Lock manufacturer Schlage has just begun an advertising campaign on TV promoting a new front door lock that can be unlocked remotedly.  Their commercial depicts a homeowner in Seattle unlocking a door far away for a friend just by pressing a few button on his cell phone.

*MOUSE PRINT: In case you didn’t catch that fine print disclosure on the bottom of the screen, it said:

“Monthly fee is required for the remote featured benefits. Product is simulated and requires additional third party equipment and service for proper functioning.”

A monthly fee to unlock your front door in an emergency? What will they think of next? And the cost here is key — $12.99 a month. That’s not insignificant. What’s wrong with the old-fashioned way — keeping a spare key in the flower pot — and that’s free?

As to what else you need to make this work:

– a compatible cell phone with Internet access (or remote computer);
– a Schlage Link bridge — a device that sends wireless signals to the lock
– an Internet router — you plug the bridge into the router
– a live broadband Internet connection

The lock pictured in their commercial, incidentally, is just a latch type lock. If you want a deadbolt, which provides more security for your home, it does not lock/unlock remotely as depicted in the commercial.

*MOUSE PRINT: From Schlage’s FAQ:

“For the Schlage Wireless Deadbolt, however, you can remotely activate the lock which makes it possible for the door to be unlocked by someone turning the outside thumbturn. Since door frames aren’t always aligned and a deadbolt can require more leverage to engage or disengage, the deadbolt requires manual operation.”

The starter kit that Schlage sells is $299.

T-Mobile just announced that it is delaying and rethinking its plan to charge customers a $1.50 a month fee to receive a paper bill via the US Mail. The company apparently heard the yells and screams of customers, and word that a class action lawsuit had been filed.

Here is the official announcement on the T-Mobile message board:

Paper Bill Charge T-Mobile Statement

T-Mobile is committed to encouraging customers to make the move to paperless billing. It’s a great alternative to paper and better for the environment.

Since the announcement we’ve heard everything from kudos to concerns about the move to paperless – especially from our customers who today are receiving paper bills at no charge.

So, we’ve decided to not charge our customers a paper bill fee for now. Instead, we’ll be taking more time to determine the fairest way possible to encourage people to go paperless.

Customers can still visit my.t-mobile.com to sign up for paperless billing.

We thank our customers for their patience and appreciate people letting us know how they feel about this important topic.

There is good news this week for everyone who has been annoyed by receiving prerecorded telemarketing sales calls (“robocalls”) at dinnertime, even if you are on the “do not call” list. Starting September first, an amendment to the FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule requires telemarketers to get your express written permission before they can make such calls. This even applies to people who are not on the “do not call” list.

Sounds great, right? Who is going to fill out a form, sign it, and mail it back indicating they want to get junk phone calls? Very few people. But leave it to lawmakers to be hip and allow “electronic signatures” to substitute for ones on paper under the so-called E-Sign act.

*MOUSE PRINT: What is an electronic signature?

The E–SIGN Act defines an ‘‘electronic signature’’ as ‘‘an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to or logically associated with a contract or other record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record.’’ 15 USC 7006(5). The Act further defines an ‘‘electronic record’’ as ‘‘a contract or other record created, generated, sent, communicated, received, or stored by electronic means.’’ 15 USC 7006(4).

So one might think that typing “John Doe” on a website is an electronic signature, and you would be correct. But things you would never expect to constitute a “written signature” qualify also.

*MOUSE PRINT: The following types of things would also qualify as an electronic signature, depending on the wording:

So, getting you to agree “in writing” to receive robocalls may be easier for a telemarketer to accomplish than you originally thought.

One method that would not comply with the law is to bury a statement of your agreement to receive such calls in a contract, such as in the terms and conditions of a credit card agreement. For example, last week, Chase sent some card holders a notice of change in terms, but it is not an acceptable method of gaining your written consent to receive robocalls:

*MOUSE PRINT:

“You authorize us, or anyone acting on our behalf, to call or send a text message to any number you provide or to any number where we reasonably believe we can contact you, including calls to mobile, cellular, or similar devices, and calls using automatic telephone dialing systems and/or prerecorded messages,or to send an email to any address where we reasonably believe we can contact you.”

