Posted by jcwhite_uk
The networks will come under attack tonight from a Channel 4 Dispatches programme that promises to reveal ‘the secrets the mobile phone industry doesn’t want you to know.’
The operators are to be criticised for a range of issues including cashback, misselling, slamming, roaming charge costs and high prices of domestic calls and texts.
The government is also singled out by the show, with one section pledging to ‘reveal how the government sided with the mobile networks against the British consumer.’
Dispatches journalists approached a number of the industries top brass in an attempt to illicit a response, including O2’s Matthew Key, Vodafone’s Arun Sarin, Orange’s Brigitte Bougoin and T-Mobile’s Jim Hyde. However, only Hyde was willing to speak on the issues.
Dispatches: The mobile phone rip-off will be aired at 8pm tonight on channel 4.
Posted by gola
I knew something wasn't right...
Posted by fatreg
Well nothing I didn't know already so far........
although I did spend 6 years on the inside.
Posted by jcwhite_uk
Who watched it then? Some points were interesting and some were just stirring.
I cant see how they can say that the problems with cashback is down to the networks when it is the shops offering the cashback.
I had never though about the cost of texts before. It does appear that we are being ripped off.
Posted by djtwistter
just watched it,it is shockily the truth
Posted by 5nak3
recorded it, gonna watch in a bit later on.
Posted by lovewalrus
I agree with the program that text charges are to high, but considering the fact that at least 60% of the revenue goes into R&D so that we can have new services, I'm willin to pay extra! As for the cash back-it's the consumers to blame for going for quick cash option and not taking the responsibilty of lookin at the bigger picture and alternatives!
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Posted by bavlondon2
To be honest yeah the cash back redemption deals are a load of shit but generally the industry is a lot better than what it used to be in terms of pricing.
I mean before how much did it cost to call another network? These days I get so many mintues I dont need to go over. Same goes for texting and surfing.
When your buying a phone you need to be clued up to some degree otherwise you will just end up getting ripped of in one way or another.
Posted by fatreg
On 2008-04-28 22:26:28, jcwhite_uk wrote:
I had never though about the cost of texts before. It does appear that we are being ripped off.
A text is less than 1kb is size, that's the equivalent of £102.40 per MB... and I'm not even a DR, but I worked that out! but yeah bearing in mind, texting was an offspring from the networks..
Didn't know that it only costs 10c to connect an European call to another European phone though (as in real cost, not what we pay)
Posted by bavlondon2
Did you know SMS wasnt even intended to be used as a feature originally. Its sucess was completley unpredicted. It was meant to be used only just to allow operators to send settings and msgs to our phone. Everyone in the phone industry is greedy thats just the way it is.
Posted by jcwhite_uk
On 2008-04-28 22:53:05, fatreg wrote:
On 2008-04-28 22:26:28, jcwhite_uk wrote:
I had never though about the cost of texts before. It does appear that we are being ripped off.
A text is less than 1kb is size, that's the equivalent of £102.40 per MB... and I'm not even a DR, but I worked that out! but yeah bearing in mind, texting was an offspring from the networks..
Didn't know that it only costs 10c to connect an European call to another European phone though (as in real cost, not what we pay)
According to the show it actually costs the eqivelent of £375 er MB.
Posted by fatreg
hmmmm it could always be less than 1kb, but I don't do bytes....
is it not more than that though?
1K say....
1K *1024 = 1Kb
1024kb * 1024 = 1mb.....
Posted by lovewalrus
The senerio they where redreing to in the program was to send the message via the hubel space telescope-how that relates to texting I'm not sure-clasic case of making the story meatier!
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Posted by jcwhite_uk
They were comparing costs. It is cheaper per MB to send pictures from th Hubble Space telescope than it is to send an SMS. They were not saying to send the message via Hubble.
Posted by Daedalus85
Dispatches, like Watchdog, just keep running out of topics so they spin things and blow them out of proportion to keep their viewers. Companys are out to make money, the end customer always gets the bum deal, the world keeps spinning, get over it, thats what I say.
Posted by Bonovox
Yeah most of it was stuff we knew already but i would never ever have bought a contract from some dodgy back street retailer. I never trust them would only ever buy from known retailers plus cash back offers are always too good to be true. And i hate Phones4U totally incompetant company. I had a contract from them years back and it took them 2 months for my sim to be connected no joke. And i hate the way they hound you in store. You ask for pay as you go and then try and force a contract down your throat i detest it. If i wanted a contract i would have asked for it. And as for all this price fixing from the networks IM NOT SURPRISED.
Posted by Miss UK
can u lot check if its on V+ mine went down blasts!
