# F.C.C. Wants to Stop Cellphone ‘Bill Shock’



## BubblePuppy (Nov 3, 2006)

From the NY Times:


> WASHINGTON -The Federal Communications Commission will propose rules on Thursday requiring mobile phone companies to alert customers by voice or text message when they are have reached monthly usage limits and are about to incur extra charges, the commission's chairman said Tuesday.


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/technology/13shock.html?_r=3&partner=rss&emc=rss


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## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

Nice idea..


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## smiddy (Apr 5, 2006)

I have never gotten close "because I monitor my own usage" (or I did, now I pay a flat rate for unlimited). Crap, now that will raise people rates because people are irresponsible not to monitor themselves and the phone companies will be glad to do it for a fee, you watch! :nono:


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## BubblePuppy (Nov 3, 2006)

I'm grandfathered in AT&T unlimited data plan (thank goodness), I download a min of 65mb a day, most times double that (just this morning I've downloaded 130mb).... I would go over the top tier data plan in a few days. This is great for the new subscribers that no longer can choose the unlimited plan.


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## wingrider01 (Sep 9, 2005)

BubblePuppy said:


> I'm grandfathered in AT&T unlimited data plan (thank goodness), I download a min of 65mb a day, most times double that (just this morning I've downloaded 130mb).... I would go over the top tier data plan in a few days. This is great for the new subscribers that no longer can choose the unlimited plan.


thing is - att is already doing htis on the new data plans, friends have a iphone 4 with the 2gb plan and they recieve text messages when they get close to the limit


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## HDJulie (Aug 10, 2008)

I think this would also be for people who go over their minutes or text limits.


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## SamC (Jan 20, 2003)

What business is this of government's?


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## wingrider01 (Sep 9, 2005)

SamC said:


> What business is this of government's?


None - but since when did that ever matter?


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

Since the gub'mint monitors our cell calls anyway (Echelon), why don't "they" just send the men in the black SUVs to warn us when we're about to exceed a limit? :nono2:


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

SamC said:


> What business is this of government's?


It's called Consumer Protection, and yeah, it IS their business to keep business from ripping off the consumer.


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## BubblePuppy (Nov 3, 2006)

Nick said:


> Since the gub'mint monitors our cell calls anyway (Echelon), why don't "they" just send the men in the black SUVs to warn us when we're about to exceed a limit? :nono2:


Then you would just grouse about the cost of that program.


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

SayWhat? said:


> It's called Consumer Protection, and yeah, it IS their business to keep business from ripping off the consumer.


Wrong! :nono:

Overage charges are spelled out contractually and are not _"ripping off the consumer"_, as you say. It is up to 'the consumer' to monitor and control his own usage. If I sign up for a plan with 1,000 minutes or 5 gB and I go over, then that is my responsibility.

Yes, I would like for my carrier to give me a heads up when I'm approaching my limit, but I can easily determine my usage at any time at the push of a button, so who's responsibility is it to keep track of my usage?

Mine, of course.

When you check out at the supermarket and you have spent more that you had planned to, should the gov't. step in to "protect" you from yourself?

Let's not _invite_ the govt's intrusion into our private lives any more that it already is.


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

Nick said:


> Since the gub'mint monitors our cell calls anyway (Echelon), why don't "they" just send the men in the black SUVs to warn us when we're about to exceed a limit?





BubblePuppy said:


> Then you would just grouse about the cost of that program.


Well, I'm a geezer -- I've got to have something to grouse about!


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## BubblePuppy (Nov 3, 2006)

Nick said:


> Wrong! :nono:
> 
> Overage charges are spelled out contractually and are not _"ripping off the consumer"_, as you say. It is up to 'the consumer' to monitor and control his own usage. If I sign up for a plan with 1,000 minutes or 5 gB and I go over, then that is my responsibility.
> 
> ...


That has already been done.
Besides, a few carriers are already sending out text msgs when customers are getting close to the limits, this will just make this "customer service" feature consistent across all carriers.


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## BubblePuppy (Nov 3, 2006)

Nick said:


> Well, I'm a geezer -- I've got to have something to grouse about!


I'm getting very close to "geezerhood" myself. Age is a great excuse...I use it all the time. :lol:


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

Nick said:


> When you check out at the supermarket and you have spent more that you had planned to, should the gov't. step in to "protect" you from yourself?





BubblePuppy said:


> That has already been done...


How so?


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## BubblePuppy (Nov 3, 2006)

Nick said:


> How so?


The new bank regs that let you choose whether to opt in to overdraft protection or not.


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

BubblePuppy said:


> The new bank regs that let you choose whether to opt in to overdraft protection or not.


Valid point, but not directly related to the example. My 'grocery' scenario goes to personal budgeting, not overdraft "protection". I had personally-funded (free) overdraft protection long before the gov't. stepped in.

Again, I'll vote for personal responsibility over gov't intrusion every time


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## BubblePuppy (Nov 3, 2006)

Nick said:


> Valid point, but not directly related to the example. My 'grocery' scenario goes to personal budgeting, not overdraft "protection". I had personally-funded (free) overdraft protection long before the gov't. stepped in.
> 
> Again, I'll vote for personal responsibility over gov't intrusion every time


Actually, it is similar. I had overdraft protection that I didn't opt in for, nor was I aware of having. That can be a problem if some major emergency expenses pop up in a day (happened to me), within a few hours I over drafted...now I'm hit with over draft fees....didn't have time to do all the balancing I do. Now if I get close to over drafting the purchase won't go through. *Also, if you know you have the money but the purchase is denied, then you have a good warning that something is wrong with the account. *
As far as cell carriers go, this will be a good warning to parents about the usage of their kids.


