Sunday, September 24, 2006
Mobile phone ring tone “clubs" are a scam
Mobile phones are becoming all the rage, we all know that! Its unavoidable that our kids are going to come home from school one day and ask their parents for a prepaid mobile phone. Then they are going to see an add on TV with some ring tone they like and try and send off for it and suddenly find themselves signing up for a minimum five dollar a week spend on their prepaid account.
Mobile phone ring tone “club”s basic terms and conditions say “Access to the Service. In order to use the Service you must be 16 years of age or have bill payer's permission. The contract is void where prohibited. In order to use the Service, you must also have a mobile communications subscription with a participating carrier or otherwise have access to a mobile communications network for which Company makes the Service available, and pay any service fees associated with any such access. In addition, you must provide all equipment and software necessary to connect to the Service, including, but not limited to, a mobile handset or other mobile access device that is in working order and suitable for use in connection with the Service.”
Translated into English means you must be older than 16 to use mobile phone ring tone “club”, have a telephone service that allows mobile phone ring tone “club” to direct bill that service and have the correct mobile phone to access mobile phone ring tone “club”s material. Mobile phone ring tone “club” is not responsible for you signing up to a get ring tones when your handset won’t accept them or cannot download them using WAP.
When a child with a mobile phone sees the commercials on TV they don’t stop to read the fine print and the commercials are based on the premise you are sending an SMS to get one ring tone. However, if you stop and find out about it you realize that your entering into an agreement to receive so many ring tones each week for a set fee. Just buying a new simcard and changing the number may not excuse you of any debt occurred on the old number, it imperative that you cancel the service with the mobile phone ringtone “club” and express your distaste in the way these guys do business at the same time.
Having a mobile phone is a big responsibility and kids can learn to use them wisely by signing up to prepaid. However, Telstra have issued a new service especially for children and safety conscious parents. Called Tictalk it’s a small stop watch sized mobile phone, that has educational games and other features. But its designed for parents to be able to program it to govern its use. I am yet to see first hand one of these devices but from the information I have been supplied http://www.telstra.com.au/kidsintouch/index.htm its a step in right direct for a telco to take if the product takes off.
Mobile phone ring tone “club”s basic terms and conditions say “Access to the Service. In order to use the Service you must be 16 years of age or have bill payer's permission. The contract is void where prohibited. In order to use the Service, you must also have a mobile communications subscription with a participating carrier or otherwise have access to a mobile communications network for which Company makes the Service available, and pay any service fees associated with any such access. In addition, you must provide all equipment and software necessary to connect to the Service, including, but not limited to, a mobile handset or other mobile access device that is in working order and suitable for use in connection with the Service.”
Translated into English means you must be older than 16 to use mobile phone ring tone “club”, have a telephone service that allows mobile phone ring tone “club” to direct bill that service and have the correct mobile phone to access mobile phone ring tone “club”s material. Mobile phone ring tone “club” is not responsible for you signing up to a get ring tones when your handset won’t accept them or cannot download them using WAP.
When a child with a mobile phone sees the commercials on TV they don’t stop to read the fine print and the commercials are based on the premise you are sending an SMS to get one ring tone. However, if you stop and find out about it you realize that your entering into an agreement to receive so many ring tones each week for a set fee. Just buying a new simcard and changing the number may not excuse you of any debt occurred on the old number, it imperative that you cancel the service with the mobile phone ringtone “club” and express your distaste in the way these guys do business at the same time.
Having a mobile phone is a big responsibility and kids can learn to use them wisely by signing up to prepaid. However, Telstra have issued a new service especially for children and safety conscious parents. Called Tictalk it’s a small stop watch sized mobile phone, that has educational games and other features. But its designed for parents to be able to program it to govern its use. I am yet to see first hand one of these devices but from the information I have been supplied http://www.telstra.com.au/kidsintouch/index.htm its a step in right direct for a telco to take if the product takes off.
# posted by Peter Saville - IT Consultant @ 1:34 AM 
