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Aside from cable companies wanting to hide fees, is there any reason why this rule should be scrapped?
by mikece 3y ago
Aside from cable companies wanting to hide fees, is there any reason why this rule should be scrapped?
- rolph 3y agothe actual title explains the problem a little more acurately >>FCC says “too bad” to ISPs complaining that listing every fee is too hard<<
- Bud 3y agoNo. In fact, given the dishonest behavior of ISPs, the FCC should go even further, and require all ISPs to list the full sticker price of any offered services, and ONLY the full price, in all advertising. They shouldn't even be allowed to list a price that doesn't yet include the fees. No asterisks. No appendices. No see below. No fine print. Just list the real price. Always.
- topspin 3y agoImagine how many "bullshit jobs" would no longer be necessary.
- eppp 3y agoHow would that work when you may not even know where the person wants service? You might know a general area and there might be unknown fees that the isp cant know until after they negotiate with the various stakeholders to build service.
- Bud 3y agoThis sounds like a feature, not a bug. To the extent that is the case, all of those thousands of ISP lawyers would now become incentivized to reduce the complexity of the bullshit fee structures you're talking about.
- sharts 3y agoDon't cell providers across the country charge the same price regardless of coverage guarantees? Generally you'd probably negotiate w/ stakeholders BEFORE advertising. I'm not sure why any sane person would advertise something before having a solid idea of what is possible, unless they are running for political office.
- eppp 3y agoI cant even guarantee you we can build in any given building even if a resident wants the service. Cell providers don't have to deal with physical issues of access.
- throwaway14356 3y agoi think the same way it works everywhere else? Some customers are more profitable than others. Often the more expensive service is more profitable but if you want simple pricing you can do the opposite.
- pessimizer 3y agoIf you don't know the price that you can charge, you shouldn't get the right to make one up for advertising. That's creating a special right for the stupid or lazy.
- topspin 3y ago> How would that work when you may not even know where the person wants service? No cost until the service location is known. It's a two way street, right? It's entirely reasonable that if you were to obligate the ISP to deliver precision in pricing they'd have no recourse but to require accurate disclosure of the service location. This is all fantasy, however. This clown world we've built doesn't contemplate such things. The minor ask the FCC is making here is as far as it will go, and if the big ISPs put enough campaign money into the right "family foundations" we might not even get that much.
- throwaway14356 3y agolets also require an api and standardize the offers. Just like one can see 2 jars of peanut butter side by side in the store.
- arlcode 3y agoMaybe it's different in the US but here in Germany I'm charged exactly the sum that was advertised when I signed up for the service. Even if you do the "taxes not included" dance, I doubt US ISPs are incapable of just charging (and advertising) a single sum that covers everything. I'm honestly surprised this is not already happening (again I could be mistaken)
- kalupa 3y agoI'm sure they'll claim that it's too difficult, or too confusing for consumers, etc., etc.
- sharts 3y agoYes. Those who support it will be paid handsomely by lobbyists. Why doesn't anybody stand up for those people's right to make money at public expense?
- lizard 3y agoI imagine some people won't be thrilled about the "Fee listing fee" that's going to show up on their bill.
- jimbob45 3y agoIs there anything stopping them from charging a lump “fee” fee and then refunding whatever they don’t need?
- isk517 3y agoBold of you to assume they would ever refund anything. Most of these fees exist because they want more money and don't want to just outright say they want more money.
- supertrope 3y agoSome people are generally against regulations.
- legitster 3y agoI think, playing devil's advocate for the ISPs here, the argument is over how they are supposed to be displaying local government fees on their advertising. Which would make for some pretty complicated ads if you could imagine, like, a billboard between 3 or 4 townships that all have different fees. Here, the FCC I think provides a pretty reasonable suggestion that they can use "up-to" fees when displaying prices But it still means you have to know some of the geographic data on the person you are advertising a price too.