[WS:] I do not particularly object to data mining - not that I like it, but every company does that and there is not much one can do about it. It is not much different from the old practice of salespeople remembering their customers - in both cases information about customers is retained in some form by the salespeople for future use.
What bothers me is unauthorized charges for services that I did not order. At some point my account is being charged for some shit that don't even know exists. This is like a pickpocket stealing my money or a gas station attendant charging my credit card for something I did not order. If a guy on a subway station or a sales clerk can go to jail for doing that, why do not the same applies to corporate schmucks? I know that all telecoms do that, as well as some subscription services, but Verizon seems particularly aggressive about it. I also heard that AT&T is pretty bad too.
Wojtek
--- On Wed, 3/18/09, Andy <andy274 at gmail.com> wrote:
> From: Andy <andy274 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] Verizon fraud
> To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
> Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2009, 11:40 AM
> On Wed, Mar 18, 2009 at 9:32 AM,
> Wojtek Sokolowski
> <swsokolowski at yahoo.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > I recently noticed that Verizon engages in
> fraudulently adding unauthorized charges to their DSL
> internet service. Without any warning, they add a
> "security and backup" service, "games on demand" service and
> in some cases a movie service - totaling between $20 and
> $30.
>
> I don't know about their DSL, but Verizon Wireless
> customers might
> have missed the note for opting out of their sharing
> 'services
> purchased (including specific calls you make and receive),
> billing
> info, technical info and location info'. I got the
> notice a couple of
> years ago. I found out how to opt out through the
> Verizon website in
> the comments here:
>
> <http://i.gizmodo.com/5166365/free-advice-watch-the-mail-and-opt-out-of-verizon-sharing-your-personal-data>
>
> (Via slashdot: <http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/03/08/196242>)
>
> I'd be curious what anybody who doesn't mind data mining at
> Facebook
> and the like thinks of this.
>
> --
> Andy
>
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>