AT&T

I've decided that the basic business model for the AT&T GoPhone service is to take whatever they think you would buy, and deliver it in a way that generates the most money for them at the least possible convenience to you. Preferably, get you used to just paying money without actually knowing where its going. You know, the TARP/AIG costing model.

Case in point.

My daughter wanted a Text Messaging plan on her phone. Okay, she's been working hard, we think she's earned a reward. They offer a Messaging200 (and others); two hundred text messages for five bucks. We said we'd buy a month of it for her. Hey, five bucks, right? NBD.

ScrewEmPoint 1: The text messages are charged to this special rate until you reach 200 in one month. At that point, they switch back to the regular charge. No notification of switching. No way to disable texting at that point. What if you don't use all 200? See SEP2.
ScrewEmPoint 2: Only for a month. You make one text message or two hundred in that month, at the end of the month, the money goes away. You're paying for number in a given period, not forever. Unless you've given them more money, they they'll roll it over to the next month, under the same caveats. Neat, huh? Almost as neat as SEP3.
ScrewEmPoint 3: They won't activate the feature unless there's enough money in the existing account to use it. You can't designate money 'for texting only'.

Oh, and their web site? Where it says 'If you can't get the information you want, here's how to contact us'? Brings you right back to that very same page.