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AT&T Moves Away From 'Up To' Marketing

from the finally! dept

Mon, Sep 15th 2008 6:52pm — Mike Masnick

For years, one of our pet peeves was the use of "up to" in telco marketing -- as in, "you get speeds up to 10 Mbps!" The "up to" lets providers basically make up whatever they want, as any speed below that number is still technically covered. However, in the last few years, some have started pushing back -- even questioning whether the use of "up to" marketing was false advertising. That's why it's nice to see that AT&T, for one, appears to be moving away from the practice. Broadband Reports notes that AT&T's new terms of service seems to show the range of speeds, rather than using "up to." That seems a lot more accurate and reasonable.

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Filed Under: marketing, truth in advertising, up to

14 Comments

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Ima Fish, 15 Sep 2008 @ 6:56pm

You do realize you guys called an AT&T "terms of service" agreement "reasonable"? Are you sure, absolutely sure, you've got your facts straight on this?
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Sep 2008 @ 7:30pm

Re:
What would you consider to be not reasonable? A contract exactly the same as every other cell phone carrier? Roll over minutes? A SIM card so when you drop your phone in a puddle of water you can buy a $10 prepaid phone and slap your SIM card in it until your contract is up? What don't you like?
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Sep 2008 @ 7:54pm

Re: Re:
The use of orange, white and blue.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Sep 2008 @ 7:58pm

Re: Re: Re:
Har har, grow up.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Sep 2008 @ 8:12pm

Re: Re: Re: Re:
The question was asked, what I don't like about ATT is their color choice. It doesn't look good to me.
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PRMan, 15 Sep 2008 @ 8:29pm

Up to
Wow, Mike, did you forget about their "up to" 3 hour service calls already?
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Lawrence D'Oliveiro, 15 Sep 2008 @ 8:53pm

Did you know ...
... our advertising is 99% lie-free?
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inc, 15 Sep 2008 @ 9:22pm

I believe he was referring to that aspect being more accurate and reasonable not the ToS as a whole
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Sep 2008 @ 11:13pm

Monty Python covered this over thirty years ago
From Monty Python's Brand New Papperbok:

LLAP-GOCH!

...the Secret Welsh ART of SELF DEFENCE that requires NO INTELLIGENCE, STRENGTH or PHYSICAL courage

GO TO BED WITH *UP TO* ANY LUDICROUS NUMBER OF *GIRLS* YOU CARE TO THINK OF PROVIDING YOU REALIZE THIS STATEMENT IS QUITE MEANINGLESS AS THE PHRASE ‘UP TO’ CLEARLY INCLUDES THE NUMBER ‘NOUGHT’

A twofer - Not only that, it covers the "Bush Doctrine" also:
It is an ANCIENT Welsh ART based on a BRILLIANTLY simple I- D-E-A, which is a SECRET. The best form of DEFENCE is ATTACK (Clausewitz) and the most VITAL element of ATTACK is SURPRISE (Oscar HAMMERstein). Therefore . . . the BEST way to protect yourself AGAINST any ASSAILANT is to ATTACK him before he attacks YOU . . . Or *BETTER* . . . BEFORE the THOUGHT of doing so has EVEN OCCURRED TO HIM!!!
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Enrico Suarve, 16 Sep 2008 @ 1:58am

Re: Monty Python covered this over thirty years ago
"A twofer - Not only that, it covers the 'Bush Doctrine' also:"

Nothing covers up the Bush Doctrine like lipstick!
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Twinrova, 16 Sep 2008 @ 4:11am

Too little. Too late.
AT&T is dead to me, and hundreds of thousands like me. We've been treated poorly, had our pockets unnecessarily emptied, and received lackluster performance of the services they offered.

Anyone who deals with this company knows what I'm talking about, and those who are thinking of bedding with them should think twice, especially given their current 3G issues propped by the new Apple iPhone.

I remember a time AT&T meant something. Now, it's useless.

You can thank the United States government for this.
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Ubersurfer, 16 Sep 2008 @ 5:25am

Years ago, when I was active in broadcasting, the National Advertising Division of the Better Business Bureau had what they called an "up to" rule (perhaps they still have this).

Basically, it said that in an "up to" claim, the advertiser must also state the lower end of the range, as in "from 10 to 30 percent" or "from 5 to 10 Mbps." In many cases, this "from-to" requirement made the advertisement stronger, saying that at minimum you will receive benefit x and at maximum, benefit y. What if AT&T said "you get speeds from 8 up to 10 Mpbs?" Wouldn't you want a minimum of 8 Mbps?

Mind you, BBB rules are guidelines, not laws, and advertisers are under no legal responsibility to abide by them. Most "honest" advertisers do follow the BBB guidelines, though, as they know that the adverse publicity from not following the BBB can be detrimental to their public image and, as a result, their bottom line. (The BBB published an offenders list regularly.)
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wolf68, 16 Sep 2008 @ 9:34am

as far as AT&T having a 3 hour hold time for support. I've never waited more than 15min. except when the storms came through and towers were knocked down then everyone was calling in.
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Web Design Miami, 15 Mar 2009 @ 9:52am

AT&T Hurtiing?
There seem to be more networking websites hurting for business these days, especially in South Florida.
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