housemate refuses to pay internet bill

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: DayLaPaul
Um guys? Pics of other housemate?

Of the guy?

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Originally posted by: Newbian

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Newbian
I would charge him extra for using a mac in the first place.

Call it a idiots tax.

Mac not found. FAIL.

It's a mac product and works as a computer.

It's an Apple product. Just like a "Mac" is an Apple product.

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Originally posted by: zerocool84

Originally posted by: DayLaPaul
Um guys? Pics of other housemate?

Of the guy?

Originally posted by: onlyCOpunk
claims he shouldn't have to pay because he doesn't have a computer...fair enough, but then he continues to use the wifi with his iphone and asks my other housemate to borrow her computer.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Originally posted by: FDF12389
I wouldn't care, if its something he cant justify paying for then fine, if he only uses it occasionally I wouldn't care. If he uses it everyday then its another story.

Yeah...the question I have...was the decision made to get high speed internet without him? If so, he probably wouldn't have Intenet access unless he was mooching somewhere...so don't take it personal.

Feel free to ask him for a few bucks a month rather than splitting the bill equally....but keep it reasonable... Look at it this way, if you can milk him for $5 a month or something cheap, it'll add up to $60/year... That's better than nothing. If he won't pay anything, I'd still probably let him use it. It's not costing you anything extra if he won't pay either way and good karma often comes back around. If he's not hitting your account with Limewire or other P2P, you won't even know he's on there.

Of course, if he's a jerk....screw it. I just like to assume that people are generally good.

 

[onlyCOpunk]

Originally posted by: Scarpozzi

Originally posted by: FDF12389
I wouldn't care, if its something he cant justify paying for then fine, if he only uses it occasionally I wouldn't care. If he uses it everyday then its another story.

Yeah...the question I have...was the decision made to get high speed internet without him? If so, he probably wouldn't have Intenet access unless he was mooching somewhere...so don't take it personal.

Feel free to ask him for a few bucks a month rather than splitting the bill equally....but keep it reasonable... Look at it this way, if you can milk him for $5 a month or something cheap, it'll add up to $60/year... That's better than nothing. If he won't pay anything, I'd still probably let him use it. It's not costing you anything extra if he won't pay either way and good karma often comes back around. If he's not hitting your account with Limewire or other P2P, you won't even know he's on there.

Of course, if he's a jerk....screw it. I just like to assume that people are generally good.

I already had the Internet when he moved in, afterall it's 2009, internet is pretty standard. It's an expensive bill though $90, it's the best value, Internet is still expensive here, and we can't get DSL (which is heaps cheaper) so we have to use cable.

Anyways, we are friends, we aren't harsh about it. I asked him if he wanted to chip in like $10 a month to use his iPhone or one of the other laptops in the house and he said no.

He doesn't seem to get that part of the internet bill is the convenience charge as opposed to having to go to an Internet cafe.

And its not that the money even concerns me, it's the principle of the thing. I still pay for Foxtel (cable television) even though I hardly ever watch TV, and when I do it's the network channels.

Internet is just one of those utilities you either use or don't use, there's no middle ground.

Oh and he used to have a laptop, but it got stolen, so now he doesn't have one.

 

[Newbian]

Originally posted by: Flipped Gazelle

Originally posted by: Newbian

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Newbian
I would charge him extra for using a mac in the first place.

Call it a idiots tax.

Mac not found. FAIL.

It's a mac product and works as a computer.

It's an Apple product. Just like a "Mac" is an Apple product.

Same thing so settle a bit.

 

[MotionMan]

Originally posted by: Newbian

Originally posted by: Flipped Gazelle

Originally posted by: Newbian

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Newbian
I would charge him extra for using a mac in the first place.

Call it a idiots tax.

Mac not found. FAIL.

It's a mac product and works as a computer.

It's an Apple product. Just like a "Mac" is an Apple product.

Same thing so settle a bit.

I sure hope you were talking about the iPhone and not the "mac address".

MotionMan

 

[MotionMan]

Originally posted by: onlyCOpunk
claims he shouldn't have to pay because he doesn't have a computer...fair enough, but then he continues to use the wifi with his iphone and asks my other housemate to borrow her computer.

i've already changed the password AND denied his iphones mac address, and told him he can't use the internet unless he pays. then he got all shitty about it.

just wanted to rant.

Absolutely good move on your part.

Well done.

MotionMan

 

[Newbian]

Originally posted by: MotionMan

Originally posted by: Newbian

Originally posted by: Flipped Gazelle

Originally posted by: Newbian

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Newbian
I would charge him extra for using a mac in the first place.

Call it a idiots tax.

Mac not found. FAIL.

It's a mac product and works as a computer.

It's an Apple product. Just like a "Mac" is an Apple product.

Same thing so settle a bit.

I sure hope you were talking about the iPhone and not the "mac address".

MotionMan

Of course.

 

[Zugzwang152]

this story would have been interesting only if the roommate then went out and purchased a new iphone to circumvent your mac filtering.

 

[Mikey]

Originally posted by: Newbian

Originally posted by: Flipped Gazelle

Originally posted by: Newbian

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Newbian
I would charge him extra for using a mac in the first place.

