Boltblue.com, scumbags takin €2.50 off me every time they send me a message!Any help?

Dave! · 14-01-2006 1:35pm #1

Hey folks,

a few months ago I got a message saying that I had a new ringtone, so my phone being new and not knowing what happens when you receive a ringtone, I followed the number and ended up registered with boltblue.com (don't go to their website -- they are f*cking scum).

I realised my mistake but left it at that, then a few days later they started sending me text messages @ €2.50 a pop. One of the messages gave some instructions to unregister, which was something like text 'unreg' to xxxxx -- which I did (I figured it'd cost me loads, but if it makes it stop, f*ck it).

The messages stopped it seemed, but then about a week later they started again, and have continued since -- whenever I have more than a certain amount of credit, they send me a message and take the money (I've had to stop using my phone as much cos I can't get any more credit).

I forgot about the thing today, and sent myself €10 credit, only to have 2 messages sent to me and €5 taken off, within 5 minutes of receiving the credit.

So I rang up Meteor hoping they could sort it out -- I asked them if they could block the number or anything, but from what I understand the company will keep taking money off me if I do that, I just won't have the benefit of receiving their messages, and I have to unregister from them to stop it. So Meteor gave me the number to ring if I want to unregister, I asked them how much it'd cost -- €2.50 a minute of course!
(I had previously rang Meteor a few months ago and they gave me that number but I didn't ring then either)

Has anyone else been in this situation? What did you do to resolve it? Should I bite the bullet, give them more money, but unregister? At this stage they've taken at least €30 -- and I'm a student, I can't afford this!

My dad mentioned that there's a telecommunications regulator that you can get in contact with and they'll stop it and maybe get your money back, so I googled it and found http://www.odtr.ie

I'm going through it now trying to find any help, but I thought I'd post here too in case anyone has been here.

Thanks for any help

Binomate · 14-01-2006 1:38pm

They are best discribed as you have in the thread title. Pure scumbags. I wonder are there actually any genuine subscribers or do they make all of their money off people like you who get caught up in these things by accident and end up being robbed of €30+?

GLaDOS · 14-01-2006 1:53pm

Lesson: Nothing is ever free! especially if 'the offer' is texted to you

Dave! · 14-01-2006 1:56pm

I hope to god there's no genuine subscribers!

Keep away from these gangsters.

I went onto their website again (hiss), and it says that you can unsubscribe by logging in and changing some options -- but I don't know my poxy login details, cos I didn't register on purpose!

BUT, if I send them a message saying 'PASSWORD', then they'll send back my details... grrg! Should I just do this? It'll cost at least €2.50, but if I never hear from them again it'll be worth it... I doubt there's any chance of me getting my money back, so I dunno if it's worth the hastle.

ScienceNerd wrote:

Lesson: Nothing is ever free! especially if 'the offer' is texted to you

Yeah -- I thought it was just someone (like a friend) sending me a ringtone! I've never received one on this phone.

monkeyfudge · 14-01-2006 2:00pm

Why not just get a new sim card and number? It's the only way to be totally sure.

Devon · 14-01-2006 2:01pm

How do I unsubscribe from the Boltblue Club?
Club members can cancel their membership at anytime by

1. Sending the text message STOP to 85233.
2. Calling Customer Support on 0870 020 9312
3. On our website. Login by entering your id and password, go to the 'my details' area, click "Club" where you will see an overview of your account and click "deactivate"

Try putting 0044 in front of the number and knocking off the 0 before the 0870

Hope this helps!

Dave! · 14-01-2006 2:04pm

jerryadams wrote:

Try putting 0044 in front of the number and knocking off the 0 before the 0870

Hope this helps!

hmmm... what does that do exactly? lol

JTMan · 14-01-2006 2:21pm

I am in the same position with BoltBlue (AKA mblox / Jamster SCUM). I never gave my approval to receive the messages I have had credit removed for the messages.

I have sent the messages to Meteor via their Spam text number - No Reply.
I have phone meteor and they have advised me to get in contact with mblox/Jamster/BoltBlue. Mblox took my details on their (make money off you) 0818 number but I still kept getting the messages. I then complained to RegTel (4 times) and they have promised me that mblox SCUM would contact me. Mblox have not contacted me nor have RegTel and the messages have not stopped. This is a joke.

If I am not happy with how RegTel and especially mblox have dealt with my complaint who do I go to?

