I think he means that most cell phone providers have disabled or crippled interfaces that you can use to install ring tones without having to download them over the cell network.
It may not exactly be fraudulent, but it certainly isn't very ethical business practice.
That being said, I do think it's borderline fraud to bind the phone to the service provider as is common in the North America. Could you imagine if this was done for landlines? I suppose if they continue to subsidise the phone they can get away with it, but again, not ethical practice IMO.
>> most cell phone providers have disabled or crippled interfaces that you can use to install ring tones without having to download them over the cell network.
I'd say that's likely incompetence rather than malice.
Ringtones are also notoriously the subject of rebilling scams. Download ringtones for $.99! Get charged $20 per month automatically for the rest of you life or until you notice and cancel.
It may not exactly be fraudulent, but it certainly isn't very ethical business practice.
That being said, I do think it's borderline fraud to bind the phone to the service provider as is common in the North America. Could you imagine if this was done for landlines? I suppose if they continue to subsidise the phone they can get away with it, but again, not ethical practice IMO.