KANNAPOLIS, N.C. -- U.S. Air Force Airman Josh Courtney took a 12-day leave from Italy to come home to see his Grandma Pearl on her 75th birthday in September. But the real surprise came when Josh’s cell phone bill arrived in October and said he owed $622.
“No, this is like $60 a day,” grandmother Pearl Courtney said. “This can’t be right. And we were like, ‘Why?’”
As it turns out, Josh had upgraded his phone, and the upgrade in service mistakenly changed the terms of his AT&T contract which had included a “contract freeze” when he’s out of the country.
He was suddenly, and without warning, hit with a $300 contract cancellation fee and a bill that also exceeded $300.
Josh Gelinas is with AT&T wireless.
“AT&T provides special military cell phone cancellation contracts, and I believe his was just overlooked,” said Gelinas. “Now we were able to make it right.”
Josh’s account is now what it should be, a zero balance, and the contract is back to what it was, suspended when he’s out of the country.
It means Grandma Pearl can get back to doing what this grandmother’s do best, worrying about her grandson.
