Telephone

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.]

Young people today “text” each other (send text messages from their cellphones) and use various premium text messaging services advertised on television.

One such service invites viewers to text the word LOVE to 66466 (that five digit phone number is known as a shortcode). After doing so, the caller will receive text messages back that will “spice up your love life”, help you “discover the secrets of love”, and “how to be a great kisser.” 

When the would-be casanova gets his or her phone bill, however, they probably will only have learned how to be a great sucker.

*MOUSE PRINT:  This is actually a subscription service that costs $1 per daily message or $30 a month, and you will continue to be billed until you text “stop.”

This disclaimer actually says, adding the missing punctuation: “www.glomobi.com charged to your wireless phone bill. Text messaging fees apply. Under 16: seek permission from the bill payer and/or parental approval. Unsubscribe: txt ‘stop’ to 66466. $1 (+tax) per daily msg. $30 per month; Cingular $30 per month.”

What the commercial does not do is disclose the price orally. As Mouse Print* has mentioned before, the federal rules governing “pay per call services” [900 numbers] pre-date the advent of these type of text-based calls, and thus those price disclosure rules do not apply.

The cost of these tips might even be equal to or higher than the monthly service fee for the cellphone itself charged by the cell carrier! 

So, if you still believe that love is free, that’s fine, but just don’t text it.

 

Young viewers on VH1 and MTV have been bombarded with entertaining commercials for Amp’d Mobile, a cellphone service with entertainment features. What really catches the bargainhunter’s ear is the promise of “unlimited anytime minutes forever for only $99 a month when you sign up for Amp’d Overload.” [VH1 commercial, April 30, 2006]

It is not clear at all what Amp’d Overload is. For the uninitiated, one might conclude that it is the name of their unlimited calling plan.

*MOUSE PRINT: Amp’d Overload and Amp’d Overdose are actually the names of television streaming services offering 20 to 30 channels of programming, for an extra $15 and $20 per month. Subscription to these services is required to obtain the advertised $99 calling plan. So, the actual price of the service is $114 to $119 a month. This price information is not disclosed in the commercial.

Also unclear is the meaning of “forever” in their claim. Is the $99 rate guaranteed forever? Is their offering an unlimited minutes plan guaranteed forever? Their terms and conditions don’t say, except:

“UNLESS OTHERWISE PROHIBITED BY LAW, WE CAN ALSO CHANGE FEES AND ANY OTHER CONDITIONS IN THIS AGREEMENT AT ANY TIME BY SENDING YOU WRITTEN NOTICE PRIOR TO THE BILLING PERIOD IN WHICH THE CHANGES WOULD GO INTO EFFECT.” [Amp’d website, May 1, 2006]

To their credit, Amp’d says if any changes have a materially adverse affect on you, you can cancel your contract without termination penalties applying.