A lot of players are obsessed with Pokémon GO, playing it a lot and rattling through data while out roaming for 'mon. If you roam too far, however, it can cause problems.
Japanese Olympic gymnast Kohei Uchimura, who won all-around Gold during the London 2012 Olympics, had been playing the AR game while out and about in Rio preparing for the Games. He obviously didn't account for roaming charges, however, being slapped with a 500,000 Yen bill, which comes to around £3700 / $4900. According to Japanese media reports - via the BBC - his teammate Kenzo Shirai "looked dead at the team meal" when he received the bill.
Thankfully a compromise has been reached, with Uchimura-san paying 3000 Yen per day (just under $30) rather than the whopping initial fine. He's been quoted as saying that he "really lucked out".
A warning for us all, though. If you travel too far and keep hunting down those Pokémon, it could cost you more than your phone's battery life.
[source bbc.co.uk]
Comments 53
Ouch that really sucks.
@ThomasBW84 I sent that story in to the site this morning. I very much doubt anyone else did as I came across it browsing the BBC sports pages.
He needs to ask a meowth for some money
The game or his provide really should have made this very clear to him.
So this is where Nintendo gets their cut. Stocks should go back up now... :-/
Not sure why he was shocked though. Did he think the in app purchases used pokebucks? Lol mobile gaming must be a gambler's worst nightmare.
Edit: my comment was a joke conment. I made the in app purchases tie because I know someone will rack those up soon enough. Chill.
@Ryu_Niiyama How is Nintendo earning ANYTHING from this? His internet provider is making the profit here. He got a high bill because he was using too much data overseas. Nintendo literally has nothing to do with this.
@BensonUii He didn't purchase anything in game. His internet bill was high.
What a noob. The gen 1 strikes again! We win!
A lot of people are doubting this story since the game hasn't been released officially anywhere in South America. Also he was at what would basically be a prep and training camp for the olympics, and wouldn't have had the long free usage of his phone, let alone for using it to play a game,
Dang, I'd look dead too if I was given a $4900 bill for carelessly wasting data.
30$ a day is a break? I don't know about most people but 900$ a month isn't much of a break.
@BensonUii ^-^ Happens to me too. I had to go through the article a few times to confirm it before I actually commented.
@Tsuchinoko I was thinking this exact same thing as I was reading the article. It hasn't been released there yet.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE would you like a pat on the back? Or a cookie?
@Spoony_Tech
Better $30 a day (and $900 the month) than paying up $4900 up front
I don't know how experienced this guy is in traveling, you'd think he would be as an Olympic Gymnast, but massive roaming charges for using your phone outside of your country unless you've set up a special payment plan for it ahead of time is the norm for phone companies.
I've got the app on my phone,I downloaded the APK to see what the fuss was about but since it hasn't been officially released yet in Thailand there is literally nothing there to catch.If it's not out in South America either, I'd imagine there will be nothing to catch there too.So I don't believe this even happened.
@DarkKirby The best way to get around them is if you're going to be in another country for anymore than a few days,buy a local sim card and if you need to call home a lot get an international call card as well.It becomes a non issue then but not many seem to think of that.Granted some phones are locked to the network but that can be easy got around or just take a cheap pay as you go.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE Give yourself a pat on the back
he's a world-renowned athlete - he could probably afford to pay four grands upfront. But they probably won't event ask for money - this is good advertising...
A small price to pay for being one step closer to being a pokemon master.
@CosmoXY I didn't contribute any articles to this site but an oatmeal raisin cookie sounds really tasty right now.
@DarkKirby @OorWullie @Tsuchinoko
I don't have any knowledge of this, but here's a scenario that sort of pans out.
The guy hasn't traveled abroad much, but he has been playing Pokémon Go a lot and he needs eggs that need hatching. Even though the game isn't out yet in Rio he turns it on to collect mileage on his egg hatching. And since it isn't out in Rio he figures it won't be using any data b/c there aren't any Pokes tops there.But what if the game is still downloading data for the map. What if he got experience from hatching eggs or leveling up Pokémon with candy, surely that would be some data.
So I think he could be playing it in Rio, and leveling up, and using data on his phone.
I do doubt the amount though. Google data usage, it's a big issue, the US government is investigating b/c they don't have anything better to do, and it looks like 10-25MB per hour tops. Say he used it 50 hours, that's 500-1250MB, which would be 100 Yen per MB, and that seems like alot. Though I have less knowledge of Japanese data plans that Han anything else, so maybe it is possible?
