consumerist.com— Verizon and other cellphone companies mark up the cost of text messages by at least 4876% when compared to their rates for data transfer services.
Mar 27, 2007View in Crawl 4
@DaveVPeople got along without penicillin for over 100,000 years. I think you can get along without modern medicine.People got along without cars for over 100,000 years. I think you can get along without motorized transportation.People got along without plastic for over 100,000 years. I think you can get along without just about everything you own.
I understand that some people must have a mobile phone for work. Other than that, I don't understand why people throw away so much money. I paid zero dollars, ever, on mobile phones. Just think how much money you would have if you invested what you spend on a phone each month. Are your friends so important that you give up your wealth? You can call them from home. Where I live I get both my home phone and internet for $40. a month. If you have an emergency on the road you can walk to a pay phone. Fifty cents vs. cell phone bill = no contestSure people think I'm a weirdo for not giving in to peer pressure. But guess what. I'm a weirdo on my way to being rich.
it seems as though all of those companies charge and exorbitant amount of money for something so seemingly useless in comparison... but its a business and the demand calls for their ability to jack up the prices to such an extent. also verizon is infamous for chopping off features and replacing them with their falsely "superior" ones that only limit the user in so many aspects it completely degrades the essence of the product...
I am piggybacking on first post... so sue me...ORIGINALLY in the VERY early days of cell phones SMSs were sent along a secondary data path (vs. the circuit based paths for actual calls) that was primarily used for diagnostic purposes and simple things like CallerID. Those data lines were very limited and as such SMSs cost a lot BACK THEN. Now days they just they are still charging the same rates because, yes, they are money grubbing thieves and people are used to those rates.I worked for a cell company for a couple years so I learned this through the grape vine.
hdtvdust, you misunderstood my comment. No where did I say that the free market was a bad idea, actually I never mentioned the free market at all. I simply pointed out that the figures in the article were wrong. Since my post, the article has been changed and the figures now seem more accurate. I was simply pointing out that whoever wrote the article was not thinking clearly when putting in the figures or they just simply cannot do high school math. I know that we pay for things that are severely overpriced. So try not to be defensive of my observation.Oh and by the way, another product that has its' price based solely on the cost to manufacture it: food industry. I pay $0.99 for a chicken sandwich, and I know that I'm not paying 1000% markup. Maybe you should start thinking just a little harder before you try to ostracize me for my opinion/observation.Name another product or service that is prices based solely on the COST to the manufacturer or provider? There are none. Why should this be any different. It is called a free market, and if you can't understand a simple concept, then there is no hope for you and you shouldn't even try to enter this debate.
Monopolies suck!!! Telecoms and Cable companies bribe local governments to get exclusive contracts without asking the public who they want. Verizon is a rip-off and they have serious billing problems. I think the "problems" are intentional because most people don't want to be on the phone for 1-3 hours a month arguing false charges. Check out consumerist and other sites. Verizon on as a whole overcharges for everything. They bribed city officials on my side of town and now a basic phone line costs $20.78 a month. Just a few blocks away they have Qwest and the same service is $12.80. How can they justify the difference? Maybe it is because they they have to hire twice as many customer service reps because their service sucks and they bill incorrectly. They even bribed my apartment complex to sign an exclusive deal. In my lease contract it says that I can not get a Comcast (cable) phone line or a VOIP. They even go around and check their customers with only one phone line to see if they split the line. My in-laws got a letter from them saying they no longer can split one line so you can't have a phone in the bedroom and one in the kitchen without ordering another line. They threatened to charge them a fine if they didn't unplug one of the phones. Stay away from Verizon as much as you can in this fascist-monopolistic state we live in. Write politicians and the BBB whenever you have a problem with them. It is the only chance we have for change.
xinareiazMar 28, 2007
I use Virgin mobile and its only 5 cents for me...heck I'm just pay as you go, no special plan here.
