A pair of friends in Pennsylvania decided to pursue the world record for text messaging. After they reached 217,000 texts, they learned that one of their providers, T-Mobile, really had an upper limit to “unlimited” texting, and sending 217,000 texts led to a $26,000 phone bill that cost $27 just to mail.

Theoretically, the plan is unlimited, but T-Mobile’s system does technically have a limit of 100,000 messages. Procedures for what to do when a customer exceeds that limit didn’t exist, since no customer ever had.

The member of the duo who had T-Mobile has been promised a credit to his account. No word yet on whether Guinness will accept the record.

$26,000 Bill Follows Texting Record (Thanks, Bruce!)

(Photo: xanteen)

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.