@SLIGEACH_EIRE Wouldn't be on RTÉ Sport that's for sure!
@SaKo Salty?
@Tsuchinoko the game hasn't been rereleased in South America, but that's irrelevant if you consider he brought his personal phone with the app already installed.
@Meowpheel Not really. I downloaded the American app but it still doesn't work here, the entire contintent is blocked and therefore no Pokestops or Pokemon appear.
@OorWullie I'm in the Caribeban and have been playing it like for 2 weeks now.
My iPhone is linked to the US store so I could download it in the first place.
@ScaredyFox didn't notice my little sarcasam face huh? The comment was a joke. You can go back to policing other comments now.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE NL rarely gives credit to tipsters anymore. I guess it's too much of a hassle to thank the right tipster for each article.
Pokemon go isn't out yet in brazil...
@CosmoXY @SaKo
It would be nice for them to acknowledge where and from who they heard the story. It's common courtesy.
@Meowpheel but there would be nothing there for him to catch though if it hasn't been released yet in that country.
After getting so much attention right before the games, he better come back with a gold medal
People here in Norway were playing Pokemon Go way before it was released. How is Rio different?
@SLIGEACH_EIRE but how do you deserve any credit? Did you write the original piece, interview anyone, do any actual reporting? Or just forward a link along? If it's the latter, you did nothing and deserve no credit whatsoever.
@Tsuchinoko The map and Pokestops may be active though. The ones in the US and other countries were active before the official release.
@CosmoXY Not to mention I highly doubt the NintendoLife team doesn't read the BBC website.
This doesn't make sense. The whole region is geo-locked. There are no pokemon nor pokestops nor gyms, and eggs won't hatch. I'be been trying since day 1 waiting for the geo-locked to be removed with the official announcement.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE Funny how a troll calls other people a troll when that person states a fact.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE @CosmoXY @Tasuki This tangent is not benefiting anyone. Please drop it as of now.
@Tsuchinoko there's Pokemon and pokestops, and people playing the game, in my country.
Yet we don't know when it'll officially come out.
The game already knows all the data and locations worldwide (so you can go anywhere in the world and find Pokemon), the regional releases only open up the acquisition of the app itself for the locals.
@CosmoXY some people got honorable mention because of "tip".
But he is not their buttbuddy or internet nobody to give him any cred I guess. So no tip for you @SLIGEACH_EIRE :-)
@rjejr 100 yen may look like a lot, but you must consider he is NOT in Japan, roaming can be really expensive. 100 yen in roaming, probably without interwebz package, doesn't look like a lot.
International roaming charges are no joke.
I sincerely doubt Pokemon go was the primary source of that charge.
We're assuming a young person miles away from home will only want to catch Pokemon on their phone.
@OorWullie And that is why I am getting an unlocked phone....
It makes me sad to see people do these $200+ purchases with no research what-so-ever beforehand. I read through most of a tomshardware page before considering the Samsung Note 4.
Now to find a good case....
lol, this is why I'm glad I read the whole article instead of just the title. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that the bill was from in-app purchases and not data roaming
Lol moron
@Meowpheel After all the articles of people's stupidity on Pokemon Go, you doubt this?
@FlameRunnerFast Yep,I can apply what you said to some of my mates back home.I think some networks even punish you if you take your contracted phone to get unlocked.Best way to get around that is research what you're signing up to before signing and if it wants you locked into that network then go elsewhere.Personally I've never signed a contract for any phone,I always buy an unlocked pay as you go but my circumstances are different as I live in a country where calls and data are really cheap.
As for a good case,I would highly recommend 'Urban Armour' cases,top quality and look the part too.
https://urbanarmorgear.com/collections/all/#galaxy-note-4
If you see one you like,look on Amazon too for same one,sometimes they're a little cheaper there.
Smartness level>9000
@Lzeon oh I don't doubt he played Pokemon go, but internet browsing, Facebook, tumblr, twitter, Instagram.... etc. They're a thing too.
@OorWullie Thanks for the case advice. I will try to get an unlocked phone...but my mother is with Sprint and an unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note 4 doesn't seem to work with Sprint. Darn American Oligopolies...
Well, you gotta catch em all? Right?
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