this morning, i got a text message on my phone with the following:

CINGULAR FREE MSG: Cingular may send you free messages on offers & products to improve your wireless service & save $. To unsubscribe, reply with the word NO.

i promptly replied NO, but what right does cingular have to automatially opt-in their subscribers?

i promptly replied NO, but what right does cingular have to automatially opt-in their subscribers?

Precedent? It seems to me companies everywhere are doing it and I haven't seen anyone being punished for it, except for some bad press, like when EBay did it.

Today, in fact, I got a little postcard from Verizon (who isn't even my phone company, but my phone company uses their lines) telling me in dense legalese that I have been opted in such that they can share my information with any of their affiliates. In order to opt out I have to call them and have my account # ready. I don't even HAVE an account with them.

Ridiculous [censored]. But since our state has the "no call list" I am assuming all I'll have to deal with is junk mail, which I already get so much of that it's not worth fighting.

I would switch from Cingular the minute I got a spam text message from them. You are the consumer. If you don't like the crap they serve, ditch them. Haha, go to Verizon and get a StarTac 7868 (which has no text message). You'll be set!!