Have you seen the Cingular commercial (“BFF JILL”) where a distraught mother gets a huge cell bill because her daughter is sending text messages to her best friend, Jill, fifty times a day?
The solution, according to Cingular, is to get “unlimited texting, just $5 more a month.”
When our trusty mouse looked on Cingular’s website, there seemed to be no unlimited text messaging plan for only $5 extra beyond the cost of a regular calling plan. How could this be?
*MOUSE PRINT:
Those tiny words at the bottom seem to say “with qualified messaging package.” In other words, it appears you not only have to buy a monthly cell calling plan, but also a monthly messaging plan, and then you have the option to pay $5 more to convert that messaging plan into an unlimited plan.
The least expensive plan gives you 200 messages for $4.99, but for $9.99 — $5 more — you get unlimited mobile to mobile text, picture and video messages.
So does that mean you can send all the text messages you want to anyone you want? One would think so, except for how Cingular defines “mobile to mobile.”
Now Cingular wireless subscribers can exchange unlimited text, picture and video messages! Instant Messages, alerts, off-network, premium messages, and messages to/from non-Cingular customers will be deducted from your Messaging Starter allowance.
Translation: That means you only get unlimited messaging to other Cingular customers. What if you want unlimited messaging to anyone? That costs $19.99.
While many people may have understood the commercial to say that unlimited messaging to anyone was only $5 a month, the truth is, it is actually four times that price.
TCBNT (Thanks Cingular, But No Thanks)
[Your comments on this advertising campaign are welcome below, but those not related to the BFF Jill ad will be deleted as this is not a message forum to bash Cingular.]
Should be no surprise, telecom companies are not known for clarity and honesty in advertising.
And I can’t stand that commercial! A kid that age shouldn’t even OWN a cell phone, never mind
act responsibly when it comes to charges on the bill. It makes the mother look like a
complete idiot for trusting this 8-year old(?) with something that teenagers can’t even manage.
I propose we start thinking here for an updated term for ‘nickeling and diming’. Because it’s not about nickels and dimes anymore. I recently bought a “$479.99” appliance, and before I knew it, I was out $615. That’s $145 in taxes, delivery fees, weekend delivery fees, and pick up fees. About as bad as the $14.99 hidden by Cingular.
Technically they didn’t say $5 more than what or unlimited to whom, so it isn’t really false advertising
but it is certainly misleading!
I thought she was 10 or 11 but I still agree with your point. I wouldn’t let a girl that age get access to
text messaging for a number of reasons!
Eh, I got my niece a prepaid cell phone when she turned 9, which proved invaluable a number of times the very first year when she got out of sports or dance events early. Last Xmas her parents upgraded her to a real cell phone on their family plan (not Cingular’s), which already had unlimited TMs. She’s 12 now, and it’s pretty much only the kids with nutty religious parents who don’t let their kids get cell phones. The kind of parents who would homeschool their kids if they could afford to. And you have to go out of your way nowadays to get a phone with no TM capability. It has a funny name and they only market it to seniors who can’t handle regular cell phones.
It’s kind of a tradeoff. On the one hand, kids get cell phones before they’re 10 now. On the other hand, their “free time” is so scheduled and hypermanaged that they’re all going to either grow up with OCD or rebel and become total slackers. TMing is like their only chance for normal socializing. The only reason it’s demonized is because, unlike whispers and giggles in the back of class or under the bleachers, there’s a record of the conversation in TMs.
This commercial is a lousy trick on the part of Cingular, especially since other commercials in the same series advertise unlimited calling to any US cell phone provider. It certainly seems to be misleading, but I will say that my niece’s parents and I both pay a good deal more than $20 for unlimited TMs on our respective family plans. It’s probably less than $20 per phone, though.
Mouseprint.org seems like it was pretty much made for this kind of post. Sorry if this comes through twice, but I got a WordPress error (actually, a blank page that Firefox tried to download as a file) when I tried to submit it the first time.
