How did Intelius compile its directory of people’s private cellphone numbers it now has for sale online? Laws on the books forbid telelphone companies from amassing cell phone directories without customer’s consent, but the laws don’t mention third parties. Instead, Intelius buys them from your friendly, local pizza delivery place. Here’s what the CEO said when asked how people end up in their system: “Geez, [there are] tons of ways — everything from going out to a Web site and buying a ring tone for your phone to putting your phone number down at anything [like] ordering a pizza…There are literally dozens and dozens of ways that a user or a consumer could opt in to a database.” See, it’s legal for businesses to contact you you have business relationship. But companies are turning around and selling these customer databases to places like Intelius, and transferring the right to use the database to these third parties as well. While you’re taking a bite out of that deep-dish, they’re taking a bite out of your privacy.
cellphones
Virgin Mobile Can't Seem To Close Dead Woman's Account
Rachel’s stepsister passed away last April, but when she called to cancel her pre-paid mobile account Virgin told her that instead of sending in a death certificate, she should just shut off the phone and ignore it. After 90 days of inactivity, it would automatically be canceled. “I asked if they wouldn’t take a death certificate to close the account, but I was assured that it would be faster to simply let the account run out.” Instead, they added some sort of extra minutes promotion to the account that extended it to the present, so ten months later, it’s still active.
Intelius Sells Your Unlisted And Unpublished Cellphone Number Online
If you thought your cellphone number was safe, think again. Intellus just launched the first ever online cellphone directory. Oh, you never gave them permission, they went ahead and scraped the internet, bought lists from data resellers and deployed data mining techniques.
$1 Billion ETF Class Action Against Verizon Approved
Somehow, an arbitrator has approved a massive $1 billion class action lawsuit against Verizon over their early termination fees. In letting the lawsuit proceed, the arbitrator wrote, “…millions of class members are entitled to adjudication of the central common questions of fact or law in this arbitration related to whether the $175 early termination fee imposed by respondents Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless … is based upon an unenforceable liquidated damage clause.” With cellphone companies switching to prorated ETFs and the rise in ETF-related lawsuits around the country, one wonders if we won’t see the death of ETFs in the next few years. By that time, cellphone companies will have figured out a new technique to keep people from leaving their contracts.
Alltel Service Down For All Of Minnesota?
According to two frustrating calls to Alltel I made yesterday and today, service is down for all Minnesotans. When I called yesterday and spoke to technical support, the representative was unable to tell me if I would receive any compensation for the time their service was down (she suggested I call customer service and ask them. “Aren’t I speaking to customer service?” I asked. “No, this is technical support.” Helpful.)
Sprint's Company Policy Is To Rip You Off
Sprint has been charging a TortDeform blogger’s family $6 a month in local Texas taxes for the past three and half years, but the problem is the family hasn’t lived in the Lone Star State for three and half years. In addition, Sprint has also been charging local Nevada taxes where they now live. When the family asked for a refund, Sprint said they would refund only the last three months, because of “policy.” The blogger’s dad is an attorney, and plans on taking the issue to court. Oops, looks like Sprint picked the wrong partner to tango with.
Reader Escapes Verizon Contract Without ETF, Even Though He Has Text Message Plan
Until now, we’ve been telling people trying to escape their cellphone contract without early termination fees based on a raise in text message prices that it’s necessary that they don’t have a text message plan. However, reader Mtman says he used a novel argument to get out of his Verizon plan, even though he did have a text message plan!
Get Out Of AT&T Without ETF Thanks To Text Message Rate Increase
AT&T is raising the rates for sending text and picture/video messages to 20 and 30 cents, respectively, giving customers a chance to break free of their contract without early termination fee if they use the now-classic “materially adverse changes to contract” argument. Inside, how to deploy that tactic, as well as the text of the rate change notice.
