A $13,000 roaming bill in half an hour? Family fights T-Mobile on international data charges
When you travel abroad in 210+ countries and destinations you will have unlimited data at up to 128kbps, which is great for web browsing, e-mail, social media and occasional use of certain features like GPS/maps. Some applications like streaming music or video typically require higher-speed data for optimal functionality. If you frequently travel internationally and require a higher speed you can add T-Mobile One Plus™ and get up to 256kbps speeds abroad for $15/mo.
A family traveling to Vietnam was perfectly aware that if they want to use data there on their current T-Mobile plan, they may be charged unpleasant roaming fees, so they set their iPhones in airplane mode for the duration. Much to their surprise, however, they received a $13,470 bill for what turned out to be half an hour of internet usage upon investigation.
Granted, it was their son that racked the charges, but he claims that he put his iPhone in airplane mode as well, and played chess during the flight, which, however, didn't require internet connectivity. When T-Mobile saw that the kid hasn't downloaded a movie or streamed anything of substance, they agreed to reduce the charges to $3,800, as data might have been used by background iOS apps without the teen's knowledge. Confronted further by the local ABC affiliate KGO, however, they removed the roaming charges altogether, with the following piece of advice:
Customers on T-Mobile ONE or Simple Choice North America plans have unlimited text and data — as well as low-rate calling — in more than 210 countries and destinations around the world with Simple Global. However, T-Mobile recommends, before a trip, customers who are traveling internationally either call customer care, or check international roaming coverage and rates online.
via ABC
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