Premium Text on mobile scam

Ozeire

Hi all

I just wondered if any of you are having the same problem I am having.

I recently changed Phone Company from Meteor to O2. On the day I did I received 3 text messages while in the )2 shop. From a number as below

National 20/12/06 17:40 Premium Text 12 353863810941 00:00:00 SMS 2.07
National 20/12/06 17:40 Premium Text 12 353863810941 00:00:00 SMS 2.07
National 20/12/06 17:40 Premium Text 12 353863810941 00:00:00 SMS 2.07

After the assistant in the O2 office ringing O2 I was informed they were Premium Text. Which was funny because I have never ever subscribed to any thing on my phone or internet or ever answered any of the spam messages i ever received.


I rang O2 my self to make sure that I wasn’t charged for these spam sms. O2 informed me that they would be charging me and was nothing they could do but give me a number for the Spam Company (Puca) and regtel where I could log a complaint.

I rang regtel and logged a compliant with them but all they could do was say they would get me unsubscribed but couldn’t get my money back. That I would have to ring the company involved who I was told was Puca .


I rang Puca and they informed me that all they could do was unsubscribe my number but there was nothing else they could do, because all they are is a company that supplies a service to marketing companies to send such texts . They would contact the company involved and get them to ring me.

Today I got a message on my phone form customer support yes just customer support no company name to say that I was unsubscribe from their service . To ring a number if I had any more questions. I rang the number and surprise surprise there is only an answer machine.

So at this stage all that has been done is I have been unsubscribed 4 times from a spam service that I have never subscribed to in the first place and still have to pay for the 3 texts .

Finally for anyone about to say I must have subscribed to it or someone must have used my phone. The answer to that is no. I have never ever in all my years ever subscribed to any thing like this. I’m a computer tech and actually go out of my way to make sure I never do

damo86

did you change your no when you moved to o2?sounds to me that you got a recycled no(a no that was used before and owner stopped using etc)the spam company obviously saw the no been reactivated and started to send premium txt msgs again...it happens,happens to in the uk alot!

Ozeire

No damo86

ported over my own number i have for years . Never had this problem before in all the year i have had this number .

RangeR

Ozeire wrote:

Hi all

I just wondered if any of you are having the same problem I am having.

I recently changed Phone Company from Meteor to O2. On the day I did I received 3 text messages while in the )2 shop. From a number as below

National 20/12/06 17:40 Premium Text 12 353863810941 00:00:00 SMS 2.07
National 20/12/06 17:40 Premium Text 12 353863810941 00:00:00 SMS 2.07
National 20/12/06 17:40 Premium Text 12 353863810941 00:00:00 SMS 2.07

After the assistant in the O2 office ringing O2 I was informed they were Premium Text. Which was funny because I have never ever subscribed to any thing on my phone or internet or ever answered any of the spam messages i ever received.


I rang O2 my self to make sure that I wasn’t charged for these spam sms. O2 informed me that they would be charging me and was nothing they could do but give me a number for the Spam Company (Puca) and regtel where I could log a complaint.

I rang regtel and logged a compliant with them but all they could do was say they would get me unsubscribed but couldn’t get my money back. That I would have to ring the company involved who I was told was Puca .


I rang Puca and they informed me that all they could do was unsubscribe my number but there was nothing else they could do, because all they are is a company that supplies a service to marketing companies to send such texts . They would contact the company involved and get them to ring me.

Today I got a message on my phone form customer support yes just customer support no company name to say that I was unsubscribe from their service . To ring a number if I had any more questions. I rang the number and surprise surprise there is only an answer machine.

So at this stage all that has been done is I have been unsubscribed 4 times from a spam service that I have never subscribed to in the first place and still have to pay for the 3 texts .

Finally for anyone about to say I must have subscribed to it or someone must have used my phone. The answer to that is no. I have never ever in all my years ever subscribed to any thing like this. I’m a computer tech and actually go out of my way to make sure I never do

Hmmm,

Ring up Puca and O2. Ask Puca for the name of the person who runs the company, the head guy. Ask O2 for the name of the head of Customer Care.

Inform both companies that you are taking those two people to the small claims court. Don't say that you are taking the companies, but THOSE TWO PEOPLE. I can't believe you won't get a favourable response out of that.

When dialog starts, tell Puca that you want proof that you subscribed to the service. I know Puca are providing the service to a third party but request that information anyway. If they refuse, say that under the Data Protection Act 1998 [correct year?], they have to.

