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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| US smoker chokes on cost of habit | |
| (about 12 hours later) | |
| A man in the United States popped out to his local petrol station to buy a pack of cigarettes - only to find his card charged $23,148,855,308,184,500. | A man in the United States popped out to his local petrol station to buy a pack of cigarettes - only to find his card charged $23,148,855,308,184,500. |
| That is $23 quadrillion (£14 quadrillion) - many times the US national debt. | That is $23 quadrillion (£14 quadrillion) - many times the US national debt. |
| "I thought somebody had bought Europe with my credit card," said Josh Muszynski, from New Hampshire. | "I thought somebody had bought Europe with my credit card," said Josh Muszynski, from New Hampshire. |
| He says his appeals to his bank first met with little understanding, though it eventually corrected the error. | He says his appeals to his bank first met with little understanding, though it eventually corrected the error. |
| It also waived the usual $15 overdraft fee. | It also waived the usual $15 overdraft fee. |
| Josh Muszynski: 'I thought someone had bought Europe' | |
| "It was all back to normal," Mr Muszynski told his local television station, WMUR. "They reversed the negative balance fee, which was nice." | "It was all back to normal," Mr Muszynski told his local television station, WMUR. "They reversed the negative balance fee, which was nice." |
| Debt crisis | Debt crisis |
| His nightmare began when he checked his online bank account a few hours after buying the cigarettes. | His nightmare began when he checked his online bank account a few hours after buying the cigarettes. |
| He thought he would be a couple of hundred dollars in the black. But his overdraft had pushed him into the red - by an amount equivalent to many times the entire US national debt. | He thought he would be a couple of hundred dollars in the black. But his overdraft had pushed him into the red - by an amount equivalent to many times the entire US national debt. |
| "It is a lot of money in the negative," he said. "Something I could never, ever, afford to pay back. | "It is a lot of money in the negative," he said. "Something I could never, ever, afford to pay back. |
| The 17-digit amount on his online bill shocked Mr Muszynski | The 17-digit amount on his online bill shocked Mr Muszynski |
| "My children could not afford it, grandchildren, nothing like that." | "My children could not afford it, grandchildren, nothing like that." |
| In panic, Mr Muszynski rushed back to the petrol station, but they were unable to help. He says he then spent two hours on the phone with the Bank of America. | In panic, Mr Muszynski rushed back to the petrol station, but they were unable to help. He says he then spent two hours on the phone with the Bank of America. |
| Eventually, it assured him it would be fixed - and the next morning, it had been. | Eventually, it assured him it would be fixed - and the next morning, it had been. |
| But no-one has yet explained to Mr Muszynski how such a astonishing error could have been made. | But no-one has yet explained to Mr Muszynski how such a astonishing error could have been made. |