dobby10
Premium
join:2000-12-13
Whippany, NJ
clubs: | Finally!
I've fought with Cingular/ATT since some of them first showed up and I even wrote to the FCC regarding it. The cost of doing business should be built into their price. Not added on later! |
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rudnicke
Premium
join:2004-10-23
Rantoul, IL | Great
It would be nice if something like this passed. |
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Masque
join:2001-12-04
Auburn, MI | Also......
They need to do the same for cable and telco landline customers. |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
 ·Comcast
| reply to dobby10
Re: Finally!
said by dobby10  :The cost of doing business should be built into their price. Not added on later! It doesn't even have to go that far. All that any such bill needs to mandate is that the advertised price is the price that you actually pay. Companies could be free to break down the fees out of those prices any way they choose, but the final price should have to match the advertised price.
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Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
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MrMoody
Carbon Based Lifeform
join:2002-09-03
Smithfield, NC
 ·Embarq
 ·Skype
·magicjack.com
| reply to Masque
Re: Also......
Just what I was going to say, although cable doesn't generally do it to nearly the same extent.
Really it should just be illegal to claim or imply any charge is tax when it isn't OR add anything but tax after quoted price, regardless of the type of business. It's dishonest and misleading.
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"It is a future in which globalization really does work ... and everybody winds up getting to be part of the third world." - William Gibson |
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boober321
join:2003-07-15
Milwaukee, WI
·ViaTalk
1 edit | Exactly what Viatalk tried doing a couple days ago. When they started billing everyone, that had prepaid before the laws went into effect, for USF and E911. Their CSR said it was federally mandated. I said repeatedly that it was not federally mandated to pass the fee on to customers, but he kept insisting that federally mandated, as if it were a tax.
And I'd go further and say that VOIP should be held to the same standards as wireless as well. |
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katgoomee
join:2002-01-01
Ashtabula, OH
| Break out the "fee" spray!
This should include utilities also. They seem to jump on the "tax/fee" too. I also love how they charge to make a payment on their websites. Fortunately they can teach CSR's to say it's the government required tax...riiight. Oh well my penny's worth.
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Insulin is NOT a cure... |
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morbo
Complete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000
clubs:
·Charter Pipeline
·AT&T Southwest
| reply to MrMoody
Re: Also......
agreed. this should apply to all bills, not just wireless. no surcharges, etc. anything that is not included in the service cost must be legally required that the consumer pay. not that someone (the corp) pay.
SERVICE COST: $40
-FEDERAL TAX: $3
-STATE TAX: $2
-LOCAL TAX: $1
TOTAL: $46 |
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KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
·AT&T Yahoo
·AT&T DSL Service
·Cox HSI
·AT&T Southwest
1 edit | reply to Masque
I'd go a step further. I'd add all contracts for good measure. Call it the "Truth-in-Spending" Act if you will 
You can list a tax as a tax... but everything else is your normal business expenses, stop nickel-and-diming consumers and letting them erroneously believe that it's the Government forcing extra taxes upon them when it's really hidden price increases.
BTW--- I'm not naive to think this would lead to price decrease. Companies involved would merely hike the base rate once this passes. ---BUT--- It's still a boon for consumers. because it would make COMPARISIONS to the Competition's offer much easier to decipher, thus fostering informed consumer choices and more competition.
Two Thumbs Up! From me.... |
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Boricua65
join:2002-01-26
Puerto Rico
| reply to rudnicke
Pass or Fail
It's not whether the bill will pass or fail, it's the fact that the telcos have now been put on notice since Congress is aware of what the wireless companies are doing. I too went through the issue with having my contract changed and extended when I opted for the international plan (temporarily) when I went to Mexico. |
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gateguy
Premium
join:2001-02-12
Reisterstown, MD
 ·Verizon FIOS
·Comcast
| reply to pnh102
Re: Finally!
said by pnh102 :It doesn't even have to go that far. All that any such bill needs to mandate is that the advertised price is the price that you actually pay. Companies could be free to break down the fees out of those prices any way they choose, but the final price should have to match the advertised price. I agree that the advertised price should include ALL of the 'unfees'.
But when was the last time you have seen something advertised that included the sales taxes?
Most things, that I have seen advertised, do not include taxes.
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Without data, it is just an opinion |
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not
@comcast.net | Add this to the bill
They need to add the restriction of carriers from disabling native features of cell phones for their own personal gain. We all know VZW is notorious for such practices. |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| reply to gateguy
Re: Finally!
said by gateguy :But when was the last time you have seen something advertised that included the sales taxes? True. I can accept that sales taxes are not included in the price.
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Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
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Kearnstd
Elf Wizard
Premium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ
| reply to Masque
Re: Also......
id rather see a hike in base price then having their extra profits hidden in "unFees" that arent listed in their ads. though i think wireless ads should say true cost with the fees/taxes. atleast print ads which can be regionalised to account for state taxes.
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[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports |
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Kearnstd
Elf Wizard
Premium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ
| reply to dobby10
Re: Finally!
out the door prices should definitely be listed outright on the price plan charts from the wireless or any service provider for that matter.
ETFs should also only be allowed on first run contracts, the way i have always seen them is ETFs are how the company covers the cost of that deeply discounted or free phone you got for signing up. so when you renew the contract the ETF has no real purpose.
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[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports |
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MysticGogeta
The Robot Devil
Premium
join:2005-03-14
League City, TX
clubs:
1 edit | reply to gateguy
Gas does why not every thing? I sure would be pissed after pumping out 30 dollars for it to go up 3-4 dollars from tax. Atleast you know what your getting into early. |
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Fisamo
Premium
join:2004-02-20
Apex, NC | Why limit to telecom/services?
Buy a new car recently? Any kind of "doc" fee should be included in the price of the car... |
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Jason Levine
Premium
join:2001-07-13
USA | reply to gateguy
Re: Finally!
A local pizza place near where I work advertises all of their prices including tax. It makes it so much easier to figure out how much your order will be when you don't need to multiply by 8.25%. |
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cghh
join:2001-01-15
Milpitas, CA
| reply to Kearnstd
Re: Also......
said by Kearnstd : though i think wireless ads should say true cost with the fees/taxes. atleast print ads which can be regionalised to account for state taxes. I don't know how it is in other states, but sales taxes in California can vary by what city you are in, and certainly vary by the county you are in, so it would be utterly impractical to include sales tax in print ads. For example, in the San Francisco Bay area, there are at least six counties (depending on how far out you go), all with different sales tax rates. The Los Angeles area is similar. The major newspapers in these areas serve the entire area. |
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Jason Levine
Premium
join:2001-07-13
USA
| I don't mind a breakout in my bill....
If they want to provide a breakout in my bill of where my money is going to, that's fine so long as they follow 2 simple rules:
1 - Don't list anything as a tax or government mandated fee unless it's an actual tax/fee that the government is *requiring* them to impose on me. No, taxes/fees that they pay don't count as taxes/fees on my bill. That's just their cost of doing business.
2 - When the prices for services are advertised, list the final price. Don't advertise that your service is $20 when you really add $40 in fees and "taxes." (What my Verizon landline did before I got rid of it.) Consumers should have clear pricing information when making a decision as to the service to choose.
As other posters said, I'd like to see this expanded to include VoIP, cable digital phone, landline phone, and more. For now, Wireless phone is a good start, though. |
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