After Twitter Snafu, T-Mobile Reminds Customers Who's Boss - Consumerist Comments

After Twitter Snafu, T-Mobile Reminds Customers Who's Boss

pigeonpenelope — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 11:04:23 EST

As an insider, they should have the right to pick and chose which short codes they will honor. There are a lot of companies who commit sketchy acts of business, like Thumbplay, who will refuse to quit charging customers. Those companies, like Thumbplay, targeted underage consumers with ideas of free ringtones or jokes. They would quickly flash the charges of service but they were hard to see. Even when I knowingly looked for them, I had a hard time seeing them.

Also, seriously, if you threaten to cancel service over something as lame as a short code not working, you should be reminded of that contract your failed to read but signed anyway.

pigeonpenelope

After Twitter Snafu, T-Mobile Reminds Customers Who's Boss

Keter — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 07:56:12 EST

T-Mobile, you really should not hire people who can't write well to write consumer-reply emails. I can't be absolutely certain, but I have worked with a number of writers in China and India, and the grammar and spelling mistakes are typical of someone whose first language is not English. It is also obvious where this person wrote and where they copied from a script.

Keter

After Twitter Snafu, T-Mobile Reminds Customers Who's Boss

BStu — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:41:01 EST

@fhic: I disagree. "Read your contract" is not a constructive response. This tactic is unlikely to diffuse what I'll grant was an unfounded complaint. If snide retorts are justified to the obviously unfounded complaints, what happens when they do the same to well-founded complaints that they don't want to deal with?

Recently, and internet merchant delivered some packages to me, but omitted a line from the shipping address that made the packages undeliverable. When I pointed out THEIR error, I got a response blaming me for moving and not filling out a change of address form. They assumed I was being an idiot, so they attacked me without recognizing what my complaint was. Result? A very pissed off customer. But they probably felt I was making an unfounded complaint, and as such just needed a good talking to.

BStu

After Twitter Snafu, T-Mobile Reminds Customers Who's Boss

Leiterfluid — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 14:35:48 EST

To which layer in the TCP/IP protocol stack does the Wired reader refer? There are, in fact, four.

Leiterfluid

After Twitter Snafu, T-Mobile Reminds Customers Who's Boss

fhic — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 14:16:15 EST

Ms Maestas's letter should be posted on every customer service department's bulletin board as an example of how to properly respond to a completely unfounded complaint.

fhic

After Twitter Snafu, T-Mobile Reminds Customers Who's Boss

rjhiggins — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 13:19:21 EST

If someone starts making quasi-legal claims (about Net neutrality) in a missive to a vendor, I expect the vendor to respond in kind. So the fact that the T-Mobile rep fell back on the terms of service doesn't surprise, or bother, me at all.

rjhiggins

After Twitter Snafu, T-Mobile Reminds Customers Who's Boss

vastrightwing — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 12:50:47 EST

I see a trend: service providers viying for who's the worst?

1) Comcast. No doubt in my mond, they are on top.
2) DellAOLVonageDishAT&TCompaqeBay/PayPalSprintTMobile
3) and many more!

vastrightwing

After Twitter Snafu, T-Mobile Reminds Customers Who's Boss

Michael Bauser — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 11:48:32 EST

(I'm the user quoted from the Wired Blog. I must not post here enough for the editors to recognize my name.)

This whole issue has been getting on my nerves because Bob "BibleBoy" Mertz has basically been trolling the entire Internet. He started with a false premise (that T-Mobile was "violating" something that didn't apply to it). Then I told him in his own blog comments that he didn't understand short codes and he ignores it, continuing the fake neutrality crusade all over the place until I call him on it in multiple blogs. Then he posts weasely apologize that basically claims its the blogosphere's job to figure out what's true, not his. (Doesn't bother apologizing on any of the blogs he's been getting people worked up on, though.)

Back in my day, arguments started on false premises were considered trolls; now they're apparently considered moral crusades. That's what's pissing me off here.

You know what? I like the ideal of a neutral phone net, too. But I'm not stupid enough to believe that's the current organizing principle of the system. I know this because I grew up in the United States of America. If you live here, the non-neutral phone companies have been screwing with you your entire life. If you thought "net neutrality" was a concept they would even acknowledge, you're just not paying enough attention to your own life. You're probably a moron. You shouldn't be blogging.

So I find myself in the weird position of defending a phone company (which, by the way, was blocking my Twitters messages, too) because I'm intellectually offended by everyone following BibleBoy off the cliff. People, you can't win an argument by citing a delusion. It's just bad rhetoric. Bad rhetoric pisses me off.

