Billing -- Engadget Mobile

billing posts

Nokia loses carrier billing for US Ovi Store launch

by Chris Ziegler posted Apr 28th 2009 @ 3:49PM

Nokia needs to pull out all the heavy artillery -- major device launches, carrier support, impressive software, and a seamless user experience -- if it wants the Ovi Store to succeed on a grand scale, and by all accounts, they're serious about making that happen with the recent integrations of MOSH and WidSets. Here's the thing, though: for many, direct carrier billing could be a big part of that "seamless user experience" thing, and recognizing that, Nokia had planned to offer it from the get-go in the US (along with eight other countries) when it launches next month. That's now been called off for the States for an undisclosed reason -- carriers around here are notoriously finicky in their relationships with manufacturers and we wouldn't be surprised if it all came down to a few heated boardroom discussions with the big wigs -- but whatever the cause, users will need to roll with a less-integrated payment option to start. Of course, alternatives from RIM, Apple, and Android aren't offering carrier billing here either -- but this was a cool opportunity to get a leg up, so here's hoping they end up getting this one worked out.

T-Mobile launches 'My Account' app for tracking minutes, sweating bills

by Darren Murph posted Mar 27th 2009 @ 3:20PM

Tired of logging into your T-Mobile account in order to check your G1 usage figures, existing bill status and plan information? Just too lazy to even do it? If you've somehow managed to remain on the carrier as a customer despite your lackadaisical approach to paying up on a monthly basis, you just might want to give the 'My Account' app a look. Freshly loosed on the Android Market, the app gives G1 users easy access to current activity, bill summary, plan information, online payment, help guides, forums, battery info, storage info, etc. Anyone sucked it down yet? Is it amazing?

EU turns its attention to per-minute billing

by Chris Ziegler posted Jan 27th 2008 @ 11:44AM

Having just come off a win in the international roaming department, the European Union is looking for other ways to cut the wireless bills of its many citizens -- and it thinks it knows exactly where to start. The practice of rounding up to the next nearest minute when billing calls is common to a great many carriers across the globe, and the EU says it could be costing folks an average of 20 percent more minutes per month than they're actually using. It's not prepared to take action against carriers just yet, but it says it'll "watch developments very closely" and decide what to do -- if anything -- by the end of the year.

[Via textually.org]

Cingular charges retiree $31,000 for calls he didn't make

by Darren Murph posted Jan 29th 2007 @ 7:25AM

While carriers all seem to be hiking up monthly rates every chance they get, it's unlikely that your incessant texting will rack up a $31,000 bill. Unfortunately for Oliver DeSofi, he had to deal with just that, as the 77-year old retiree opened his Cingular bill as he always has and found that his bill was about a brand new vehicle or two above the average. The bills contained phone calls from DeSofi's cellphone number from Nicaragua "at a rate of about 166 calls per day for 35 days, and sometimes four per minute, mostly to New Mexico numbers." The poor sap even got his lawyer to contact Cingular stating that the calls were "impossible" and that the $31,000 bill was bsolutely fraud, but Cingy wouldn't budge. The carrier still insisted that DeSofi set up a payment plan to start hacking away at the ridiculous charges until a newspaper inquiry finally forced the company to "give him the benefit of the doubt" due to how unusual it seemed compared to month's past. Although it doesn't surprise us a bit, Oliver is kicking Cingular/AT&T to the curb, and will probably watch all future bills like a hawk to ensure no similar mishaps start creeping on him.