Whether you calculate it at 4,900%, 6,500% or 7,314%, the markup on text messages is huge. But maybe the number is really closer to infinity percent markup, as William Poundstone writes in his book Priceless: The Myth of Fair Value. [More]
text messages
![Text 4ER411 To Find Nearby ER With Shortest Wait](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/emergencyroom.jpg?w=240&h=180&crop=1)
Text 4ER411 To Find Nearby ER With Shortest Wait
A new service called “ER Texting” lets you send a text message to 4ER411 and get a report on the expected wait times at nearby emergency rooms. [More]
![Bank Of America Testing Letting You Choose To Overdraft Via Text Message](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/textmessagingshot.jpg?w=240&h=225&crop=1)
Bank Of America Testing Letting You Choose To Overdraft Via Text Message
Bank of America currently rejects debit card items that would make your balance go below zero, but Finextra reports they’re going to test out a new system that sends you a text message when you’re about to overdraft. The message will give you the option to let the transaction go through and incur an overdraft fee. [More]
![Lithia Motors Doesn't Believe You Actually Want To Opt Out Of Their Text Message Spam](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/lithiagrab.jpg?w=300&h=225&crop=1)
Lithia Motors Doesn't Believe You Actually Want To Opt Out Of Their Text Message Spam
Unwanted text message ads are annoying, but if the advertiser lets you opt out that should be the end of it, right? Apparently the folks at Lithia Motors, one of the nation’s largest auto retailers, think you might not have meant it when you told them to stop bugging you. [More]
![Verizon Gives Out Refunds For Deceptive Premium Text Messages](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/textingpic.jpg?w=240&h=160&crop=1)
Verizon Gives Out Refunds For Deceptive Premium Text Messages
Verizon has set up a site to give out refunds to customers who signed up for premium text messages with an advertiser who “did not meet Verizon Wireless’ standards for the disclosure of pricing and subscription information.” Here is a list of the 120 affected short codes. If you were a Verizon customer who signed up for one of them, you can file a claim here. [More]
![Watch Out: Spam Texts Could Be Text Scams](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/lovetexts.jpg?w=250&h=164&crop=1)
Watch Out: Spam Texts Could Be Text Scams
Ah, for the days when phone slammers had to actually call you in order to enroll you in services you don’t want. P.W. tells Consumerist that he received a few texts from an unknown shortcode number, most likely wrote them off as spam, and ignored them. Until he noticed a mysterious $10 charge on his phone bill. [More]
![Don't Threaten Yourself Via Text Message Then Tell The Police](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/071210-004-text-messaging.jpg?w=300&h=198&crop=1)
Don't Threaten Yourself Via Text Message Then Tell The Police
The conventional wisdom has it that if you want to commit a crime with a cell phone, use a prepaid model. That’s what a woman in California did to get back at her ex-boyfriend and his sister-in-law, by sending harassing text messages to herself and then reporting them to the police. The plan fell apart, however, when her victims hit the pavement to find proof that they were being framed. [More]
![Text Message Donations For Haiti May Be Delayed Up To 3 Months](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/haiti_relief.jpg?w=240&h=160&crop=1)
Text Message Donations For Haiti May Be Delayed Up To 3 Months
It’s quick, easy, and convenient to donate to relief efforts for Haiti earthquake victims by sending a text message, but not such a great idea if you want to be sure that your donations reach people and organizations in need before sometime in April.
Mobile carriers don’t actually submit your donation to the charity until after you’ve paid your bill. Experts agree that the donations will take at least one billing cycle for pledges to reach their destination.
![New Jersey Wants To Stop Unsolicited Text Message Ads](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/122909-004-cellphone.jpg?w=300&h=218&crop=1)
New Jersey Wants To Stop Unsolicited Text Message Ads
New Jersey isn’t content with going after unsolicited junk mail checks and credit card offers–it appears to be aiming for Least Friendly Junk Marketing State in the Union. The latest target: marketers who send out unsolicited text messages. [More]
![Text Messages Can Make You Save More Money](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/texting1.jpg?w=158&h=105&crop=1)
Text Messages Can Make You Save More Money
Could a text message make you save more?
![Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Payless Shoesource For Text Message Spamming](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/110409-003-payless.jpg?w=160&h=160&crop=1)
Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Payless Shoesource For Text Message Spamming
Peter, who wrote in last month to complain about being text-spammed by Payless Shoesource on his phone, wasn’t the only customer they annoyed. A man in California has filed a class action lawsuit against the shoe company and Voice & Mobile Broadcast Corporation, which is the marketing company it hired to run the campaign.
![JCPenney Tries Out Mobile Coupons In Houston Stores](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/092909-003-cellfire.jpg?w=158&h=158&crop=1)
JCPenney Tries Out Mobile Coupons In Houston Stores
If you live in the Houston area, you can now use your mobile phone to redeem coupons for JCPenney through a trial-partnership with Cellfire. You have to register with Cellfire in order to receive the promos via SMS or email, and if you register today you’ll receive a mysterious “$10 in$tant gift” [sic].
![Verizon Customer Says She's Bombarded By Robo-Texts](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/custom_1251290913272_text_06.jpg?w=300&h=225&crop=1)
Verizon Customer Says She's Bombarded By Robo-Texts
It’s bad enough when friends and acquaintances bombard you with text messages, but at least most humans can be reasoned with. Monica, on the other hand, says she’s being hassled by a robot who sends here 20 texts a day, and that Verizon has been slow to jump to her aid.
../../../..//2009/06/16/idk-y-txts-r/
idk y txts r so $$. Consumers Union‘s Joel Kelsey says what all already knew—text messages are way overpriced—only he got to say it during testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights. [Consumer Reports Electronics]
![8Coupons.com Lets You Send Local Coupons To Your Phone](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/050309-005-8coupons.png?w=158&h=158&crop=1)
8Coupons.com Lets You Send Local Coupons To Your Phone
Online coupons still haven’t caught on, really, but 8coupons.com may be worth checking out if you want to give it a try in your own city. Instead of implementing some high-concept location aware thing, they let you browse the site for coupons that interest you. When you find one, you send it to your phone via text message. Obviously, if you hold your phone number dear to your heart, don’t bother; if you’re the brave type who doesn’t mind risking the personal data exposure, you might want to give it a shot.
![Teenager Tries To Bankrupt Family By Sending $4,756.25 In Text Messages](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/4-9-2009_10-35-32_am.jpg?w=195&h=123&crop=1)
Teenager Tries To Bankrupt Family By Sending $4,756.25 In Text Messages
Here’s an idea, don’t use your phone to send 300 texts a day at school. Not only will your parents not get a bill for $4,756.25, you won’t go from As and Bs to Fs and you also won’t get your phone smashed with a hammer.
![Senators Introduce Bill To Ban Text Message Spam](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/040709-003-7001-text-messages.png?w=158&h=158&crop=1)
Senators Introduce Bill To Ban Text Message Spam
Senators Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, and Bill Nelson, D-Florida, have introduced the m-SPAM Act, which would update the CAN-SPAM law to include text message spam. “The m-SPAM Act would explicitly bar marketers from sending text messages to any mobile number in the national Do-Not-Call registry maintained by the FTC,” reports InternetNews.
../../../..//2009/02/02/text-message-phishing-scam-hits/
Text message phishing scam hits U.S. Cellular customers in Des Moines. [WHOTV.com] (Thanks to David!)