[Jackass] · 14-01-2006 2:35pm

How would I go about setting up a company like this?

Dave! · 14-01-2006 2:37pm

Well first you have to sell your soul to the devil...

RobertFoster · 14-01-2006 3:19pm

DaveMcG wrote:

Well first you have to sell your soul to the devil...

Done. What next? (There's enough room for both of us in this "business" DubGuy

)

scuba steve · 14-01-2006 3:35pm

ya that happened me few months back. Few texts a day saying blah-blah-blah, send "xxxx" to unregister to number.

I rang meteor customer care, they gave me numbers off the companys i subscribed to and didnt subscribe to, and i rang up the company and they sent me a cheque about 4weeks later for something like 20 odd euro. It was always just after i topped up tho that they took the credit away, the baStards!

Dave! · 14-01-2006 3:55pm

scuba steve wrote:

ya that happened me few months back. Few texts a day saying blah-blah-blah, send "xxxx" to unregister to number.

I rang meteor customer care, they gave me numbers off the companys i subscribed to and didnt subscribe to, and i rang up the company and they sent me a cheque about 4weeks later for something like 20 odd euro. It was always just after i topped up tho that they took the credit away, the baStards!

ooooh, interesting! did you have to lay into them until they finally decided to send the cheque to get you to p!ss off or did they just say sorry and send it out? Was it Boltblue that you registered with?

Tar.Aldarion · 14-01-2006 4:04pm

On a related note does anybody know the unregging info for messages that go like this(they have cost me like a hundred euro):
from : 57080

congrats 2 nana parker, 4 aughanteeroe, gort road, ennis, co. clare. XMAS BONUS winner of 2000 EURO cash/fone credit. Ur no is in the current 1000 euro draw.

Have no idea how I am signed up and they keep sending me messages at two euro each. I m ust have been drunk and did it...

lodgepole · 14-01-2006 4:15pm

I used to work for one of these companies (temp job massive debt... quit out of the horror of seeing how they actually operate).

You have a few options.

Visit www.regtel.ie, they have a lot of information there. Know your rights before you ring the company. Try to figure out if the person is sympathetic or following the party line. I used to give people refunds all the time when legally we weren't obliged to. Don't be rude to the people you speak to, don't get angry with them. Likelyhood is they're only there to make some money and consider the operation as scandolous as you do. You'll get further with them if you don't yell.

What i'd really recomend is to ring Regtel on 1850 741 741. The company's customer support will have instructions to fob you off. Legally they are within their rights to do what they're doing (just about) and you don't really have a leg to stand on. Regtel will force them to cancel all of your subscriptions and have your number taken off their database. When I was working with Opera Regtel (and O2) were on their ass for having such **** customer service. Regtel have the power to shut them down, so they take complaints through them far more seriously than personal complaints made directly to them.

If you've already rang Regtel and gotten no result, then ring them again. I guarantee the problem isn't with them but with the texting company. A second warning from Regtel is taken even more seriously. Make sure to tell Regtel that you want the company to get in touch with you once it's taken care of. Not necessarily because you want to talk to them but because it's a hassle for the company. **** them.

If you really want to **** them over, tell them from the beginning that it is your child's phone and that they are about 10 or 11 years old. They don't legally have to refund your money in these cases but they probably will.

lodgepole · 14-01-2006 4:24pm

Tar.Aldarion wrote:

On a related note does anybody know the unregging info for messages that go like this(they have cost me like a hundred euro):
from : 57080

Company is called Opera.

[link removed... pm me if you want it]
Once you visit this link put your number into it and hit query (use 3538xxxxxxxx). If your number is not on that list, make sure it is. It's their delete list and being on it means you won't receive any more.

I have two other websites that require passwords that I don't want to post here. One I think they have changed, but I can check your number on the other if you want to email it to me. I realise that requires trust that i'm not some psycho stalker or indeed from one of these companies but there you go.

Alternatively ring Opera at (01) 484 8888 and ask for Bryan or Ian Flanagan. Don't say it's about a complaint until you get one of them on the phone. You could also try this number... 087 6351299.

