A business owner says he was nearly forced into bankruptcy after receiving a shocking $55,000 phone bill — all because his daughter was watching TikTok during a family trip abroad.
According to Dexerto, Andrew Alty, a curtain business owner from Manchester, England, discovered the massive charge after returning home from a trip to Morocco. Alty said his mobile phone provider, O2, issued the balance in two separate bills, initially leading him to believe it was a mistake.
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$4,000 Per Hour in Data Charges
After investigating the charges, Alty learned that his daughter had been using TikTok on and off for approximately eight hours per day while abroad. The streaming reportedly racked up an estimated $4,000 per hour in roaming data fees, totaling around $55,000.
The sky-high cost stemmed from a clause in his business phone contract that allowed unlimited data roaming outside of Europe — but at a significantly higher rate.
“How Do They Expect a Small Business to Pay This?”
Alty criticized the phone company for failing to notify him as the charges increased. “They made no effort to inform us, and just allowed the charges to accrue,” he said. “I don’t understand how they expect any small business to pay that sort of bill.”
The situation left him fearing serious financial consequences.
Bill Waived After Investigation
Fortunately for Alty, the bill was eventually waived following an investigation conducted by The Telegraph.
The case has sparked renewed conversations about overseas roaming fees, data usage alerts, and whether providers should intervene when charges spike to extreme levels.