Call it a idiots tax.

Mac not found. FAIL.

It's a mac product and works as a computer.

It's an Apple product. Just like a "Mac" is an Apple product.

Same thing so settle a bit.

Not the same thing, so settle a bit.

 

[Newbian]

Originally posted by: Mikey

Originally posted by: Newbian

Originally posted by: Flipped Gazelle

Originally posted by: Newbian

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Newbian
I would charge him extra for using a mac in the first place.

Call it a idiots tax.

Mac not found. FAIL.

It's a mac product and works as a computer.

It's an Apple product. Just like a "Mac" is an Apple product.

Same thing so settle a bit.

Not the same thing, so settle a bit.

qq

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: S Freud

Originally posted by: mugs
Eh... meh. If I were in your situation I'd probably let him use it and not expect him to pay. There's nothing wrong with not letting him use it, but that's not how I'd treat a friend. Obviously the guy isn't your friend though, so meh.

He was wrong to complain about being locked out.

If he doesn't want to pay for his fair share I wouldn't let him use it. You charge him rent for a room why would you give him free internet?

If I had a roommate that watched TV for 2 hours a month, I wouldn't make him pay a share of the cable bill. If it were up to him, we'd just not have cable. But even though he's not paying a share of the cable bill, I'm not going to tell him he can't watch any TV - that's just petty.

Likewise, this roommate doesn't really need high speed internet, and he gets minimal use out of it, so I wouldn't expect him to pay a full share. But it's there, so I wouldn't prohibit him from using it. When I was in college I had a neighbor that didn't have Internet services. I let him use mine whenever he wanted, and I didn't expect him to pay anything.

I might ask him to pay $5, but I wouldn't ask him to pay a full share.

Again, I'm not saying the OP is doing anything wrong by asking him to pay a full share and locking him out if he won't pay. But there's nothing wrong with being a nice guy, you know? I think there's some other issues between them that led to this though... I doubt this is just about Internet service.

 

[SonnyDaze]

Originally posted by: ConstipatedVigilante
Good job on blocking his access, shows some balls.

:thumbsup:

 

[Raduque]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Newbian
I would charge him extra for using a mac in the first place.

Call it a idiots tax.

Mac not found. FAIL.

iPhone = OSX Mobile = Mac

You fail.


Edit: Why is he whining about not being able to use the wifi? He's paying extra for an iPhone data plan, he should be using that.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Raduque

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Newbian
I would charge him extra for using a mac in the first place.

Call it a idiots tax.

Mac not found. FAIL.

iPhone = OSX Mobile = Mac

You fail.

:laugh: Yes it runs a modified version of OS X, no it's not a Mac.

Edit: Why is he whining about not being able to use the wifi? He's paying extra for an iPhone data plan, he should be using that.

3G isn't as fast as cable Internet, and EDGE is even slower. Also, you have to use wifi if you want to download an app that is larger than 10 MB (most are much smaller than 10 MB, but some games are larger). Some data-intensive apps require wifi (i.e. SlingPlayer). I'm sure the roommate is willing to live with a slower connection rather than paying a full share of the Internet bill - it is just a phone.

 

[Minerva]

Get a linksys router modded with that upside down firmware and plug it into your current router and give him the SSID to that one. He'll get on but pages will be twisted. With an iphone that will drive someone crazy because they will keep turning the phone around and it will follow...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2OEWk3HTb8

 

[geno]

Haha, tell him to enjoy his EDGE / 3G

You made the right move. Tell that sucker to pay up.

 

[TwiceOver]

Set up a captive portal and a 56k pipe. Use the captive portal to display ads every so often. Then have a tiered system.

Tier 1: Free (Ad supported) 56k

Tier 2: 1/2 the bill Unlimited.

 

[shocksyde]

Either he uses it and pays or he doesn't use it. Pretty simple.

 

[nakedfrog]

Get him to explain how an iPhone is not a computer.

 

[keird]

Originally posted by: TwiceOver
Set up a captive portal and a 56k pipe. Use the captive portal to display ads every so often. Then have a tiered system.

Tier 1: Free (Ad supported) 56k

Tier 2: 1/2 the bill Unlimited.

I should use this when my kid starts using a computer.

Tier 1: 56k (Clean the cat box, take out the dog)

Tier 2: (2 hour timer, then it goes to Tier 1)

and a cell phone jammer - my kid is going to be as emotionally distant as me.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: onlyCOpunk
claims he shouldn't have to pay because he doesn't have a computer...fair enough, but then he continues to use the wifi with his iphone and asks my other housemate to borrow her computer.

i've already changed the password AND denied his iphones mac address, and told him he can't use the internet unless he pays. then he got all shitty about it.

just wanted to rant.

Haha that is funny. Roommates can be so weird sometimes.

 

[rasczak]

Originally posted by: JLee

Originally posted by: KoolDrew

i've already changed the password AND denied his iphones mac address, and told him he can't use the internet unless he pays.

:thumbsup:

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

you show that sob who's boss!

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Newbian
I would charge him extra for using a mac in the first place.

Call it a idiots tax.

Mac not found. FAIL.

Mac is close enough to iphone, just as pocket pc is close enough to windows