TouchingVirus · 14-01-2006 4:45pm

Tar.Aldarion · 14-01-2006 4:47pm

Hmm thanks I'll hit you with a PM to say what's happening.

lodgepole · 14-01-2006 4:47pm

TouchingVirus wrote:

I'd edit that url dude, it seems people can mess things up a little be removing certain operators off shortcode numbers...i just removed Meteor IE off the 50782 one :P theres also a list of passwords there too - bry4nr0ck5 - which would would correspond to this Bryan fella you mentioned

Done... Do us a favour and pull it out of your quote as well would you?

senordingdong · 14-01-2006 4:49pm

Didn't you say you already un-subscribed? But they contonued anyway.
If that's true than I doubht doing it a second time will do much, it also sounds like they're doing something illeagal.

That said you should track down this telecommunications regualtor or buy a new phone.

lodgepole · 14-01-2006 4:52pm

senordingdong wrote:

Didn't you say you already un-subscribed? But they contonued anyway.
If that's true than I doubht doing it a second time will do much, it also sounds like they're doing something illeagal.

That said you should track down this telecommunications regualtor or buy a new phone.

Often what will happen is that they remove one of your subscriptions and leave another. Or they'll remove all your subscriptions but leave your number on their database so you'll still receive promotional messages.

Tar.Aldarion · 14-01-2006 4:54pm

Lodgepole wrote:

Often what will happen is that they remove one of your subscriptions and leave another. Or they'll remove all your subscriptions but leave your number on their database so you'll still receive promotional messages.

Hmm ya, i tried unsubscibing to a lot of numbers...never worked though.

Blisterman · 14-01-2006 4:59pm

I'm pretty sure it's illegal to charge people for unsolicited goods and services.
How would you go about taking a class action lawsuit against these companies, and split the compensation between everyone who is affected by it, like thay did with the Sony DRM thing?

lodgepole · 14-01-2006 5:01pm

Blisterman wrote:

I'm pretty sure it's illegal to charge people for unsolicited goods and services.

This is how they skirt the law... The initial message to the phone is free. But once you download the ringtone you agree to terms (very very small print style terms) and hence the messages are in fact solicited even if you don't realise you've done it. Hence the dubious morals behind these companies.

Tar.Aldarion wrote:

Hmm ya, i tried unsubscibing to a lot of numbers...never worked though.

They stick the correct unsubscribe codes at the end of messages that nobody saves so they cover their ass but leave you in a position where you don't know how to correctly cancel the service.

Tar.Aldarion · 14-01-2006 5:05pm

Lodgepole wrote:

They stick the correct unsubscribe codes at the end of messages that nobody saves so they cover their ass but leave you in a position where you don't know how to correctly cancel the service.

That could be it, I just don't have the right number maybe.

Fraggle Rocks · 14-01-2006 5:32pm

I got ringtones from Boltblue but i never downloaded any of them. They sent me about 3 over a couple of weeks, but i don't know if I was charged for them. What messages do people get from Boltblue?

Savman · 14-01-2006 6:29pm

I had a similar problem a few years back. I emailed o2 customer support stating I was billed €6 for 2 ringtones I never ordered, about a month later o2 contact me to say my account was credited back the €6 and they blocked me from receiving any promo ringtones etc.

Contact your phone company,
Contact the ringtone company (they must have registered office in Ireland) try http://www.cro.ie
Failing that contact the Telecoms authorities mentioned already

ixus · 14-01-2006 6:34pm

That Tmax company sent me an unsolicited text around Nov, immedately deleted it thinking that would be the end of it.

4/5 days later was being given my first ringtone form them, deleted that again and contacted vodafone.
They tried to contact the company with no success, so in the end refunded me and gave me instructions to stop the texts (testing STOP to whatever the number was) haven't got anything since.

Tried contacting Regtel but they just rang out during work hours.

lodgepole · 14-01-2006 6:49pm

ixus wrote:

They tried to contact the company with no success, so in the end refunded me and gave me instructions to stop the texts (texting STOP to whatever the number was) haven't got anything since.

That's actually an incorrect method of stopping these texts. That's what all of the networks tell you to do but it (generally) won't work. You have to send STOP and then a code referring to the service... For example STOP MCOMP1. It's good that it worked for you but it won't work nine times out of ten.

Savman · 14-01-2006 7:11pm

If your network cannot help with stuff like this, I would threaten to move to a rival network. They have the power, they control the bleedin thing so let's not pretend they're impotent.:rolleyes:

Random · 14-01-2006 8:56pm

Meteor can get you unsubscription details. If you push them the agent will put through the call/email to the company aswell to make sure you're unsubscribed.

Boltblue.com, scumbags takin €2.50 off me every time they send me a message!Any help?

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