chargement...
Returning from a trip to Marrakech, Dominique, a shopkeeper from Maule in Yvelines (France), was shocked to receive a €37,737 bill from his mobile operator, Orange. The amount was charged for extensive data usage between April 28 and May 5, despite Dominique insisting to Le Parisien that he «didn’t even touch the phone».
The bar-tobacconist, in his sixties, suspects either hacking or a technical glitch. «Either I was hacked, or I made a mistake», he said, noting that he had planned ahead by extending his data plan to include 5 GB, which was also valid in Morocco.
Orange, however, claims that Dominique approved the data overage on May 2 at 6:14 p.m. and received «sixteen SMS alerts». The roaming data was billed at rates as high as €225 per minute. According to the operator, a single data session during the night, between 3:39 a.m. and 6:34 a.m., cost him over €31,000 before taxes.
«€31,000 in four hours? That’s insane! I don’t even make that in a year», Dominique exclaimed. «I’m not going to work two years just to pay Orange», he added, stating that he is ready to take legal action.
Calling the situation «absurd», Dominique has refused to pay the bill. He switched providers but lost his phone number after Orange denied him the RIO code required for number portability.
A loyal customer with no history of missed payments in 38 years, Dominique says he’s filed complaints, made calls, sent letters to headquarters, and even requested mediation, all without success. While waiting for an official response, he has resumed his work, but the disconnection and loss of his number continue to disrupt his life. «I’ve lost contacts and now have to update my information with dozens of companies and government agencies», he said. It’s a double blow for the small business owner.
