Customer Discovers T-Mobile's 'Unlimited' SMS Plan Not So Unlimited Thanks To $26,000 Bill
from the well-that-clears-that-up dept
It's getting rather ridiculous to keep seeing companies offer "unlimited" services, only to later find out that they're not unlimited at all. Yakko Warner points out that this just happened to one guy in Pennsylvania, who along with a friend, tried to beat the world record for most text messages in a month (182,000) by messaging each other back and forth. They figured they were fine, because they each had unlimited text messaging plans, but after one of them sent 140,000 messages, he received a bill for $26,000 and learned that, for T-Mobile, "unlimited" actually means 100,000, and those additional 40,000 messages cost quite a pretty penny. To T-Mobile's credit, the company has agreed to let the charge slide, but it makes you wonder why it has that cap in the first place if it's advertising the service as unlimited (and then ignoring the cap when people pass it). Why not actually remove the limit?Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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And I was just trying to draw a humorous parralel between unlimited not being unlimited and democracy not being democracy. I think I'll give myself a FAIL and move on :)
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Re: Re: Re: In related news...
Let me polish up up that "FAIL" for ya before you go. :P
(I keed, I keed.)
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Consumer Fraud
But since this is allowed I'll sell you an unlimited cell phone plan for voice, text, and data for just $5. I'll make all of my money charging you $1 per minute over the unlimited cap of 1 minute, $2 for each text after your second, and $10 foer each and every bit after your first 5
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Blown out of proportion
The system had a "limit" of 100000, before charging customers per text. this is probably a vestige from when there was no unlimited plan. T-mobile probably assumed no one really would go over 100000 texts in a months, so they thought they were safe. Customers can send all the texts they want, and very little has to be done to have the billing system support the users.
This was done because it was a much simpler (ie cost effective) solution than upgrading the software to allow for unlimited. They just put in a cap similar to the other plans, but made it so high that any normal usage wouldn't trigger the overages.
Now these two guys come along, and blow past the number. After getting a surprising bill and contacting t-mobile, they admit our bad, it's how we set up our system, and your account will be credited. Now t-mobile has to go back and update the billing system, or set the new limit to even more ridiculous number (like 10 billion).
This is not the same as the data plans that were offered as unlimited, but really had heavy restrictions.
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Re: Blown out of proportion
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Re: Re: Blown out of proportion
There were times, back when we used modems, when I would leave my second line connected for days. No doubt these days that would be a violation of my terms for service because even though I had "unlimited" use of the phone, it wasn't really unlimited.
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Re: Re: Blown out of proportion
What disappoints me about the event outlined in the original article (linked in the above) is that T-Mobile chewed him out for abuse. What a better story this would have been for T-Mobile had they congratulated him for the attempt and stirred up buzz. Idiots!
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Re: Blown out of proportion
Seems like tempest in a teapot to me. Can we talk about the ways that cell phone companies are genuinely dishonest instead of getting worked up over what looks like a technical snafu that they cheerfully fixed?
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Re: Re: Blown out of proportion
That is, you pay for a certain number of minutes, but if you don't use them, you're still charged the same. But if you go over that amount you get charged more.
This is a very dispicable practice. Contrast with the much more honest electric/gas model of "pay for what you use".
But since all the US carriers do it, you can't simply choose one with a less abusive business model.
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Re: Blown out of proportion
OK, so much for stating the obvious.
this is probably a vestige from when there was no unlimited plan. T-mobile probably assumed no one really would go over 100000 texts in a months, so they thought they were safe.
Do you have a source for that or are you just making stuff up in a lame attempt to be an apologist for T-mobile?
And it still didn't keep them from trying to collect, did it?
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Re: Re: Blown out of proportion
I'm not being an apologist, just a realist. If T-mobile was trying to collect the money for going over the limit on the unlimited plan, then I would be the first to say False Advertising, and sue, and be fined by the FTC, among others.
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Re: Re: Re: Blown out of proportion
OK, so you're basically just making crap up.
I'm not being an apologist, just a realist.
Bull. Do you own stock, or what?
If T-mobile was trying to collect the money for going over the limit on the unlimited plan, then I would be the first to say False Advertising, and sue, and be fined by the FTC, among others.
Obviously not. More bull. T-mobile did attempt to collect. Yet, you're still apologizing for them.
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Re: Blown out of proportion
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Re:
Still a programming error. How many messages do YOU send in a month?
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There should be some sort policy in place that if a bill runs up to a certain about (e.g. twice the user's monthly bill) then the user gets a courtesy call.
The idea that you can accidentally leave an iphone on "auto update" or overuse an unlimited service and get a bill over $1000 is absurd.
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Re: Blown out of proportion
T-mobile did the right thing here, but that's not a story is it? So we have to create outrage by emphasizing the fact that 2 guys got a bill for $26,000. Oh noes! A billing error! The end of freedom and consumer rights!
