What's The Longest FRS/GMRS Range Claim These Days?

[KF5YDR]

If you study for General too you can take that exam also for the same fee. Then you can play on HF, too.

 

[DPD1]

Just noticed the other day where a guy is suing Sony, because they falsely claimed a game was in 1080P, when it actually wasn't. Seems like you can sue for just about anything now days, so maybe somebody with too much time on their hands, will get around to this one.

 

[03msc]

Just noticed the other day where a guy is suing Sony, because they falsely claimed a game was in 1080P, when it actually wasn't. Seems like you can sue for just about anything now days, so maybe somebody with too much time on their hands, will get around to this one.

It would be pointless. As I said, they have documentation to backup the advertised distances. Mountain to mountain, no obstructions, best case scenario. Period. It would be a losing lawsuit to enter into.

 

[rapidcharger]

It shouldn't take a lawsuit to get a company to stop deceiving people and ripping them off!
Don't forget they put the little disclaimer in 5pt text "Results not typical"!!!

The companies know full well what they are doing is wrong and deceptive. The companies that are that desperate to rip off people obviously know the market for their other products is dwindling and they're in trouble.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

It shouldn't take a lawsuit to get a company to stop deceiving people and ripping them off!
Don't forget they put the little disclaimer in 5pt text "Results not typical"!!!

The companies know full well what they are doing is wrong and deceptive. The companies that are that desperate to rip off people obviously know the market for their other products is dwindling and they're in trouble.

Motorola can't charge bubble pack users for CPS, warranty service, repeaters, mobile radios, etc. They're gonna get the money they feel you owe them one way or another.

 

[quarterwave]

Motorola doesn't even make those GMRS/FRS radios. They licensed their name to another company to make and market them some time ago. Giant International makes them, they have an "office" in Atlanta, but I believe they are Chinese.

 

[03msc]

It shouldn't take a lawsuit to get a company to stop deceiving people and ripping them off!
Don't forget they put the little disclaimer in 5pt text "Results not typical"!!!

The companies know full well what they are doing is wrong and deceptive. The companies that are that desperate to rip off people obviously know the market for their other products is dwindling and they're in trouble.

Meaning they are covered and a lawsuit is futile.

They would argue that this is not deceiving at all...and, to be honest, we always hear "read the fine print" so if someone is deceived it is their own fault for not reading. Yes, I know that not everyone reads it - probably most don't - but it's there so they're covered, end of story.

I'm sure that's not the popular opinion (especially in this thread) but I am just being realistic and looking at it from all angles.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

Motorola doesn't even make those GMRS/FRS radios. They licensed their name to another company to make and market them some time ago. Giant International makes them, they have an "office" in Atlanta, but I believe they are Chinese.

I believe all Moto bubble packs are out sourced to china. Most of the radius line of radios was outsourced to Malaysia…

As stated, Moto will get the money they think you owe them one way or another.

They aren't deceiving on the box. They do put fine print on the back. The consumer just sees the number and assumes it will work.

 

[rapidcharger]

Who motorola outsources to is irrelevant.
They are still being exceedingly deceptive when in microscopic print, they put: "**The communication range quoted is calculated under optimum conditions, with an unobstructed line of sight. Actual range will vary depending on terrain and conditions, and is often less than the maximum possible. Your actual range will be limited by several factors including, but not limited to, terrain, weather conditions, electromagnetic interference and obstructions"

Is that what M.Solutions tells their idiot crooked bubbas they sell their race-to-waste trunking systems to when they submit an bid with $7000 walkie talkies?

 

[03msc]

What you just described in the first paragraph - about the fine print - is just routine business practice across industries and products. Ever bought a car? A house? Cell phone contract? Watched commercials on TV? Signed a rent or lease agreement? Bought processed/packaged food? Bought body care products? The list goes on and on and they all have "fine print".

To continue to say over and over that they are being deceptive doesn't make it any more so than if I said over and over I am a billionaire. The packaging is normal. It is stated on the packaging. Like it or not that is how it is. Period.

 

[mmckenna]

If you read the packaging, it will almost always say:

"Range UP TO 35 miles."

Key words are "UP TO". Think about that, up to. UP TO.
30 feet of range falls within the "UP TO" claim.

The reason they get away with this stuff is because your average everyday consumer isn't intelligent enough to actually read the fine print. All they see is the milage claim, and that radio A has more range that radio B, therefore radio A is "better". Consumers don't want to know how it works, what the technology is, what the differences are. Marketing folks know this.

And the consumers just continue buying what the marketing people tell them too. Very fascinating science. Makes me sometimes wish I'd studied marketing and psychology.

 

[KF5YDR]

Is that what M.Solutions tells their idiot crooked bubbas they sell their race-to-waste trunking systems to when they submit an bid with $7000 walkie talkies?

Obviously not. For $7k, you get service and advice. For $20, you get a radio. Expecting a company to give you the same service at $20 as they do at $7k is so foolish it's quaint.

Morality has nothing to do with it. Right and wrong have nothing to do with it. Those are socialist ideas, and if we want to require companies to behave ethically and put the customer first, we can't keep fellating capitalism like it's still going to protect us from the Russkies. That time is over, and that model doesn't work without a war economy.

You can have unrestricted corporate freedom OR you can have truth in advertising on consumer products, but you can't have both.

 

[rapidcharger]

What you just described in the first paragraph - about the fine print - is just routine business practice across industries and products. Ever bought a car? A house? Cell phone contract? Watched commercials on TV? Signed a rent or lease agreement? Bought processed/packaged food? Bought body care products? The list goes on and on and they all have "fine print".

