Crackdown on SMS vultures at last
THE communications and media watchdog has approved measures to protect consumers from being slugged with high charges from premium SMS services.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority yesterday approved a package of measures to address consumer concerns on premium SMS services.
The measures will provide the watchdog with a comprehensive framework to monitor alleged offenders and the power to issue service provider determinations.
The determinations will require mobile carriers to provide an option to bar premium SMS services on all mobile phone plans by July 1 next year.
The measures will also grant ACMA the power to ban repeat premium SMS offenders from operating in the market.
Premium SMS suppliers who failed to comply with the new rules would also run the risk of penalties of up to $250,000, ACMA said.
Finally, the measures include a new mobile premium services code which will give ACMA legal force from July 1. The code was developed in co-operation with the telecoms industry.
"With a registered code in place, consumers can be secure in the knowledge that the standards and protections outlined in the code are mandatory and will be enforced by the ACMA," Communications Alliance chief executive Anne Hurley said.
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy welcomed the new rules. "New enforceable rules will provide a better deal for consumers when it comes to services such as premium messages," he said. "Misleading practices in the mobile industry will not be tolerated and providers must ensure better protection for consumers."
Telstra also welcomed the new code. "Telstra has led the sector in the responsible provision of premium SMS services, operating under our own code of conduct that went beyond standard industry practice," a Telstra spokesman said.
Telstra plans on enacting new internal measures from next month to safeguard consumers from unintentional premium SMS service subscriptions. One of those measures includes a process to terminate providers that have had continued high and unacceptable complaint levels associated with their services.
Source
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Friday, October 24, 2008
Always double-check your phone bills
The guy who wrote the article below is both right and wrong. His advice to check your bills is certainly right and I was indeed a sinner in that regard. The bills were not notably excessive so I just let payment go through for nearly a year.
His explanation that the fraudulent "Premium" charges originated with a previous owner of his number is probably wrong, however. I suspect that he has been suckered by that explanation. I had my number for years before these charges started popping up.
The real source of the scam lies, I suspect, in the many internet advertisements that offer to tell you the name of your ideal lover (etc.). If you respond to such an ad, you get given a number to ring. And when you do that they "capture" your number and use your call as an alleged agreement to take a useless "service".
My trouble was with Vodafone and the guy below is with "3". Are they one and the same? I think they are.
Anyway, nobody at Voda wanted to hear anything from me at all despite the numerous approaches I made. All the extra calls are too profitable for them to want to stop it. They did refund my money fairly promptly once I complained to TIO but would not discuss one thing about how the scam came about
Last month I signed up for a mobile broadband account with 3. I just got the first bill, which should only be for $20, but instead it was for $90. I was sure I hadn't exceeded my 1GB download cap. Scrolling through the bill revealed $70 worth of Premium SMS charges for services I never signed up for.
Every wireless broadband modem that connects to the mobile phone network contains a SIM card. This SIM card is allocated a mobile phone number, even if you never use it to make calls. The phone number might have previously belonged to someone else, so you need to keep on eye on your bill to make sure you're not accidentally charged for phone-related services.
It seems the doofus who previously had my number was dumb enough to subscribe to Premium SMS services. They were charging this poor sucker $5 every time they sent him a "Text & Win Trivia" SMS and some other rubbish. Unless he checked his bill carefully he may not have even known he was paying for this crap.
A quick Google search uncovered a recent discussion at Whirlpool with the subject Where did my money go?. It seems other people have had the same problem, although they've had different experiences when it comes to getting the issue resolved.
First I rang 3, who said I needed to ring the Premium SMS service. Studying my bill closely I realised I was receiving messages from two different services, "Netsize - Content Subscription" and "Dialect - Text & Win Trivia".
When I rang Netsize and explained the situation, they checked their records and acknowledged that my number was subscribed to the service last year, well before I signed up with 3. If I fax them a copy of my contract with 3 they'll send me a refund cheque. Dialect wasn't quite as helpful, admitting the subscription began last year but saying they'll look into it and notify me if I'm "eligible" for a refund. The poor call centre operator had trouble getting her head around the fact the number is now allocated to a USB modem and not a mobile phone.
If my money doesn't show up, my next call will be to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.
There are two lessons to be learned here. Firstly, if you're dumb enough to subscribe to Premium SMS services they'll bleed you dry. Secondly, always double-check your bills.
Posted by Adam Turner
Source
The guy who wrote the article below is both right and wrong. His advice to check your bills is certainly right and I was indeed a sinner in that regard. The bills were not notably excessive so I just let payment go through for nearly a year.
His explanation that the fraudulent "Premium" charges originated with a previous owner of his number is probably wrong, however. I suspect that he has been suckered by that explanation. I had my number for years before these charges started popping up.
The real source of the scam lies, I suspect, in the many internet advertisements that offer to tell you the name of your ideal lover (etc.). If you respond to such an ad, you get given a number to ring. And when you do that they "capture" your number and use your call as an alleged agreement to take a useless "service".
My trouble was with Vodafone and the guy below is with "3". Are they one and the same? I think they are.
