May 5, 2005
Teens dialing up ring tone trouble
Wireless operators are fighting a growing backlash from parents angry at the exorbitant ring tone bills their children are racking up, reports News.com.
"At work is a teenager's penchant for reckless spending, helped along by advertising from ring tone providers, which some critics label as unclear, others as deceptive.
A crackdown of sorts has begun. A handful of North American and European operators are now at work on a code of conduct for ring tone sellers, due for release in 30 days, according to Paul Palmieri, executive director of business development and programming for Verizon Wireless.
"Operators have been caught off guard by activities of several companies selling ring tones," said Verizon's Palmieri. "We're now trying to arrive at a code around price transparency and clear disclosure around things like subscriptions."
The issue is the subject of a lawsuit filed by California parents earlier this year against Cingular Wireless, T-Mobile USA and Jamster, which is a subsidiary of security specialist VeriSign. The suit alleges the defendants did not clearly state that people were signing up for Jamster's $6-a-month service.
By contrast, a single ring tone costs $1.99, according to Jamster's Web site."
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