I want to kill my daughter

[GuitarDaddy]

Pics or ban!

of the cell phone bill ofcourse

 

[RbSX]

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: Brainonska511

Originally posted by: SphinxnihpS

Originally posted by: RyanSengara
Jeeze.

Get her the unlimited plan.

For $85 bucks a month I have unlimited email/data/text messages, voicemail, caller ID, 450 anytime minutes, 250 long distance minutes, unlimited calling after 6pm, unlimited incoming minutes at anytime.

What a bargain... (where's the rollseyes emoticon the size of Alaska?) Are you a rep or something?

What on earth does a kid need a cell phone for anyway? I seem to recall growing up without them.

Computers? Who needs them when they're growing up. My grandparents grew up fine without them. And those cars, my great-grandparents didn't have them growing up... etc.

Times change. Deal with it. And the use a payphone nonsense - many are falling apart, being permanently removed, or just unsupported since they cost the phone companies more money than they bring in.

For a TEENAGER a cell phone is a LUXURY.

Are you kidding? You consider a $30 dollar a month recurring expense to be a luxury?

:laugh:

I got my first cell phone 10 years ago, when I was 13, because it was mutually convenient for me and my parents, it was safe, and I didn't have to use a payphone.

It's prudent, and in the states with how cheap plans are the value you get for safety vs. cost makes it an almost brain dead decision.

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: SphinxnihpS

Originally posted by: Brainonska511

Originally posted by: SphinxnihpS

Originally posted by: RyanSengara
Jeeze.

Get her the unlimited plan.

For $85 bucks a month I have unlimited email/data/text messages, voicemail, caller ID, 450 anytime minutes, 250 long distance minutes, unlimited calling after 6pm, unlimited incoming minutes at anytime.

What a bargain... (where's the rollseyes emoticon the size of Alaska?) Are you a rep or something?

What on earth does a kid need a cell phone for anyway? I seem to recall growing up without them.

Computers? Who needs them when they're growing up. My grandparents grew up fine without them. And those cars, my great-grandparents didn't have them growing up... etc.

Times change. Deal with it. And the use a payphone nonsense - many are falling apart, being permanently removed, or just unsupported since they cost the phone companies more money than they bring in.

I'm no Luddite, I just don't think there is a valid reason in the world for children to have cellular phones.

there is when your kids in high school sports and their track meet is in a town 70 miles away and the buses don't get back to the school until sometime around 10-11 at night... yea that is why we got my daughter a cell phone so she can call us when she was close to the school and we can leave to go get her.


for the record from my house to her high school it is 9.7 miles of open farmland. so she cant just walk home.

 

[ColdFusion718]

Originally posted by: Fritzo
I got a text message today with my Verizon bill----it was $396.80. WTcapitalF???!!!!!! That's like $220 more than normal!!!!!

Turns out my daughter is on a 1500/month text message plan, and all Verizon network texts are umlimited. Well, she sent out 4000 (FOUR + 3 ZEROS) text messages last month- over half of which were off network. That breaks down to ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY OUTGOING TEXTS PER DAY!!!!!!! How can you possibly do that????? Well, she found a way.

No matter what I do to her, I'm still stuck with a $400 Verizon bill. Looks like I'm working for Verizon this week :| Anyone in the same boat?

Fritzo, first off, I'd like to make note that you often give great parenting advice and that this is in no way an attack on your parenting skills.

Back when we were in school, we all got along fine without cellphones or pagers. Except I got one in my senior year because my mom was in the hospital a lot (cancer).

I just don't think kids should have cellphones. It's a major distraction. If she's managing to send 130 out per day, I'm pretty sure she is doing it while in class.

As others have said, it's time to take the phone away. She's clearly not using it for its original intent, which is to communicate with you and your wife to coordinate rides/events and whatnot.

 

[manlymatt83]

Originally posted by: Fritzo
I got a text message today with my Verizon bill----it was $396.80. WTcapitalF???!!!!!! That's like $220 more than normal!!!!!

