Man Changes His Phone Plan And Verizon Sends Him A Nearly $500 Million Dollar Bill
He was rightfully concerned.
fizkes / Shutterstock There are arguments on both sides of the aisle about whether technology has changed our lives for better or worse. We can access all of the world’s information with the swipe of a finger, yet people report that social media has made them feel more isolated and more likely to compare their lives to others.
But, no matter your opinion on technology, it’s practically universally agreed that dealing with the phone company is one of humanity’s greatest ills.
A man recently changed his phone plan and got a bill from Verizon for nearly $500 million.
The unnamed man posted his predicament on TikTok, sharing his truly unhinged story with the world.
“I got my whole bloodline in debt,” he captioned his post, showing just how absurd collections can be.
He explained that he had changed his phone plan away from Verizon, and they had sent him a bill in the mail. According to the TikToker, he had two iPhones and two Apple watches on the phone plan.
“The Apple watches, I thought, were paid off, but let’s give them the benefit of the doubt — $200. My phone there was $600, and [it] was a free phone, so let’s say I broke a contract — $1,000,” he said. "Let’s just be nice and say $5,000.”
“It is humanely insane to say maybe even 10, 15, 20, $30,000,” he continued, staring directly into the camera with an incredulous expression.
But even $30,000 would be nothing compared to the actual bill he received.
“In approximately 10 days from the date of this notice, we will attempt to [charge] your debit or credit cards, referred below, for all or part of your Verizon bill,” he read straight from the letter accompanying the bill before noting, “I’m not paying any of this.”
He continued his dramatic reading, saying, “Under the terms of our backup payment agreement, if you prefer to avoid this action, you may make a same-day payment, paying in full.”
The balance due on his unpaid Verizon bill was $439,092,988.
The man was rightfully shocked and upset at being billed almost $5 million by Verizon.
According to Business Insider, the average American has $104,215 in debt, including mortgages, car loans, student loans, and credit cards. Climbing out of debt is no easy feat, especially if that alleged debt is more money than most people can fathom.
The man commented on just how outlandish the whole situation was, saying, “Then they have the audacity, at the bottom they put, ‘Thanks for choosing Verizon wireless,’” as though anything happening with the bill was his choice.
In the video, he looked confused and vaguely panicked, a reaction which makes logical sense, as very few people on this Earth have 5 million dollars lying around to use for a phone bill.
Geber86 / Shutterstock
“I’m not in the right clothes, the right vehicle, or the right tax bracket,” he exclaimed. “Did someone go on my account and order 500 of everything?”
He highlighted how absurd the whole situation was, noting there was no one he could even discuss the issue with.
“I want to talk to the person who sent me this,” he said. “I’m gonna walk into Verizon and be like, ‘Hey, I’ve got a bill for half of a billion [expletive] dollars,’ and they’re gonna put me in cuffs.”
“I’m gonna call them on my new phone number and, like, there’s gonna be cops at my house,” he continued, expressing a dark humor that seemed to help him cope with the gravity of the situation.
“Well, it was nice knowing you all,” he concluded. “I’m changing my identity. My new gender is apotheosis. My new name’s Daryl. I’m moving… I have a new social already.”
The man, newly christened Daryl, stopped recording, presumably to run into the forest and leave his old life and new debt behind.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture and all things to do with the entertainment industry.