Large companies have disappointing ethics - supporting scams

Share |

Here is an example of another large company engaging in unethical business practices. We warned Vodafone NZ about their activities over a month ago, and they are still carrying out the activity. They refused to refund us, but they did give us 20c credit to cancel the service.

Here is the scam. If you go to a website like this - a major newspaper - and you see an IQ test on the side left bar. It invites you into doing a test. Of course if you are curious, you engage as its free right. Continue on and you get to a point where you think you have to enter your tel number in order to get the IQ test result. You don't at this point know if you are paying for the test result, but you suspect that the tel number will be used for an advertising service, or follow up email.

What you don't see is the disclaimer because it is out of view. If you have a small netbook like me, then you will not even see the disclosure, which is not even in the same dialogue box as the box where you place your tel number. Clearly this is designed to be misleading.

Days later after my GF placed my cell phone number into this box, my cell phone credits were emptied. We contacted Vodafone, who refused to reimburse us. They did give us a 20c credit to cancel the scheme. We attempted to contact the company behind the scheme. The only number goes to a call centre in the Philippines. They were useless, but we were given a number in the USA. They were also useless.

This is the way business is going - international rackets to earn punitive, misleading fees. Banks started the process, and now telephone companies are going the same way. Of course maybe you think its just $20. Not worth complaining about.....but look at the banks...its $25 for an overdraft, its $20 for a zero balance. Sometimes you don't chose these things, they are imposed. You are buried in rules, such that you cannot live a life without a lawyer. And who would sue a person for $20. You would sooner slit your throat...or as most people do...simply repress it.

Everyone I know is repressed...except my immediate partner. People don't think because thinking only exposed your vulnerability to corporations engaging in scams. This is the world as structured by the "representative democratic" tradition. The politicians like this because it leaves them in political power, whilst their corporate affiliates loot you. They underfund regulatory agencies so you have no capacity to complain. For the hell of it - I suggest complaining here - http://www.comcom.govt.nz/online-complaint-form/

You might just receive an email explaining that they are under-resourced. I've heard it all before. The same crap in Australia.