If you own an IPHONE and take it on a cruise.....Please read!

[Sue L]

Hey All,

 

This was the front page story this morning on Long Island in our newspaper. I thought I would post it to warn those who are going abroad.

 

 

http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzappl0908,0,2929341.story?coll=ny_home_rail_headlines

[geojobes]

All these cell phone companies put features into their phones to separate their users from as much money as they can. I have a cell phone that I disabled everything but calling & receiving calls. I don't want or need anything else. What some people call features the cell phone providers call money makers.

[lilmisstramp]

HOLY CRAP thank you for posting. BOTH DH and I have iPhones so this is GREAT info

[Frankiesmom]

unbelievable-hey Sue where on long island r u from? My parents are in wading river. Thanks for posting this! Angel

[mamacat3]

That is a very interesting story. Thanks so much for the heads up.:)

[wraithe]

Excellent heads up post Sue L, thanks for bringing it to the boards' attention. I wish I could be on the jury for the one guys class action lawsuit, if I had my way, he'd be tossed out of court with prejudice. What an ignorant excuse, most people don't read their contract, so it's AT&T's fault.

 

On a side note, do you have any idea how difficult it is to find a cell phone that is just a phone! I searched for months to find the Motorola L2, neither my wife nor I can have a camera/video player/mp3 player/etc due to our jobs. You couldn't buy the L2 in the Cingular stores, the only way to get it was buy it online, and I'm glad that I could do that.

[Rancher Dave]

Interesting stuff. I wonder if they disclose in detail enough for any layperson to understand that data transfer is constant even with the phone turned off.

 

Perhaps the battery out is the only way to stop it, but then again they could have a perm mounted small battery that kicks in when the main battery is out. I can agree with the folks who are upset that the charges are excessive especially when they did not specifically request any service while overseas, or in Mexico.

 

One individual noted that the free data transfer is indicated in the contract with no astrix about that is only in the USA...I would think his point should be taken by Apple/ATT and the terms and conditions changed at a minimum and that he should get his full refund.

 

Apple and ATT should definitely find a way for folks to easily disable those features when traveling overseas or risk loosing a potential market of folks who frequently travel overseas and only want a single cell phone.

 

I canned data from my phone, I use it to talk when I need to do so...and when I need data I ramp up the computer with my wireless Highspeed link which works wonderfully.

[alexkrn46]

Bottom line if you have an iphone leave it home when you travel abroad.

[Bakincakes]

Excellent heads up post Sue L, thanks for bringing it to the boards' attention. I wish I could be on the jury for the one guys class action lawsuit, if I had my way, he'd be tossed out of court with prejudice. What an ignorant excuse, most people don't read their contract, so it's AT&T's fault.

 

On a side note, do you have any idea how difficult it is to find a cell phone that is just a phone! I searched for months to find the Motorola L2, neither my wife nor I can have a camera/video player/mp3 player/etc due to our jobs. You couldn't buy the L2 in the Cingular stores, the only way to get it was buy it online, and I'm glad that I could do that.

 

I agree. Consumer ignorance is no excuse. If they didn't want to read the agreement I would think they would have called and asked about charges outside of the US.:rolleyes:

 

Thanks for the info Sue...:)

[Sue L]

unbelievable-hey Sue where on long island r u from? My parents are in wading river. Thanks for posting this! Angel

 

 

I am in Holbrook!

[hcat]

Hey Sue--we are in Holtsville---on Greenbelt Small world!

Seems like these I phones may not have been such a great idea after all!

[Sue L]

Hey Sue--we are in Holtsville---on Greenbelt Small world!

Seems like these I phones may not have been such a great idea after all!

 

My hubby and son are both lusting after this phone but we have Verizon and it is not compatible.

 

I am off Greenbelt on the other side by the Commons.

[Desertbelle]

This isn't just an iphone problem.

 

A couple of years ago we took a cruise to the Med. We were expecting a new grandbaby to be born any day, so I kept turning on my phone (just a regular cell phone not an iphone) at all the ports to await the call and to check in at home. I had turned on the "international" plan with AT&T which gave me $.99 a minute calls.

 

When I got home I received a cell phone bill of over $600, yet I had only talked on the phone for about 30 minutes, which should have been a bill of about $30. When I called to complain I was told that once I turned my phone on in a foreign country my phone registers at that spot, so that even when my phone was turned off every time it was called and then redirected to my voice mail, it registered a $.99 charge because it tried to connect to me in a foreign country. I use my phone in my business, so everytime a client, friend, wrong number, whatever, called my phone, even when it was turned off, I was charged....for 3 weeks!! The real kicker was that I wasn't able to get my voice mail from Europe, insult to injury, because every attempt I made to get my phone messages I was charged $.99!

 

Now, when we leave the country I have my voice mail turned off. It's simple to do, (I do it at the airport while we are waiting for the plane) and then I just have it turned back on when I get home.

[K1200S]

If I turn my phone off I don't want it doing anything least of all racking up charges. If I were on the jury I would be on the plaintiffs side. I also only want a phone and don't need/want all the wizz bang features. I wasn't going to get an iphone because they aren't available from my provider which I like. This is just another reason not to get one at least for now.

[Sue L]

If I turn my phone off I don't want it doing anything least of all racking up charges. If I were on the jury I would be on the plaintiffs side. I also only want a phone and don't need/want all the wizz bang features. I wasn't going to get an iphone because they aren't available from my provider which I like. This is just another reason not to get one at least for now.

