Victim told to pay thief's account

Lauren Cornish is left out of pocket. Photo / Getty Images

A student who had her phone stolen has slammed Vodafone after being ordered to repay more than $1700 of calls racked up by the thief.

Lauren Cornish, 19, of Auckland, accused the teleco of "corporate nastiness" after it demanded she reimburse three-quarters of the $2300 bill, despite the culprit being convicted in court.

"There's no sympathy," she said. "Even though it's been proven I didn't spend the money, they're making me pay it. It's very stressful. I think they really just showed their corporate nastiness."

The teenager's phone was stolen at the Rhythm and Vines festival in Gisborne on New Year's Eve.

The next day she rang it and spoke to a woman who said her brother would return it to Lauren in Devonport the following week.

When the phone hadn't turned up a week later, Cornish called the woman again but got no answer.

"I thought this was a bit dodgy. I went to Vodafone and found $2300 had been spent on my account."

Vodafone has since taken 25 per cent off the bill and given Cornish six months to pay in weekly instalments of $93.

A court ordered the thief to pay Cornish the full amount in $50-a-week reparations, but Cornish said she would still be out of pocket.

"The court can't make her pay money she doesn't have. She'll be paying it off for the next few years but Vodafone is telling me it's your bill, you have to pay it within the next six months."

Vodafone spokesman Paul Brislen said Cornish was liable for the debt because she didn't report the phone stolen and her account wasn't cancelled.

"If she'd done that, we would now be discussing a vastly smaller bill."

alice.neville@hos.co.nz