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

Well said, BP...and with that, _buoys_ and _gulls_, we now return you to our regularly-scheduled topic of the pros and cons of gub'mint intrusion!


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## runner861 (Mar 20, 2010)

It is not the government watching anyone. People should get over this "government" thing. The powers of our government are so limited compared to the rest of the world.

This is the government requiring the private carrier to inform you when you are reaching your limit. The private carrier is already watching you, not the government, because the private carrier wants to charge you for your usage. This is just a regulation requiring disclosure to the consumer--nothing more, nothing less. I wish that people would stop this knee-jerk anti-government reaction that makes no sense.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

BubblePuppy said:


> Actually, it is similar. I had overdraft protection that I didn't opt in for, nor was I aware of having. That can be a problem if some major emergency expenses pop up in a day (happened to me), within a few hours I over drafted...now I'm hit with over draft fees....didn't have time to do all the balancing I do. Now if I get close to over drafting the purchase won't go through. *Also, if you know you have the money but the purchase is denied, then you have a good warning that something is wrong with the account. *
> As far as cell carriers go, this will be a good warning to parents about the usage of their kids.


A few years ago, my son told my wife he was gonna start dating (his first girlfriend) a girl who used text messages a lot (up to 15,000 times a month. I know how impossible that sounds, but her mother told us that it was true, never saw the statements) and he would be texting her and didn't want to run up a large bill. Naturally, my wife ignored him and we got a notice from Verizon that he had gone way over his limit.

They were nice enough to take me at my word when I told them I had no idea what text messages were and, because of my admitted ignorance they wiped out that bill and we got him unlimited texting. He recently broke up with her, but he was doing over 5,000 texts a month.

Rich


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## BubblePuppy (Nov 3, 2006)

Yet they won't do a 1000 word essay for school. :lol:


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

BubblePuppy said:


> Yet they won't do a 1000 word essay for school. :lol:


Yup. They don't even talk to each other on the phone, just text. How can you do something 5,000 times a month? After seeing how many times he was using text messaging, I can believe that the ex-girlfriend could do 15,000. 

Rich


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## drpjr (Nov 23, 2007)

I have no strong opinion on the over usage notifications. Seems like a nice idea though. I don't have a data plan and never exceed my 100minutes/month voice plan. I just wish I could decipher my bill. I'd have a better chance with Chinese algebra.


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## lwilli201 (Dec 22, 2006)

I am surprised the cell phone companies do not do this already. It is a perfect chance to convince customers to upgrade their plan.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

lwilli201 said:


> I am surprised the cell phone companies do not do this already. It is a perfect chance to convince customers to upgrade their plan.


Verizon does this and has for several years. Read my post on this thread. And you're correct, it is an excellent way to get customers to upgrade.

Rich


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## dmspen (Dec 1, 2006)

ATT now does this also.
I'm all for it.
Several years ago we got my disabled stepson a phone. We had unlimited texting so he could text all he wanted. No internet.

Imagine my surprise when I got a $2500 phone bill 6 weeks later. He thought that Yahoo chat was the same as texting. Since the billing statement didn't get there until halfway through the next cycle, the total charges came to over $4000. I worked with ATT to reduce it, but a simple text to me would have saved this.

As to the grocery analogy used earlier, I think it's more like putting groceries in a covered cart where you can't see the groceries unless you take off the cover and look - after you've committed to buying them.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

We signed up for unlimited data with AT&T when I got my blackjack2. Somehow, they entered the order wrong, and I got a $2500 bill (FOR ONE WEEKEND). Took several calls to get it reversed. 

They should have an option on the phone itself, that will lock out ALL chargeable data. I was told by AT&T with my regular cell phone, that if they locked out the data, I wouldnt be able to send picture messages (which are included with my text plan).

Another friend with Cricket accidentally hit the web button on his phone, and they switched him from the $30 unlimited talk/text plan to the $50 unlimited talk/text/data plan, with no notice. Then to make matters worse, they refused to put him back on the $30 plan (since it was web only, new users only). So he broke the phone in half and handed it to the clerk and told her what they could do with their service.

Hopefully, this will prevent a lot of this stuff.


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## BobaBird (Mar 31, 2002)

I can understand charging for overages, but there should be a max. It should top out at whatever the highest "unlimited" plan is, and certainly no more than double that.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

BobaBird said:


> I can understand charging for overages, but there should be a max. It should top out at whatever the highest "unlimited" plan is, and certainly no more than double that.


Well, Verizon did call us and inform us that my son was way over his texting limit and then, after we made the proper changes to our plan, they didn't charge us for his over usage. Could have, but they didn't. No arguing, it was their idea.

Rich


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## jerry downing (Mar 7, 2004)

For years, I have used something called TracFone. No contracts, fees, or hidden charges. When I am getting low on minutes, I can purchase them just about anywhere. I don't know how it compares to others cost wise. I don't use my cell phone a lot nor do I have features that I don't want or need. It is just a cell phone but it meets my needs.


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## dmspen (Dec 1, 2006)

AT&T has an option called Smart Limits. You can use it on any phone on your account and limit number of text msgs, amount of internet data, block numbers, time of day restrictions, etc. It can also send a message to the user when they are approaching limits.
Of course, there's a $4.99/month charge per phone for this service. Cheaper than $2500!


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