A hospital health care assistant returned home from a family
holiday to a staggering £21,819 mobile phone bill. Shannon Mills was given the
massive shock after coming back from Turkey to the mammoth demand from network
provider, O2.
The 19-year-old said she contacted her supplier prior to the
trip to see what deals they had and opted to pay £120 for 30 megabytes of data.
trip to see what deals they had and opted to pay £120 for 30 megabytes of data.
However, a few days into the holiday – which began on July 9
– Shannon, who works at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, received a text saying
she had already spent £2,808 on data.
– Shannon, who works at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, received a text saying
she had already spent £2,808 on data.
And that was just the tip of the iceberg, as in the days
that followed the teen’s already seismic phone bill continued to spiral
unimaginably out of control.
that followed the teen’s already seismic phone bill continued to spiral
unimaginably out of control.
‘I was totally freaking out. It was a massive shock,’ said
the NHS worker.
the NHS worker.
‘I wanted to use Facetime, Facebook and things like that. I
thought I would come home with a £300 bill and I normally only pay £25 per
month.
thought I would come home with a £300 bill and I normally only pay £25 per
month.
‘I thought the text was a joke. I thought somehow my dad was
winding me up.
winding me up.
‘I immediately switched off data roaming and thought that
would be the end of it. But I started getting texts every day saying I’d used
another £1300 worth, another £300 worth.
would be the end of it. But I started getting texts every day saying I’d used
another £1300 worth, another £300 worth.
‘When it got to £4,000 I phoned them again but I wasn’t
getting anywhere so my dad spoke to them and O2 said they had blocked any data
use from their end.
getting anywhere so my dad spoke to them and O2 said they had blocked any data
use from their end.
‘I thought that was it. I had a big phone bill but I’d deal
with it when I got home.
with it when I got home.
‘It wasn’t until we were relaxing at the pool waiting to
leave that my dad said I should check again just to make sure. I did and I
couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
leave that my dad said I should check again just to make sure. I did and I
couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
‘My dad was hysterical. He couldn’t stop laughing but
eventually he didn’t see the funny side.
eventually he didn’t see the funny side.
‘It was a really bad feeling but if I didn’t start laughing
I would have cried.’
I would have cried.’
Shannon, who only returned from holiday on Thursday, said
her whopping phone bill has changed her views on using phones on holiday.
her whopping phone bill has changed her views on using phones on holiday.
She added: ‘Next time I go away I’ll not be using my phone.
‘I don’t understand why if they say they have blocked the
data I was still being charged.
data I was still being charged.
‘I couldn’t use any data after they’d said they blocked it
so I don’t know where the bills were coming from.’
so I don’t know where the bills were coming from.’
Shannon and her father Kevin have contacted the phone
company to try and get to the bottom of the problem.
company to try and get to the bottom of the problem.
Asked if she has a spare £21,000, Shannon said: ‘I wish!’
A spokeswoman for O2 said they are currently looking into
the case.
the case.
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