Scam SMS Message - Text Global and Pfi.me

BnB

Hi

I was just wondering if anyone has ever gotten a refund from Text Message Scams. I am in the process at the minute and I would love to hear from anyone who has been through it successfully.

I am nearly embarrassed to say how much I have been scammed out of over the last year due to not checking a bill that is paid by direct debit...!!!!

3 family members have phones on Virgin (none of them me) that I pay for on one bill. When I got my monthly bill via e-mail I would see the total and I noticed that it was up a bit, but I had put it down to my wife ringing her brother who is abroad and she talks to him regularly.

Anyway, turns out that since March 2019, that have taken €7.50 a week...€420 in Total...!!! She said she would get 3 text messages every Sunday but wrote them off as spam and just deleted them.

All the messages came from 57976

I initially contacted help@pfi.me (can't remember where I got that e-mail). They confirmed that they were behind it and they unsubscribed the phone. However they say they cannot pay a refund because (in their own words):

We are the billing platform provider and not the content provider that has charged you.

If you are disputing the opt-in and wish to request a refund kindly contact Text Global, directly at 1800901656 or email contactus@help4mobile.com

So I tried the phone Number above. It didn't work - It only gets you through to an automated answering service for unsubscribing but you don't get to talk to anyone.

So I sent an e-mail to contactus@help4mobile.com and some girl called "Kath" (I think) rang me back from 0044 115 827 0506. She gave me the usual speel telling me that I had Opted in by text which she said she could confirm via my phone provider. I asked for proof of this which she said she could not give me as she is only customer service and she would need to escalate my query to the escalation team.

So I asked her how to do that and she told me (in her own words as I got her to e-mail it)

As per our conversation a few minutes ago, the escalation team e-mail address is
account_check@help4mobile.com

Please enter the word BLUE in the subject field so that the Manager knows you have spoken to me today.

Kind regards

Text Global Media

So I have just sent an e-mail to them which is where I am at now.

I am absolutely furious. I am mad with myself for not checking the bill, peeved with the family member who has been getting these texts for a year and said nothing and mostly raging with them just for existing.

silver2020

send complaint to comreg.

PFI say that same thing to everyone. Pass the buck basically

Lodge complaint with comreg, get the complaint number. Send this number to Text Global, give them 7 days to make a refund of all charges or to prove that these charges were properly authenticated.

Send letter to TD and get the political people to stop these scammers once and for all.

whiterebel

Have a look back through threads in this forum. There are a few about these scams. At least one is very recent

Ten Pin

Insist on a full refund as you didn't subscribe, ask for proof of an AGREE SMS from you (they probably won't have it). If they refuse then use GDPR to get all data they hold on file to show evidence of the subscription consent.

She gave me the usual spiel telling me that I had Opted in by text which she said she could confirm via my phone provider. I asked for proof of this which she said she could not give...

That's real "dog ate my homework" nonsense from them. If the text was sent then it would be on the bill so check it to be sure. You can also request the SMS log from your network to prove it definitively. If they have the text then they don't need to go back to your network...IMO they're spoofing.

corks finest

Ten Pin wrote: »

Insist on a full refund as you didn't subscribe, ask for proof of an AGREE SMS from you (they probably won't have it). If they refuse then use GDPR to get all data they hold on file to show evidence of the subscription consent.


That's real "dog ate my homework" nonsense from them. If the text was sent then it would be on the bill so check it to be sure. You can also request the SMS log from your network to prove it definitively. If they have the text then they don't need to go back to your network...IMO they're spoofing.

How does our government allow this to happen

Grab All Association

corks finest wrote: »

How does our government allow this to happen

Because they get a cut of the scam. Comreg licences these services

the_syco

BnB wrote: »

I was just wondering if anyone has ever gotten a refund from Text Message Scams. I am in the process at the minute and I would love to hear from anyone who has been through it successfully.

Deal with COmReg.

Also, check your phone provider if they can stop them. Vodafone have a free service that can block these texts from taking your money, but you must ring them and activate it first.