| reply to NOVA_Guy
Re: Not on Verizon Those are all good ideas, and would make the industry more honest and competitive.
And your right, the government (via the FCC, FTC, etc.) largely has the power to force some of these changes already.
How they get away with some of these things, for so long, is beyond me. Outright lies in advertising (Unlimited! = 5 GB cap), bogus below-the-line-fees (not in advertised price), forcing a text plan (or pay $0.25 each way, including receiving), and forced bundling in general.
I posted earlier in the thread about carrier "subsidies," which is really financing, not a subsidy. They bundle the cost of service with the cost of financing, and don't break out the cost financing. So people don't know the real cost of the phone, the effective interest being paid, or the service. There's no incentive to buy your own phone, when you pay full price for service.
This won't change unless the government forces carriers to separately list the cost of financing and service, and to break out the details of financing (effective interest rate). Just like the government requires all loans to provide all the details of the financing involved. |
