February 12, 2006
Getting a new Cell Phone -- and the Old Owner's Subscriptions
An interesting article in The Washington Post on how the US cell phone industry phone industry routinely recycles used cell phone numbers and how subscriptions to online services from previous owners can be charged to new users.
The article describes how one teeenager's new cell phone, who's account had been activated for just one hour "erupted into dozens of incoming text messages -- the latest scores from the NFL and from the online dating service Match.com. By the end of the day, half of his monthly budget was shot from the unwanted texting."
"Questioned, the Cingular rep acknowledged that the text messages were coming from subscriptions to online services the previous owner of Carter's cell phone number hadn't canceled.
... The wireless phone industry doesn't exactly publicize that it routinely recycles used cell phone numbers. But with the rapid growth of cell phone use, phone companies say it's impossible to issue a brand new number to every new customer."
Picture from The BBC.
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