Chase and most others, however, are allowed to call you using a prerecorded message that is informational in nature (rather than sales-oriented), such as providing a balance update or a reminder that a payment is due soon.

If you are a T-Mobile cell customer, you better check your August bill for an announcement about a costly new fee.  It will now cost you $1.50 a month for a paper “summary” bill.  And should you want a detailed paper bill, that will be $3.49 a month.

*MOUSE PRINT:

“After considering a number of factors including rising costs for paper, printing, and postage, as well as environmental impacts associated with printing paper bills, T-Mobile has started to charge customers who would like to receive a paper bill. The charge does not directly reflect our costs of printing and distributing bills. The company has provided alternative options for our customers to receive the information on their bills and continues to promote paperless billing as a “free” option (www.my.t-mobile.com or www.t-mobile.com/billingupdate)

Beginning with August bills, current T-Mobile customers will receive notification that provides them with instructions on how to “opt out” of the paper bill charge by receiving a paperless, electronic bill. If customers do not sign up for paperless billing, then those receiving “summary” paper bills will begin to see a charge of $1.50 on their bills after September 12. Customers who currently receive “detailed” paper bills will see a $1.50 charge for the paper bill, in addition to the existing $1.99 charge for detailed billing information (totaling $3.49). 

Most new customers will see a $1.50 paper bill charge on their first bill — this charge will be credited for their first month, allowing customers time to opt out if they wish to receive paperless bills free of charge.

Certain T-Mobile customers are exempt from this charge, including prepaid and government customers, among others.”  [As reported by PhoneScoop.com]

So, if you are in the habit of tossing out bill stuffers, or not reading the notices printed on your bill, you could be in for an expensive surprise unless you opt-out of paper billing and opt-in for online billing.

While other carriers like Verizon and AT&T already charge $1.99 a month for an itemized cell bill, their summary bills are apparently still free. T-Mobile appears to be the first to charge a fee for a paper bill, no matter the type.

WARNING: This blog is NOT the way to communicate with T-Mobile. It is not related to T-Mobile. If you are trying to elect the free billing option or complain about the new charges for paper bills, call the customer service number on your latest bill. Do NOT post your phone number here.

It seems innocent enough — an invitation to take an IQ test. 

They are advertised on Facebook, in Yahoo!, and on other sites.  Sometimes they even make you think that friends have already taken the test, and you are being challenged to beat them.  Other times you may get pop-ups saying that other people in your town have taken the test (they use your IP address to figure out your location).

If you click on the ad, you might be taken to a webpage that looks like this:

There are ten questions to the test, and at the end you are asked to enter your cell phone number so the results can be texted to you.  At worst, you might think that you will be charged 10 or 20 cents for receiving a text message.

What you don’t see when you take the test is a hidden footnote.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Summary terms:  This is an auto renewing subscription service that will continue until canceled anytime by texting STOP to short code 25692. Available to users over 18 for $9.99 per month charged on your wireless account or deducted from your prepaid balance for 3 alerts per week on T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Virgin Mobile USA, Cellular One, Cincinnati Bell, Centennial Wireless, U.S. Cellular, and Unicel 5 alerts per week). For $4.99 per month for 2 alerts per week on Cricket. For Mind Quiz support: text HELP to 25692, email mailto:25692@sms-helpdesk.comor call 18002357105 for automated help or call 18004166129 for a live operator. Standard messaging charges apply for Verizon Wireless, All other carriers, standard messaging and/or data rates may apply. Your phone must have text messaging capability. You must be the owner of this device or have permission from the owner. By signing up for this service and entering your personal PIN Code delivered to the cell phone number supplied by you on this website, you acknowledge that you are agreeing to thee full Terms of Use. Click here for full Terms & Conditions.

Translation: By filling in your cell number and entering your PIN number, you are agreeing to a MONTHLY $9.99 charge for who knows what.

What makes this offer so deceptive, is the manner in which the disclosure is made.  It is not merely a footnote.  It is hidden on the page.  You think you are looking at the entire IQ test screen when taking the test because of all the blank space below the test box. There is no disclosure visible.  In fact you have to scroll down beyond the blank space to find the disclaimer.  See sample (but don’t click).

Don’t fall for a scam like this.