I signed up for a premium text service that cost me a lot of money

jellybeane

I have to agree with posters who say they did not sign up or agree to any terms and conditions.

I too was billed almost 2 euro for multiple "calls" to 57052 on my bill. I had never subscribed. I had once and once only called 57052 to answer a Today FM radio competition and thereafter received a text every week from them asking me another unsolicited quiz question - it appears that each text sent TO me was charged to me even though i never replied to them. Naturally, there were no such terms/conditions mentioned on the radio when they said "text 57052 to answer..." other than the fact that the outgoing call would obviously be charged. I had to do a google search to find out how to stop them.

peilish

I know these people can get your number without signing up. My girlfriend was receiving these texts from 57052, the texts where questions about tv programs where you could reply with the answer to win money or prizes. There was no way she could have signed up to this service as it was just a new number and she was using it for work purposes only. This company started to send her messages without her contacting them in any way. She did not sign up to the service, WE ARE SURE OF THAT. Each message cost her €2, and it cost her €2 to stop them.

These companies are scamming people out of money and it is just being ignored.

Phone companies should allow users more control over how their credit is spent.

anton

Don't forget that the operators get the fat cut of the premium SMS message profits, of that 2EUR half most likely went straight to Vodafone. Which might explain why they aren't too interested helping you getting rid of that service .

The whole premium SMS thing in it's current state is a scam IMO.

Tarakiwa

Can be a real pain in the behind alright!

Dont forget that you dont complain to the normal people on premium rate stuff - there is a diferent company for that, namelt Regtel.

If you think that the premium rate company got your number witout your permission then you can complain to the office of the data protection commissioner too!

Our man in Havana

Regtel are so useless that Comreg are taking over their remit shortly.

thegrayson

Two years ago I noticed that my phone bills hugely increased in cost over a period of six months. When I look at the breakdown I saw sometimes three or four of these messages a day on the bill. I can't say that I noticed the text messages on my phone at the time. After getting the correct details from Vodafone I texted stop to the appropriate number but the texts continued. I then contacted the company directly, they informed me that I had subscribed to their service and had not received a Stop message from me. I asked them to unsubscribe me immediately, told them I was disputing their charges and requested a refund. The texts continued and no refund was processed. I reported my situation to Regtel, then forwarded my correspondence to the company. The eventually admitted that I had not subscribed to their service but did not explain how they had my number. The texts stopped and after repeated phone calls over three months later I received a full refund.

Shelca

thegrayson wrote: »

Two years ago I noticed that my phone bills hugely increased in cost over a period of six months. ...........

The texts stopped and after repeated phone calls over three months later I received a full refund.

My other half had a similar experience. Never did find out how they got her number but we got the money back after a little bit of effort. I found it was a waste of time (and money) phoning the company but found RegTel helpful and so I began to copy them on e-mails I sent to the company. I just kept stating that she herself had not subscribed and that the service which was so-called 'free' texts had never been used.

Real Psycrow

One of the phones on our corporate account here at work was receiving these messages. When I saw the bill today I got the following information from REGTEL

Short CodeService ProviderTelephoneAddress
57052 Inkred 01 4887210. customer@modeva.ie
I called the number above to cancel the service. There is only a recorded message telling you to text STOP to the short code above if you want to cancel the service, or to hold for Customer Service agent. PLEASE NOTE, BOTH SEEM TO BE BOGUS. It is not the first time I have had to ring these people and have always had the same experience when holding the customer service agent. You simply get to leave a voicemail for someone to get back to you... Sure they do.

But the other aspect is what I really want to warn people about. Even though they tell you to text STOP to cancel the service, this simply means that you opt out of THE NEXT TEXT MESSAGE ONLY. You need to text STOP ALL to opt of the service completely.

I don't know how companies like this can get away with running services like this and charging exorbitant prices for ****e. It really makes me mad.

Hobbes

Tom Dunne wrote: »

To be brutally honest, I have no time for people who subscribe to these services, then come onto the likes of Boards.ie moaning about how they were "ripped off".

Not everyone signs up for them. There is one such company that is getting huge fines for signing people up without consent but they make so much in profits the fine is meaningless.

Don't forget that the operators get the fat cut of the premium SMS message profits, of that 2EUR half most likely went straight to Vodafone. Which might explain why they aren't too interested helping you getting rid of that service

Thats what used to happen with the modem dialler trojans. Got to the point that had to block certain countries from being rung to without a live operator making the call.

Real Psycrow

As Hobbes says, you don't have to sign up. When I got my mobile from work, it was a brand new number and before I'd even made a call with it I started getting these text messages. Subscribing at €36 per month it seemed!

Gillo

Hobbes wrote: »

Not everyone signs up for them. There is one such company that is getting huge fines for signing people up without consent but they make so much in profits the fine is meaningless.

If a company has been fined, it's gone through the courts, can you provide links to show the case?

Hobbes

Gillo wrote: »

If a company has been fined, it's gone through the courts, can you provide links to show the case?

