Advertisements are supposed to tell you about the different features and benefits that a certain product or service is able to offer. They might be there to raise brand awareness too, but there comes an area of frustration for some consumers.

More and more, I’m finding companies are “selling” features that already exist as if they are new. For instance, I’m finding that certain Internet service providers are selling something called “Home Wi-Fi” as a feature. This has existed for ages, since any consumer can go out and buy his or her own wireless router.

Similarly, Telus has introduced something that it calls “Anytime Upgrades” for its smartphones. Many people seem to assume that you have to wait until your contract is over in order for you to buy a new phone. This isn’t the case. You always had the option of upgrading at any time; you just had to pay the full retail price.

The “new” service of “Clear & Simple Device Upgrades” is a slight improvement on this, but you still need to pay an “Early Device Upgrade Fee” depending on the number of months remaining on your contract and the type of device you currently have. Even so, this isn’t an entirely new feature or service at all.

Telus isn’t the only one participating in this kind of practice. The “Live Agent” feature from Rogers means you can talk to a real customer service representative on the phone when you need help; you could do that before, couldn’t you?

Is this deceptive marketing or is it simply aiming to educate the public on what is already available?