[IP] Wireless Providers Lock in Consumers with Abusive Fees

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: dewayne@warpspeed.com (Dewayne Hendricks)
Date: June 12, 2008 10:29:20 AM EDT
To: Dewayne-Net Technology List <xyzzy@warpspeed.com>
Subject: [Dewayne-Net] Wireless Providers Lock in Consumers with  
Abusive Fees

WIRELESS PROVIDERS LOCK IN CONSUMERS WITH ABUSIVE FEES
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Editorial staff]

[Commentary]  Picture a business where dissatisfied customers have to  
pay a penalty to stop doing business with you. Sounds like a dream of  
a business to own, but not one you'd want to patronize. Well, you  
don't have to imagine such a business. It exists, and if you're one of  
the nation's 255 million cellphone subscribers, you're already a  
customer. Consumer advocates fear that the Federal Communications  
Commission will grant an industry's wish -- and leave customers in the  
cold. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin promises that won't happen. The main  
goal "is to protect consumers," he told us. "If the commission is  
going to take jurisdiction, then we need to have rules." Those rules  
should leave lawsuits to the courts and ensure that disgruntled  
consumers don't have to stay tethered to cellphone providers they'd  
rather hang up on.

<http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20080612/edit12.art.htm>




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