It's about time that Irish people complained properly. Don't accept the first answer that companies give you. More often than not, they say that just to get rid of you. They count on the fact that most people will leave it at that.

Let me know how you get on. Oh, you have to be prepared to follow through with Small Claims Court. It costs you VERY little, if anything. Chances are that you will win becuase the defendants won't show up. You can even do it online.

Small Claims Court on citizeninformation.ie

Small Claims Court Application Form

The_Hustler

It would cost €15, how much are these premium texts costing?

RangeR

The_Hustler wrote:

It would cost €15, how much are these premium texts costing?

Fair enough, the cost of going to the SCC is slightly higher than the cost of three premium SMS's. However, it's the principal of the thing. Certain companies have gotten away with this sort of thing for years because they know that the majority of people will not complain strongly enough. Who is to say that the OP won't get more of them. Who is to say that the company in question isn't sending these unsolicited texts to other people. How much money are they creaming illegaly.

I guess it all depends on how badly you feel hard done by. I'm no legal eagle, but you might be able to win back cost as well, if you win, so it might not cost you anything by the end of it.

The_Hustler

I would agree with the principal of the thing, the small claims court is great for this sort of thing, but I thought I should highlight the price in this particular situation.

7.Ronaldo

If you are receiving Premium Rate SMS then you need to text 'STOP' or 'UNSUB' to the five digit number that the texts are coming in under. If they continue to arrive after this you need to contact your operator and get the number for the company. You then need to ring them and if you make it clear that you no longer want to receive these messages then they will have to stop sending them under the Data Protection law.

These companies arent easy to get hold of. Charging people for receiving pointless text messages is how they make their money so they are going to avoid your call at all costs.

If you have tried all this then you need to get onto RegTel who regulate Premium Rate SMS in Ireland. Providing you have made the effort to put a stop to these text messages yourself they will take on your case and chase up the companies involved. They may also look into reversing the charges.

http://www.regtel.ie/

Solair

Personally, I think abuse of premium rate text services ought to be dealt with as harshly as credit card fraud.

There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of control over the system, it's wide open to all sorts of abuse.

Random

Solair wrote:

Personally, I think abuse of premium rate text services ought to be dealt with as harshly as credit card fraud.

There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of control over the system, it's wide open to all sorts of abuse.

So true.

O2 should be able to give you details on unsubscribing. If you ask them, they'll be able to do it for you (usually within 24 hours).

Then ring up the company who are sending you the texts (the marketing company must be doing it on behalf of someone) - ask them where they got your info.

Depends how far you wanna go with it.

Random

Solair wrote:

Personally, I think abuse of premium rate text services ought to be dealt with as harshly as credit card fraud.

There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of control over the system, it's wide open to all sorts of abuse.

So true.

O2 should be able to give you details on unsubscribing. If you ask them, they'll be able to do it for you (usually within 24 hours).

Then ring up the company who are sending you the texts (the marketing company must be doing it on behalf of someone) - ask them where they got your info.

Depends how far you wanna go with it.

Ozeire

Well guys the story now is

I was in contact with O2 and talked to a very helpful manager. She went off with my details to Puca who were also very helpful up to a point.

Puca would not give the company details to O2 but acted as a middleman and told o2 that the company got my details back in 2002 for a competition i am supposed to have entered with SKY tv for a Nokia phone.

This sounds total crap. They send me 3 text within 20 seconds of each other in Dec 2006 coasting me €2.07 each on details they are supposed to have got back in 2002 .

I managed to get the details of the company off Puca Emma there was really helpful .

The company whose database you were on is called Pulse. However, another company, Mount Wilson, is looking after the promotion for them and taking care of their customer support issues. Mount Wilson should be able to help you out with your query, and their customer support number is: 0818 286768.

I tried the number and only got an answer machine. They have never got back to me at all .

So now I don't know where to go. As I said its not the amount of money b/c that is only €6.21 but the principle of the whole things.

This company has stolen €6.21 off me, and no one is able to help me. Not my phone company O2 not Regtel who I have logged a complaint with or Puca who I also logged a complaint with.

All any of them have done was to unsubscribe me from the service. But I had €6.21 stolen off me and I wonder how many more people have had the same done to them.

Does anyone know how I could highlight this problem? I thought of maybe bring it to the attention of maybe 2DayFm not sure if that would be good or not.