Google Zamano. Will find loads of information. One of the biggest offenders.

cathy neefoley

I also am a victim of these text messages,the first one arriving on 23 sep at 19.03pm I immediatly sent stop at 19.06pm as am not interested in this type of service.the next one arrived on 05 Oct at 11.42am which I ignored and deleted. then another arrived 09 Oct at 18.55pm.I checked my account and only then realised I was being charged 2 euro for each of these texts again I sent stop and this also costs me 13 cents , so to date my account has been depleted by 6 euro 26cent.I contacted o2 and like other customers they claim there is nothing they can do.I was given two contacts ,www.regtel.ie and Modeva and their telephone number.I contacted Regtel but they said they do not send out texts and would contact the company that does.I have had my phone for 12 years and this is the first time I have experienced this problem

Big Lar

Tom Dunne wrote: »

But how, though? Do they randomly pick mobile phone numbers? Do they try a range of numbers? Do they physically steal the phone?

I've had a mobile for probably 8-9 years now, both work and personal and have never once been afflicted with this phenomenon. I genuinely cannot understand how somebody can "suddenly" start receiving these text messages.

It happened me about two years ago, Started getting texts from an 086xxxxxxx number, telling me that I was part of a syndicate that had entered the lotto. I took no notice it being an 086 number and all that, But when I got the bill I had being charged €14.00 for 7 received texts :eek:.

I called O2 about it and they cancelled the texts, Yer man with O2 told me that this is very common and the most probable cause was texting an entry to a radio show - Never texted that show again with the quiz answer.

O2 put me onto Comreg, They gave me an address of the company, Sent a few letters - Piff another waste of money in stamps.

cathy neefoley

many thanks for your reply ,I have written to Comreg and awaiting a reply,the only station I have answered a question is RTE so maybe thats where the problem lies,I certainly never subscribed to any other competition.My problem is how to stop thm , its too late when they arrive on the phone as its cosing money to receive and also to stop.Have emailed Modeva and also o2 say the have put a stop on the texting so remains to be seen.

Lizzzard

RTE's competitions are run by a company called Xiam, this company doesn't run subscription services so there is no way you can start getting premium texts from them. All other companies, as far as I know, do run subscription services.

All mobile phone operators can unsubscribe you from these services via email but cannot investigate how the service was signed up to or look for a refund for you. They are also not obliged to unsubscribe you.

The only way that you can be subscribed is if someone or someone with access to your phone signs up from it, by law all of these companies HAVE TO have a record of the date and time whatever service was signed up to. So if you think these messages are just 'appearing' on your phone, call the company and ask for this info before getting onto Regtel.

Its absolute nonsense reading some of the posts in this thread saying that they never subscribed, why would a company, that makes millions of Euro a year from legitimate revenue, risk getting shut down by sending out texts illegally???

neil_purdy

mobius42 wrote: »

None of them are stupid enough to pay for ringtones!

Plenty of stupid people around.. thats why there are so many of these premium text companies!!

stoppedclock

I have just seen these appear on the company mobile account which I look after.

Having queried the user she has shown me her phone and she has not even received the two texts per week that are being shown on the bill.

I have rung Modeva and have been advised I need to send a fax on company headed paper with a request for how the number in question was signed up.

I will report back.

stoppedclock

Having spoken to 02 about not even getting messages they said they may be "service" messages which do not show up as text messages but do something in the background (in these cases nothing) so there is nothing to reply STOP to.

When I asked can we block all premium texts they said they could only block all texts or texts from a private (10 digit) number not the premium 5 digit ones.
Convenient that...

mmitche

Hi all,
It looks like I'm yet another "mark". My o2 account has been used by modeva to take out 60+ euro over the last 4 months. The texts that I
spotted on the online billing information didn't even arrive at my mobile.
I've sent an email to o2, regtel, ombudsman and modeva asking for my
scammed money back.
O2 have refused to disable my phone for premium services and didn't
alert me to the obvious scam with the undelivered text messages every week. RegTel were uncommittal and only offered support to unsubscribe to the service that I didn't request in the 1st place.
I don't think that fellow board members should slag off victims as deserving and instead band together to highlight this sharp practice. If these companies are allowed to continue this practice then they'll probably find a way to dip into the many more pockets, possibly yours....
I suspect that it's highly profitable for all companies involved....

redhot

This is theft and there is a law against it. I'm gonn a track this bunch down

jimmycrackcorm

These so called services should be banned altogether. I don't know anyone who would actually want them. Instead it seems their whole customer base consists of suckering in new people who then cop on that they are being ripped off and either unsubscribe or compl
ain.

Premium subscription services should be bannd and the only ones allowed for the likes of competitions

Dostoevsky

For those of you who've been victims of this, using CRO information I've just posted over here the names (<admin snip>) of the people behind this scam.

cathy neefoley

Hi

Thank you so much for all that information, I contacted alot of people at
the time including my network supplier 02 who were of no help and washed
their hands of my problem, just referred me funnily enough to company called
Modiva !!!

Unfortunetly I had inadvertedly, when I logged on to the company Ikea.ie
logged on to a competition which I entered, by doing this I had unbeknowns
to myself signed up with this group,I hadnt obviously read the small print
so blamed myself. I was out of pocket by about 4 euro but that multiplied by
hundreds nets a tidy sum for these scammers. Thanks for all the info and
well done

Sponge Bob

Unfortunately an honest attempt by Comreg at stopping this 'Reverse Billing' fraud with new regulations has been thwarted by a court case taken by ( surprise surprise) Modeva and Zamano.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0602/1224317134153.html

Yesterday Diarmuid Rossa Phelan SC, for PPSA, Modeva and Zamano, said the new regulations would radically transform the regulatory landscape.

The new code would significantly increase their costs and customer acquisition rates. Counsel said these additional costs would make their business unviable and result in their immediate closure.