Posted by Bonovox
Keep looking through the week programmes like this are always repeated some days later. Look at channel 4+1 or More 4.
Posted by jcwhite_uk
Dispatches didnt actually seem keen to talk to the networks. The only time they tried to talk to them was at the Mobile World Congress where the network bods were really busy. Surely they could have arranged meetings with all the networks o give them a chance to respond.
Posted by F1
On 2008-04-28 23:57:32, Daedalus85 wrote:
Dispatches, like Watchdog, just keep running out of topics so they spin things and blow them out of proportion to keep their viewers. Companys are out to make money, the end customer always gets the bum deal, the world keeps spinning, get over it, thats what I say.
i guess you work for one of these thieving companies then?
Posted by Miss UK
Lol well i'd like to see this so hope it will be repeated I hate Virgin Media or NTL lately everythings screwed up didn't have access to Channels 3,4,5 and +4 Monday nite
Posted by lovewalrus
Can you not watch it pine using 4OD?
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Posted by Daedalus85
Yes, I do work for one of those 'theieving companies' as you put it
Whats worse is, Channel 4 didn't even offer the networks an advance copy of the programme so they could put right any slander etc, they just ignored their requests and put it straight on air, making it even worse :/
There are companies far far worse out there than your mobile phone
Posted by stevevalo
It's not just Mobile companies, there are all at it.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk[....]+%C2%A31.50+a+litre/article.do
And its not going to get any better!
Posted by goldenface
I was slammed once whilst on Orange. I was contacted by a third party seller who signed me up for a new contract when I still had about 4 months left on my current one, with a whole set of new charges and my K700i hadn't even arrived.
However, when I told Orange they gladly refunded the money etc and sorted it out proper.
There is too much hard sell, though - you just have to be on your guard. More and more phones are being sold online now though - its much less hassle.
Posted by Miss UK
its not on 4oD theres 1 about Iraq tho on there but u have to go thru Tv Choice! Anyway its on More4 at 9pm tonite again I scrolled down all the 4's and saw it! Just hope Virgin dont mess up later again
actually V Plusing it to! Hope its a intresting watch u lot 
Posted by tempus
We all know that mobile phone calls, sms ect are a rip off but mobile phones have become part of modern life. I know that some countries charge you for recieving calls but when I was away in the far east a few years ago I could make a phone call to the UK for free!
Posted by Miss UK
I didn't get how if consumers walked into a phoneshop then they'd be subjected to taking contracts out.
are they stupid that they cannot say no? and leave the shop premises?
ive never been in this situation before,
onetime Phones4u tried to get me out of my contract with 02,
they'd pay it off, but the deal with Vodafone wasn't very good in my eyes so I left it they weren't amused but tuff im not being forced into something I don't want!
if people are dumb enough to fall for that then there idiots!
ive seen a few teenage kids with my handset and im thinking how did they get that? ahh the parent's prob paying the contract lol or were they marched in at tantrum point
Phone stores will not subjects kids into contracts but the parents,
if there so stupid then be it I say!
Posted by 5nak3
while most of the costs mentioned were no suprise, I feel that all those people who were complaining about getting forced contracts believing in cash back schemes etc...have only themselves to blame.
No one is making you sign, yes they may put more pressure on you but end of the day you can walk out.
The one thing which did annoy me was the cost of roaming, while i understand it is expensive and I've known that for a long time now I think that the cost is by no means fair and really should have come down a lot more by now.
One thing which confuses me actually is certain contracts e.g. O2's where they allow you to send messages from your allowance when abroad at the cost of 4 sms for each one you send. Couldn't they do the same with minutes? This way they allow voice calls.
Or how about another service where when the customer goes abroad they can agrees to pay an additional fee for the months they are abroad e.g. £10-£15 pound a month and then they are allowed to use their minutes and texts abroad as they would at home.
Surely it cant be that expensive for the company to allow you to use your minutes abroad. Although they will no doubt see a drop in profits particularly considering they make a lot of money from roaming costs.
Posted by Miss UK
Roaming charges are to big and yes they need to come down even 38p is still too much are they having a laugh?
I don't think i'll take my Vodafone contract with me abroad as the charges are way to much! 02 are cheaper when I was in Berlin for 3 days they charged me £2.06p for that Vodafone prob charge me triple
best to go PrePay abroad until they get they acts into order
I didn't know to say on behalf of the cash backs schemes they work for some yet not for others
Posted by pmerryman
Roaming charges are outrageous. 38p for making or receiving a call. This reminds me of when mobiles first come out, and you had to pay that for all calls.
Its about time these charges were altered.
Posted by Miss UK
Tell us about it