Jamster gets sued for false advertising

If you're one of the few who haven't by now been subjected to Jamster's high-pitched ringtone lures, consider yourself lucky you aren't one of the many who apparently got duped into their "free" ringtones that are offered up for a tidy two bones a pop. Oh, and there're also the complaints of noncancellation of "service" and massively reoccurring charges. The companies named in the suit besides Jamster? Oh just a few small ones like VeriSign, T-Mo, AT&T Wireless, and Cingular. Looks like the craziest ringtone in the galaxy's in for a world of hurtin'.

[Via MoCo News]

[wille @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

This company is also known as Jamba in some of the European countries (Germany, Austria Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark).

[met @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Why is life so tough in the cellphone zone ? Or atleast why do I get the feeling it is :)

[Tom @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

FALSE advertising? Can't they just be sued for their adverts, full stop?

[rc @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

look at his little willy, lol

[antonio @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

oh do i hate those jamster commercials.

[rc @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

bammm d bammmm bammmmm bammm bamm bammmmm bammmmm bam, barrr d baarrrr barrr baarrr barr barrr barrrr, weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[Andrew Lenahan @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

I'm glad that's finally happening. Can't say I'll miss them if they go.

[Avi Drissman @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

VeriSign? I'm sure they're a pain, and we all hate them, but perhaps you meant another phone company, Verizon?

[Mike @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

omg, i hate those commercials! sometimes is see then 3 times (the same ringtone over and over again) in one commercial block :|

in the netherlands there has been a petition with 30.000 digital signatures, but it hasnt helped a bit.

[GunForHire @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Thank god.

I couldn't care less about the carriers getting sued - it's not exactly their fault.

But good ridance to Jamster, I hate them. Though I must say, if you're dumb enough to pay for anything like a ringtone or wallpaper for your phone mabey you deserve to get screwed. After all, you can get anything free on the internet, including crap for your phone.

[otakucode @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

LOL, I saw this coming a mile away. As soon as I saw those commercials with no mention of a price (but I'm pretty sure I never heard them say 'free') and all the fees hidden down in the tiny text at the bottom of the screen... I knew lots of people would get suckered into it. And people being stupid and falling for stuff is, of course, not THEIR fault. Oh no, they can sue up a storm!

If someone watches a commercial and thinks they're going to get something for free out of doing whatever the commercial says, they deserve a metal spike through their head.

[weasel ball @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Yes, i think I speak for RC and all of us when I say, what the hell is up with the jamster wang?

Is that just a weird angle?

[Ernie @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Nope, actually on t.v. you can see his balls too.

[benjamin @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

anyone who uses this service deserved to be f'd in the a with a large object.. idiots

[The Jeremy @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

The text at the bottom of the screen during the stupid Jamster commercials isn't exactly little. It just shows how stupid people are in buying anything from that lame company. How do they afford to advertise? Its like they are the exclusive sponsor of Comedy Central. I made the mistake of tuning into G4 last week and again, it was Jamster nonstop. And their ringtones suck! If I want to give Sir Mix Alot some money, I'll just buy "Baby Got Back" on iTunes. Good riddance.

[Kimmo Alm @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

They should be sued purely for being annoying and retarded.

[Bill @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

From website: "Jamster! (http://www.jamster.com) is one of the companies showing the largest growth in the "mobile Internet" sector in Europe. Jamster! is 100% owned by Versign."

[Neil T. @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

The Advertising Standards Authority in the UK have upheld complaints about Jamster too. The fact that you can see the frog's wang was one of them (more recent commercials have seen his nether regions being censored). The frequency of the adverts was also cited in some complaints.

[Neil T. @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Sorry, I checked again and the ASA did not uphold the complaints, but Jamster did voluntarily censor the naughty bits on the frog character.

[kerry @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Man, I'm glad I don't have cable. I've never seen on of these ads (though there was a blurb about them on the local news a couple weeks ago).

[Jared @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

I have a petition set up at www.jamstersucks.com .. check it out!

[Jared @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

I have a petition set up at www.jamstersucks.com .. check it out!

[Hirschi @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

TWO YEARS! We are listening and watching these stupid ads for almost two years. Be glad, that you live in the US and not in Germany. "Jamster" (in Germany "Jamba") was founded by three German brothers who sold Alando (the first online auction company in Germany) to eBay for millions. And by the way: The crazy frog was not the first "success" right here, it continued with rats, bees and so on.

[Jakob @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

YAY! Great news!

[Nick @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Best news all day.

[Ryan Waddell @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Hrmm... all the commercials I saw for this on UK television all had prices listed on them (I know, because I commented to my girlfriend "Why would anybody pay that much for ringtones??") - are the US commercials any different?

[Sean @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

the first US commercials had NO listing of a monthly price, or a service charge, it only siad in small print about paying for "text messaging charge". one month later they change it and made the small print bigger with now a "2.99 charge" then jsut two weeks ago they change it again now with HUGE print and "UNLIMITED FREE DOWNLOADS for 5.99 a MONTH"


This was after people figured out that Jamster wasn't an MTV(where the first commercials show up, Viacom networks like MTV and Comedy Central ...funny Comdey Central at the same time had a "Joke of the day" for cell phones..) free invention like the Leak and exclusive videos.

Then people tried to cancel by texting Jamster....but that didn't work . Now here we are...


Jamster took advantage of the crowd that ONLY pay for there cell phones bills..and that's hard on a McDonalds pay check already with a $100 bill..

[Jamsterhater01 @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

I for one am not going to miss him teabagging my computer screen with his little package, thank God for Firefox AD remover...

[Jamster Jamba @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

The law firm of Callahan McCune & Willis, APLC, filed a class action lawsuit against Jamster in San Diego California this week for their advertising practices. They are currently investigating the case to find out how many people were affected. If you got scammed by Jamster or Jamba, they are interested in speaking with you. E-mail them at [e-mail].

[rasbill @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

am i the only one that gets offended by blue monser thing in there adds (and shown here) for having a penis or is it just be

[Frank @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

"teabagging my computer screen..."

OMG I'm crying.

[Llan @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Talking about Jamba (has been mentioned, that's what it's originally called here in Germany, where it (I suppose) comes from):
Not that I watch much MtViva crapiness, but the complete (and by complete I mean 95%) of all adverts are ringtone clips, mostly from jamba, by now. Is that so in other countries? It's annyoing even after 0.1s, I can't understand how dumb people have gotten to actually BUY this stuff...

[Darla @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

I saw this coming back in January. Its sad, but I'm glad to see that the service providers are fighting as well.

[Rhys Smith @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

In response to comment #8 (Avi Drissman) - Verisign is in fact correct and is not a mistake - Jamster is 100% owned by Verisign, believe it or not...

[Jo @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

my young daughter did'nt even download anything from this company and yet she started getting text messages from them which they were charging her �3 a time for once a week. surely that is a crime.

[maryjoh @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

i was billed by jamster for their service but never signed up for it.after months of fighting with them they finally credited my account.but they still send text messages that i have to pay for and now trying to get them to stop and refund me for that.

[LYNNE @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

my son and daughter got a ringtone and then sent stop. Thatwas 3moths ago and every time they put monnie on the phone it cost them SIX POUNDS. How can i stop them. please help.ASim at my wits end with the dame thing. THANKYOUI FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE ME.

[james @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

typical scummy lowlife sales tactics,what goes around comes around. Hey, their becoming famous , world reknown ,they will never be forgotten.I wonder how long their pirated money lasts