I assume the real reason for blocking 900 numbers is that if your phone is lost or stolen and the thief racks up a large bill from calling 900 numbers on it, you'd be stuck paying for it, and T-Mobile doesn't want to be blamed for that part of your bill.

But they enabled international calls for Norman - just as risky.

Some thief stole my T-Mobile phone, and before I was aware they had stolen it, they racked up a couple of hundred dollars in calls to Africa.

What is more, they were not interested in helping the authorities catch the thief - only in persuading me to pay the bill.

I am with another phone company now, who are just as unreasonable (you might say that I am an unreasonable customer too!)

I have worked in the 900 number business at Advanced Telecom Services (www.advancedtele.com/900_numbers.htm) since 1989 (and not in the adult end of the business). In the United States and Canada, callers have never been able to access 900 numbers from cell phones. In Europe and Asia, contacting 900 numbers from cell phones is commonplace.

I recently switched my home phone service to Comcast. When I attempted to call a 900 number, I found out that I was blocked (and I'm in the business!). The regulations state that consumers must request a 900 block, yet Comcast has decided to do what it thinks is right for all of its customers and unilaterally blocked them from 900 calling! When I called to have the 900 block removed, I was given basically the same reaction you got from T-Mobile. I have since moved service away from Comcast due to its prohibition on calling 900 numbers.

The 900 number business is just one business that has been totally screwed up by government regulations. When the 900 number industry emerged, there were no regulations; you didn't even have to advertise the cost of the call (although all legitimate companies did anyway). Hence, the scammers saw a quick buck opportunity and they went about the business of offering less than legitimate services. Now, it is totally over-regulated through TDDRA regulations that have given the consumer the power to call 900 numbers and not pay without any problem.

Unfortunately, I'm not holding my breath for a politician to take the position of 900 number reform as that would likely be political suicide given the industry's shady reputation. If any politician ever wants to take up 900 number reform, the religious right will make his or her life miserable.

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I just talked to T-Mobile. and the supervisor informed my CSR that 900 numbers are blocked "because they are the same thing as a collect call". This doesn't make sense: I want to make the call, the call is paid for, it's my phone. That's not customer service. GRRRRRRR. What BS.

In the United States, no cell phone carrier enables 900. This is hard to believe for Europeans, but it's a fact in the USA. It always has been and I don't foresee any changes in the future. The fact is that cell phone carriers are pushing their own premium text message services and want you to use them instead of 900 numbers.

I don't think any Cell Phone Company should Have the right to Block 900 numbers in the first place . If the consumer wants to call 900 numbers they should be able to under any circumstances what so ever they pay for what they want and should get it . But in a different way to view it thief's can get away with hundreds or thousands of dollars but it should still be the consumer's choice to whether or not allow 900 numbers