Our school issues cell phones to some teachers. One teacher retired, turned in cell phone, phone was stolen. Thief was apprehended after running up $2,000 cell phone bill. Telecom people are telling the school that the school has to pay full amount of unauthorized calls. Any guideance I can give them?

Your question made me curious, so I did some research. Cellular service is not subject to the same type of consumer protections that limit a consumer's liability for a stolen credit card ($50). Normally, unless the terms of service specifically state otherwise, a subscriber is responsible for all charges to his service, even if the cell phone was stolen, until subscriber properly notifies the service provider at the appropriate address. One poor woman in San Francisco had a cell phone stolen from her house while she was on vacation and ended up with a $26,000 cell phone bill!

Janette Ansolabehere