Oh, but we mentioned that they didn't have to pay (after a paragraph about how ridiculous it is), and didn't have to even fight it, so we're not biased. We're not a hype machine like the rest of the media. Seriously Techdirt, apply your usually spot on criticism of the media to yourself.
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Re: Re: Blown out of proportion
A technical glitch would result in charges dropped with an apology. This guy got read the Riot Act, instead.
T-Mobile deserves to have their nose rubbed in it.
Robb
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Re: Re: Blown out of proportion
A technical glitch would result in charges dropped with an apology. This guy got read the Riot Act, instead.
T-Mobile deserves to have their nose rubbed in it.
Robb
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Re: Re: Blown out of proportion
Besides, using a 6 digit number instead of 5 is so simple that it wouldn't even take a minute much less hours or days as you mention.
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Pepsi's advertising department will be disappointed in your comment:
Pepsi Harrier Jet lawsuit
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LOL.
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Re: Re: Blown out of proportion
Oh really? What's your inside source on this case?
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That's a lot of messages
If we assume that they could be awake and "textable" for 16-hours each day (8 hours for sleeping, bathing, etc), then they'd need to text 367 messages per hour. That's 6.1/minute, or about one message every 9 seconds. Wow.
Un. Freaking. Believable. Some people truly need to get out more.
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Re: That's a lot of messages
Maybe, maybe not. These guys are those guys you see talking to one person and texting another at the same time without a break in thought.
Some people just have multi-threading capabilities.
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Re: That's a lot of messages
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100K/Mo. effectively unlimited IMHO
@John Doe: Yeah, that is the most plausible explanation I can think of. IT legacy strikes again.
Still, unlimited should mean unlimited with no qualms.
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Misuse and abuse?
I smell a lawsuit, even if the charges were dismissed. It's false advertising.
To me, that's the real abuse and misuse in play here.
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Massive bills as a sign of poor checks
Makes too much sense to be usable, I know...
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Problems with certain concepts
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Same Old Story
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Yah, it's impossible for anybody to guarantee anything because you never know for sure what the future will hold. There fore all guarantees are null and void.
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There's no law against breaking a campaign promise.
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Yakko Warner? Seriously?
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Re: Yakko Warner? Seriously?
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Re: Yakko Warner? Seriously?
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Nothing new
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This whole store is dumb
If you knew how the backend systems work, you would have known know that operators still have to enter a (get this) a number into the billing system. It's quantifyable, and thusly, billable. They just expand to the software limit, and then in odd situations like this, do a manual review, override and credit to the account.
This is just like Robb points out with Verizon's 99,999 weekend minutes. What Robb doesn't know is that all wireless companies use the same backend system software. And Yes, Robb probably could do it through fancy manuvering with 3 and 4 way calling. But Verizon would have had to react the same way. No company is immune.
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Re: This whole store is dumb
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Re: Re: This whole store is dumb
So why should ignorance of a subject keep anyone from spouting off about it?
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i am still somehow amazed by the levels of stupidity one can find in other countries. i may not agree with how things are done here a lot of the time, but I'm still glad to be here and not somewhere else.
there are so many things wrong with this whole situation, it's not funny. I'm sure there's at least three points where this would have been caught here, legally... and that's even after ignoring the 'no harm, no foul' of them fixing it meaning it probably wouldn't even rate mention except as a curiosity 'hey, people, this weird thing happened! strange, huh?'.
reasonably sure that, generally speaking, if someone here were to read 'unlimited X for $Y', it would mean 'there's no limits! at all! as long as you pay your bill!'... if there were a limit for data based stuff, it'd be connection speed. given that the connection speed is useually stated...
ok, i lost my point. well, the one that was actually relevant, anyway. meh, have some ramblings anyway.
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We're a Republic. The real FAIL in in your spelling ability. "parallel".
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Americans are so lazy
It would be nice if the companies provide non-exploiting pay-as-you-go plans (10 cent/SMS doesnt make any sense when you provide unlimited service for $5 and average user sends 1000 SMSs).
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Re: Americans are so lazy
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Admittedly, $26,000 is ludicrous, but then again, it was a corporation doing the billing. Whatever humans involved with shipping (ha!, not mailing) the bill probably assumed it had thrown a flag and someone higher up still allowed the bill to be sent. Too bad common sense never intervened.
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Not so strange
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Marketing
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Re:
No, you can still go to a private doctor, if you can afford it. Just like in the US (where they let you die a slow painful death whether the treatment is expensive or not if you're poor).
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who's got your back?
Good luck to everyone trying to cut your wireless expenses in this rough economy.
Dylan
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tmobile cap
Wonder how thats going to play out.
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chetan
my blog is free working android mobile gprs internet and tricks
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Tmobile "Unlimited"
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