Man Gets $218 Trillion Phone Bill

[Jasman0717 9]

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - A Malaysian man said he nearly fainted when he recieved a $218 trillion phone bill and was ordered to pay up within 10 days or face prosecution, a newspaper reported Monday.

Yahaya Wahab said he disconnected his late father's phone line in January after he died and settled the 84 ringgit ($23) bill, the New Straits Times reported.

But Telekom Malaysia later sent him a 806,400,000,000,000.01 ringgit ($218 trillion) bill for recent telephone calls along with orders to settle within 10 days or face legal proceedings, the newspaper reported.

It wasn't clear whether the bill was a mistake, or if Yahaya's father's phone line was used illegally after after his death.

"If the company wants to seek legal action as mentioned in the letter, I'm ready to face it," the paper quoted Yahaya as saying. "In fact, I can't wait to face it," he said.

Yahaya, from northern Kedah state, received a notice from the company's debt-collection agency in early April, the paper said. Yahaya said he nearly fainted when he saw the new bill.

Government-linked Telekom Malaysia Bhd. is the country's largest telecommunications company.

A company official, who declined to be identified as she was not authorized to speak to the media, said Telekom Malaysia was aware of Yahaya's case and would address it. She did not provide further details.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

It wasn't clear whether the bill was a mistake, or if Yahaya's father's phone line was used illegally after after his death.

How can anyone rack up that kind of bill through illegal use in just a few months?

[Jenn! 918]

It wasn't clear whether the bill was a mistake, or if Yahaya's father's phone line was used illegally after after his death.

Ummm, if his phone line was used illegally, someone would have had to talk for 414,764,079 years (at $1 per minute)...

[000OOO000 0]

The phone comany should be ashamed of themselves. Jenn did you actually do the math

[almaty 19]

wow...no doubt that is just wrong.......

[Jenn! 918]

The phone comany should be ashamed of themselves. Jenn did you actually do the math

Yeah, I'm a geek. But it's easy if you assume $1/min.

I work with numbers all day, so my calculator is always handy...

[ladybutterfly 0]

Ah, poor guy, being reminded of his fathers death.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

And that figure is an order of magnitued more than the total world GDP!

And they actually managed to calculate it--albeit with "Calvin-style" (as in "Calvin And Hobbes") math--to the .01 ringgit?

Even a 1,000-user party line each running at $1,000/minute would take 415 YEARS to accumulate (note: admittedly the "party-line" system disappeared with the Heath Hen, and $1,000/minute is absurdly high).

What chopf#cks those running Telekom Malaysia Bhd must be!

[MrMrsKnight 0]

Now I want to know how much he'll get from the company when they realize it's a mistake... the guy will probably ask for something.

He should get the same amount!

[*Robert* 2]

The phone comany should be ashamed of themselves. Jenn did you actually do the math

Yeah, I'm a geek. But it's easy if you assume $1/min.

I work with numbers all day, so my calculator is always handy...

Good one!!!

[Chicken_Little 0]

I think I'd seriously pass right the #### out if I ever got a bill like that!

Poor guy!!

[almaty 19]

I think I'd seriously pass right the #### out if I ever got a bill like that!

Poor guy!!

i would too..first i sh!t my trousers and then pass out...

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Now I want to know how much he'll get from the company when they realize it's a mistake... the guy will probably ask for something.

He should get the same amount!

That would be apt to punish pol chopf#cks looking for kickbacks that way!!!

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Will they take a stolen credit card to pay the bill?

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Will they take a stolen credit card to pay the bill?

For the return lawsuit, they probably have a bazillion of those to pay him with.