Turns out my daughter is on a 1500/month text message plan, and all Verizon network texts are umlimited. Well, she sent out 4000 (FOUR + 3 ZEROS) text messages last month- over half of which were off network. That breaks down to ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY OUTGOING TEXTS PER DAY!!!!!!! How can you possibly do that????? Well, she found a way.

No matter what I do to her, I'm still stuck with a $400 Verizon bill. Looks like I'm working for Verizon this week :| Anyone in the same boat?

Fritzo:

I have amazing luck getting those bills knocked down to nothing. First, regular Verizon people have the power to take $50 off your bill without justifying it. Call up, bitch up a storm, tell them you didn't know she had a plan, or say you misunderstood, etc. etc. and they'll credit you $50 as a one time courtesy.

Then, call back again, ask to speak to a supervisor, and say that you're thinking of canceling because you just can't justify a $400 bill. If you feel like lying, make up a story of why there were so many texts. Tell them you feel like you were misinformed (store didn't tell you enough info about text message plan, you didn't know text messages were counted, you thought "unlimited texting" was to anywhere, not just to VZW, etc.).

From what it seems you pay about $170 or $180 a month - that would make you a VIP customer with Verizon (I believe anyone with a plan over $80 or something is VIP). Guess what? Not only do you get 25% off all accessories, but you also get out of almost everything. I would be very surprised if you couldn't get that full amount credited to your bill.

Oh, and for $5/month more, you can get like 5,000 off network messages. Make her pay that $5/month as a reminder (if she's older, make her pay more).

 

[cubeless]

Originally posted by: TecHNooB

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
I'll say it right now... there is no need for a kid to have a cell phone. I don't care if you give me the lame ass "she has to let me know when soccer practice is over" excuse... there is always the pay phone that I got away with using whenever band / hockey practice ended early. Otherwise, my parents just met me at the door at a pre-arranged time. Driving? Get a "car phone" that is a pay-as-you-go one for emergencies. If someone can give me one justifiable reason for a child needing one, I'll gladly concede my point.

LOL- payphone. I haven't seen a payphone since 1995

Apparently the revenue earned from payphones is less than the cost of maintaining them. They used to be profitable

i used to work for at&t and the guys said they were never profitable, they were a nice thing that a nice company did for it's customers and potential customers... more advertising than revenue generating... they would sometimes break even on one if it didn't get broken up or into too often...

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: RyanSengara

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: Brainonska511

Originally posted by: SphinxnihpS

Originally posted by: RyanSengara
Jeeze.

Get her the unlimited plan.

For $85 bucks a month I have unlimited email/data/text messages, voicemail, caller ID, 450 anytime minutes, 250 long distance minutes, unlimited calling after 6pm, unlimited incoming minutes at anytime.

What a bargain... (where's the rollseyes emoticon the size of Alaska?) Are you a rep or something?

What on earth does a kid need a cell phone for anyway? I seem to recall growing up without them.

Computers? Who needs them when they're growing up. My grandparents grew up fine without them. And those cars, my great-grandparents didn't have them growing up... etc.

Times change. Deal with it. And the use a payphone nonsense - many are falling apart, being permanently removed, or just unsupported since they cost the phone companies more money than they bring in.

For a TEENAGER a cell phone is a LUXURY.

Are you kidding? You consider a $30 dollar a month recurring expense to be a luxury?

:laugh:

I got my first cell phone 10 years ago, when I was 13, because it was mutually convenient for me and my parents, it was safe, and I didn't have to use a payphone.

