Category: Technology Author : Kim LaCapria Posted: June 27, 2009
Tags : adam savage, adam savage mythbusters, adam savage twitter, AT&T, backlash, roaming charges, Twitter
AT&T has been trending heavily on Twitter of late, and not because of its friendship with the iPhone.
Adam Savage has invoked the wrath of 50,000 Twitter followers in the general direction of telecommunications giant AT&T due to a $11,000 phone bill incurred while Savage was in Canada. Savage says he surfed the web on a mobile modem for “a few hours,” inadvertently cha-chinging up a bill that could keep any sane person in hookers and blow for at least a month.
This series of tweets explains the pricey lappity-toppity session and the ensuing massive bill:
Sorry, bit of explanation: device in question wasn’t my phone, it was the AT&T usb connect Mercury modem.
And I got the “data is charged at .015 cents, or a penny and a half, per kb”. About to try to explain the difference to them. Sigh.
They’re claiming I uploaded/downloaded 9 million kilobytes (9 gigs) while in Canada. Frakking impossible.
@sleepingbri you read it right. $11,000.00
Did I mention they’ve turned off my phone until I pay? #attsucks
Almost forgot: Hey AT&T! I will fight this bullshit.
Text messaging fees are stupid robbery? (they are), AT&T is attempting to charge me 11k for a few hours of web surfing in Canada. Pls RT!
Savage soon updated that AT&T was quick to quash the spurious charges after the fast and furious backlash:
Today the tweeps became twoops. Just got off the phone with AT&T and they’ve taken care of everything to my great satisfaction.#twitterrules
But would any of us have received the same quick and painless resolution? On that, Savage says:
I agree with everyone: it shouldn’t just work for me. The data carriers MUST stop thinking in kilobytes and start thinking in customers.
![Giant Weta is the World’s Biggest Insect, Eats Carrots [Video]](http://www.inquisitr.com/wp-content/2011/12/giant-weta-100x100.jpg)
Jun 28, 2009
Twitter is like a breath of fresh air on the Social Media scene. I have been on it for just a few weeks now and I have met several interesting people. It is a platform to network with people you would like to meet in real life.
KZ
Bulk Email Marketing Program
Jun 28, 2009
Good luck. Here's what happens when you try to explain the difference between fractions of dollars and fractions of cents to a phone company:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN9LZ3ojnxY
Jun 28, 2009
Canadian telecom has been ripping folks off for decades and continue to do so. Its a travesty and the government seems complicit with this sham. I always laugh at all the commercials with people web serfing (sic) on their little two inch screens knowing what it really costs.
Jun 28, 2009
Very cool story. Glad to see Twitter was helpful for him and able to get rid of the ridiculous $11,000 bill. Phone companies suck and charges are always way too much.
Jun 29, 2009
It's the so called 'roaming charges” that get you. I had a 30 min chat with my husband who was is South Dakota and I live in British Columbia, Canada and I was charged $50! I agree Canada is ripping us off!
Jun 30, 2009
My dears ATT is such a thief they must be brought down. I recently quit there its appalling to see how much they can just rob from people. Money is something they take from you and if you dont pay up, well collections will be after youu