Actually we have consumer protections in many of those industries you mentioned to protect us from deception such as this.
In food and medication, we have nutrition labels that have to be standardized and you cannot make wild BS claims about nutritional value, weight loss etc.
In cars we have huge window stickers that can actually get the auto maker sued if they make inaccurate claims with regard to fuel economy.

And when it comes to rental and leases, in contract law unreasonable clauses are not upheld in court.

If you read the packaging, it will almost always say:

"Range UP TO 35 miles."

Key words are "UP TO". Think about that, up to. UP TO.
30 feet of range falls within the "UP TO" claim.

The reason they get away with this stuff is because your average everyday consumer isn't intelligent enough to actually read the fine print. All they see is the milage claim, and that radio A has more range that radio B, therefore radio A is "better". Consumers don't want to know how it works, what the technology is, what the differences are. Marketing folks know this.

And the consumers just continue buying what the marketing people tell them too. Very fascinating science. Makes me sometimes wish I'd studied marketing and psychology.

A reasonable person would look at the package and say "Up to 35 miles... nah but I'll probably get at least half of that. Or no.... if I could get one third of that, I'll be happy. But when in actuality they get a quarter of a mile, that's where it becomes an deceptive and it's dishonest and it's stealing.

And the reason they're getting away with this isn't because the average consumer "isn't intelligent enough". The reason they're getting away with it is because there aren't any consumer protections that specifically make this illegal. But there should be.

Obviously not. For $7k, you get service and advice. For $20, you get a radio. Expecting a company to give you the same service at $20 as they do at $7k is so foolish it's quaint. )))

Um no, they aren't even getting service and advice for that $7k. The service and advice costs extra.

(((Morality has nothing to do with it. Right and wrong have nothing to do with it. Those are socialist ideas, and if we want to require companies to behave ethically and put the customer first, we can't keep fellating capitalism like it's still going to protect us from the Russkies. That time is over, and that model doesn't work without a war economy.
You can have unrestricted corporate freedom OR you can have truth in advertising on consumer products, but you can't have both.

You need to lay off the fox news dude. Socialism? Russkies? Fellating?! Not making sense. Fellating is a word but you might want to look up what it means. This is a family forum.

 

[mmckenna]

A reasonable person would look at the package and say "Up to 35 miles... nah but I'll probably get at least half of that. Or no.... if I could get one third of that, I'll be happy. But when in actuality they get a quarter of a mile, that's where it becomes an deceptive and it's dishonest and it's stealing.

I hear what you are saying, but I think we might disagree on the term "reasonable".

 

[KF5YDR]

You need to lay off the fox news dude. Socialism? Russkies? Fellating?! Not making sense. Fellating is a word but you might want to look up what it means.

You think "lay off the Fox News" is a witty response to an EXTREMELY anti-right-wing set of ideas and can't follow a pretty obvious metaphorical use of the word fellating, yet you're going to condescend to me about its definition?

Paging Drs Dunning and Kruger.

 

[03msc]

Actually we have consumer protections in many of those industries you mentioned to protect us from deception such as this.
In food and medication, we have nutrition labels that have to be standardized and you cannot make wild BS claims about nutritional value, weight loss etc.
In cars we have huge window stickers that can actually get the auto maker sued if they make inaccurate claims with regard to fuel economy.

And when it comes to rental and leases, in contract law unreasonable clauses are not upheld in court.

THANK YOU for proving my point. In all of those things you have to read to know the details - and the same is the case for these bubble pack radios. So yes, you reiterated the point I was making. Glad we agree on that.

 

[KF5YDR]

Caveat emptor and all that. No one would take a medical claim on a package at face value (unless they're thick), why is a walkie-talkie any different?

"Up to" and "at least" MEAN "not typical". We can go round and round about this, but no company (and no person) has a duty to prevent someone who can't understand verbal language from misunderstanding verbal language. That's a completely unreasonable expectation, and quite frankly, if you can't understand the concept of a limit to a range you don't really need to be purchasing things without someone's help.

 

[lukaradio]

So maybe getting back on track to the OP......can anyone give advice as to which make, model, would be the best bet OR are they all the same as far as quality, distance, etc...

 

[rapidcharger]

I hear what you are saying, but I think we might disagree on the term "reasonable".

So what is reasonable then?

If I advertise a car that gets 35 MPG but it actually only gets a quarter of a mile per gallon but put an asterisk and in 5pt text include the following language...

*The fuel economy quoted is calculated under optimum conditions, with the engine coasting down hill with the engine turned off for most of the duration. Actual fuel economy will vary depending on terrain and conditions, and is often less than the maximum possible. Your actual fuel economy will be limited by several factors including, but not limited to, terrain, weather conditions, turning the engine on and stepping on the accelerator.....

And millions of people buy the car expecting--- worse case scenario--- maybe 15-20mpg but instead they can't even go 1 flippin mile with a gallon of gas, do you think that's reasonable? Huh? Do you?

Because if you do, I've got a FANNNNNNtastic business opportunity for you! I'll make you a millionaire overnight* if you just do a few quick things† !!

 

[rapidcharger]

Caveat emptor and all that. No one would take a medical claim on a package at face value (unless they're thick), why is a walkie-talkie any different?

The reason we have consumer protections is not everyone has such a superior level of intelligence and high level of education (And also such an advanced vocabulary!) that you have. Therefore, it has become illegal to con people with deceptive and misleading advertising and packaging. The tobacco industry used to get away with advertising that cigarettes actually made you healthy!

So maybe getting back on track to the OP......can anyone give advice as to which make, model, would be the best bet OR are they all the same as far as quality, distance, etc...

They are all the same. Line of sight. If you can see it, you can hit it. Can't see it? Can't hit it. Like shining a flashlight. If you aren't on top of a mountain and the person on the other end isn't on top of a mountain, you can expect a quarter of a mile of range in nearly every scenario most people find themselves in.