Random

Get onto www.regtel.ie and see if they can help you out. They may be able to act as a middleman or get you in touch. Otherwise keep at that support number.

lfc1892

Hi,
I know it's annoying and that there is an obvious time lag between the competition you entered in 2002 and the actual texts coming to you in 2006/7 but this is part of the (dreaded) T&cs of competitions you enter using your mobile.

O2 will act on your behalf to have you unsubscribed from such nuisance texts if the word STOP or unsub doesn't work for you. They email the provider and this email asks to remove you from their database.

Refunds are usually only granted if the recipient is under 16 or if there is no evidence in their records of a subscription (they always have this record!)

byrnefm

I had a similar situation recently but with a different group - having the following premium texts charged from my phone three times:

15/01/2007 13:16:34 353863810776 SMS In €1.00 Successful
15/01/2007 13:21:58 ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ SMS €0.25 Successful

It said that if I wanted to unsubscribe, to reply back with "STOP FN", which I did - and then the following week, I got another of the above. It also gave a web address to contact as an alternative, which I used after the third time (not realizing how much I had been charged by the above in the interim). I think the premium number was 53901. I never had sent an email / text subscribing to this service, either. I was down a total of €3.75 as a result (I stopped getting the texts after emaling the company in question).

It is such a loophole that the onus seems to be on the 'subscriber' to prove they hadn't subscribed in the first place. Is there not a way to block oneself from these types of texts in the same manner that you can bar premium rate numbers from your phone?

The Denouncer

I got caught with the MY FUNNY VALENTINE video text scam.
I clicked Go To on the text. Stupid me, I thought it was from the wife as her favourite song happens to be 'My Funny Valentine'.

Got 3 texts in a row:

From 57080
Non Subcription - Thank you for your order. Cost 2 Euros. YOu can now download your content. Provided by Mobilepartner.co.uk.
Help: 0818 286 61970

€2 each. So €6 gone in a flash.

I rang the number and got in touch with a Scottish girl who promised me I would be taken off the subscription, and offered to send me a cheque for €6. I declined giving her my address. I rang O2 and helpful girl said she'd also check them out and make sure I receive nothing more from them. We shall see. :mad:

Ozeire

Will finally a happy resolution to this problem.

I did what IrishTLR advised to do. I know it was a drastic thing to do to threaten legal action on a company for all of €6.21 but it was the principle of the thing. This company had stolen €6.21 off me .

Anyway what has happened is that the company that charged me the 3 text said that they would refund the money to me. They had got my details off a text comp I entered with Sky TV back in 2002.

So I guess all I can do now is wait to see if I get this refund. It just has me thinking thought. If I had just gave up and not bothered to fight for my rights these people would have taken my money. How many more people out there just don’t both because it’s only a few €. Are these companies making their money on this? I few thousand people not bothering because its only €6 add up to an awful lot .

Anyway we see if I get my €6.21 back or not at least I tried as hard as I could .

Saruman

The law needs to be changed or something here so that no incoming text can ever be charged to the recipient. Outgoing yes but not incoming.

Random

Saruman wrote:

The law needs to be changed or something here so that no incoming text can ever be charged to the recipient. Outgoing yes but not incoming.

I agree to an extent. There should be confirmation message sent out by your operator for each subscription you setup, or an option you can check on your account for each one.

RangeR

Ozeire wrote:

Will finally a happy resolution to this problem.

I did what IrishTLR advised to do. I know it was a drastic thing to do to threaten legal action on a company for all of €6.21 but it was the principle of the thing. This company had stolen €6.21 off me .

Anyway what has happened is that the company that charged me the 3 text said that they would refund the money to me. They had got my details off a text comp I entered with Sky TV back in 2002.

Well done, mate. It's about time Irish people start standing up for their rights instead of bending over. I used to bend over but eventually got sick of it

Zipperhead

Its so fustraiting and regtel can be slow enough to help out. A friend of mine recently called PUCA re an sms he had received he opened it and 3 more sms cam in charging him €2 each - the girl said to him ring another number as they had leased it out and said enough the call as much as the sms - needless to say he was furious so I called back on his behalf and am awaiting a callback!

As for the operators all they can really do is complain on your behalf, try to unsub you but they are not obliged to credit you back. In fairness too many people do subscribe to the service ( Not saying this is always the case ) but through our own lack of observation or tiny writing we dont realise we are setting ourselves up to fall...


http://www.vodafone.ie/services/messaging/textmessaging/unsolSMS.jsp

http://www.o2online.ie/wps/wcm/connect/O2/Home/Personal/Help/FAQs/Billing/

http://www.meteor.ie/payg_protect_spam.html

All I could find on 3 was contact details for regtel.