It's prudent, and in the states with how cheap plans are the value you get for safety vs. cost makes it an almost brain dead decision.

i said luxury not a luxury goods....

and yip its a luxury go look up the meaning the word. then shut your mouth.

here ill do it for you. ill do it for you



Main Entry:
lux·u·ry Listen to the pronunciation of luxury Listen to the pronunciation of luxury
Pronunciation:
\'l?k-sh(?-)re, -zh(?-)re\
Function:
noun
Inflected Form(s):
plural lux·u·ries
Etymology:
Middle English luxurie, from Anglo-French luxorie, from Latin luxuria rankness, luxury, excess; akin to Latin luxus luxury, excess
Date:
14th century

1archaic : lechery, lust2: a condition of abundance or great ease and comfort : sumptuous environment <lived in luxury>3 a: something adding to pleasure or comfort but not absolutely necessary <one of life's luxuries> b: an indulgence in something that provides pleasure, satisfaction, or ease <had the luxury of rejecting a handful of job offers ? Terri Minsky>

 

[RbSX]

Originally posted by: ColdFusion718

Originally posted by: Fritzo
I got a text message today with my Verizon bill----it was $396.80. WTcapitalF???!!!!!! That's like $220 more than normal!!!!!

Turns out my daughter is on a 1500/month text message plan, and all Verizon network texts are umlimited. Well, she sent out 4000 (FOUR + 3 ZEROS) text messages last month- over half of which were off network. That breaks down to ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY OUTGOING TEXTS PER DAY!!!!!!! How can you possibly do that????? Well, she found a way.

No matter what I do to her, I'm still stuck with a $400 Verizon bill. Looks like I'm working for Verizon this week :| Anyone in the same boat?

Fritzo, first off, I'd like to make note that you often give great parenting advice and that this is in no way an attack on your parenting skills.

Back when we were in school, we all got along fine without cellphones or pagers. Except I got one in my senior year because my mom was in the hospital a lot (cancer).

I just don't think kids should have cellphones. It's a major distraction. If she's managing to send 130 out per day, I'm pretty sure she is doing it while in class.

As others have said, it's time to take the phone away. She's clearly not using it for its original intent, which is to communicate with you and your wife to coordinate rides/events and whatnot.

You bring up an interesting argument, for years though kids have had access to distractions, these days its only gotten worse.

Here's the issue, self regulation. Kids these days have none of it, especially since often the consequences are felt later rather than immediately.

The solution isn't to take away the item because they can't handle it, imagine what you would do if you had a daughter, who was being attacked, or was lost, and she couldn't call you because you took her cell phone away.

The key is to teach kids how to manage to use these items responsibly, for my parents they chose to take the TV away for 10 years. Because someone can't manage something, doesn't mean you should take it away completely.

 

[zeruty]

I can't believe ATOT has not gone here yet....

TTIWWP!!

Oops, someone beat me to it... My faith in ATOT is restored

 

[sourceninja]

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
I'll say it right now... there is no need for a kid to have a cell phone. I don't care if you give me the lame ass "she has to let me know when soccer practice is over" excuse... there is always the pay phone that I got away with using whenever band / hockey practice ended early. Otherwise, my parents just met me at the door at a pre-arranged time. Driving? Get a "car phone" that is a pay-as-you-go one for emergencies. If someone can give me one justifiable reason for a child needing one, I'll gladly concede my point.

As mentioned, there are no more payphones in my city. Second, and this one is important, GPS tracking ;-)

 

[manlymatt83]

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: Tarrant64
Call Verizon, say some in-store rep said it was unlimited. You just now found out it wasn't, and you'd like to be bumped up to unlimited text messaging. If they can get you to pay more on your original bill, they will probably waive the charges to do so.

You can also threaten to cancel service, that works too.

No go, they waived the charges for this month, but last month stays. Since I just re-upped for two years two months ago threatening cancellation isn't an option either.

Fritzo: let me call in pretending to be you. I guarantee you I'll get it.

 

[CasioTech]

Originally posted by: Fritzo
I got a text message today with my Verizon bill----it was $396.80. WTcapitalF???!!!!!! That's like $220 more than normal!!!!!

Turns out my daughter is on a 1500/month text message plan, and all Verizon network texts are umlimited. Well, she sent out 4000 (FOUR + 3 ZEROS) text messages last month- over half of which were off network. That breaks down to ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY OUTGOING TEXTS PER DAY!!!!!!! How can you possibly do that????? Well, she found a way.

