said by charles0000 :The customer should be paying 100% of this as it is 100% their fault and their problem.
They charge about $1 per gig for the plan, up to 30gig. It seems like the ISP could charge the overage at $1 per gig instead of $4.50.
When you look at how the cost-per-gig drops as plans/caps increase, it seems like they could have charged her .60 per gig.
I agree users should be responsible for securing their networks. But, charging normal overage fees as if the user misjudged their requirements (and is persuaded to move up) seems unjust.
Edit: Also, the article says the ISP plans to implement a monitoring and alert system within 12 months. That indicates they realize they have some responsibility to confirm abnormal activity. I think that's another reason for them to charge the user only true cost. Not punitive overage charges designed to "persuade" people to move up.