T-Mobile Gets Fined $90 Million by the FCC for 'Cramming'

[dgstorm]

It looks like Sprint and AT&T aren't the only carriers who are getting fined by the FCC for "cramming." T-Mobile is the latest US carrier to be required to give refunds to customers they supposedly over-charged for services that were not requested. T-Mobile tried to fight it, claiming that the charges were “unfounded and without merit.” Ultimately they capitulated, and the fine will be a hefty $90 Million, which will include refunds to some customers.

For those who don't know, "cramming" is the practice of billing customers for $9.99 subscriptions to ringtones and premium text message services that they didn't sign up for. Sound off if you have been the victim of "cramming" on any carrier.

Source: FCC

 

[SquireSCA]

Somewhere there is a paper trail at T-Mobile on who thought this was a good idea and who approved it.

Find it, and fire them immediately.

 

[anewton]

Verizon may have been doing this, as well. I got a TXT from them advertising their "free" "Basic Visual Voicemail" app. In the course of installing it, it finished with something like "Thank you for signing up for Premium Visual Voicemail, free for 30 days". I never wanted, nor did I indicate in any part of the installation process that I wanted, the Premium service. It's got some cool features, but not worth the price tag to me. I wasn't even sure I wanted the Basic Visual Voicemail service, but I've since grown to like it.

The noteworthy thing is that I didn't have time right then to call them to cancel it! However, I did remember to do so before the 30 days was up (I think they bank one most people NOT doing so), explained to them that I never wanted or asked for that, and they reluctantly cancelled it (after trying to sell me on it).

I certainly felt like I'd been crammed!

 

[cr6]

Been with Verizon for well over a decade and never had this happen. (knock on wood) Glad you were able to get it resolved though. [emoji106]

S5 tap'n

 

[johnomaz]

I'll have to double check my past bills but I dont' think its happened to me. Our bill tends to run pretty much the same every month.

I wonder if this is a malware attack or something on devices themselves. how many apps say they need permissions to your contacts, text messing services and everything else under the sun. Its scary at times.

 

[SquireSCA]

It was only a few years ago that they got rid of a tax on our landline and cell phone bills that was put in place in 1903 to pay for the Spanish-American war...

That war was paid for like 50 years ago, but the government figured it was just free money to them at that point, so they kept it on there, and all of us were paying it ever month until very recently...

We also still pay a tax that Al Gore introduced in the 1990's to help pay for schools to get internet connectivity. It was the "Universal Connectivity Act" or something to that affect... There isn't a school in America today that doesn't have internet, and yet we still pay the 3% tax each month...

So it isn't just the carriers that do crap like this, our government is a master at it and apparently they hate competition...

 

[Ollie]

It was only a few years ago that they got rid of a tax on our landline and cell phone bills that was put in place in 1903 to pay for the Spanish-American war...

That war was paid for like 50 years ago, but the government figured it was just free money to them at that point, so they kept it on there, and all of us were paying it ever month until very recently...

We also still pay a tax that Al Gore introduced in the 1990's to help pay for schools to get internet connectivity. It was the "Universal Connectivity Act" or something to that affect... There isn't a school in America today that doesn't have internet, and yet we still pay the 3% tax each month...

So it isn't just the carriers that do crap like this, our government is a master at it and apparently they hate competition...

It's almost as bad as paying taxes again on money I have already been taxed on.

When are they going to give up the ghost and offer visual voicemail for free? AT&T gives it away.

 

[WildcatRudy]

I think cramming has been around since the days prior to smartphones. As for me, I'm too cheap to have a real account, so I am using a $30/month T-Mo prepaid account. So I don't even think I could get crammed at this level.

 

[cr6]

Yeah, I remember when the state of Florida built the Sawgrass Expressway in South Florida. It ran through the Everglades linking North Broward county with Miami/Dade county by providing an alternative to I-95 or the Turnpike. They told the public they would only charge a toll on this road until it was paid off. Well, that was the mid 80s and they're still charging people. It eventually became a part of the Turnpike system.
Unfortunately, you see this type of thing everywhere. The govt knows people have a poor short term memory and aren't going to protest it 10-20 years down the road, so they get away with it.

S5 tap'n

 

[pc747]

But I like their Christmas video they made.