Users are abusers... RANT (not drugs)

[cozycritters]

My parents are recently retired. They have devoted this year to serving other people (at their own expense.)

They are extremely generous people-- they have six children (counting me

) and close to 30 grandchildren, some of which are adults...

One of the things they've done to try to keep the family together is to pay for a phone network of cell phones.

The issue? Two of my nieces have decided that this means that they can totally abuse the services and IN ONE MONTH between just the TWO if them have cost my parents $2000 in cell phone bills!!!! One phone call alone was 800 minutes! I don't even know how that's possible on a network with free overnight calling.

These nieces are 18 and 20 and I, personally, think my parents should send them the bill-- esp. as they have been told and TOLD that they can't do this.

I'm ticked on my parents' benefit and I'm upset with their mom, my sister, for being a total enabler. She'd just rather be best friends with her kids than a parents and now my mom is too scared to say/do anything for fear my sister will hate her (which, knowing her, could happen).

 

[Kansaseq]

Wow, 18 and 20yr olds are old enough to have jobs. I would revoke their phones until they pay the bill, with the knowledge that if they did it again, the phones would be taken away permanently. Just my humble opinion.

 

[domino7]

Well, that is just crazy. Your parents must have known how irresponsible the girls were. Even so, something MUST be said. When people are wrong they are wrong. This is so obviously wrong I could never let it go. I hope they have shut off the two girl's phones at least. A 13 hour phone call? It sounds like it was done on purpose. I would be done with them, family or not.

 

[kinnip]

I'm going to guess that the bill just won't get paid, if they wait for the girls to pay it. They just need to take the phones away.

 

[hennypenny9]

$2000!!

I don't have a cell phone, and my home phone is Vonage's 500 minute plan. After taxes it's about $20.00. I have never used all of my minutes. Ever.

 

[cozycritters]

*I* don't even have a cell phone. My hubby is in on the plan, and we never even use our share of minutes...

My mom is afraid to take the phones away because my sister will get on her high huff and is already irrational about my parents.

I, personally, think they should shut down the whole thing-- we're all adults and can pay for our own phones. In fact, hubby and I have already told them that's what we're doing-- that we appreciate them, but this is something we should be doing for ourselves...

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

ungrateful users!!

I know EXACTLY what you are going though!! MIL was always having her cell phone - provided and paid for by us - stolen from her by Gdaughters. They wracked up the charges, too. We cancelled the policy (it cost extra in fees but was worth the point!) and got MIL a phone that was limited to those chosen five and 911 - like you would buy for a child.

We told her that if she would not hold the kids accountable we would treat her as irresponsible, too.

Sister learned to be an enabler somewhere! They need to cut those strings!

 

[gypsy2621]

What I would do of this was going on with my parents is:
get the number of the company call in in whom evers name and have the service restricted to 911 calls only.
If Mom didnt set up the account and Dad did have hubby make the call.
Or you can have the whole thing just canceled.
Inconciderate grandchildren need to be shut down.
tell you Parents if the kids need cell phones so badly to get them all Pay as You Go phones, let them be responsible for their own minutes If sister gets in a twitter.
you have to teach responsibility somewhere and Pay as You Go is a good start.

 

[English Chick]

Take the phones away pronto!.... never mind what their parents or your parents say.......

 

[melissastraka]

OMG!!! Why would you do that to a person? Especially when they have just retired?
They are adults and need to start acting like it. Call the company and have it restricted to only call the family and 911! If my niece did that i dont care what my sister would say! I would tell her she was irresponsible also and that she needs to grow up!
I could go on and on and on......


I think you and your parents need a