In a story that seems ripped from the pages of a Curb Your Enthusiasm script, an American tourist found himself grappling with a mind-boggling (and potentially life-destroying) bill after what was meant to be a blissful holiday in Switzerland.
Rene Remund and his wife Linda embarked on their Swiss escapade last September, retracing familiar paths to Rene's homeland.
Prior to their departure, Remund took the customary step of informing his cell phone provider, T-Mobile, of their overseas vacation, believing his three-decade tenure as a loyal customer had him "covered" from any overseas roaming charges, he informed WFTS-TV.
As the couple immersed themselves in Switzerland's stunning vistas, eagerly sharing snapshots of their journey with loved ones back home, they couldn't have imagined the astronomical six-figure cost that was silently amassing with each photo message sent.
Returning home to Florida, Remund casually perused his T-Mobile bill, initially mistaking the amount owed to be a paltry $143. However, upon closer inspection, disbelief set in as the stark reality of a staggering $143,442.74 stared back at him from the paper.
According to T-Mobile, he has used 9.5 gigabytes of data while overseas.
Left startled by the colossal sum, Remund wasted no time in reaching out to T-Mobile for an explanation. After enduring an agonizing wait on hold, he was met with the jarring confirmation that the eye-watering bill was indeed accurate.
"I said, ‘What do you mean it’s a good bill?’ And [the operator] says ‘Well, this is what you owe.' I said, ‘You’re kidding me … you’re crazy,'" Remund recalled.
Refusing to accept such an exorbitant charge, Remund promptly sought legal counsel to contest the matter.
Fortunately for Remind, a glimmer of hope emerged when a recent correspondence from T-Mobile offered an olive branch — an apology and the promise of wiping the entire bill clean with a "credit".
In a statement to local media outlets, T-Mobile emphasized the critical importance for customers to familiarize themselves with their plan's travel features before embarking on international travels.
"If a customer is on an older plan that doesn’t include international roaming for data and calling, they’ll need to make sure they’re using airplane mode and wi-fi when using data to be certain the device doesn’t connect to an international network," the cell provider's statement read.
So, if you're going away this summer, be sure to double-check your contract before sharing those vacation snaps with friends and family.
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