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June 26th, 2009

Mythbusters' Adam Savage hit with $11,000 AT&T bill

Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 1:46 pm

Categories: Mobile Technology

Tags: Web, AT&T Corp., Canada, Mythbusters, Channel Management, Modems, Marketing, Hardware, Components, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

It seems that Mythbusters’ Adam Savage was doing a spot of traveling in Canada and made the mistake of taking his AT&T USB Connect Mercury modem with him. A spot of web surfing ended up with him getting a eye-watering $11,000 bill for roaming from AT&T.

Note: Some media outlets are reporting that he racked up the massive bill using his iPhone, this is incorrect.

Savage broke the news via Twitter:

Sorry, bit of explanation: device in question wasn’t my phone, it was the AT&T usb connect Mercury modem.
12 minutes ago from web

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.
18 minutes ago from web

They’re claiming I uploaded/downloaded 9 million kilobytes (9 gigs) while in Canada. Frakking impossible.
19 minutes ago from web

@sleepingbri you read it right. $11,000.00
about 2 hours ago from web in reply to sleepingbri

Did I mention they’ve turned off my phone until I pay? #attsucks
about 2 hours ago from web

Almost forgot: Hey AT&T! I will fight this bullshit.
about 2 hours ago from web

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!
about 2 hours ago from web

If this is a mistake, AT&T need to sort out its act. If it’s not a mistake and it’s possible to rack up insane charges while roaming then there needs to be some sort of mechanism in place to prevent people from digging such a deep hole for themselves.

Data transfer charges while roaming are a rip off? Myth confirmed!

[UPDATE: Looks like AT&T have sorted this out for Savage.

"Today the tweeps became twoops. Just got off the phone with AT&T and they've taken care of everything to my great satisfaction."

Still, there's a deeper issue here, since not everyone is Adam Savage, and not everyone has nearly 60,000 Twitter followers that catch AT&T's eye ...]

Adrian Kingsley-HughesAdrian is a technology journalist and author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology. He also runs a popular blog called The PC Doctor. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations

Want to get in touch? Got a tip? Feel free to drop me a note! I ALWAYS respect anonymity. I'm also on Twitter (@the_pc_doc)

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  • Talkback
  • Most Recent of 97 Talkback(s)
Fee gouging: Why the EU legislated roaming fee caps
This kind of incident is exactly why the EU imposed mandatory limits on roaming costs first for voice, then SMS and (very shortly) data.

