Meteor lies; O2 preys on our children, too.

After Meteor's attempt of damage limitation by way of lying to the media, may we propose a change of the familiar "Meteor – your world your way" slogan to something more realistic?

Meteor lies

According to the Sunday Business Post (see full article of 5/2/2006 under resources) a Meteor spokesman tried to justify the company's pick-pocketing strategy with three arguments, all demonstrably barefaced lies:

Lie no 1:
"A spokesman for Meteor said the delivery charge was outlined on the website."
The delivery charges for ringtones, games etc. are not outlined on the website. Full stop.
Lie no 2:
"The customer had the opportunity to cancel the order after the ringtones were sent to their mobile."
Of course they can – but why would one cancel the ringtone, when one receives this message? Nothing there to tell the customer that charges of several euros will apply on top of the advertised price. See the two messages that will appear on the mobile after getting the ringtone sent:



And here is, from the online billing, that not many customers will ever see, how the supposedly "free" ringtone is charged:


Lie no 3:
"All regulations required by communications regulator ComReg had been followed."
The audacity of Meteor is stunning. Meteor must have a different set of regulations than the one ComReg publishes for the rest of the industry.
Ever looked up the regulations required by ComReg? Meteor is in demonstrable direct breach of them:

"ComReg guidelines on tariff information"
(Comlete PDF can be downloaded from ComReg))

"3.1 Accurate Tariff Information
The principle of accuracy requires service providers to ensure that end-users are presented with accurate, up to date tariff information, on services relevant to their needs. In presenting tariff information service providers should seek to ensure that it is readily understood and does not serve by way of inaccuracy, ambiguity, exaggeration or omission to mislead end-users.

3.1.2 Manipulation of tariffs
A service provider should not manipulate information in such a way that it makes the tariffs inaccurate and misleads end-users.

3.2 Comprehensive Tariff Information
The purpose of this principle is to ensure that consumers have access to
comprehensive tariff information in one location, and that tariff presentations contain sufficient detail to inform end-users about the particulars of different tariff options.
3.2.1 Minimum set of information
All printed, website or verbal tariff presentations shall state relevant details and additional charges/surcharges applicable to the tariff. For printed presentations, the additional information should be located beside the tariff information in a comparable font size."

As ComReg says that it will enforce the measures
("4.3 ComReg enforcement measures:
Compliance with the principles will be assessed by ComReg on an ongoing basis. Measures to effect compliance will be taken by ComReg in accordance with its statutory powers.")
we have written to ComReg and asked them to assess the compliance of Meteor and O2.


O2 preys on our children – too

Here's how they do it (same method as Meteor really): Advertising one price, giving no indication about the substantial "delivery" charge.

Ringtones and games are clearly/misleadingly advertised at a certain price, at which they are not delivered. The substantial "delivery" charges are not made clear to the buyer – mostly vulnerable youngsters. The note that "Standard text rates to order apply" is all that is mentioned. See screenshot of O2 page price information:


The small hint about GPRS rates in one of the following windows popping up when ordering, does not give even the cutest kid a chance to find out about the substantial unannounced "delivery" charge O2 will take out of the customer's credits.
See under resources 2 an example how impossible it is for the buyer of a game from 02 to find out about the delivery charges.
We've asked the ODCA to investigate O2 practices of selling ringtones, games etc in breach of the Consumer Information Act of 1978.

Resources:

1. Sunday Business Post, 5/2/2006
"Meteor to review promotions
Mobile operator Meteor is reviewing promotions on its website after a complaint that customers were unaware that the firm charged delivery costs for downloading ringtones, writes Eamon Quinn. The Office of Director of Consumer Affairs last week received a complaint about the ringtone delivery costs.
Peter Weigl, a telecoms expert, said that Meteor had levied a delivery charge of at least € 3.39 per ringtone, which was advertised on its website as costing nothing.
A spokesman for Meteor said the delivery charge was outlined on the website and its customers had the opportunity to cancel the order after the ringtones were sent to their mobile phone. He said all regulations required by communications regulator, ComReg, had been followed."

2. Example documenting the impossibility for a customer to find out about the substantial "delivery" charges when buying a game from 02 (same applies to buying ringtones, wallpapers etc.)


When ordering the game this page will show (see screenshot):


For the careful buyer there is a mention of "Standard GPRS rates apply for using WAP" to be found.
But what does it mean?
Perhaps a look in the latest printed O2 charges can help?
(See scan of relevant pages from mid 2005 O2 charges brochure)





Under Early Bird charges there are WAP calls (as was mentioned in the order text) with 6c offpeak and 19 cent peak pricing, there are also "Mobile web per KB" prices given at 1c. What to make of that? What to make of that as a sixth class student?



A look at the additional features page of the brochure clearly indicates that only for "O2 polyphonic ringtones" "Standard text and WAP/GPRS rates apply", but not for games, wallpapers and realtones (see screenshot above)

Trying to find out what the term "Standard GPRS rates apply for using WAP" on the second screen means by having a look at the O2 tariffs online will only lead to these two results, which again do not allow even the cutest of buyers to figure out that buying the game would probably cost another several euros to download the game to the handset. (See screen shot from the O2 online tariff lists).
Even the most specialised customer could not find out the price of the download, as no indication of the size of the game is given.




If somebody is really persevering they could phone O2's customer service and ask for the tariff of the game download, where he would not be told the cost, because the customer service does not know either (we have tried it)

Just to be clear: this is not a technical problem inherent to the situation. Both O2 and Meteor could simply either not add a download price to the ringtones, games etc, just as Vodafone and 3 are doing, or give an exact price for the download with the price for the item – as both the Consumer Act of 1978 and the ComReg guidelines for tariff information clearly demand.

Remember the tariff rules of the Communications Regulator:
A service provider should not manipulate information in such a way that it makes the tariffs inaccurate and misleads end-users.

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