Typical AT&T advertising. They are experts at being deceptive. Bellsouth used to be a pleasure to do business with. Now with the AT&T takeover I will be looking to dump Cingular, local and long distance service and internet before they put the noose around my neck and start tightening like they did in the past.
It’s not only Cingular. Verizon, which I use, has the same setup. TM is unlimited only if it’s to other Verizon customers. Otherwise it counts against an allowance which, if you exceed, you might find it cheaper to purchase an airline ticket and visit the person to whom you’re trying to send a text message.
Raindog,
I’m no religious fanatic. If fact I don’t even believe in a higher being. The primary reason
I object to children owning cell phones, aside from them being fundamentally irresponsible,
is they never give them any time to think or reflect. All their time is, as you say,
hyper-managed, and then when they finally get a few minutes to themselves they end up yakking
on the phone.
As a child I spent countless hours thinking about and observing what was going
on around me. It taught me a lot of things about my environment, the people around me and myself.
If I had access to a cell phone, between me calling/texting out and others calling in I doubt
that I would have made the thousand little discoveries that I did.
So it always makes me sad when I see a child or young adult walking down the sidewalk
totally immersed in a conversation on the cell phone, oblivious to workings of the world around
them.
Thanks for this one! My husband and I had seen this and were considering it as he’d like to do some text messaging. We completely thought it was $5 more than the regular service plan. Well, we won’t be get text messaging any time soon now.
Personally, I’d like to see that girl and her BFF Jill [rest of comment deleted]. The
commercial is one of the most ANNOYING on TV. Cingular seems to excell in that category. It also runs
approximately every 5 seconds, bludgeoning to death all who dare watch TV. My theory. The more the marketing,
the worse the product or service
ya i know i wish i had unlimited texting i love to text i saw the commercial so i was very happy. so i go in to the cingular store down the street that has a sign in the mindow saying unlimited texting $5 a month so i go in. i asked the man in there to get the plan and hes like you need to add that to a plan and its unlimited to only cingular custmers. o.0 i was not happy i mean i wanted that package so i can text message my friends on other networks cuz there unlimited texting is cheaper. and im not paying $20 a moth more i dont have that kinda money on me T_T. my other friedns also thought the same thing from the commercial so i had to set them straight. i just dont get why texting has to cost soooo much its just a few words being sent through the air
The worst part of those facts is that ALL of the phone companies do it or something close to it so you have to educate yourself very well before buying a plan. I always hear that after contracts are over people switch to other carriers anyway. Essentially it seems like pick your poison from the selection of companies. I am guessing that regulations can’t keep up with the antics of cell phone companies.
i disagree with a lot of these phone companies and their advertising “tricks”. we need to have more government regulation to protect us from these unscrupulous profiteers.
Thank you for your due diligence in pointing out the absurdity, both subliminal and obvious, in that Cingular TV ad of a eight or ten year-old having, using and arguing with her mother over her cellphone. Besides the misinformation Cingular gives the viewer/consumer about the text messaging plan the commercial is wrong on so many other levels. First and primarily, too many commercials today are designed by these companies advertising their products and services to talk to the children in the home through their TV screen. If you are advertising something in my home that requires my consent as a parent and my money, if I decide it is appropriate for my child to have it wwhether it be text messaging or toys, then your commercial should be designed to speak to me and respect my position as parent and the adult of my household. These commercials try to get around the parents and go straight for the children as if they have the final say.
Raindog wonders why kids are not given the freedom to do what they want?
I think that Mike and Mohammed clarify that pretty well.
When advertisers bombard our household with a lot of B.S. and call it advertising, they are not respecting us as consumers. It shows that they are only in it for the money and if they can’t get the parents to dish it out, they’ll go after the innocent victims (kids) and brainwash them into becoming zombies that attack the authority of the household from within.
