8ta BlackBerry pricing questioned
The Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASA) ruled that an 8.ta BlackBerry advertisement promoting the service at R90 per month for the first three months is misleading as it does not clearly stipulate all the charges.
This ruling follows a complaint by one consumer who argued that she was billed R522.40 for three 8ta BlackBerry contracts instead of the expected R270 (R90 x 3).
The consumer said that the additional and unexpected charges were because of SMS charges, and that this was not clearly stated in the advertisement.
8ta denied misleading the consumer saying that she was billed R90.00 per month per phone as advertised.
“The complainant was also credited with the cost of SMSs sent, over and above 5 SMSs sent by her on a day,” 8ta said.
The ASA said that the complainant was incorrect to argue that she was supposed to be billed R270.00 a month for three phones as she did not calculate the voice and SMS usage on the phones.
“It should also be pointed out that the complainant was billed from the time the phones were activated and was charged on pro-rata basis for the duration of the August month. The complainant’s invoice date was 2 September 2011 and the due date was 30 September 2011. It is clear that the bill included the month of September 2011,” the ASA highlighted.
8ta BlackBerry deal
So far 8ta is in the clear, but there was one mistake which cost them this case. The advertisement does not indicate or show whether or not Caller Line Identity (CLI) is mandatory or optional. “In fact nothing is mentioned regarding the cost of CLI,” the ASA said.
“It is the Directorate’s view that it should have been stated in the advertisement that CLI is mandatory and the cost will be billed as recurring monthly fees. The complainant should have been given an opportunity to opt for the CLI or not.”
The ASA ruled that the lack of CLI information means that the advertisement is misleading and that it should be withdrawn with immediate effect.
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