The Daily Habit: News
Damn. I Stole the Internet and got Billed $27000?- Are you one of those wiseguys who thinks he can pull a fast one on the FCC? Were you stealing cable from your neighbor way back when? Did you have a buddy from the mill dupe you a Direct TV card that got zapped every week? If so, you probably learned that it’s a bad idea to steal that kind of stuff, but not the internet. That’s different: it’s supposed to be free. Not for this guy. He thought he’d cute and steal the internet to watch a football game. AT&T thought they’d be cuter and bill him $27000 for being a thief.
Wayne Burdick was aboard a cruise ship in Miami waiting to depart on a Caribbean cruise. While still docked at the port, he set up his laptop and wireless card and accessed his Slingbox which allowed him to watch a Chicago Bears via an Internet connection. “When the game was over, Burdick closed his computer, embarked on the cruise and returned home to find a $27000 bill from AT&T for stealing the internet. Apparently, AT&T had charged Brudick the international rate for the access. At two cents per kilobyte, the total charge was $27,788.93 for the time spent watching the game “ (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Man-gets-27-000-phone-bill-after-watching-Bears?urn=nfl,144070).
Burdick pled his case to AT&T, saying he was still at the port and not in roaming territory, but they screwed him any way. After speaking with nearly a half-dozen stupid people at the company, he managed to get the bill down to $6,000. The matter was settled after Burdick contacted Team Fixer at the Chicago Sun Times and they contacted the phone company. AT&T acknowledged its mistake, saying that Burdick’s device was picking up a signal it shouldn’t have been. Sure it was picking up a signal it shouldn’t have been, but that’s what the internet is for. To steal shit. The guy paid his wireless bill and he was in the USA, but AT&T tried to hose him like they always do, even though the guy was a thief. They’re a bunch of money-grubbing pricks with lousy customer service so screw them. Ban AT&T and don’t buy any of their products, but don’t let the thief get off scott free.
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