Funnily enough some companies have taken it one step fur... (Read the rest)
Posted by: Uncle Stoat Posted on: 07/15/09 You are currently: a Guest | | Terms of Use
AT&T Your World, Delivered  itanalyst2@... | 06/26/09
ROLF ...  Adrian Kingsley-HughesZDNet Moderator | 06/26/09
What is ROLF?  transposeIT | 06/29/09
Smart people can interpret simple typos  ejhonda | 06/29/09
ok  splitaravine | 06/29/09
The sound of a dog laughing  Dr_Zinj | 06/29/09
haha! -nt  midenginedrift | 06/29/09
Oh, That's GOOD, Dr. Zinj!  drprodny | 07/02/09
I think it stands for...  thx-1138_@... | 06/29/09
What is ROLF?  Timothy (TRiG) | 06/30/09
Roll on Floor Laughing  mombo3 | 06/30/09
The black muppett.  Spiritusindomit@... | 06/30/09
Duh!  Isocrates | 06/30/09
Rolf Benirschke  Salonikios | 07/08/09
You deserve props for that one.  T1Oracle | 06/26/09
AT&T Our world, you just live in it.  ShadowGIATL | 06/29/09
Restraint of Trade?  john.foggitt@... | 06/29/09
Get it right...  iMouse | 06/29/09
Well ya got that one right on the money.. out 1800USD here..  widdybear | 07/02/09
Verizon Wireless  endorphine44 | 06/26/09
Try roaming on Verizon in Canada  hickum | 06/26/09
At Least T-Mobile WARNED Me Before I Went to Canada!  drprodny | 07/02/09
Ever read "Verizon Math"?  Bruizer | 06/27/09
Bad Math ?  Brent R Brian | 06/28/09
Blame the musician?  compudog | 06/29/09
How About If the Instrument is Owned by the Mafia - like Verizon and AT&T?  drprodny | 07/02/09
RE: Mythbusters' Adam Savage hit with $11,000 AT&T bill  datachick | 06/26/09
Sheesh ...  Adrian Kingsley-HughesZDNet Moderator | 06/26/09
Don't lump Canada together  ImRaptor | 06/27/09
Isnt your telco govermented owned and controled ?  rparker009 | 06/29/09
No sir, not anymore  daftkey | 06/29/09
No, If Canada DID Have Gov't Controlled Networks, None of This Would Hapoen  drprodny | 07/02/09
Didn't AT&T buy them?  ShadowGIATL | 06/29/09
Oh... it was a bell actually...  ShadowGIATL | 06/30/09
Yeah I thought you guys were a socialist country....  widdybear | 07/02/09
dont confuse  JamesDoyle | 07/04/09
Lol... its just like the US  jason.mailley | 07/13/09
RE: Mythbusters' Adam Savage hit with $11,000 AT&T bill  davidg_pr@... | 06/26/09
Check your numbers  cfrussell@... | 06/26/09
The cost per KB in the Twitter was ambiguos --nt.  psquared007 | 06/26/09
Update on cost per KB  psquared007 | 06/26/09
Agreed  MariusSilverwolf | 06/26/09
That's why this is so outrageous  Lerianis2 | 06/26/09
This makes it VERY clear why some of these companies need  Lerianis2 | 06/26/09
Companies need a smackdown  compudog | 06/29/09
No....  Jkirk3279 | 06/29/09
This sort of greed should be criminal  T1Oracle | 06/26/09
Bad, yes - criminal, no.  compudog | 06/29/09
Good luck trying to explain simple math to customer service . . .  jamarkha | 06/26/09
Incredible!  jason.mailley | 07/13/09
The perfect solution?  kcredden2 | 06/26/09
Ludicrous!  GoodThings2Life | 06/26/09
RE: Mythbusters' Adam Savage hit with $11,000 AT&T bill  Daedalu | 06/27/09
RE: Mythbusters' Adam Savage hit with $11,000 AT&T bill  baddog63@... | 06/27/09
RE: Mythbusters' Adam Savage hit with $11,000 AT&T bill  sirwilliamblade | 06/27/09
RE: Mythbusters' Adam Savage hit with $11,000 AT&T bill  davidg_pr@... | 06/27/09
Just Who Is $30 Unlimited In Canada?  preachjohn | 06/28/09
It's not just AT&T  dcdavy | 06/28/09
RE: Mythbusters' Adam Savage hit with $11,000 AT&T bill  tom@... | 06/29/09
We need him called before Senate investigative committee  Silent Observer | 06/29/09
Handicap  compudog | 06/29/09
RE: Cellular Data Rates are OUTRAGEOUS!  dcwest | 06/29/09
Get a local sub  Aboleyn | 06/29/09
Local Sub  compudog | 06/29/09
Name ONE company that provides reasonable Int'l roaming  sdwilliams2009 | 06/29/09
RE: Mythbusters' Adam Savage hit with $11,000 AT&T bill  carlmlewis@... | 06/29/09
Widely known  compudog | 06/29/09
Same issue on Sprint in UK  DanielB | 06/29/09
"...since not everyone is Adam Savage..." exactly  Steve Goldman | 06/29/09
turn them all off  cwhull | 06/29/09
Turn them all off  compudog | 06/29/09
"turn them all off..."  sdwilliams2009 | 06/29/09
RE: Mythbusters' Adam Savage hit with $11,000 AT&T bill  splitaravine | 06/29/09
RE: Mythbusters' Adam Savage hit with $11,000 AT&T bill  kt3508 | 06/29/09
RE: Mythbusters' Adam Savage hit with $11,000 AT&T bill  kt3508 | 06/29/09
RE: Mythbusters' Adam Savage hit with $11,000 AT&T bill  kt3508 | 06/29/09
RE: Mythbusters' Adam Savage hit with $11,000 AT&T bill  compudog | 06/29/09
RE: Mythbusters' Adam Savage hit with $11,000 AT&T bill  compudog | 06/29/09
Yes...  Jkirk3279 | 06/29/09
RE: Mythbusters' Adam Savage hit with $11,000 AT&T bill  wubbena | 06/29/09
RE: Mythbusters' Adam Savage hit with $11,000 AT&T bill  intrigue42-22982328598916294576518421294402 | 06/29/09
RE: Mythbusters' Adam Savage hit with $11,000 AT&T bill  pspenard | 06/29/09
I think Dennis Howlett has the solution  patphelan | 06/29/09
RE: Mythbusters' Adam Savage hit with $11,000 AT&T bill  WATKINS12@... | 06/29/09
Check Out MaxRoam ala Dennis Howlett's Video  preachjohn | 06/29/09
RE: Mythbusters' Adam Savage hit with $11,000 AT&T bill  r.ayre@... | 06/29/09
RE: Mythbusters' Adam Savage hit with $11,000 AT&T bill  endlr@... | 06/29/09
Just another boring day at ATT  Altotus | 06/29/09
They'd fix it for me if I were famous, too.  dlweinreb | 06/30/09
Well... actually...  ShadowGIATL | 06/30/09
Just think how much bandwidth the ads on web pages cost you  david@... | 06/30/09
RE: Mythbusters' Adam Savage hit with $11,000 AT&T bill  widdybear | 07/02/09
.015 cents = a penny and a half?  LeonBA | 07/02/09
9 million kilobytes = 9Mbytes, NOT GIGA!  Gradius2 | 07/02/09
ummm, don't think so  jefegrandoso | 07/02/09
RE: Mythbusters' Adam Savage hit with $11,000 AT&T bill  monkeyman1140@... | 07/09/09
Fee gouging: Why the EU legislated roaming fee caps  Uncle Stoat | 07/15/09

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