swatkats
Skilled
T-Mobile has earned a spot on it for this dreadful example of deceptive user experience. The company used fake ring tone noises to make customers think their calls were connecting–while in fact they were not.
Here’s how it worked. Whenever a phone couldn’t establish a connection with another phone, instead of remaining silent, the calling tone would start ringing in the caller’s ear. Logically, the person placing the call believes that the phone on the other side is actually ringing but nobody is picking up. Of course, the fact is that their call is not going through at all, and T-Mobile is using a fake ringtone to make it seem like it is.
This is actually illegal, according to a January 2014 rule, and the stakes are higher than you might imagine. The FCC says that the practice can “cause rural businesses to lose revenue, impede medical professionals from reaching patients in rural areas, cut families off from their relatives, and create the potential for dangerous delays in public safety communications.”
T-Mobile has admitted to violating the FCC's prohibition on inserting false ringtones and failing to correct problems affecting calls to select rural areas. In addition to the $40 million payment, T-Mobile has also agreed to implement a compliance plan to fix these issues.
https://www.fastcodesign.com/901684...th-a-40-million-fine-for-its-deceptive-design
Here’s how it worked. Whenever a phone couldn’t establish a connection with another phone, instead of remaining silent, the calling tone would start ringing in the caller’s ear. Logically, the person placing the call believes that the phone on the other side is actually ringing but nobody is picking up. Of course, the fact is that their call is not going through at all, and T-Mobile is using a fake ringtone to make it seem like it is.
This is actually illegal, according to a January 2014 rule, and the stakes are higher than you might imagine. The FCC says that the practice can “cause rural businesses to lose revenue, impede medical professionals from reaching patients in rural areas, cut families off from their relatives, and create the potential for dangerous delays in public safety communications.”
T-Mobile has admitted to violating the FCC's prohibition on inserting false ringtones and failing to correct problems affecting calls to select rural areas. In addition to the $40 million payment, T-Mobile has also agreed to implement a compliance plan to fix these issues.
https://www.fastcodesign.com/901684...th-a-40-million-fine-for-its-deceptive-design