If you want a neutral phone network, bitching about Twitter is not the way to go, because you have to reform the entire system. I think the energy is better expended on preserving the content-neutrality of the Internet, because that's something the public can actually influence. If you're that worked up about net neutrality, get off the blogs and write your congressman.

Michael Bauser

After Twitter Snafu, T-Mobile Reminds Customers Who's Boss

Sasquatch — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 10:54:26 EST

Yet they have no problem allowing your kids to download $1000 worth of ringtones that they saw a commercial for.

Sasquatch

After Twitter Snafu, T-Mobile Reminds Customers Who's Boss

BStu — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 10:40:49 EST

While I agree that it sounds like the original email was probably more than a little petulant about the situation, that in NO WAY justifies the corporate response. You know why? Because consumers are allowed to be pissed off. We're giving people money to do things and we have a right to expect those things to be done to our satisfaction. That doesn't mean companies should give into absurd demands or bow at our might feet. It just means they should treat us with respect and always act to diffuse consumer anger. This response does neither. Whether the complaint was fair or not is beside the point.

BStu

After Twitter Snafu, T-Mobile Reminds Customers Who's Boss

burgundyyears — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 10:13:07 EST

@num1skeptic: Then turn it off? (My condolences if you are required to have it on for work.)

burgundyyears

After Twitter Snafu, T-Mobile Reminds Customers Who's Boss

num1skeptic — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 09:38:20 EST

cell providers have us all by the cajones. the funny thing about it is, cell phones have become more of an annoying curse to carry around than convenient. i wish i wasn't able to recieve calls at any given moment.

num1skeptic

After Twitter Snafu, T-Mobile Reminds Customers Who's Boss

yooper1019 — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 09:07:19 EST

the point of all of this is that we should not have to pay a shit-ton of money to these cell phone companies just to have them tell us "we can do whatever the fuck we want with your account." I will laugh my ass off when wifi is everywhere and we all use VOIP.

yooper1019

After Twitter Snafu, T-Mobile Reminds Customers Who's Boss

pzl — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 08:59:11 EST

In regards to T-Mobile, recently had the opportunity (need) to deal with thier customer support when I lost me mobile. Was told that I could replace it but would have to pay a $200 early termination fee and sign up for a new contract. Sent an e-mail to Mr. Dotson and was contacted the next day by Jason from the office of the president. With his help, the whole situation was straightened out quite well.

So... sometimes it's not the company, it's just the person at the other end of the line.

pzl

After Twitter Snafu, T-Mobile Reminds Customers Who's Boss

mammalpants — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 08:46:39 EST

no twitter support? omg, does this mean that the world will not know the details of my life?

1:42 - peeing. restroom dirty

1:44 - leaving restroom. hall well-lit.

mammalpants

After Twitter Snafu, T-Mobile Reminds Customers Who's Boss

bradanomics — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 07:35:18 EST

Correction: TCP/IP

bradanomics

After Twitter Snafu, T-Mobile Reminds Customers Who's Boss

chiieddy — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 06:28:09 EST

@DARKCLAWSOFCHAOS: Thing with Twitter is you can send and receive text messages (SMS) to your account on the fly. Personally, I use it for ranting about things (my account is locked down and only 3 people can see it) that I couldn't post about publicly. I find it a good release outlet. Otherwise, if you post publicly, the immediacy of the posting is a bit of a hazard :).

chiieddy

After Twitter Snafu, T-Mobile Reminds Customers Who's Boss

darkclawsofchaos — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 05:34:34 EST

well, cellpones in the are PHONES! (GASP) Yeah, if you want something else, use a computer, never saw why people pay extra just for this crap, I mean there is little use and the quality is so poor that there is no justification.

darkclawsofchaos

After Twitter Snafu, T-Mobile Reminds Customers Who's Boss

VoxPopuli — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 05:25:48 EST

@Jim (The Canuck One): My thoughts exactly. Anyone who goes on a "net neutrality rights" rant over twitter pretty much deserves a "too bad, so sad" response like this.

VoxPopuli

After Twitter Snafu, T-Mobile Reminds Customers Who's Boss

Jim (The Canuck One) — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 04:41:28 EST

In all fairness, we didn't see the peeved, Twitter-user's letter. This looks like the tone used in response to a saliva-flecked rant.

Jim (The Canuck One)

After Twitter Snafu, T-Mobile Reminds Customers Who's Boss

FLConsumer — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 03:13:57 EST

Jeez..does T-Mobile think they're an airline now? The tone of that e-mails' like what I'd expect a pissed-off flight attendant to scream at angry passengers.

FLConsumer