iPhone Bills Weigh On More Than Pocketbook
08.15.07 - 04:42pm
For all those who bought the iPhone and use alot of text messages don’t get too excited when you get a large looking package from AT&T - it’s not a welcome gift from the company, instead it is a bill - a heavily detailed and completely itemized bill.
Justine Ezarik a freelance graphic designer and Pittsburgh-based blogger posted this YouTube video of the bill. She told ABC news, “”I thought it was hilarious. Prior to that, I had Sprint. I’d send 35,000 to 40,000 text messages and not even think anything of it.”
Many however, are annoyed by the large bills which they consider a waste. Ezarik’s bill cost $7 just to mail it.
Rob Enderle, a Silicon Valley Tech analyst said, “AT&T should get a new tagline — use AT&T, kill a tree.”
“You would hope that a manager at AT&T is looking into this. It’s a huge waste of money for them. It’s not like this cost of paper is passed through the user. This is straight cost to AT&T,” he said. “Not only is this costing more money, but it’s pissing off users.”
AT&T says that they are trying to offer the best service they can by sending the detailed bills and people can request a change if they don’t want all the details printed for them.
Mark Siegel, AT&T’s executive director of media relations said, “What’s happening with the iPhone is no different than what we find with any of other phones or plans. When you use wireless data, whether it’s to take a photo, send a photo, send an e-mail, whatever, you’ll have that detail as well. There are people who want to see it.”
Ben Kuchera a gaming editor at tech news site Ars Technica got his bill and it was 54 pages front and back and he calls himself a light user using his iPhone for text messages and for e-mail to co-workers.
“The amount of paper that it is, it’s really mindboggling,” Kuchera said. “Even if it happens once or twice, it’s a ridiculous amount of waste. Some people will be lazy,” and not change the billing, “and that paper will go straight from [AT&T’s] printers into their garbage can.”
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