Froggin’ Expensive
Posted: Tue 28 June, 2005 Filed under: Customer Services, Weirdness 3 Comments »Well, colour me shocked. There’s a story on the BBC News today about how signing up to the Crazy Bastard Frog (CBF) ringtone costs people a lot more than they expect. Basically, if you signed up to get the CBF, you’ve then signed up to Jamster‘s shite from now ’til the end of eternity. (and yes, pedants, I know that technically eternity never ends, but bollocks, I’m using the expression anyway) Or, in fairness, ’til you get enough IQ points to text “STOP” to whatever number it is. (if memory serves, I think that’s the code – see, I do pay attention to the adverts)
The whining twat on the BBC says this:
I did not spot the impossibly small print whizzing by on the bottom of the screen while a larger-than-a life Crazy Frog gyrated to his latest tones.If I had, it would apparently have informed me that by ordering the ringtone I had also signed up to a subscription.
The watchdog’s 2004 code says pricing information must be spoken on television adverts if maximum call costs can exceed £2. The code also states that “textual pricing information must be easily legible, prominent… presented in a way that does not require close examination”.
©BBC News 2005
She then goes on to say “I couldn’t find anything about this on the Jamster site”. Well, madam, then you’re obviously as thick as pigshite. If you click on the “Terms and Conditions” link on any Jamster Page (yes, I’ve just looked at the site for the first time ever you get to see this :
To unsubscribe by text message, text “STOP” to 88888, call 0870 121 3186 or go to “My Clubs” under “My Jamster!” on www.jamster.co.uk or send an email to info@jamster.co.uk. The termination shall become effective immediately upon receipt of termination request.
© Jamster 2005
Rocket science this isn’t.
So far as I can see, the entire Jamster ringtones thing is just like an idiot tax anyway – if you don’t read the text at the bottom (and I have – it’s not difficult so long as you don’t need to read aloud, or follow the words with your fucking finger) and just subscribe then a) you’re an idiot, and b) you’re fair game to get ripped off. This whine masquerading as news just goes to illustrate the point.
Yep, anyone would thing that crazy frog is a public service the way they are
carrying on and not just a gimmick for a few people to make lots of dosh off
of the hoards of braindead gimmick junkies.
All well and good when it’s an adult caught out, but when it’s a child who doesn’t know better then it’s a bit different.
The problem is, even when the idiot or whatever sends the stop message, it stops the subscription but jamster then continue to inundate the phone number with reverse charge text messages trying to entice the said idiot back into the scheme. The only way to stop it is to chuck away the sim card and start again. A friends 13yo daughter was caught up in this scam and that was the only way he could stop the flood of adverts even after sending the stop message as per instructions. A ten pound pop-up lasted less than half an hour, due to the avalanche of adverts that hit the phone as soon as it had credits built up.
Yes it may teach her a lesson for the future, but I do object strongly to shit faced con men making large sums of money out of people who don’t know any better. That’s a job reserved for our shitty government.
erm excuse me if i am talking out of turn here but myself and my husband DID NOT subscribe to any of these ringtone things and hey presto they can take credit from our phone when we havent even subscribed we even did the STOP text which DID NOT WORK as they are still taking credit when they feel like doing so there should be a law against it its a disgarce