....despite the fact that it is completely unconstitutional and inhibits the free market. Yes it would be very nice but giving the government control over what a company can and can not charge is setting us up for failure. The government has no authority to set restrictions like that on the company, government mandated prices, plans, and restrictions only inhibit the free market and will end us up just like communist Russia (please no communist Russia jokes!). I like the idea of contractless but the means of getting it is not good.
this isn't interfering, unless you mean making confusing terms with hidden agendas. My wife got one of those "cheap" plans and by the time all the "fees" and "taxes" are added the price of the plan is close to double. No where up front can you get anybody to identify all the fees, hell, even the sales staff can't answer what half of them are... just that you have to pay them on your first bill. Why shouldn't the Real, what-you-will-pay, monthly cost be advertised up front? Before you sign up. As far as the non-contract prices, the cell phone companies are under contract to provide service with the federal govt. If they think that certain terms should be "basic" on the federal leased property, then the companies should comply. Again, this is about consumer contract honesty... perhaps the $175 contract fee is reasonable if they are heavily subsidizing my phone, although it's not subject to sales tax or FCC "fees" they are probably making a years worth of profit by trying to trick me into paying it. The point is that right now, phone companies are playing games with contract terms, constantly shifting and rescheduling them. That's dishonest, and hard for the government to enforce.... you know when they send the collections agency to GET those fees people didn't know about... the cell companies have made it the Govt's problem... they are fixing it.
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Finally, some good legislation for consumers.
That's exactly why it won't go anywhere, unless the politicians can figure out a way to make a few million dollars for themselves out of it.
Schoolhouse rocks!
....despite the fact that it is completely unconstitutional and inhibits the free market. Yes it would be very nice but giving the government control over what a company can and can not charge is setting us up for failure. The government has no authority to set restrictions like that on the company, government mandated prices, plans, and restrictions only inhibit the free market and will end us up just like communist Russia (please no communist Russia jokes!). I like the idea of contractless but the means of getting it is not good.
this isn't interfering, unless you mean making confusing terms with hidden agendas. My wife got one of those "cheap" plans and by the time all the "fees" and "taxes" are added the price of the plan is close to double. No where up front can you get anybody to identify all the fees, hell, even the sales staff can't answer what half of them are... just that you have to pay them on your first bill. Why shouldn't the Real, what-you-will-pay, monthly cost be advertised up front? Before you sign up.
As far as the non-contract prices, the cell phone companies are under contract to provide service with the federal govt. If they think that certain terms should be "basic" on the federal leased property, then the companies should comply. Again, this is about consumer contract honesty... perhaps the $175 contract fee is reasonable if they are heavily subsidizing my phone, although it's not subject to sales tax or FCC "fees" they are probably making a years worth of profit by trying to trick me into paying it.
The point is that right now, phone companies are playing games with contract terms, constantly shifting and rescheduling them. That's dishonest, and hard for the government to enforce.... you know when they send the collections agency to GET those fees people didn't know about... the cell companies have made it the Govt's problem... they are fixing it.