Fone Forum

Miscellaneous => Sundry useful information => Topic started by: pharmaa on January 24, 2013, 01:37:22 PM



Title: Spam Texts that cost an arm and two legs
Post by: pharmaa on January 24, 2013, 01:37:22 PM
Received a text yesterday from someone/somewhere, where I have not subscribed to a service, been charged £8.33 ex VAT  - yes, that's correct £9.97 for receiving a text  :o :o :o

As online billing is checked regularly, this has been noticed quickly.

Any suggestions much appreciated regarding how to stop/investigate where these texts are coming from.

Someone is making big bucks.


Spoke to network customer services who have refunded the charge.  However, received another text today from a different number, so may have to call customer services again tomorrow.

Some useful information from:

Telephone Preference Service for unsolicited calls and text messages
http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/news3.html

Phonepay Plus
http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/For-The-Public/Make-a-complaint.aspx



Title: Re: Spam Texts that cost an arm and two legs
Post by: delaro on January 24, 2013, 02:10:07 PM

Spoke to network customer services who have refunded the charge.  However, received another text today from a different number, so may have to call customer services again tomorrow.

Some useful information from:

Telephone Preference Service for unsolicited calls and text messages
http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/news3.html

Phonepay Plus
http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/For-The-Public/Make-a-complaint.aspx



This (http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_the_public/topic_specific_guides/marketing/texts.aspx) might help as well.

Quote
How can I stop receiving messages from these organisations?
You can report them to your network operator, who may be able to prevent further spam from the originating number. Unfortunately as the numbers often change, your network provider cannot guarantee to stop all unsolicited messages. You can either contact your network operator’s customer services, or forward spam text messages to 7726 (If you are a Vodafone user, forward to 87726 instead).

dlR


Title: Re: Spam Texts that cost an arm and two legs
Post by: TRuE_SpiRiT on January 24, 2013, 06:01:14 PM
What about if somebody using T Mobile? Friend of mine using T Mobile and he recieved these kind of messages. Contact his network provider they said they can not do anything, they said you must subscribe with these services which is he never done it, so end of the story is they barred his number. Any suggestions about it what should he do?


Title: Re: Spam Texts that cost an arm and two legs
Post by: yoursinlove on January 24, 2013, 07:02:43 PM
It's looking like something similar to that but charges were very less than that:

http://www.foneforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,2191.msg14479.html#msg14479 (http://www.foneforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,2191.msg14479.html#msg14479)


Title: Re: Spam Texts that cost an arm and two legs
Post by: mobaholic on January 24, 2013, 08:06:56 PM
What about if somebody using T Mobile? Friend of mine using T Mobile and he recieved these kind of messages. Contact his network provider they said they can not do anything, they said you must subscribe with these services which is he never done it, so end of the story is they barred his number. Any suggestions about it what should he do?

I will add my own penny's worth.         :o

Whilst it is true that someone subscribed for that service, it doesn't follow that your friend did.        ;)

T-Mobile recycle their numbers, so if you are allocated one which had been previously subscribed to a service, you will be unlucky enough to get such premium SMS, as once happened to me on a pay & go SIM.        ???

In my experience, it is no good simply 'phoning and complaining to a customer service representative: I believe they are ignorant about the true nature of the problem.        ;)

I would advise that they should send an online message, making sure that it is entered as a 'complaint', not a query.  Complaints are handled by a higher tier of staff.        ;)

In my case, I was fortunate to get a man with the honesty to tell me the real score - and to credit my pay & go account with £30 in compensation ( as well as to get the sending short code to block further texts for me. )        :)

Do NOT fall for the bullshit that the network can do nothing: that is a lie.        ::)



Title: Re: Spam Texts that cost an arm and two legs
Post by: TRuE_SpiRiT on January 24, 2013, 10:16:39 PM
I will add my own penny's worth.         :o

Whilst it is true that someone subscribed for that service, it doesn't follow that your friend did.        ;)

T-Mobile recycle their numbers, so if you are allocated one which had been previously subscribed to a service, you will be unlucky enough to get such premium SMS, as once happened to me on a pay & go SIM.        ???

In my experience, it is no good simply 'phoning and complaining to a customer service representative: I believe they are ignorant about the true nature of the problem.        ;)

I would advise that they should send an online message, making sure that it is entered as a 'complaint', not a query.  Complaints are handled by a higher tier of staff.        ;)

In my case, I was fortunate to get a man with the honesty to tell me the real score - and to credit my pay & go account with £30 in compensation ( as well as to get the sending short code to block further texts for me. )        :)

Do NOT fall for the bullshit that the network can do nothing: that is a lie.        ::)




Thanks. Mobaholic


Title: Re: Spam Texts that cost an arm and two legs
Post by: delaro on January 25, 2013, 12:15:55 AM
Do NOT fall for the bullshit that the network can do nothing: that is a lie.        ::)

It does pay off to dig it, doesn't it?  ;D

dlR