Telecom Carriers Use Deceptive Advertising 285
theodp writes "Regulatory Programs Fee. It sure sounds like a government tax. It isn't. The latest addition to T-Mobile's monthly bill is merely the latest example of telephone companies passing their own cost of doing business to customers with an array of surcharges that one might easily mistake for taxes being collected on behalf of the government. With millions of subscribers at each company, these less-than-forthright fees add billions of dollars per year in extra revenue without raising advertised rates."
Re:Isn't there some code of ethics in the US? (Score:3, Funny)
Lawsuit (Score:5, Funny)
Regulatory Consumer Disloyalty Juris Prudence Fee - $14.86
ultimate cell phone alternative no gimmicks!!! (Score:2, Funny)
Drums roll!!!!!!!
Quarters!!!!!, public phones are vailable everywhere.
Stop being a snob.
Save yourself to get beaten to death when your cell phones rings in public events restaurants,movies,concerts you name it.
Prove your geekiness making free phone calls from your public phone, still possible
and you have to stop your car to make/attend a phone call so what are you waiting for?
Re:Don't worry (Score:1, Funny)
What I Want to Know is ... (Score:5, Funny)
Let's see. If I write more than 5 checks a month, it costs me $5 per. I can pass that on to them. Oh, and don't forget the cost of the stamp. How about all the taxes I pay as a result of me making a living? Gas tax, income tax, sales tax, Social security ... I'll just deduct all that from my payment ...
What? Didn't anyone at the company notice the EULA they accepted by accepting my payment? I included it in the envelope and they accepted it by cashing the check.
Re:So who is supposed to pay for increased overhea (Score:3, Funny)
It's a tax on people who patronize businesses who built crappy enough infrastructure or business models that number portability was a problem.
In the same way, of course, that a lottery is a tax on people who are bad at math.
In other news.... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Deceptive, not illegal (Score:3, Funny)
I remember a Dilbert book that called these things "Confusopolys" - where the only way they make money is confusing the customer so much they pay for unnecesary stuff.
Scott Addams described it far better than I could. Anyone remember which dilber book this was?
Re:ultimate cell phone alternative no gimmicks!!! (Score:3, Funny)
Please deposit an additional ten cents.
Telecom companies deceptively advertise! (Score:2, Funny)
Re:What I Want to Know is ... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:New Trend In Slashdot Headlines? (Score:1, Funny)
13. Spam continues
14. Microsoft is evil
15. Check out this cool XBox mod that turns it into a toaster!
16. New worm exploits Microsoft vulnerability
In other news... (Score:3, Funny)
Water found to be wet.
Dewey beats Truman.
Re:New Trend In Slashdot Headlines? (Score:1, Funny)
18. The other people then try to be funny in their extensions
15. Check out this cool toaster mod that turns it into an XBox!
21. People on
"It's not a tax..." (Score:4, Funny)
ME: So we don't have to pay a tax on that then?
ACCOUNTANT: Right.
ME: So what's this big fee, payable to the government, that you have calculated?
ACCOUNTANT: That's not a tax. That's a levy.
Oh, it's not a tax, it's a LEVY! I feel so much better... Let me sign the check.
[Your blood pressure just went up.]
Somewhat Bemused (Score:3, Funny)
Expect NexTel to be adding two more "taxes":
1. Coercion Misdirection Levy - for ads served to people after reading an article explaining how the company jacks up profits under the guise of "taxation".
2. Geographic Locale Fee - for ads served to people they can't service (I'm in Australia).