family…son is 15 years old as well.

Mother: Yes we were in the Barbados for a weeks holiday and didn’t know that Jeremy was using his cell phone to brag to his friends. His bill was just a bit over $1700.00 for the week.

Jeremy: I thought I could call anywhere in the world on my $40.00 a month plan. Mom and Dad didn’t tell me any different.

They walk amongst us….very stupid people who, obviously don’t communicate with their children…no sympathy from this quarter

[Fido]

There are adults like this also.

I know of one fellow who took his new Web enabled telephone to Europe and was miffed when he got home and found out how much he had to pay for the priviledge.

I once had a cell phone bill for one month of near $1,500. My boss insisted that I be included on a useless conference call (three times) and I was in the Middle East. We used e-mail after that.

[boestar]

Years ago I was with a particular cell phone company and was going to work for an extended period in the US. I called the company and explained what I was doing and if there was a plan that covered my in the US as well as canada for long distance so I could use the cell to call home. They told me that there was and it was no problem to set it up and would be ready to go by the time I hit the US border. GREAT .... or so I thought... First month bill was over $1000.00. I immediately called the company and asked whay it was so high..... Sir we dont include the ROAMING charges in the plan..... Well could you not have disclosed that to me????? Needless to say I cancelled account and never paid the bill after disputing it for months.

AND NOW THEY WANT ME BACK..... I get letters every week.