meznakMar 28, 2007
@DaveVPeople got along without penicillin for over 100,000 years. I think you can get along without modern medicine.People got along without cars for over 100,000 years. I think you can get along without motorized transportation.People got along without plastic for over 100,000 years. I think you can get along without just about everything you own.
siszamMar 28, 2007
I understand that some people must have a mobile phone for work. Other than that, I don't understand why people throw away so much money. I paid zero dollars, ever, on mobile phones. Just think how much money you would have if you invested what you spend on a phone each month. Are your friends so important that you give up your wealth? You can call them from home. Where I live I get both my home phone and internet for $40. a month. If you have an emergency on the road you can walk to a pay phone. Fifty cents vs. cell phone bill = no contestSure people think I'm a weirdo for not giving in to peer pressure. But guess what. I'm a weirdo on my way to being rich.
windsweep9Mar 28, 2007
it seems as though all of those companies charge and exorbitant amount of money for something so seemingly useless in comparison... but its a business and the demand calls for their ability to jack up the prices to such an extent. also verizon is infamous for chopping off features and replacing them with their falsely "superior" ones that only limit the user in so many aspects it completely degrades the essence of the product...
xzanatosMar 29, 2007
I am piggybacking on first post... so sue me...ORIGINALLY in the VERY early days of cell phones SMSs were sent along a secondary data path (vs. the circuit based paths for actual calls) that was primarily used for diagnostic purposes and simple things like CallerID. Those data lines were very limited and as such SMSs cost a lot BACK THEN. Now days they just they are still charging the same rates because, yes, they are money grubbing thieves and people are used to those rates.I worked for a cell company for a couple years so I learned this through the grape vine.
skizzabadooMar 29, 2007
hdtvdust, you misunderstood my comment. No where did I say that the free market was a bad idea, actually I never mentioned the free market at all. I simply pointed out that the figures in the article were wrong. Since my post, the article has been changed and the figures now seem more accurate. I was simply pointing out that whoever wrote the article was not thinking clearly when putting in the figures or they just simply cannot do high school math. I know that we pay for things that are severely overpriced. So try not to be defensive of my observation.Oh and by the way, another product that has its' price based solely on the cost to manufacture it: food industry. I pay $0.99 for a chicken sandwich, and I know that I'm not paying 1000% markup. Maybe you should start thinking just a little harder before you try to ostracize me for my opinion/observation.Name another product or service that is prices based solely on the COST to the manufacturer or provider? There are none. Why should this be any different. It is called a free market, and if you can't understand a simple concept, then there is no hope for you and you shouldn't even try to enter this debate.
pdxchrisSep 26, 2007
Monopolies suck!!! Telecoms and Cable companies bribe local governments to get exclusive contracts without asking the public who they want. Verizon is a rip-off and they have serious billing problems. I think the "problems" are intentional because most people don't want to be on the phone for 1-3 hours a month arguing false charges. Check out consumerist and other sites. Verizon on as a whole overcharges for everything. They bribed city officials on my side of town and now a basic phone line costs $20.78 a month. Just a few blocks away they have Qwest and the same service is $12.80. How can they justify the difference? Maybe it is because they they have to hire twice as many customer service reps because their service sucks and they bill incorrectly. They even bribed my apartment complex to sign an exclusive deal. In my lease contract it says that I can not get a Comcast (cable) phone line or a VOIP. They even go around and check their customers with only one phone line to see if they split the line. My in-laws got a letter from them saying they no longer can split one line so you can't have a phone in the bedroom and one in the kitchen without ordering another line. They threatened to charge them a fine if they didn't unplug one of the phones. Stay away from Verizon as much as you can in this fascist-monopolistic state we live in. Write politicians and the BBB whenever you have a problem with them. It is the only chance we have for change.
shannonxjDec 26, 2007
Almost all of the telecom company do this. Check <a class="user" href="http://www.bestcellularphoneserviceplans.com">http://www.bestcellularphoneserviceplans.com</a> for more info.
awhileagoJun 17, 2008
Now this is a good question, and I know I'm not going to like the answer.