Cell phones offer a lot more than phone service. They have special rings tones, colorful wallpaper, Internet access, music, text messaging, cameras, games – and sometimes unexpected and unwarranted fees.
Many consumers have had the unpleasant experience of opening their bills only to discover they’ve been charged monthly fees for services they never requested. These fees are pervasive nationally, and the State of  Florida has taken action. In November, the Attorney General’s office sued Buorngiorno, accusing the company of “engaging in blatantly deceptive business practices, and cramming charges onto consumers’ wireless phone bills.”

The Attorney General charged that “a particularly problematic aspect of the company’s practices was the alleged direct targeting of children as the initial consumer, and concern that the company’s advertising is supposedly created specifically to mislead young purchasers of cell phone content.” (www.myfloridalegal.com)

More than one parent has been hit with large bills for downloads of games designed for cell phones. Kids can opt in, without parental consent simply by inputting their cell phone number. Most adults don’t read the fine print on agreements. It’s unrealistic to expect it of children. When parents complain, cellular service providers claim an inability to give the money back because the charges were levied by an outside vendor, according to critics. 

Even if your kids don’t inadvertently fall for a scam or opt into a service they don’t understand, many adult consumers have been opted into unrequested services. Only if and when they notice do they have a chance of reversing these charges.

Check your cellular phone bill carefully each month. They are so complex, so dense and run so many pages, that most of us simply look for the bottom line. This allows “mistakes” to slip through the cracks.
If you catch something before paying for it, you’re more likely to get the charge removed than if you try to get reimbursement for charges already paid for.