Initially, the phone was only to be used to call family and loved ones. For the months of June, July and August, Williie Guerard and his partner, Yvonne, nevertheless used 104 gigabytes (GB) of data, according to the invoices that the couple received. Not very tech-savvy, he doesn't see how he could have used so much Internet data.

People just gave me evasive answers. [...] When they see an old man of 80 years, they say to themselves that I lost the head and that I am incapable of doing anything , denounces Willie Guerard.

When Willie and Yvonne bought a cell phone at a Walmart earlier this year, an employee reportedly told them that the service would be shut down as soon as the usage fee exceeded $200.

For its part, the service provider Virgin Mobile says instead that the couple agreed to restore their data every month.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the telecommunications company announced that it had removed spending limits on accounts until July 8 so that no one was left without service. However, it specified that the additional costs would still have to be paid. It was during this period that Willie Guerard's bill increased, and not just a little.

After a Virgin Mobile customer service agent confirmed to him that he had to pay the balance, stating that he was notified of these overages by text and email when his bill hit $300 and then $500, the octogenarian replied.

I said I didn't have that much money and if I had it I probably wouldn't pay the bill, because I don't think I owe that amount .

An active data user

Reached by email, Virgin Mobile says Mr Guerard was an active data user and has asked to change his plan twice since he got the phone in February, first by upgrading it from 2 to 4GB, then claiming a 10GB plan.

The company also said Yvonne signed a two-year deal on behalf of Guerard for the phone. The couple do not recall having any conversations with Virgin Mobile staff about increasing a data plan or being given a contract with the phone.

The duo have since switched mobile carriers to Koodo, but are concerned about the impact the incident will have on their credit rating.

Communications deemed insufficient

For every 100 megabytes (MB) used beyond the 10 GB plan, Guerard must pay an additional $10, after which the price increases to $150 per GB.

That's hours and hours of video conferencing, Zoom, Netflix streaming, FaceTime video calls [and] very intensive AV content. [...] They are not emails , indicates Laura Tribe, managing director of OpenMedia.

The director of OpenMedia has seen many cases of people being surprised by overage charges, but the amount in this specific case is exceptional.

After 800 MB of excess, Virgin Mobile charges $0.15 per MB, which equals $150 per GB.

Photo: Jacob Barker/CBC

Beyond a mere legal or technical requirement, it's totally unthinkable for someone to get a $6000 phone bill and that in no way triggers some sort of reaction from the company to say that something is wrong , underlines Ms. Tribe.

According to the head of OpenMedia, people, especially the elderly, need to be better informed about their cell phone bills.

Laura Tribe believes it's a company's moral responsibility to communicate with its customers, especially those who don't use text or email in the same way as others.

If the methods of communication are those with which the elders are the least familiar, I don't think that counts as sufficient communication , she slices.

After being contacted by CBC, Virgin Mobile said Mr Guerard was no longer a customer of the company but would be in touch with him to reduce the outstanding balance significantly .

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