FCC asks Google, carriers about termination fees

From CNET News.com: The Federal Communications Commission is asking all four major U.S. cell phone operators and Google to explain their early termination fee policies and how they communicate these to customers.

FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau Chief Joel Gurin and Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Chief Ruth Milkman sent letters (PDF) on Tuesday to AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile USA, and Google asking them to detail how they inform customers of their fees in statements on corporate Web sites, in brochures and sales scripts, and in monthly bills.

In their letter to Google, they said the FCC welcomes new devices, such as the Nexus One, because it offers consumers more choice. But they expressed concern over Google's $350 fee charged to customers who cancel their service for the phone in the first 120 days if they purchase it with a two-year service contract from T-Mobile. This fee from Google is on top of any early termination fee, or ETF, charged by T-Mobile.

The phone costs $179 with a two-year contract from T-Mobile. And it's $529 without a contract.

"The combination of ETFs from Google and T-Mobile for the

View: Article @ Source Site