The amazing thing about that commercial is the the girl is arrogant about having her TM taken away and yet offers up the phone without hesitation–one victory for the authority of parents hidden inside a message of kids rights to rule a household.
And Cingular’s very deceptive message of $5 for unlimited text messaging?
As I’ve said before, I’d like Congress to pass a law that states that passes my 7-year-old rule: if a typical 7-year-old misinterprets your ad, you pay a huge fine. Would a typical 7-year-old think that $5 / month gives you unlimited TMs to anyone anywhere in the world? If so, they had better offer that.
The amazing thing about that commercial is the the girl is arrogant about having her TM taken away and yet offers up the phone without hesitation–one victory for the authority of parents hidden inside a message of kids rights to rule a household.
I like that subtle little point in that commercial I hate otherwise.
I found this article very interesting. Thanks for the information. I’ve been wondering if I should go with Cingular for some time now. They have better coverage in my state overall than my current carrier, plus all my friends and family have Cingular phones so I could take advantage of some of the deals they do have. However, with my current provider I’m still paying less for unlimited text messaging (considering the hidden charges), even with people not in my network. Besides, my house is a Cingular dead spot and that is the biggest deciding factor right there.
I just got off the phone with Cingular about their $5 unlimited texting. When I went in to sign up for this plan, the guy said well it’s really 9.99 per line. I signed up anyway. I got my bill today. It went up from 248 last month to 611 this month because of usage fees. They also charged me 29.98 each line (5) for the 9.99 per line text messaging. I’m quitting Cingular. I’ve had enough.
Sign up with Alltel. They have good coverage, good rate plans with a circle of 10 numbers that you can call or be called from with no charges to your airtime. I have 5 lines with them with 4000 min @ 150.00 per month, text on one phone, nights and weekends starting @ 7 on two phones with a bill of $213.00 per mo prox with all taxes. Verizon was 125.00 more with no circle and no weekends and nights starting at 7. Cingular is not as good in the Augusta, GA area.
ok so i am a teenager who has cingular right… but not like the girl in the
commercial
well i recently had texting taken away from me because the bill
wasn’t “exceptble” and all but i mean ive asked about unlimited
texting and they might consider
it but now that i know its NOT $5 a month, im not sure if i’ll
ever get texting back because all my friends are on different networks.
now why couldn’t it just be $5?!
oh well :[
Okay, so it doesn’t cost $20 a month. It costs $30. Just to clarify things.
That’s why I have Verizon. Much better.
that makes absolutely know since wat so ever!!!!!!!!! Here I am thinking that unlimited texting is only five dollars but really it’s twenty dollars. I even got into an argument with my mom because I was texting to much so I said why dont you get my unlimited texting for only five dollars extra monthly. Then she said that it’s twenty dollars and I was like know way then I just had to look it up my self. Boy, when I found out that it really was twenty dollars I was so upset. I cannot believe AT&T {cingular} is ripping people of like that!!!!!!!!
actually, if you see the new commercial. the “idk my bff rose” commercial, for about 15-20 dollars you get unlimited. catch up.
As a former “BellSouth” representative, who currently still uses, and sold Cingular as a one of the services you could have on your phone bill, let me start by saying… “Buyer Beware”. This is not particular of Cingular, but of any company. I didn’t agree with all of “Ma Bell’s” directives to their service reps. I wouldn’t stretch the truth for a sale, I wouldn’t blatently lie to people. But I still did a darn good job for the company while I was there. The the Board of Directors just couldn’t see where the “Truth in Advertising” would actually give them the leg up over their competition in the long run. Everyone wants immediate resultss.
