BBC NEWS | Technology | Tough rules for ringtone sellers

It’s the classic bait and switch routine, with a twist. Advertise on kids’ channels to add “features” to their new “toys” for a low rate, or even free – but don’t bother to clearly outline the fact that they’re not “buying” something, but instead subscribing to a service with a weekly charge. Besides, when you’re marketing to kids, there’s no reason to worry about anyone actually reading the fine print, is there?

I briefly touched on this http://jonathanmurray.com/greymatter/archives/00000314.htm awhile back, and it seems I’m not the only one with concerns. The British are enforcing new laws that require these vendors to be up-front with what they are really pushing.

I honestly had no idea that my “worst case scenario” back in January was going to become so widespread – but it’s comforting to know I can still recognize a scam when I see one. Read some of the links http://www.google.com/search?q=jamster+scam here to see what I’m talking about.

This tactic involved signing people up for a subscription to give them, for instance, several ringtones per week or month instead of the single track they thought they were getting.

…

“What made us uncomfortable was that these services were not being marketed transparently,” said Mr Flynn. “People did not know they were being offered a subscription service.”

More at http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/02/28/ringtone_rules/ The Register