bitful

UK-based weblog on technology, queerness, language and fitness

2 pounds (refunded) to prove you are over 18

Electronic circuits

On the way home tonight (two tubes, one person under a train, a bus and a short walk) I clicked on a URL in an email on my phone to read a friend's message on Facebook, and the T-Mobile nanny informed me that

Content Lock has barred this service because this site is rated 18. If you are over 18, you can access this site and others like it if you register to remove Content Lock.

You can remove Content Lock by registering using a credit card, T-Mobile will check your card is valid by applying a charge of £2 and then recrediting this amount immediately.

And so I did (when I got home, not in the street - I had a hunch my friend's message was not that important, and it did turn out to be a disappointingly disinterested 'How's Dr B.?' question) not without asking myself: 'Why two pounds? Why not a 'charge' of zero pounds like others do just to verify the validity of a card?

Maybe you only allowed to have over two pounds in funds on your credit card account if you are over 18. Bottle of Coke plus KitKat plus crisps = 1.99?

3 Responses to “2 pounds (refunded) to prove you are over 18”

  1. Oliver Says:

    And another thing I miss? That ranking of your tops commentors. But only because I had a secret plan to get myself to the top through a concerted campaign of commenting. I just hadn't quite gotten around to it… until now dammit!

  2. bitful Says:

    Thanks for your feedback. Your feedback is important to us ;-)

    I'm wondering if I should reintroduce the top commentators, or a 'last five comments' add-on (which would nullify your quest for world domination by showing you are the only one who comments :-O

  3. New laptop security query - Science Fiction Fantasy Chronicles: forums Says:

    [...] sounds like some sort of automatic block on ISP/Carphone's end. Others have had the same problem: 2 pounds (refunded) to prove you are over 18 | bitful And I know someone who has AOL. They love it. However, they're not the most technically advanced [...]

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