70-Year-Old Grandmother Nearly Faints Upon Receiving Rp150 Million Phone Bill
Postpaid telecommunication services with monthly billing are a popular choice for those who prefer not to hassle with frequent top-ups. This option allows users to access phone, data, and text services without interruption even if the quota runs out.
Payments are made monthly based on usage. However, there are significant risks for postpaid users that can prove costly. At least, this was experienced by a Verizon telecommunications operator customer in the United States.
Linda Vincent, aged 70, is a resident of Westport, Connecticut. She nearly fainted upon receiving a postpaid bill amounting to US$9,000, equivalent to around Rp153 million.
Vincent was using an old data plan with a 4GB usage limit. Recently, she spent weeks at a rehabilitation facility.
There, she frequently watched videos, played games, and browsed social media on her mobile phone. Vincent relied on Verizon data rather than Wi-Fi.
She was unaware that these various activities rapidly depleted her data. Not surprisingly, her 4GB limit was insufficient to cover it, as cited from PhoneArena on Monday (6/4/2026).
Unfortunately, Vincent felt she never received any warnings about her outdated plan and its potential impacts. Meanwhile, modern Verizon plans offer unlimited data.
This means mobile data remains active, though speeds may decrease after exceeding the quota threshold.
In contrast, the legacy plan chosen by Vincent has strict data limits. Once exceeded, the charges for data access become extremely high.
Verizon typically sends warnings to customers when approaching the limit. However, Vincent claims she received no notifications whatsoever.
Verizon told NBC that it is coordinating with the customer to resolve the matter.
Mobile operators often introduce new plans with more features and benefits, albeit sometimes at higher costs than older ones. Although some customers stick with legacy plans to save money, the value of these plans often diminishes as modern apps demand more data.
Without Wi-Fi, it is easy to exceed the monthly data quota. Even background tasks, such as location services and photo backups, consume data.
While 4GB may suffice for light social media and SMS use, heavy and continuous usage requires much more.
Considering Vincent’s age and recent health issues, her oversight can be understood.
However, the bill, likely generated by an automated system, accurately reflects the data consumed. Although it could be argued that this issue would not arise with an unlimited plan, it is important to note that legacy plan users often pay far less per month.