Has anyone noticed a great increase in the number of companies tha exist for the sole purpose of robbing you blind?
In New Zealand I reckon we hve a huge problem. It all revolves around the cellphone and text message market. First there were these ads on TV that offered polyphonic ringtones and sounds, (just text to #### and we'll send you the latest and greatest blah blah blah.)
What the illegable small print down the bottom of the screen states, is that by texting you are signing yourself up to a service where you will pay $5 a week and recieve a new ringtone every week, as well as paying $3 per message sent. The announcer on the screen says nothing about this, and one presumes that it is a one-off thing.
Poor bastards who decide that they can spare $5 try it out, and are conned into paying the money, have no legal foot to stand on to get it back, because these sneaky sons of bitches stay a hairs breadth inside the law so they get away with it.
I am lucky that I don't care for random ringtones, (I have "Everlong" by the Foo Fighters which I wrote into my phone myself,) but these bastards don't stop. The next big things were stuff like "Love Calculators" and "Daily Jokes" which you unwittingly signed up for, (after again thinking it is a one-off thing,) which were mostly aimed at pre teen girls. Still, aparently stripping children of their meager incom wasn't enough, so the nex thing was competitions!
Putting these competitions in the ad breaks were a stroke of genius. Who isn't bored rigid by ads that they'd embrace the excuse to enter a harmless competition. The questions they posed were pathetic. "Playstation is a brand of A) Sony B) Apple", stuff like that. The worst was probabl a picture of the Eiffel Tower with the question "Which city is this in? A) Paris B) Berlin" The presenter offered two clues: "This is known as a city of love" and "One of the Hilton sisters is named after it". What's next?! "It begins with a P and ends with an aris."
I was tempted to text in the wrong answer just to see what happened. I doubt they would have cared.
There is more fine print on these things too. Apparently the one question isn't good enough. From those I've talked to who have been sucked in to this and similar competitions, you have to answer five questions. After you send in the first answer, (at $5,) they send you the next question, (at $5.) I imagine they're easy until the fifth one where they ask something impossible so in the end no-one can enter the competition, however no-one I know has bothered to go that far and instead texted "cancel" to their number, (at $5 a message.)
Now these companies have attacked the internet. I saw an ad just before stting "Click here toget your fortune told" or somthing along those lines. I though "what the Hell" and was taken to this website. Already cautious I scrolled around to find any fin print. There was none and the page wasn't big enough to warrent a scroll. I entered my wish, (as it said.) Next page - what is your name? I again looked for small print and again found nothing. I entered my name and was taken to the next page - this time asking for my star sign, (Leo.) The next page asked ever so kindly for my cellphone number so Zoltar could send me what was probably only going to be my Horoscope. The screen hadn't changed but I smelled a rat. I tried scrolling down again! Success! What I found:
Trading in dishonesty - the next big thin. What bullshit.
In New Zealand I reckon we hve a huge problem. It all revolves around the cellphone and text message market. First there were these ads on TV that offered polyphonic ringtones and sounds, (just text to #### and we'll send you the latest and greatest blah blah blah.)
What the illegable small print down the bottom of the screen states, is that by texting you are signing yourself up to a service where you will pay $5 a week and recieve a new ringtone every week, as well as paying $3 per message sent. The announcer on the screen says nothing about this, and one presumes that it is a one-off thing.
Poor bastards who decide that they can spare $5 try it out, and are conned into paying the money, have no legal foot to stand on to get it back, because these sneaky sons of bitches stay a hairs breadth inside the law so they get away with it.
I am lucky that I don't care for random ringtones, (I have "Everlong" by the Foo Fighters which I wrote into my phone myself,) but these bastards don't stop. The next big things were stuff like "Love Calculators" and "Daily Jokes" which you unwittingly signed up for, (after again thinking it is a one-off thing,) which were mostly aimed at pre teen girls. Still, aparently stripping children of their meager incom wasn't enough, so the nex thing was competitions!
Putting these competitions in the ad breaks were a stroke of genius. Who isn't bored rigid by ads that they'd embrace the excuse to enter a harmless competition. The questions they posed were pathetic. "Playstation is a brand of A) Sony B) Apple", stuff like that. The worst was probabl a picture of the Eiffel Tower with the question "Which city is this in? A) Paris B) Berlin" The presenter offered two clues: "This is known as a city of love" and "One of the Hilton sisters is named after it". What's next?! "It begins with a P and ends with an aris."
I was tempted to text in the wrong answer just to see what happened. I doubt they would have cared.
There is more fine print on these things too. Apparently the one question isn't good enough. From those I've talked to who have been sucked in to this and similar competitions, you have to answer five questions. After you send in the first answer, (at $5,) they send you the next question, (at $5.) I imagine they're easy until the fifth one where they ask something impossible so in the end no-one can enter the competition, however no-one I know has bothered to go that far and instead texted "cancel" to their number, (at $5 a message.)
Now these companies have attacked the internet. I saw an ad just before stting "Click here toget your fortune told" or somthing along those lines. I though "what the Hell" and was taken to this website. Already cautious I scrolled around to find any fin print. There was none and the page wasn't big enough to warrent a scroll. I entered my wish, (as it said.) Next page - what is your name? I again looked for small print and again found nothing. I entered my name and was taken to the next page - this time asking for my star sign, (Leo.) The next page asked ever so kindly for my cellphone number so Zoltar could send me what was probably only going to be my Horoscope. The screen hadn't changed but I smelled a rat. I tried scrolling down again! Success! What I found:
They don't expect you to find, let alone read this, it's nothing more than a fucking con. Most of these things come from Australia, (sorry Aussies, but I've looked into it and it's true,) the competitions never have a finish date and so far I havn't seen the ad for them taken of the TV which can only mean that if they are indeed getting people to answer the full five questions, (costing a total of $50,) the draws are never done, or at least are done until there are enough entries to ensure that an entrant a a snowball's chance in Hell of winning.Summary terms:
By signing up for this service and by entering your personal PIN Code which will be sent to the mobile phone number supplied by you on this website, you acknowledge that you are subscribing to our service. All plans are subject to the Terms and Conditions. You may stop this subscription service at any time by sending a text message with STOP, to short code 19900089. Your phone must be polyphonic compatible, be Internet-enabled and have text messaging capability. You must be the owner of this device and either be at least sixteen years old or have the permission of your parent or guardian. Vodafone and Telecom customers will receive the Destiny Horoscopes club at $5 twice per wk. Standard/other text messaging rates may apply. For Information text HELP to 19900089 or call 1300767306.Please click hereto see
Trading in dishonesty - the next big thin. What bullshit.
[Blinking eyes thing]
Steam: http://steamcommunity.com/id/tzyon
Steam: http://steamcommunity.com/id/tzyon