No matter what I do to her, I'm still stuck with a $400 Verizon bill. Looks like I'm working for Verizon this week :| Anyone in the same boat?

they keep their empire by stupid little idiots who can't control their texting, it's really not hard, one conversation can easily have 300 1 liners.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: MotF Bane

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: ZeroIQ

Originally posted by: clamum

Originally posted by: ZeroIQ
Call verizon and say you had no idea this would happen, blah blah blah, say you want to upgrade to the unlimited text plan and they should wave the charges. They did when my brother did that.

To defend your daughter a little... it's really easy to send 4k text messages.

edit: make her pay for it... learn her some responsibility.

Really easy? Jesus christ, you'd have to be on the friggin thing constantly.

Yeah really easy. Simple math tells us that she would send about 4 texts every hour and receives 4 texts every hour.

The plan only charges for outgoing texts. 130 outgoing texts/day. That's 8 outgoing texts/hour assuming that she's awake for 16 hours a day (i.e. only sleeping for 8 hours a night).

However, one has to factor in the fact that teenagers are in school for about 8 hours a day M-F. So for 5 days out of the week, that's only 8 hours available for texting. So averaging 16 texts/hour M-F. Then assume that she's probably got homework, during which time she won't be texting. Average is about 2 hours a night, and we'll include downtime like eating dinner in this.

That leaves us with 6 hours. So just about 22 outgoing texts/hour on a school day. Assuming that each outgoing text has an accompanying incoming text (reasonable), that's 44 messages total per hour on a weekday. That's one text in or out every 1.36 minutes on a weekday.

And that's all assuming that she has no extracurricular activities or other obligations that would further restrict her available texting time. She'd basically have to have the phone glued to her hand.

ZV

You can't discount texting during school hours. My friends sent more messages during class than they did outside of class or from home.

If I had a kid who I found out was sending texts during school hours, the punishment would be much stronger than the punishment for just going over the limit.

ZV

 

[manlymatt83]

I love how Linus Torvalds put's it:

Everything starts off as survival (cell phone is needed to talk to parents), then it becomes social (if you don't have one but your friends do, you're at a lower "class"), then finally entertainment (as they are today).

Same with TV - first was news, then was nicer TV's for social class status, and now ---- freaking jerry? common now.

 

[manlymatt83]

Originally posted by: sourceninja

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
I'll say it right now... there is no need for a kid to have a cell phone. I don't care if you give me the lame ass "she has to let me know when soccer practice is over" excuse... there is always the pay phone that I got away with using whenever band / hockey practice ended early. Otherwise, my parents just met me at the door at a pre-arranged time. Driving? Get a "car phone" that is a pay-as-you-go one for emergencies. If someone can give me one justifiable reason for a child needing one, I'll gladly concede my point.

As mentioned, there are no more payphones in my city. Second, and this one is important, GPS tracking ;-)

You scare me.

 

[Slew Foot]

Call congress and ask for a taxpayer bailout of stupid teenagers cell phone bills.

 

[mflacy]

shes jst comunic8N d 1ly wA she nos hw 2.

 

[ColdFusion718]

Originally posted by: RyanSengara

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: Brainonska511

Originally posted by: SphinxnihpS

Originally posted by: RyanSengara
Jeeze.

Get her the unlimited plan.

For $85 bucks a month I have unlimited email/data/text messages, voicemail, caller ID, 450 anytime minutes, 250 long distance minutes, unlimited calling after 6pm, unlimited incoming minutes at anytime.

What a bargain... (where's the rollseyes emoticon the size of Alaska?) Are you a rep or something?

What on earth does a kid need a cell phone for anyway? I seem to recall growing up without them.

Computers? Who needs them when they're growing up. My grandparents grew up fine without them. And those cars, my great-grandparents didn't have them growing up... etc.

Times change. Deal with it. And the use a payphone nonsense - many are falling apart, being permanently removed, or just unsupported since they cost the phone companies more money than they bring in.

For a TEENAGER a cell phone is a LUXURY.

Are you kidding? You consider a $30 dollar a month recurring expense to be a luxury?

:laugh:

I got my first cell phone 10 years ago, when I was 13, because it was mutually convenient for me and my parents, it was safe, and I didn't have to use a payphone.

