Worth knowing if you have a mobile phone on a contract

[DimPrawn]

Vodafone's £7,000 bill run up by a phone thief | Money | The Guardian

Stephen Jensen usually has a mobile phone bill of around £35 a month. So he was shocked to see that Vodafone had debited £644 from his account in September – but that was only the start of his woes. Unknown to him, his phone had been stolen and used to make huge numbers of calls, almost entirely to Pakistan. He reported the phone as missing, but Vodafone was intransigent: he was liable for all calls, and the bill would be more than £7,000.

Jensen is the latest person to be chased by debt collectors appointed by a mobile phone company following the theft of a handset. His case demonstrates the unlimited liability that consumers face in the event their phone is stolen, but not reported. But it also raises questions about the behaviour of mobile phone companies, which are able to spot unusual patterns of activity but say they have no formal responsibility to alert customers or block calls.

[Churchill]

If I'm faced with a bill for 7k I'd be paying another couple of grand to find the bastards responsible.

[AtW]

He should have used Direct Debit guarantee and cancel his bank account after 2nd bill.

[Ignis Fatuus]

He should have used Direct Debit guarantee and cancel his bank account after 2nd bill.

Then they'd mark his account in default, and sell it to a recovery company, who would start hassling him and his relatives and colleagues, and wreck his credit rating.

[chef]

the latest htc android phones have the ability to block, lock and/or redirect the phone as well as show you the exact GPS position

[Churchill]

the latest htc android phones have the ability to block, lock and/or redirect the phone as well as show you the exact GPS position

A friend of mine recently used this facility to zero the police onto the location of the theiving bastards who stole his wife's iPhone.

Phone was duly recovered, thieving bastards arrested.

[DimPrawn]

He should have used Direct Debit guarantee and cancel his bank account after 2nd bill.

That doesn't change a thing. Your mobile contract says you have unlimited liability for all calls made. You details would be passed to a debt collection agency and you would get a court summons.

[AtW]

That doesn't change a thing

I am pretty sure they'd cancel account if they can't take money from it - you will be liable for whatever they billed so far, but at least it should help stop loss - then you can deal with those charges.

He could have cancelled service at any time by paying up remaining months of rent.

Having said that it is totally outrageous there is no default cap on max calls that can be made from a mobile.

[DimPrawn]

I am pretty sure they'd cancel account if they can't take money from it - you will be liable for whatever they billed so far, but at least it should help stop loss - then you can deal with those charges.

He could have cancelled service at any time by paying up remaining months of rent.

Having said that it is totally outrageous there is no default cap on max calls that can be made from a mobile.

No, an account doesn't get cancelled it they can't take the money. It's what's called going to arrears. You rack up debt until you pay.

How long you been in this country? And you're our top immigrant as well.

[Churchill]

No, an account doesn't get cancelled it they can't take the money. It's what's called going to arrears. You rack up debt until you pay.

How long you been in this country? And you're our top immigrant as well.

Now come on, remember that you're talking to AtW and they won't even let him have an electricity account...