City executive hit with £11,000 phone bill after wife downloads four episodes of Friends on his mobile
A couple have been hit with a massive £11,000 bill after downloading four episodes of Friends on their mobile phone.
The wife of a City executive ordered the programmes using her husband's "unlimited" phone broadband package - which allows free downloads - in this country.
But, during the download process, her husband took the phone to Germany for two days on a business trip. When he returned, Vodafone alerted the man's firm to the enormous bill.
I'll be there for you: Friends fan receives £11,000 bill
Ed Richards, the chief executive of Ofcom, said the communications watchdog would be investigating the fee.
He added: "We will be looking to take action."
Vivane Reding, the EU commissioner for information, society and media has given phone companies until July 1 to cut their fees for downloading data and texting while abroad.
At present, sending a text from a European country can cost as much as 49p.
Ms Reding said: Higher retail charges abroad must be justified or they will have to disappear."
A spokesman for Vodafone said customers were informed of the charges and if they exceeded their quota in Britain, it would call to alert them.
Source: Daily Mail UK, Mar. 3, 2008