Gillo

IrishTLR wrote:

Hmmm,

Inform both companies that you are taking those two people to the small claims court. Don't say that you are taking the companies, but THOSE TWO PEOPLE. I can't believe you won't get a favourable response out of that.

It's about time that Irish people complained properly. Don't accept the first answer that companies give you. More often than not, they say that just to get rid of you. They count on the fact that most people will leave it at that.

Thanks that gave me the best laugh I have had in some time.

Ozeire

I know Gillo but IrishTLR advise was the one that worked .

Ozeire

Well guys I just received my Cheque for €6.21 .

Not sure now if I will cash it or frame it.

RangeR

Ozeire wrote:

Well guys I just received my Cheque for €6.21 .

Not sure now if I will cash it or frame it.

Well done. Glad it worked out for you. Another victory for the little guy.

Random

Ozeire wrote:

Well guys I just received my Cheque for €6.21 .

Not sure now if I will cash it or frame it.

If you frame it then they win! :O

DeepBlue

This whole issue was covered recently in a Prime Time program (the first two clips).

As has been said already sending premium texts is completely unregulated in any real sense and seems to be a licence to steal with impunity.
It's theft and obviously it should be outlawed :mad: .

Jakey

7.Ronaldo wrote:

If you are receiving Premium Rate SMS then you need to text 'STOP' or 'UNSUB' to the five digit number that the texts are coming in under. If they continue to arrive after this you need to contact your operator and get the number for the company. You then need to ring them and if you make it clear that you no longer want to receive these messages then they will have to stop sending them under the Data Protection law.

These companies arent easy to get hold of. Charging people for receiving pointless text messages is how they make their money so they are going to avoid your call at all costs.

If you have tried all this then you need to get onto RegTel who regulate Premium Rate SMS in Ireland. Providing you have made the effort to put a stop to these text messages yourself they will take on your case and chase up the companies involved. They may also look into reversing the charges.

http://www.regtel.ie/

AHH dont do that, if you reply to the 57*** number you will be charged the premium rate

cashback

Jakey wrote:

AHH dont do that, if you reply to the 57*** number you will be charged the premium rate

Not true. It should be free to unsubscribe.
I somehow signed up for Quizclub a few weeks ago.
I received some sort of MMS and I thought it was from someone I knew so I opened it. Seems like that subscribed me to their service.
Didn't hear anymore until i got texts from them Wednesday and Thursday at a cost of €2 each saying 'congrats to so and so who has won a camera or something'.
That was €4 in two days gone. Decided to chance sending STOP to the number and sure enough that unsubscibed me.

digitaldr

I've also fallen victim to this scam - here's a copy of the Email I sent to Mount Wilson - I didn't mention the small claims court yet!

Dear Sir/Madam,

I was surprised to see that I had been billed for premium rate texts despite the fact that I am very careful with my mobile number and have never subscribed to any such service. Details below:

National 07/02/07 12:30 Premium Text 12353863810941 00:00:00 SMS 2.07
National 07/02/07 13:28 Premium Text 12353863810941 00:00:00 SMS2.07
National 07/02/07 13:53 Premium Text 12353863810941 00:00:00 SMS2.07
National13/02/07 17:50 Premium Text 12353863810941 00:00:00 SMS2.07
National20/02/07 17:49 Premium Text 12353863810941 00:00:00 SMS2.07
National24/02/07 16:03 Premium Text 12353863810941 00:00:00 SMS2.07
National27/02/07 18:03 Premium Text 12353863810941 00:00:00 SMS2.07
National06/03/07 18:03 Premium Text 12353863810941 00:00:00 SMS2.07



I phoned O2 customer care who were able to unsubscribe me (even though I had never subscribed in the first place!). They referred me to Puca technologies who in turn gave me your contact details. Needless to say I was reluctant to contact you by phone given that I would be billed at 30 cent/minute.
I want to know how you got my number and why you think you have to right to charge me a total of €16.56. I am also puzzled as to what "service" you actually provide to your "subscribers". Obviously I also want a full refund.

Looking forward to hearing from you in the very near future

Yours Sincerely

EDIT - just watched those Primetime clips - €1,000! I don't feel too bad after all!

Ozeire

digitaldr

I email and got great help from Susi

care@mntwilson.com


She also refunded the cost of the text to me after i explained all .

Regards

Al