It's prudent, and in the states with how cheap plans are the value you get for safety vs. cost makes it an almost brain dead decision.

You carried one of these around when you were 13? Wow you must have been so cool. Let's be friends!

 

[Leros]

Did she know she had a limit?

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: ColdFusion718

Originally posted by: RyanSengara

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: Brainonska511

Originally posted by: SphinxnihpS

Originally posted by: RyanSengara
Jeeze.

Get her the unlimited plan.

For $85 bucks a month I have unlimited email/data/text messages, voicemail, caller ID, 450 anytime minutes, 250 long distance minutes, unlimited calling after 6pm, unlimited incoming minutes at anytime.

What a bargain... (where's the rollseyes emoticon the size of Alaska?) Are you a rep or something?

What on earth does a kid need a cell phone for anyway? I seem to recall growing up without them.

Computers? Who needs them when they're growing up. My grandparents grew up fine without them. And those cars, my great-grandparents didn't have them growing up... etc.

Times change. Deal with it. And the use a payphone nonsense - many are falling apart, being permanently removed, or just unsupported since they cost the phone companies more money than they bring in.

For a TEENAGER a cell phone is a LUXURY.

Are you kidding? You consider a $30 dollar a month recurring expense to be a luxury?

:laugh:

I got my first cell phone 10 years ago, when I was 13, because it was mutually convenient for me and my parents, it was safe, and I didn't have to use a payphone.

It's prudent, and in the states with how cheap plans are the value you get for safety vs. cost makes it an almost brain dead decision.

You carried one of these around when you were 13? Wow you must have been so cool. Let's be friends!

nope but 10 years ago i had a startec flip phone.

 

[ric1287]

uhh, we realize that its summer right? So she wasn't doing this "in class", although she probably does txt in class anyway. I would call up VZ and disable txting, or buy her an old ass phone that doesn't have the ability to until she pays you back for the bill.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: ColdFusion718

Originally posted by: RyanSengara

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: Brainonska511

Originally posted by: SphinxnihpS

Originally posted by: RyanSengara
Jeeze.

Get her the unlimited plan.

For $85 bucks a month I have unlimited email/data/text messages, voicemail, caller ID, 450 anytime minutes, 250 long distance minutes, unlimited calling after 6pm, unlimited incoming minutes at anytime.

What a bargain... (where's the rollseyes emoticon the size of Alaska?) Are you a rep or something?

What on earth does a kid need a cell phone for anyway? I seem to recall growing up without them.

Computers? Who needs them when they're growing up. My grandparents grew up fine without them. And those cars, my great-grandparents didn't have them growing up... etc.

Times change. Deal with it. And the use a payphone nonsense - many are falling apart, being permanently removed, or just unsupported since they cost the phone companies more money than they bring in.

For a TEENAGER a cell phone is a LUXURY.

Are you kidding? You consider a $30 dollar a month recurring expense to be a luxury?

:laugh:

I got my first cell phone 10 years ago, when I was 13, because it was mutually convenient for me and my parents, it was safe, and I didn't have to use a payphone.

It's prudent, and in the states with how cheap plans are the value you get for safety vs. cost makes it an almost brain dead decision.

You carried one of these around when you were 13? Wow you must have been so cool. Let's be friends!

nope but 10 years ago i had a startec flip phone.

mine was bigger then that, course it was half battery

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: Leros
Did she know she had a limit?

Fritzo, are you going to hold her responsible for this in any way?

 

[SphinxnihpS]

Did someone say safety? LAWL

Maybe instead of taking away the cellphone from your kid, you should take the TV away from yourself. It seems to be making you afraid of living.

From watching TV you'd think kids are getting picked up left and right and sold into sex slavery and for satanic rituals.

The fact is kids waste monumental amounts of time on these fancy walkie-talkies, and if two or three kids didn't get rescued because they didn't have a cell phone, but the rest of the millions of little buggers got good grades in geography class, the world would be a better place.

 

[wetcat007]

The answer should be pretty obvious... Make daughter pay for bill or take phone away?