 

 

 

Never mind the fact that they just dropped the price 200$ and will only credit back the money if you bought it in the last 3 weeks and only 100$ of it if you bought it before that.:eek:

[finnegan14]

Holbrook, Holtsville..... I'm in Hauppauge! :)

 

Thanks for the info about the iphone. maybe I'll bring it on our Panama Canal cruise but leave it in airplane mode..... that way no data is transmitted.....

[David4]

Some 17 year old moded the Iphone for use with any service.

[Mark_K]

Excellent heads up post Sue L, thanks for bringing it to the boards' attention. I wish I could be on the jury for the one guys class action lawsuit, if I had my way, he'd be tossed out of court with prejudice. What an ignorant excuse, most people don't read their contract, so it's AT&T's fault.

Contracts of adhesion (take it or leave it contracts where one party holds all, or most of, the power) are held to a different standard legally than contracts where each party has a 50/50 say in negotiating it. If definitely would not get tossed with prejudice, and may have a decent chance of winning. A lot of terms in those type contracts are held to not be enforceable by courts, the sticking point is that they all are enforceable, no matter how unfair, until somebody sues and wins.

[Wadadli Sails]

This isn't just an iphone problem.

 

A couple of years ago we took a cruise to the Med. We were expecting a new grandbaby to be born any day, so I kept turning on my phone (just a regular cell phone not an iphone) at all the ports to await the call and to check in at home. I had turned on the "international" plan with AT&T which gave me $.99 a minute calls.

 

When I got home I received a cell phone bill of over $600, yet I had only talked on the phone for about 30 minutes, which should have been a bill of about $30. When I called to complain I was told that once I turned my phone on in a foreign country my phone registers at that spot, so that even when my phone was turned off every time it was called and then redirected to my voice mail, it registered a $.99 charge because it tried to connect to me in a foreign country. I use my phone in my business, so everytime a client, friend, wrong number, whatever, called my phone, even when it was turned off, I was charged....for 3 weeks!! The real kicker was that I wasn't able to get my voice mail from Europe, insult to injury, because every attempt I made to get my phone messages I was charged $.99!

 

Now, when we leave the country I have my voice mail turned off. It's simple to do, (I do it at the airport while we are waiting for the plane) and then I just have it turned back on when I get home.

 

 

I had the same problem on my last cruise. When I returned home I got some mysterious charges on my bill for voicemails which I didn't even check. I later found out from another service provider, not the one I have the service with, that I need to cancel call diverts. I'll definitely be doing that for my next cruise and all future travels.

[SheriNtexas]

Some 17 year old moded the Iphone for use with any service.

 

 

I heard about that!! Last I heard he was selling it on Ebay!:eek:

[cusyl]

I heard about that!! Last I heard he was selling it on Ebay!:eek:

"

"George Hotz, of Glen Rock, New Jersey, said he had reached the deal with CertiCell, a Louisville, Kentucky-based mobile phone repair company.

Hotz posted on his blog that he traded his modified iPhone for "a sweet Nissan 350Z and 3 8GB iPhones."

 

This is another reason to purchase the $49 or $99 Mobal phone and leave the cell phones at home.

[vator90]

For those who say "read the contract and its the buyers fault". How many of you can read and or understand all the legal mumbo-jumbo in those things? The contract is 6707 words long according to the article. Imagine the line behind you when you make your phone selection and then want to read and understand the contract? Perhaps if we all did that they would write something shorter than "War and Peace".

[SheriNtexas]

For those who say "read the contract and its the buyers fault". How many of you can read and or understand all the legal mumbo-jumbo in those things? The contract is 6707 words long according to the article. Imagine the line behind you when you make your phone selection and then want to read and understand the contract? Perhaps if we all did that they would write something shorter than "War and Peace".

 

I agree! OR maybe they could put the really important stuff in bigger letters, towards the top of the contract! But i guess if they did THAT, they would lose money! It's like trying to read the fine print at the bottom of some commercials!!:(

[Happy ks]

"

"George Hotz, of Glen Rock, New Jersey, said he had reached the deal with CertiCell, a Louisville, Kentucky-based mobile phone repair company.

Hotz posted on his blog that he traded his modified iPhone for "a sweet Nissan 350Z and 3 8GB iPhones."

 

This is another reason to purchase the $49 or $99 Mobal phone and leave the cell phones at home.

 

I've been weighing the choice of a Mobal phone for a while now, it's starting to look a little better now!

 

http://www.mobalrental.com/

 

Even with this option, you have to read up on it, it's not perfect, but I think for many it might be a wiser choice than their regular cell phone.

[Bakincakes]

I agree! OR maybe they could put the really important stuff in bigger letters, towards the top of the contract! But i guess if they did THAT, they would lose money! It's like trying to read the fine print at the bottom of some commercials!!:(

 

 

Or perhaps the smart consumer would actually call and ask about rates if they are leaving the country?

 

The same goes for those that don't call their credit card company and let them know there will be some international charges so there aren't any problems.:)

 

Consumers seem to bask in the fact that they are uneducated when it comes to spending their money and when a problem arises they blame the company instead of taking responsibility. A perfect example are the people who had ARMS and are now screaming and defaulting on their loans. Did they not understand what the word "adjustable" meant?:rolleyes: