We've told you how mobile phone companies have been suing the annoying culprits behind the automated extended car warranty calls that plague us morning, noon and night. 

Well, in a complaint filed in an Atlanta federal court, AT&T Mobility has named a Maryland company, Volcano Leads, as one of nine responsible for millions of these calls during just a few months.

Justin Ramsey, the owner of Volcano Leads, denied the allegations when reached yesterday by business reporter Lorraine Mirabella, saying his business never owned an auto-dialer.

AT&T says the companies violated the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and hopes to prevent them from making future calls, as well as fining them $500 for each violation of the act.

See below for a copy of the complaint as well as a sampling of the numbers they were calling from --- perhaps they are among the ones you've set to silent ring tones!

Continue reading "Extended auto warranty call lawsuit names Maryland company" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 1:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cars, Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Scams, Warranties
        

Don't miss the updated caveat below the jump!

Negotiating a discount might be a little easier these days.

The Chrysler and GM dealers that are closing have until June 9 to move their stock before they lose their franchise. That means lots of great Chrysler and GM discounts abound, as CNN points out in a story sent my way by reader Chris (Harbor East).

Negotiating's worth your time for any service you subscribe to --- television, telephone, magazines and more.

Garden Variety blogger and columnist Susan Reimer just shared at least three examples of friends who called to cancel their subscriptions to a movie package on cable, XM radio and more, and ended up saving instead.

The customer service representatives were so eager to keep their business that they offered to extend them service for FREE for weeks or months on end. 

Why is this a good deal for the publications or cable company?

Continue reading "Negotiate your way to savings" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 1:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cable/Satellite/TV/Comcast/FiOS, Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Cheap/Frugal
        

Bing is Microsoft's new search engine, challenging the Google behemoth.

Bing 411 (1-800-246-4411) is another free directory assistance service like some of the ones we told you about last year.

LifeHacker took Bing 411 on a test drive and found it offered two key benefits over 1-800-Goog-411:

Continue reading "Bing 411: another option for directions, weather" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: CWSotW, Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Computers
        

Auto warranty calls irritating you? Well, Consumerist has posted the phone numbers of some car warranty callers --- information gleaned from settlement of a suit filed by Verizon Wireless. Two companies will be donating $50,000 to victims of sexual and child abuse.

If you're getting repeated calls from the same number on your cell phone, some readers suggest this advice to avoid automated calls: assign them a name in your phone address book, and a silent ring tone.

Posted by Liz Kay at 11:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cars, Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Warranties
        

Consumer advocates are asking cell phone companies to waive early termination fees for customers who lose their jobs.

The Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition is among the consumer groups that signed a letter today to AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint Nextel, the Wireless Association and Verizon.

According to the consumer groups, the termination fees can cost as much as $150 per line. So families might have to pay several hundred dollars or more if breadwinners are laid off.

“Cell phones can play a vital role in people's lives, but consumers who are in perilous financial situations should not be penalized for their efforts to trim their expenses and get their household budgets in line,” says Charles Shafer, president of the Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition in a prepared statement. “We urge the wireless industry to waive the ETF’s for those who have lost their jobs.”

So, do you think cell phone companies will budge?

Posted by Eileen Ambrose at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet
        

Auto warranty calls annoy lots of Consuming Interests readers. And in July, we told you that Verizon filed a suit against two robo-marketing call companies.

Now, AT&T Mobility has also filed suit in Georgia against those responsible, according to RCR Wireless (via Consumerist).

These calls are particularly irritating ...

Continue reading "Auto warranty calls prompt AT&T Mobility lawsuit" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 9:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Naughty businesses/NBotW
        

In 2007, the state Public Service Commission began investigating about 300 complaints filed about Verizon customer service --- that technicians missed repair appointments, leaving people without basic telephone service.

Now to clear up these Verizon customer service complaints as well as other matters, the company has negotiated a settlement agreement with the Office of the People's Counsel, which represents consumers, and commission staff.

They are offering $1 million in bill credits to customers who were left without service for more than four days as well as promising to pay penalties if they leave people hanging in the future.

Continue reading "Verizon repair woes: would $11 satisfy you? " »

Posted by Liz Kay at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Consumer protection
        

We shared some ways to cut your cell phone bill in an earlier Consumer Web Site of the Week, and reprised some of those ideas on The Sun's Riding Out the Recession page.

Here's another option for folks who are stuck in a contract and don't want to pay an early termination fee of up to $250: give your plan to someone else who agrees to take over the monthly commitment.

It's easier than you might imagine. Each cell service provider has a method of transferring responsibility for a monthly contract to a new user. And several Web sites, including Cellswapper, cellularswap.com and CellTrade USA can facilitate your foisting a plan --- and commitment --- onto other people.

You might even be able to keep your number by porting it over to a new service before switching the contract!

Why would anyone be interested in being on the receiving end of such a deal? 

Continue reading "Beat early termination fees on your cell phone contract" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: CWSotW, Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Cheap/Frugal, Technology
        

iFart jokes aside, some have asked about my impressions of the iPhone. Really now -- what more is there to know beyond having the ability to turn a $200 cutting-edge digital device into a source of juvenile humor?

Alright, if you insist, here is my experience with it in my first two days of ownership:

First off, there's so much I have not yet done with this phone. I have not yet "synched" it with my Mac desktop at home, so I can download some music from iTunes and add Address book contacts and some personal photos. I also have hardly used the actual phone part of the iPhone, so I can't really comment yet about the AT&T service in the Baltimore area.

I have, however, put the unlimited use of data/Internet to the test, and used AT&T 3G network and my own Wi-Fi hotspot network at my house. In short, the iPhone is a powerful little device. Though I hesitate to call it a "mini-computer," it sure acts like one in many ways. Regarding the AT&T 3G network, I'm finding that its speeds and capacity are satisfactory and, in some instances, have worked quite well.

For this newspaper, I cover breaking news and yesterday, I found myself driving to two different homicide scenes in Baltimore. (I took the photo above with my iPhone, while waiting at a stoplight on Greenmount Ave. in East Baltimore.) I know the city very well, but I decided to test the Maps/GPS function anyway. The 3G network allowed me to follow my route on my iPhone, without a hitch. It made me think that my $300-plus GPS unit my wife gave me as a birthday present was pretty much unnecessary now. I was able to shoot photos of crime scenes, easily email them to my editor, and check news updates very quickly.

Continue reading "My iPhone Experience: The First 48 Hours" »

Posted by Gus Sentementes at 9:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, iPhone
        

After coveting this little device for awhile, I finally jumped in yesterday and bought an 8 gigabyte iPhone, over at the AT&T store at Towson Town Center. In recent weeks, I couldn't help but notice the explosive (hehe) growth in iPhone applications that the tech-geek community has developed for this smartphone, which I really think of as a super-mini computer.

So what finally pushed me over the edge? I have to say, it was news of the iFart Mobile App. Yes, a small 99 cent program that turns a sophisticated computing device into something truly useful -- a veritable fart machine -- is what lured me in. It's been one of the hottest selling apps among thousands currently available for the iPhone. Note to Steve Jobs: fart gags sell. And farting iPhones sell, too.

Just this morning, I managed to trick a co-worker into thinking I had -- how shall I put this? --  serious gastrointestinal issues. The look on her face was priceless, as she tried hard not to laugh while I fictitiously complained about not feeling well. For a brief moment, I had reconnected with my inner 13-year-old. (Interested in an updated review of my iPhone experience, see my post on my first 48 hours with the device.)

Continue reading "iCaved: Why I finally bought an iPhone" »

Posted by Gus Sentementes at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (27)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Technology
        

We've told you before that text messages cost cellular service providers almost nothing to transmit, even though the four major providers upped the price for users from 20 cents to 40 cents each. 

Last week, the New York Times (via Gizmodo) confirmed that text messages cost even less --- in fact, pretty much nothing at all.

According to the story, text messages are sent as part of short signal bursts that have to be sent anyway: 

Continue reading "Why do text messages cost so much? " »

Posted by Liz Kay at 1:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Cheap/Frugal
        

If you had asked Santa to make the rumors of a $99 iPhone come true, I'm sorry to disappoint you.

Beginning Sunday, more than 2,500 Walmart stores will begin selling iPhones, as anticipated, but at nearly the same price point as AT&T --- $197 for an 8-gigabyte phone, and $297 for a 16-gigabyte phone. Okay, you'll get a 1 percent discount on the Jesus phone, as other bloggers have pointed out.

Either purchases, both equipped with 3G, will still require a two-year contract with AT&T. Prices for individual iPhone 3g service plans start at $70 a month.

Will stocking the iPhone at Walmart get the phone into even more American hands? 

Continue reading "Walmart to sell iPhone for basically the same price as everywhere else" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 4:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Cheap/Frugal, Technology
        

Here's a cheap trick that will save you -- and your teenagers! -- time and money.

Say you're a Gmail user who spends more time near a computer than is generally healthy. Why, then, waste thumb energy pecking out text messages to your latest love interest when you could employ all 10 fingers?

Any number, at least, in the United States. Sorry, overseas readers!

This tip will help those of us out there who have not signed up for unlimited text messaging plans. Of course, you may have known you could use e-mail to send text messages, but that requires you to know what cell phone carrier each of your contacts uses, which just isn't practical. 

UPDATE: any Google Talk users out there? Can you now text through GChat as well? 

But the bigger question is: why do text messages cost so danged much in the first place?! 

Continue reading "More Cheap Trick Thursday: send free text messages through Gmail's Chat" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 8:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Cheap/Frugal
        

The Internet is all abuzz with conflicting reports on how much Wal-Mart will be charging when it begins offering the iPhone later in December. Will it be $99 for a 4GB iPhone, as Bloomberg's analysts say, or $197 for the 8GB iPhone model (as MacRumors posted), which is just two dollars cheaper than AT&T has been charging?

And if it's 4GB, will it be one of the discontinued models that Apple stores were selling at a discount back when they rolled out the 8GB versions? 

Also up in the air is ...

Continue reading "How much will the Apple iPhone cost at Wal-Mart?" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet
        

Are you ready for some shopping? No, seriously. I'm saying you need to prepare if you're going to brave holiday shopping this week, online or off. Here are three useful tools offered by many retailer Web sites that Consumer Reports Money Adviser sats cab help you find good deals this week:

RSS Feeds- RSS, or Really Simple Syndication, allows retailers to send Web pages with news about sales and promotions directly to your PC. Wal-Mart, for example, has multiple feeds, including price rollbacks, clearance, and upcoming music and video release dates. To use feeds, you need an RSS reader. Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser has one built in. So do personal home pages like My Yahoo, My AOL, and iGoogle. They can be found at Best Buy, CircuitCity, CompUSA, Overstock.com, RadioShack, Sears, and Target.

Continue reading "Smart Holiday Shopping on the Web" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Computers, Holiday shopping, Marketing/Advertising
        

Comcast has gotten a lot of flack for its bandwidth limits, but PC World is reporting that AT&T, America's largest Internet service provider, is testing monthly broadband caps in Reno, Nev.

According to PCWorld:

Beginning this month, AT&T will restrict new customers in the affected areas based on their Internet plans. Users with the slowest speed DSL service will be limited to 20GB of bandwidth per month, while users of the fastest plan will receive a cap of 150GB a month. Any data transferred above the limit will be billed at a rate of $1 per gigabyte following a one-month grace period. Existing AT&T customers will not yet be affected but will be added into the test later this year. All existing users will automatically receive the highest cap of 150GB a month.

What does this mean for users? The story quotes published estimates that "the lower-end 20GB/month limit would allow you to download about four HD movies a month before hitting your cap. The higher-end 150GB/month limit, in comparison, would allow for approximately 30 HD movie downloads, while a middle-of-the-road limit such as a 60GB/month scenario would provide bandwidth for 12 such streams."

Continue reading "AT&T Tests Data Caps" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Computers, Technology
        

We have been hammering on pay TV prices lately and it seems there's good reason for it because we're not the only ones wondering why prices keep climbing. 

Remember when analog cable customers complained about losing Washington channels that were being moved to digital, and then complained again to the blog here and here about paying more for less? There was a lot of confusion about whether Comcast's channel moves had something to do with the fed's digital TV push coming this February (Comcast says there's no connection). But what readers weren't confused about was feeling angry about how Comcast said that analog subscribers won't have to pay more to upgrade to digital, except that you need a box for each TV you have and each box will cost you about $3.95 each per month.

Then, we had a full-on gripe session about Comcast's announcement that your cable rates were going up starting Nov. 1. At the time, we asked if consumers living in areas that offered competition saw better rates and many of you said no. Well, now, guess who else is wondering why pay TV prices keeping going up and up? That's right, the Federal Communications Commission. Check out the Associated Press story that just moved a couple hours ago:

Continue reading "FCC To Probe Rising Cable Prices" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 6:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Cable/Satellite/TV/Comcast/FiOS, Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Consumer protection, Naughty businesses/NBotW, Technology
        

 During all that cable talk these last couple weeks, Reader Sean asked a question about the competition:

Does anyone know if Fios will be available in Harford County anytime soon?

We just got an answer for you Sean and any other Harford Countians out there. Verizon spokesman Sandra Arnette says:

Unfortunately, I can't provide a specific timeframe when Verizon will offer our FiOS services in Abingdon.  But, we are in the process of negotiating a franchise agreement with Harford County government.  

Earlier last month, Verizon won unanimous approval from the Town of Bel Air Commissioners to offer FiOS TV to Bel Air residents.

Continue reading "Verizon FiOS Offered to Bel Air & Annapolis Residents" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 1:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Cable/Satellite/TV/Comcast/FiOS, Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Digital television
        

 I had two questions on my mind this week as Gus and I were covering XOHM Sprint Nextel's WiMAX launch at the Bond Street Wharf in Fells Point on Wednesday.

The first question was something that had our friend, Mario Armstrong, that digital dynamo who hosts tech shows on NPR and WYPR, scratching his head. And the second question is something my work spouse and resident tech guru, Gus, has been trying to find the answer for since we heard about WiMAX, which is like one big "hotspot" for wireless Internet connectivity.

Now, we realize the actual XOHM WiMAX launch happened on Sept. 29. But c'mon. The official launch on Wednesday was quite a big to-do. Filled with lots of top executives from Sprint, Nokia, Intel, Samsung and the like. They rented a $1.6 million house, water taxis, Kali's Court and more to show off their baby. It was a big event that attracted press from across the country. Lots of ubertechgeek eyeballs all trained on our great, big little city, Baltimore.

And yet --- Mario, please correct me if I am wrong since I didn't have time to hang around after the press conference -- I didn't spot a single high level politician anywhere in sight to support the event. Odd? Methinks so.

Continue reading "WiMAX Watch: Wherefore Art Thou, Apple?" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Computers, Technology, WiMAX Watch
        

In a recent interview, I posed some questions to Barry West, Sprint Nextel's chief technology officer (and head of their mobile wireless broadband network called XOHM about how their new network will handle heavy-duty Internet applications. As an example, we talked about how Skype , a popular free/cheap Internet-based telephone application would work on their new WiMAX network, which launched in Baltimore on Monday. (ed note: again, a la Gus -- DD)

Imagine having a little smart phone that you don't have to buy a cell phone plan for -- and you can just use Skype? What would that mean for Sprint's new XOHM network? Could it handle all that voice and video traffic? (You can do video chats via Skype, too.)

So West talked a little about how Sprint will manage high-bandwith users, and how the network they've built will emphasize dedicating their resources to making sure that video and audio is transmitted clearly. But, there's a little catch. If high-bandwith users (i.e. Skype, the company) want their applications to run super-smooth, they might need to pay Sprint a little bit more money to guarantee limited interruptions. Of course, many companies will end up passing such costs on down to the consumer.

Continue reading "WiMAX Watch: Listen to Sprint CTO talk about high-bandwidth users" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Computers, Technology, WiMAX Watch
        

I've been secretly hoping Gus, my work spouse and new media tech whiz, would share his vast knowledge with the blog gang (because, really, I can't get him to stop telling me stuff at work). But, I've never outright asked him to do it formally for Consuming Interests because he's a busy, busy man.

And yet, all that psychic nudging must have worked because all on his own, Gus volunteered to head up WiMax Watch, a new category we're launching today to tell you about the very cool new thing that Sprint is doing right here in our cool little city.

I'm stoked about WiMax Watch so here's hoping you will be, too. I'm turning this post over to Gus now:

Tech geeks from all over the world will be focused next week on Baltimore, where Sprint is expected to announce the debut of their new wireless broadband network by Tuesday.

That's right, folks: It seems Baltimore's first in line for the roll-out of Sprint's XOHM network. Not New York City. Not Chicago. Not San Francisco. Good ol' Charm City will be the one to kick the tires of Sprint's new "fourth generation" (4G) wireless broadband network, which the company says is built specifically for heavy-duty wireless Web surfing.

Continue reading "WiMax Watch: Just Days Away From Citywide Hotspot" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Technology, WiMAX Watch
        

OK. So I forgot to tell you yesterday that the Google's T-Mobile G1 phone launched.

It costs $179.

For that price, service contract not included, the NYTime's says you get a "large color touch screen that slides out to expose a full keyboard, as well as a 3-megapixel camera. The phone’s software provides an Internet browser and easy access to many of Google’s services, including search, Gmail and YouTube. Although several applications come preloaded on the phone, the G1 is also designed to encourage third-party developers to create programs to run on it."

It will be available here in the U.S. on Oct. 22.

Continue reading "Anyone excited by the Google phone launch?" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 2:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Technology
        

Read my Consuming Interests column on Sunday to find out how a complaint about a cell phone led us to discover a Bermuda Triangle of Lost Calls right here in Maryland.

A perfect teaser to end a wacky week, yes?

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 3:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (27)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Complaints, Watchdog
        

A Senate Democrat is calling on the nation's top four cellular service providers explain rising text messaging rates, up from 10 cents a message to more than 20 cents, according to the Associated Press.

The story states that Wisconsin Democrat Herb Kohl, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told Verizon Wireless, AT&T Inc., Sprint Nextel Corp. and T-Mobile in a letter Tuesday

"... that he is concerned that rising text messaging rates reflect decreasing competition in the wireless business."

This increase, he said, "does not appear to be justified by rising costs in delivering text messages," which are small data files that are inexpensive for carriers to transmit.

Kohl said he is particularly concerned that all four of the companies appear to have adopted identical price increases at nearly the same time. "This conduct is hardly consistent with the vigorous price competition we hope to see in a competitive marketplace," he wrote.

That's the rub when it comes to the price increases:

Continue reading "Senator investigating text message charges" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 10:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet
        

Sometimes it amazes me that we leave the house at all what with all the people out there trying to trick us, scam us, and steal from us. Once you get wise to them -- stop clicking on links in e-mails you aren't familiar with -- they find a new way to mess with you.

Good Consumer (and awfully nice colleague) Justine alerted us to a scam she just avoided:

I just got a call on my cell phone from an automated voice saying my card from a bank in Lancaster had been suspended. (I used to live there, though I do not have any accounts there now, nor at the bank they said it was.) The number appearing on my phone was from somewhere in Florida (305-666-3333). I called the number I was instructed to (which was out of Pennsylvania, 717-431-0764) to see what they'd say, and it was a wholly automated system asking for the card number, the expiration date and the PIN. That automatron did not repeat the name of the bank where my card was apparently suspended.

Of course, this is plenty of information to link my name with a credit card number to make fradulent charges. I hope nobody's given correct information to this scam.

Continue reading "Scam Alert: Robo Identity Thieves" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Identity theft, Scams
        

The Associated Press reported this week that the government is banning phone calls of pre-recorded sales messages unless consumers agreed to receive those calls.

Now, we've told you before how annoying those extended warranty robo-telemarketing threats are, and how Verizon and some Attorneys General are suing those annoying extended warranty telemarketing companies, but how happy are you that the Feds have listened to the barrage of complaints they received about these pests?

The Federal Trade Commission says that by December, all pre-recorded calls must provide an opt-out selection to make it easy for consumers to stop getting those calls. Effective Sept. 1, sellers and telemarketers may place pre-recorded calls only to consumers who have provided signed and written agreements to receive them.

Hallelujah.

The rules won't affect informational pre-recorded messages, which might notify you of appointments or cancellations or things of that nature as long as they're not trying to sell goods or services.

Continue reading "Feds ban super annoying pre-recorded calls" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 6:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Complaints, Marketing/Advertising, Naughty businesses/NBotW
        

I know naughty business postings usually run on Tuesdays, but this one warrants a post don't you think? Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger's son is being sued by the Pennsylvania Attorney General for allegedly violating the Do Not Call law.

The Penn AG accuses CA "Cory" Ruppersberger's company of making more than 500,000 illegal mortgage solicitations by phone between 2005 and 2007.

The Congressman from Baltimore County, who voted to authorize the federal law, says he has no involvement with his son's business and the Penn AG's Office agreed since they did investigate to make sure there was no affiliation.

Continue reading "Ruppersberger's son violates Do Not Call law Dad helped pass?" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 2:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Complaints, Naughty businesses/NBotW
        

A California judge has issued a tentative ruling ordering Sprint to repay $18.3 million to customers who sued over early termination fees, as well as credit an additional $54.8 million to those who were charged but did not pay the fees, according to the Associated Press.

The ruling comes weeks after Verizon settled a similar class action lawsuit with consumers who had been burned by the fees charged for canceling a contract early.

As these lawsuits were underway, three of the four major providers have established gradually decreasing early termination fees --- Sprint promises to get theirs together by the end of this year.

Still no word yet, however, from the FCC on regulation of early termination fees. Spokesmen for the four major carriers have said that federal regulation would be preferable to a patchwork of rules among the 50 states. But consumer advocates such as those at HearUsNow.org, a project of the Consumers Union, worried that such regulation would limit the ability of states to protect consumers.

(photo: JB Reed/Bloomberg News) 

Continue reading "Sprint Nextel may repay customers for early termination fees" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 2:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet
        

Now I can barely walk and chew gum at the same time so I'm kind of fascinated by the recent news that the American College of Emergency Physicians is worried about a dangerous rise in injuries and deaths related to sending text messages at inappropriate times, such as while walking, driving, biking and rollerblading.

“It’s tragic,” said Linda Lawrence, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), who noted that her colleagues across the country are anecdotally reporting cases, “among teens and young adults, in particular, who are arriving in emergency departments with serious and sometimes fatal injuries because they were not paying attention while texting.”

“We see this every day, since we are [in] downtown Chicago, with lots of people walking around,” said James Adams, professor and chair of the department of emergency medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University. “People are texting and they trip and fall on their faces – usually people in their 20s. We see a lot of face, chin, mouth [and] eye injuries from falls.”

Even worse, they said, are injuries resulting from texting and colliding with bikers, rollerbladers and others.

Now before you laugh at the image of people falling while texting (I know. It made me giggle a little, too.), the emergency docs said that the injuries can be deadly.

Continue reading "Text messaging is hazardous to your health :)" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 2:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Consumer safety, Technology
        

When I'm confronted by a problem I don't always know how to solve myself, I always try to find someone with more knowledge, power or leverage to assist me when I want to Get-R-Done, a handy phrase coined by that lovable Larry the Cable Guy.

In the case where I was getting annoying telemarketing calls about extended auto warranty offers on my cell phone, out of curiosity, I contacted my provider and asked them if they received a lot of complaints from their customers about these calls.

What Verizon's Leigh Schachter told me, warmed my heart.

Turns out, these auto warranty calls annoy A LOT of Verizon Wireless customers, which in turn, annoys Verizon Wireless a great deal, too, said Schachter in a phone interview with me yesterday. Schachter is assistant general counsel for ligitation for Verizon.

How annoyed is Verizon? Annoyed enough to file suit in state and federal court to stop these shenanigans.

Continue reading "Verizon hates annoying auto warranty calls, too: Part Two" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 12:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Complaints, Consumer protection, Marketing/Advertising, Warranties
        

I was so glad to hear I'm not the only one annoyed by pesky extended auto warranty offers in my mail, my home phone and cell phone. After the column ran, my colleagues here in the office were quick to send me the numbers annoying them, too.

Marvelous Marcia over on the Metro Desk received several. She's been taking down numbers:

562-288-7125

517-931-2516 (not warranty, but low cost healthcare)

866-788-9833

The great and wonderful Real Estate Wonk-esse herself, Jamie, sent me this number: 402-562-8737. "Please don't make the mistake of driving without a warranty," the recorded voice urged.

Steve from North East said he got rid of one company, but now he's getting a number from outside of the country: 011-50622377029 Costa Rica!!!

Continue reading "Lots of people hate extended auto warranty calls, Part One" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (44)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Complaints, Consumer protection, Marketing/Advertising, Naughty businesses/NBotW, Warranties
        

In today's Q&A on a complaint about T-Mobile's payment policy, reader Patricia Hall was told she needed a Social Security Number and driver's license to pay her daughter's cell phone bill.

When Hall asked why, she was told something about an FCC law, but couldn't get a clear answer from T-Mobile. So I tried and received a muddled response from some unnamed person at T-Mobile USA Public Relations. Since I couldn't get T-Mobile to respond, I contacted other cellular companies to try to make sense of what Hall encountered.

Well, someone higher up at T-Mobile noticed the less-than-stellar response we received and contacted me this morning to offer help should we receive complaints about T-Mobile in the future.

Sounds like Hall received bad info from the Marley Station T-Mobile store. Here's the proper policy, according to Graham Crow, account director Waggener Edstrom, the PR firm for T-Mobile, who also apologized for the person who didn't answer the question more clearly the first time:

It turns out the information provided at the store was simply a misunderstanding of T-Mobile's policy. We have reached out to the store to correct that.

Continue reading "T-Mobile responds to payment policy complaint" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 3:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Complaints
        

Here's one for the "D'Oh!" file.

CNet.com reported that for the second time, AT&T mistakenly published a notice on its Web site telling Apple iPhone users that they would get free Wi-Fi access to the wireless carrier's 17,000-plus hotspots around the country.

Once tech bloggers picked up on it Friday morning (after it was discovered that a notice had been posted on AT&T's Web site and stayed up there til about 8:30 a.m.), the notice was removed by 9:30 a.m., CNet reported. The notice said:

"AT&T knows Wi-Fi is hot, and free Wi-Fi even hotter, which is why we are proud to offer iPhone customers free access to the nation's largest Wi-Fi hot-spot network with more than 17,000 hot spots, including Starbucks. Now users can relax and access music, e-mail, and Web browsing services with their favorite blend in hand from the comfort of their favorite location."

 Turns out, it's not true, though. AT&T posted it by mistake.

Continue reading "AT&T teases iPhone customers again" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Naughty businesses/NBotW, Technology
        

Dan Thanh alluded earlier to the fact that Comcast monitors the Internet, looking for disgruntled customers.

The Sun ran an Associated Press story in its business section a few months ago about the phenomenon, which the Boston Globe reprised last week in an article about companies using Twitter to keep tabs on what customers say about them --- particularly those who have technical difficulties.

Twitter defines itself as a quick way to tell lots of people what you are doing, at any given moment. You can either log onto the site to send a message, or a "tweet," or text- or instant-message it into the system.

So how do you use Twitter to contact Comcast? 

Continue reading "Got a Comcast complaint? Try Twitter" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 1:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Cable/Satellite/TV/Comcast/FiOS, Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Computers, Technology
        

Right on the heels of my Sunday column on those pesky extended auto warranty calls people all over the country have been receiving on their home phones, work phones, cell phones and mailings, the Office of the Attorney General issued a warning on them today.

The OAG says to be "wary of a marketing campaign attempting to sell extended auto warranties that is targeting countless citizens nationwide on their cellular phones and landlines, as well as through postcards, letters and emails. The marketers offer to sell expensive extended warranties, and often 'phish' for personal information about the consumer.

Just hang up if you're getting unwanted telemarketing calls, the OAG says. Beware of extended warranty offers.

Continue reading "Maryland Attorney General says BEWARE extended car warranty offers" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 5:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Complaints, Consumer protection
        

There's trouble afoot in the wonderful land of Apple, dear readers.

In a chat I had with PC Magazine Editor in Chief Lance Ulanoff, he said that they've heard word on the street that activations for the iPhone are slow, taking 45 minutes in some cases.

Could that be due to the long lines of people looking to buy one or could it be some technical glitches?

Fellow blogger and Fabu Guru of Dating Maryann , confirmed that there are some problems for activation, and shared her own experience today with upgrading her iPhone:

Continue reading "iPhone 3G drama" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 1:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Technology
        

OK OK OK, I know the Apple iPhone 3G hits stores today. You'd have to be living under a rock not to know, right?

I don't own an iPhone. I'm not sure I want to own an iPhone, especially since I'm pretty happy with my cell phone provider right now (and it's not AT&T). But I do know those of you out there who want to rush out and buy one of these pretty babies are wondering if it's worth the $200 to $600 for the actual handset and then another $70 or so for the monthly service fee.

Well, since I don't own one and I'm not planning on owning one, I thought you might want to hear what some reviewers thought of the iPhone 3G:

(By the way, those are people camped outside New York waiting to buy the 3G.)

Continue reading "Apple iPhone 3G, should you buy it?" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Technology
        

I have no experience with Virgin. I've never tried Virgin. I don't know of anyone, personally, who uses Virgin. (heck, I don't even like virgin daquiris or daquiris for that matter... but I digress)

I thought I'd put this offer out there for those of you looking for cell phone deals. Everyone out there has an unlimited plan offer out there, it seems. Now Virgin's throwing its hat into the ring, too.

 Virgin Mobile USA will unveil its new "Totally Unlimited" calling plan for $79.99 on July 1, the lowest priced and first unlimited nationwide calling plan without roaming charges or an annual contract that can be purchased by cash or credit. Bob Stohrer, chief marketing officer of Virgin Mobile USA, said, "It is simply not necessary to sign a two-year contract to get real worth with your wireless plan. This offer surpasses the regional carriers unlimited calling plans as well, as most addd on roaming charges that can cost customers as much as 79 cents per minute."

Continue reading "Virgin Mobile's "totally unlimited" deal" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Budgeting, Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Cheap/Frugal
        

Tamara Granger feels like the belle of the ball now.

Do you remember Granger? I wrote about the 38-year-old account executive in Sunday's paper when AT&T sent her a Dear John letter, asking her to please take her business elsewhere.

To paraphrase the letter, AT&T basically told her: It's not you. It's not me. It's no one's fault. These things happen. Our relationship just isn't working anymore. We think you should move on. You'll find a better relationship with someone else. Call us if you need closure.

Needless to say, after five relatively good years together, Granger felt snubbed and unloved. Unloved, that is, until Verizon started wooing her this week.

Continue reading "Verizon woos customer spurned by AT&T" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 11:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet
        

This week's Cheap Trick Thursday will be inspired by Kevin Martin, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.

Martin recently lead a hearing on the early termination fees charged by mobile phone service providers and made some remarks that really deserve some applause.

According to his prepared statement, Martin noted in his remarks that cell phone early termination fees, which can range from $150 to $225, are "a significant sum for a subscriber to pay who is dissatisfied with the quality of service. In practice, it can lock people into a service they really want to leave."

"I believe early termination fees can be a legitimate means of recovering legitimate costs," he said. "But they shouldn’t be abused."

Here's more:

"The hallmark of a free market is the ability of consumers to choose from a variety of services and service providers.  I am concerned that early termination fees are being used not as a means of recovering legitimate costs but as a means of locking consumers into a service provider.  Early termination fees shouldn’t function as a hindrance to consumers’ ability to choose, or switch to, the service or provider they want."

Right now there are a bunch of class action lawsuits on early termination fees on the state level but the chairman said not all consumers benefit from class action suits and developing 50 different sets of regulations isn't good for consumers or for business.

Martin proposed five changes to the current system that make my heart go aflutter:

Continue reading "Cheap Trick: send us your cell phone saving tips" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 9:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Cheap/Frugal, Technology
        

The Hispanic Institute applauded the Federal Trade Commission's recent move to halt sales of fraudulent phone cards distributed by several major calling card companies.

THI President Gus West says, "Hispanics have been an unwitting target for unscrupulous calling-card firms. We at the Hispanic Institute applaud the FTC for acting on behalf of consumers and call on other leaders to do so as well."

Defendents in the case are: Alternatel, Inc.; G.F.G. Enterprises, LLC, also d/b/a Mystic Prepaid; Voice Prepaid, Inc.; Voice Distributors, Inc.; Telecom Express, Inc.; and their principals.

The FTC said the companies marketed their prepaid calling cards through small retailers such as newsstands, kiosks, grocery and convenience stores, and over the Internet. The cards, which sell for between $2 and $10, are marketed under a wide variety of names, including “Aló Mamá,” “Coffee Time,” “Rey de Florida,” “Tree Monkey,” and “Voz do Brasil.”

Continue reading "Avoid these Prepaid Calling Cards, FTC says" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Consumer protection, Naughty businesses/NBotW
        

Don't wait until it's too late to take precautions to safeguard your computers and other electronic items from storm damage.

After the tornado watch and other foul weather yesterday, Tech Whiz Mike Himowitz has a very timely story today about protecting against power surges and other potential power mishaps.

According to him, you don't need to spend much to insure your hardware --- and the precious data stored within --- stays functioning through many a surge caused by weather or even the cycling of appliances within your home.

Surge protectors start at $8 and go way up from there, but just make sure you look for a few basic characteristics before you invest: 

Continue reading "Storm-proof your electronics" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 3:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cable/Satellite/TV/Comcast/FiOS, Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Cheap/Frugal, Computers, Consumer safety, Technology
        

Tuesday's column focused on the spread of Voice over Internet Protocol phone service, or VoIP as its better known, and the concerns behind relying on a telephone that you might not work when the power goes out or when your Internet service is interrupted.

While the popularity of VoIP has grown, I'm not altogether sure that consumers are aware of the possible drawbacks to using an Internet phone, which the column pointed out that calling emergency services can be problematic. Please remember that if you move your VoIP service, you must change your billing address AND your emergency address with your provider or your 911 call could get directed to the wrong emergency calling center.

Since I haven't tried to sign on for this service myself, I was really interested to hear from Frank Bonomo who told me about what he discovered when he jumped at a triple play offer:

Continue reading "Voice over Internet phone concerns" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cable/Satellite/TV/Comcast/FiOS, Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Consumer protection, Consumer safety, Energy/Utilities
        

It can be very very difficult to compare cell phone plans. The process grows more complicated when you're trying to decide between handsets that are only supported by one provider (iPhone, anyone?).

You could analyze your usage to determine what time of the day you make the most calls as well as what day of the week. You could plot which numbers you call the most frequently --- and for the longest period of time --- to try to ensure you stay in the same network as those folks.

And then you could make the same calculations for your text messages. 

Or, you could let billshrink.com do it for you --- if you don't mind giving up your cell phone number and password, that is.  

Continue reading "Shrink your cell phone bill?" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 2:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet
        

The Federal Trade Commission claims that CTA, a major distributor of prepaid phone calls, misrepresents the number of calling minutes and charges hidden fees. The federal agency recently asked a U.S. District Court judge in New Jersey to halt these practices pending a trial.

The New Jersey-based company, which does business as Clifton Telecard Alliance, hasn't responded yet to requests for comment. We'll post their response as soon as we get it.

Regardless of the merits of the FTC's case, this is a reminder to make sure you understand the terms of phone cards, even if it is in the fine print.

In this case, the FTC says it bought 46 CTA cards in stores and none of them provided the calling minutes as advertised. For example, the FTC says, a card that promised 40 minutes calling time to El Salvador cut off at 27 minutes; and a 30 minute calling card to Egypt cut off around 10 minutes.

The cards sell in denominations of $2 to $20, typically to immigrants wanting an inexpensive way to call relatives in other countries, the FTC says. The cards are sold under various brand names and often sold at gas stations, grocery stores and newsstands. 

Continue reading "FTC: Talk fast with these phone cards" »

Posted by Eileen Ambrose at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet
        

This morning as I was driving on Falls Road, a woman in a minivan was riding up on my back bumper close enough that I thought she was about to climb right into my passenger seat. Of course, when I looked at her more closely (gosh, I probably could have whispered in her ear she was so close), she was yapping away on her phone.

It almost made me fully support the measure trying to ban cell phone use while driving.

But then I rememberd that Jonathan Adkins from the Governor's Highway Safety Association e-mailed and said, "These bans are popular with the public, but have little impact on safety. If your readers need a resource as to which states ban cell phones while driving, our website is current."

http://ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html

When I mentioned banning texting, he responded by saying: "We don't support the ban on texting either. Very difficult to enforce. That said, it's common sense that drivers shouldn't be texting and driving."

Ah. But see? He makes such a good point. I think he's convinced me. We shouldn't have to legislate common sense, but we sure do try don't we? (cough cough... trans fats anyone?).

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 6:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Cars, Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Consumer safety
        

The issue has come before the General Assembly before and failed to pass. My colleague Tim reported yesterday that legislation to ban using a cell phone while driving once again ran into a bump in the road. Members of the  House Environmental Matters Committee raised skepticism about the bill that already cleared the Senate last week.

If passed, the measure would outlaw talking on a hand-held cell phone or text-messaging while driving. It would still allow, however, hands-free devices and speakerphones. Also, if you are penalized $50 for a first-time offense, you can have that waived if you purchase hands-free gear.

Will it pass? It's hard to say since it's got plenty of support and opposition. Keep in mind that other legislation introduced this year that would have banned text-messaging or forbidden school bus drivers from using cell phones has died in committee.

Depending on which side you support, there have been a lot of studies on the subject. Check out this Insurance Information Institute fact sheet. Some say banning talking while driving is good. Some challenge the theory that hands-free cell use is safer. Some found that drivers were far less distracted by cell phones than by other common activities like reaching for items on the seat or glove compartment or even just talking to other passengers. 

Continue reading "Texting and talking while driving: Yay or Nay?" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 5:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cars, Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Consumer protection, Consumer safety
        

... according to Consumer Reports.

Bloggers there say that the Kansas-based Sprint Nextel's offer of unlimited text/picture/video messaging, mobile Internet and push-to-talk service for $99.99 per month is the best deal, compared to unlimited plans now offered by Verizon Wireless and AT&T.

Those companies charge more for plans that also include unlimited messaging and Internet access. Sprint also offers a discount of $5 for each additional line --- $5 off the first, $10 off the second and so on.

A number of Consuming Interests readers have said that switching to Sprint wasn't worth it ...

Continue reading "Sprint's unlimited plan the best?" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet
        

How much would you pay for unlimited wireless minutes?

If you're smart, you'll wait for that answer. As you might already know, Verizon Wireless just announced that it's offering a flat-rate calling plan for unlimited wireless minutes. For $99, you get unlimited minutes, no domestic roaming or long distance charges and mobile Web 2.0. (This doesn't include surcharges, taxes and fees, or activation fees)

 
Then AT&T countered by announcing that it would offer it's own unlimited minutes calling plan starting Friday.

Those moves could likely force Sprint to offer a competitive plan to fight against the two bigger giants, the wire story says.

 
What's that mean for you, the consumer?

Continue reading "Do we smell a wireless pricing war in the air?" »

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 8:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Shopping