This article is more than 1 year old
Phone Bills R Us
Free Web access from toy store has sting in tail
Latest in a rapidly lengthening line of people offering free Internet accounts is Toys R Us. But subscribers wanting to call the Toys R Us Internet telephone helpline will find they pay dearly for the privilege. The giant of the toy retail world is to start giving shoppers access to the service this week. It is being put together in connection with Cable & Wireless and ICL, and includes IE4 and Microsoft Outlook Express. Subscribers will get five email accounts, 10Mb of Web space, and a free email-based help facility. The telephone helpline, however, will run on a premium rate phone service which will cost callers £1 per minute. As most users’ problems will occur when they are trying to connect, rather than once they are online, the free email help will come as small comfort to the majority of Toys R Us Internet subscribers. No-one was available from Toys R Us to defend the decision to provide such a costly help service. ®
Biting the hand that feeds IT