Alltel Tells Father They Won't Waive ETF For Soldier Deployed To Iraq Unless He Is Deceased
Mark writes in,
My son recently was deployed to Iraq. His cell phone carrier is Alltel. Prior to leaving for Irag, he cancelled his cell phone coverage before the completion of his 2 year contract commitment. As his father, I telephoned Alltell, explained the situation and asked Alltel to have the $200 early termination fee waived. Alltel explained they only waive the $200 early termination fee if the party is DECEASED.
Seriously, that’s just messed up.
AT&T Acquires A Record 2.7 Million Customers
Team AT&T is absolutely kicking everyone’s ass all over town, adding a record 2.7 million new wireless customers in the 4Q, says MarketWatch. They also added 396,000 high speed internet customers and 105,000 U-Verse TV customers.
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S&P thinks Sprint will continue to hemorrhage customers in 2008. “Because management faces significant challenges in improving operations, we do not expect a reversal of these negative operating trends in 2008,” S&P said in a statement. [BusinessWeek]
Cell Service For The Commitment Phobic: AT&T Offers SIM Card Without 2 Year Contract
After reports started surfacing that AT&T was offering a SIM-card only option that was tied to a 2 year contract, we contacted AT&T for more information. As far as we knew, AT&T allowed new customers to bring their own compatible equipment and did not require a 2 year contract.
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One thing you don’t do: You don’t act like a rational consumer in a normal, functioning market economy. You don’t go buy the new phone, or get the cheap new plan. You don’t reward the more efficient company with your business. You can’t. You’re in jail.
[MSNBC] (Thanks, Everyone !)
Verizon Call Center Manager Found Asleep On The Job
This is a picture of a Verizon call center manager sleeping on the job, according to The Call Center Blogger, who writes:
Mr. Operations Manager with last name Changco ( previous from Sykes! Anybody know him? ) is always in the habit of sleeping on the floor during work time and could care less if others, especially his agents, see him on the floor dozing off to Lala-land. My friend says he also has a penchant of passing his deliverables to his subordinates while he comfortably takes his shut-eye. He also reminds the poor agents to submit the reports to him instead of his boss supposedly so he can take credit for the agents’ work! Ang sabi pa “Ang dali lang pala nito!” Nyahaha!
If you’ve ever wondered why outsourced customer service sucks, maybe it’s because they’re hiring jokers like Corey Changco to run their call centers.
Suing Big Companies In Small Claims Court Is Fun And Easy
Taking a big company to small claims court sounds like a big hassle but reader Bill has done it successfully three times. He says the time and effort spent on taking a company to small claims court is far less then how it long it takes to get companies to fix above-average in complexity problems. [More]
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In the first cost-cutting move by new Sprint CEO Dan Hesse, 4,000 jobs were cut. Its stock subsequently sunk 26% to a new 52-week low of $8.56. Wall Street is overreacting, we have this feeling in our heart of hearts that Hesse can turn things around. [Reuters]
Man Turns Chevy Trailblazer Into Giant Cellphone
Wayne shares a cool Chevy/On-Star/Verizon billing hack that reduces his monthly bills:
I just bought a new Chevy Trailblazer which came equipped with On-Star and hands-free phone service. The hands-free service was provided through a pre-paid plan with Verizon Wireless. I called Verizon and they actually put my Chevy onto my already existing Family Plan for $9.99 a month. Now, my car is a giant cell phone with all the same calling features of a regular phone ( Verizon to Verizon for free, free evenings and weekends, etc… ).
Sweet deal, no doubt it would work for any other car prequipped with On-Star. Anyone else hack their car’s hands-free service in a similar way?
Phishers Turn To Text Messages
Phishers are now turning to text messages to get people to fork over their personal banking information. Con artists targeting southwest Missouri sent text messages to hundreds of cellphone users, telling them that their bank account expired and directing them to a fake website with a URL containing the bank’s name. There the website captured the login and password of anyone who logged in. Phishers will use any medium they can. If you receive a message purporting to be from your bank and you’re not sure if it’s legit, call your bank directly to verify its authenticity
