Value Added Services and Rip Offs! %$$%^*
May 9, 2008 by Jayvee Fernandez
Filed under Cell phone
Mark from Work Boxers wrote about a very sensitive topic which us mobile phone consumers have, at one time or another experienced. This has to do with value added services or VAS that come with the telco service of choice you apply for. Whether you’re on prepaid or a postpaid subscription you will have access to a milieu of services including wallpaper and ringtone downloads, news, daily jokes or Bible quotes, Mobile TV, …. the list goes on and on and on.
In short — the FCC is warning consumers of the hidden or undisclosed costs of Value Added Services that content providers are playing with:
“An FTC commissioner warned cellphone content providers they need to do a better job of disclosing the costs consumers incur when clicking or downloading services for their mobile devices.
Speaking yesterday at the start of a two-day Federal Trade Commission forum on mobile devices, the commissioner, Jonathan Leibowitz, said the FTC intends to step in to take enforcement action against deceptive or unfair content offers.” [SOURCE]
I agree with Mark. In fact, if he’s looking for RESEARCH, then check out the Philippines, the bunch of islands where I reside. We are known, worldwide to be the SMS capital of the world (2006) with our VAS and content providers being at least 5 years ahead of the United States. Yeah even though this article was published 2 years ago, it still stands that content providers here have cheapened their costs because of telco competitions.
The US telco market should best practice laissez faire, because, as someone who lives 5 years into the future, I’m telling you now that hidden and undisclosed charges will subject you to the scruples of the public. The free market will win, and mobile phones and telcos will be reduced to nothing more than a public utility – they’re all the same.
