Top 7 Cell Phone Gripes
Columnist's 'Take Back the Beep' Campaign Is Latest to Highlight Consumer Concerns
Double-Dipping
On a land line, when you make a call, you pay for it. If you receive a call, you don't.
But that logic never carried over to the cellular industry. When it comes to phone calls and text messages, both the sender and the receiver have to pay.
Comparing the U.S. system to the European system, consumer advocates say it's a rip-off.
"When you receive a call in Europe, only one person pays for the call. If I receive a call, I don't pay for the minutes," said Jeff Blyskal, a senior editor with Consumer Reports magazine, adding that here, we're double-charged.
Cellular carriers say they offer plans, such as Verizon's Friends and Family and T-Mobile's myFaves, that give customers unlimited minutes to call their closest friends and family members.
Verizon spokesman Tom Pica told ABC News that the business model in this county is based on the premise that those who use the service pay for the service.
"Each carrier involved in the process recoups the costs associated with sending and receiving that message or the call over the networks they build and maintain," he said.
International Roaming Rates
Another issue consumer advocates say is heating up is the cost of international roaming.
Art Neill, an attorney with the non-profit Utility Consumers' Action Network in San Diego, said his organization has received calls from phone customers who received $1,000 bills for calls they didn't even make while overseas.
"If you have the phone on in another country, just because you don't pick up the phone, and have it for emergency purposes, you'll be charged," he said. It depends on the carrier, but some charge roaming fees if someone just leaves you a voicemail message while your phone is on.
He also said that he's heard local reports from San Diego customers who have been charged roaming rates because the cell phone company mistakenly thinks they have been in neighboring Mexico.
They're about 15 miles from the border, he said, but the cell towers are relaying false information. As a result, the burden is on the customer to contest the charge and prove their location.
The cell phone carriers say that on a case-by-case basis they're willing to work through contested charges with customers. Many offer special travel packages and have roaming agreements with other countries, so they also urge travelers to consult with them before leaving the country to determine the plans that work best for them.
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