It’s been two years since I quit working for Bell, but I still use their products, including Cingular, because I did my homework. Years ago, Bell brought out a service with texting using a pager called the T900, this was three years before texting became such a hot commodity. It was easier, cheaper and much more user friendly than doing so on your cell phone. But the product never took off, and it was eventually dropped from service. Then suddenly texting on cell phones became the hottest thing in communication. How dumb can this be. If you have something to say, pick up the phone and call. It’s quicker, and you get real conversation that you can’t misinterpret. Texting is not enhancing our childrens vocabulary or written skills, if anything, it is diminishing them even further. Read the comment from Brian above if you doubt my wisdom on this. He is a “perfect” example. $20 is not an arm and a leg. If you don’t believe me, check and see how much it is if you don’t have a plan. I’ve seen bills for greater than $300 just for texting in one month. And you might ask if there is a connection fee involved when you first add a service. Many companies to charge one when you make “any” change to your service. It should be disclosed to you, but you have only yourself to blame if you don’t call and dispute it. There are disclosure regulations but if you don’t hold a company to them, who is going to do it for you. The FCC can only do so much. However if you signed something that stated the disclosure at the time you signed up, you just waived your rights because you failed to read the contract. Can’t blame someone else for your ignorance. As I said “Buyer Beware”. Now, I have four cell phones on two separate plans at this time. I pay $130 for all four phones. I have unlimited useage, because I have rollover, and that rollover is in excess of 5000 minutes on both plans. It’s nation wide coverage, so no roaming. We don’t travel that often anyway. Maybe two or three times a year. Yes, I could feasibly put all four on one bill, but, it would still come to approximately the same thing. Or I could call and reduce my plans to a lower number of minutes. But, I’m not complaining. I’m happy with my service. You have to be very thorough when you investigate phone services, and see which one is going to suit your particular needs the best. Many will have contracts, and many will renew the contract if you change your plan. The most important thing is to find a service that you are happy with. If I am going to pay for a service anyway, I am going to have the one that makes me happiest, so if that means extending my contract…so what, I’m getting what I want.
I thought it meant $5 too. I was just about to get unlimited texts, but I couldn’t find anywhere that it was $5…now I know why!
Alright this may sound like a stupid question. But is “unlimited” ACTUALLY unlimited? I was told by somebody that there really is a limit of like 5,000 texts.
If anyone wants both unlimited local, and long distance at one price, go to airtel. Its only good in mt. If your planing on leaving the state, its not for you. Its around 44dollars. With that you get a charger, and a clip on, and its prepaid. There are no contracts. Only one thing is needed and thats to pay on time!! They give a five or ten day leeway!! For anyone on a budget, or those on ssi, or pension, Its the same. You must get your phone from them. The good news, is motorola is going by by, so they will have to find another provider. Now with that, you do not get all that fancy stuff, like caller ID. But mine has where I can program anyone I call into my storage bin. That way, you’ll know who’s calling. If its not programmed in, all it will do is show a number!! Now I am not saying it is the greatess, or the worst, but it suits me. Its not like having a home phone. I kinda miss that, and if thats what you want go to bresnan. There home phone is unlimited local and long distance at one price, and you can put it on as many phones as you like!! The only bad thing about that, is almost everyone wants a you to have a cell phone if you want to do anything, or get anything like contests, and etc. Now if you miss your home phone, I heard from a friend that you can get a basic phone and a line, to call in and out, but nothing else, and thats for around, or it was around 10 to thirteen dollars at that time. I know bresnan does not do that, but qwest does. I still have my home phones hooked up, as I am considering it too!! Its good if your cell phone quits working, like a low battery, or a line being adjusted, and etc. and vice versa!!good luck!!
i think that verizon is the better way to go anyway, trust me. so switch over if you already havent
Our business has their plan. We gave our teenage son a phone from our business plan. We pay the $5 a month for text messaging. The bill I just received for him has a charge of $213 for text only!!! Needless to say, I will NOT be renewing with this company when our contract is up. I have also REPLACED 5 of their phones in the first year due to poor quality.
I’m homeschooled and that has nothing to do with it I pay for my phone and texting.I think all kids should have to pay for it my phone is $10 a month plus whatever I wanna pay for texting.If you cut 1 yard a month a kid can pay for his cell phone completely plus texting and a data plan.