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September 3, 2010

Possible charges on DUI checkpoint alerts

$1 per month fee for text alerts accompanied by charges listed on website may add to costs.

By Terrie Morgan-Besecker tmorgan@timesleader.com
Law & Order Reporter
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A service that promises to send text alerts identifying the location of DUI checkpoints in the region could end up costing subscribers more than the $1 per month fee it advertises, according to a review of its terms of agreement.

NepaCheckPoints.com recently began advertising its service, stating the “introductory” cost is $1 per month, which is billed as a one-time charge of $11.98 per year.

The actual initial cost is $14.97, however, after a $2.99 “SMS Gateway Access” charge is added. SMS gateway is software-based service that allows for the transmission of information to cellular phones.

There appears to be another cost of $26.97 as well, which is billed every 365 days for the “NEPA annual subscription,” according to terms posted on the service’s Web site.

The $26.97 charge is not clearly marked or identified on the site. The only mention of the charge is made at the very bottom of the checkout page and is written in a lighter tint than other type on the page.

The terms of agreement also notes that the company does not guarantee the accuracy of its reports, and includes a provision that allows the company to alter the agreement and change the cost of the service at any time, without prior notice to its subscribers.

In an e-mail, Jill Perry, a spokeswoman for NepaCheckPoints.com, said the $26.97 charge refers to the cost of the service once the trial period, which she said is one year, expires. The charge will not be billed until the start of the second year and is not in addition to the $14.97 charge, she said. The website does not include that information, however.

Regarding the potential to change the cost without notice, Perry said that refers only to the SMS Gateway Access charge, which she said might increase by $1 next year. The written terms do not specify that either, however.

NepaCheckPoints.com began offering its service in Northeastern Pennsylvania two weeks ago, Perry said. It covers all 11 counties in the Northeast and is one of 38 such programs being launched across the country.

Information is culled from press releases published in local newspapers, which identify the municipalities in which checkpoints will be held, but not the exact location or dates.

NepaCheckPoints.com is one of two companies offering DUI checkpoint alerts in Luzerne County. A second site, Sobrietyalerts.com, has been operating in Pennsylvania and other states since January, said Rick Hanebrink of Illinois, who identified himself as the service’s owner.

Sobrietyalerts.com charges a flat fee of $19.95 per year, or a quarterly fee of $8.85, charged after the first 30 days of service, plus an initial fee of $4.95.

The idea of the text alerts to identify checkpoint locations received generally positive reviews on Wednesday from Luzerne County First Assistant District Attorney Jeff Tokach and Kingston Township police officer Charles Rauschkolb, coordinator of the county’s DUI checkpoint program.

Tokach and Rauschkolb said they realize the services might be used by some intoxicated drivers to avoid detection, but that negative is outweighed by the deterrent effect that publication of checkpoint locations has.

Carl McDonald, an official with the national office of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Irving, Texas, said the organization also supports publication of checkpoint locations because it acts as a deterrent.

NepaCheckPoints.com has included the logo of MADD and its sister organization, SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) on its website.

McDonald stressed MADD is not affiliated with the service and has not endorsed it. He said the site’s use of MADD’s logo is under review by MADD’s legal department.

Terrie Morgan-Besecker, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 570-829-7179.

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