Anyway, nobody at Voda wanted to hear anything from me at all despite the numerous approaches I made. All the extra calls are too profitable for them to want to stop it. They did refund my money fairly promptly once I complained to TIO but would not discuss one thing about how the scam came about
Last month I signed up for a mobile broadband account with 3. I just got the first bill, which should only be for $20, but instead it was for $90. I was sure I hadn't exceeded my 1GB download cap. Scrolling through the bill revealed $70 worth of Premium SMS charges for services I never signed up for.
Every wireless broadband modem that connects to the mobile phone network contains a SIM card. This SIM card is allocated a mobile phone number, even if you never use it to make calls. The phone number might have previously belonged to someone else, so you need to keep on eye on your bill to make sure you're not accidentally charged for phone-related services.
It seems the doofus who previously had my number was dumb enough to subscribe to Premium SMS services. They were charging this poor sucker $5 every time they sent him a "Text & Win Trivia" SMS and some other rubbish. Unless he checked his bill carefully he may not have even known he was paying for this crap.
A quick Google search uncovered a recent discussion at Whirlpool with the subject Where did my money go?. It seems other people have had the same problem, although they've had different experiences when it comes to getting the issue resolved.
First I rang 3, who said I needed to ring the Premium SMS service. Studying my bill closely I realised I was receiving messages from two different services, "Netsize - Content Subscription" and "Dialect - Text & Win Trivia".
When I rang Netsize and explained the situation, they checked their records and acknowledged that my number was subscribed to the service last year, well before I signed up with 3. If I fax them a copy of my contract with 3 they'll send me a refund cheque. Dialect wasn't quite as helpful, admitting the subscription began last year but saying they'll look into it and notify me if I'm "eligible" for a refund. The poor call centre operator had trouble getting her head around the fact the number is now allocated to a USB modem and not a mobile phone.
If my money doesn't show up, my next call will be to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.
There are two lessons to be learned here. Firstly, if you're dumb enough to subscribe to Premium SMS services they'll bleed you dry. Secondly, always double-check your bills.
Posted by Adam Turner
Source
Monday, July 28, 2008
I am not alone
I am not alone in having gripes with Vodafone. I am REALLY glad that I never was tempted to try any of their internet services.
The site Not Good Enough has a recent thread on Vodafone. Just one excerpt by way of example:
Read it all, as they say in the classics.
I am not alone in having gripes with Vodafone. I am REALLY glad that I never was tempted to try any of their internet services.
The site Not Good Enough has a recent thread on Vodafone. Just one excerpt by way of example:
I too have the Vodafone wireless broadband - am using it right now.
It is HOPELESS - I always have good coverage, but I can only really use it in low times - otherwise I am disconnected every 5 minutes. After speaking to family members who have the same product in different cities, we find that we are all kicked off the service during peak times. The upload/download speed varies wildly.
I cannot wait for my contract to end - I'll suck it up and pay the price to have a hardline installed for broadband. I honestly could not say enough to discourage you from the service, it is not worth the hassle.
Good luck finding a service that works for you.
Read it all, as they say in the classics.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
A follow-up letter to ACMA
TO:
Andrew Westmorland
ACMA
I am staggered by your letter of 19th. You seem to be saying that you have no power to investigate telephone fraud and no means of preventing it. That cannot be true. I realize that the goal of every bureaucracy is to maximize its funding and minimize its workload but this is ridiculous.
Please seek further legal advice regarding your powers and notify me accordingly.
I think I have an idea about how the fraud affecting me worked but nobody seems in the slightest bit interested in asking me.
If legal advice confirms your impotence in this area, please advise me whom I can approach to get this matter investigated. I am thinking that the Federal police might be my next port of call. The buck has got to stop somewhere.
TO:
Andrew Westmorland
ACMA
I am staggered by your letter of 19th. You seem to be saying that you have no power to investigate telephone fraud and no means of preventing it. That cannot be true. I realize that the goal of every bureaucracy is to maximize its funding and minimize its workload but this is ridiculous.
Please seek further legal advice regarding your powers and notify me accordingly.
I think I have an idea about how the fraud affecting me worked but nobody seems in the slightest bit interested in asking me.
If legal advice confirms your impotence in this area, please advise me whom I can approach to get this matter investigated. I am thinking that the Federal police might be my next port of call. The buck has got to stop somewhere.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Voda legal replies:
It is Vodafone's view that it has taken sufficient steps to respond to your complaint, including responding to all your requests for information and refunding amounts charged to you as a result of the service. If Vodafone has any claim against Mobile Messenger arising out of your complaint, it would be a matter for Vodafone to pursue.
If you have further queries or comments, please contact me.
Yours sincerely
Sarah Druce
Corporate Counsel
Sales and Service Legal Team
Vodafone Australia
Fax: +61 2 9415 7041
www.vodafone.com.au
sarah.druce@vodafone.com
It is Vodafone's view that it has taken sufficient steps to respond to your complaint, including responding to all your requests for information and refunding amounts charged to you as a result of the service. If Vodafone has any claim against Mobile Messenger arising out of your complaint, it would be a matter for Vodafone to pursue.
If you have further queries or comments, please contact me.
Yours sincerely
Sarah Druce
Corporate Counsel
Sales and Service Legal Team
Vodafone Australia
Fax: +61 2 9415 7041
www.vodafone.com.au
sarah.druce@vodafone.com
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Letter to Voda legal
Dear Ms Druce
Thank you for rehashing the past
What I want to know is what Vodafone intends to do about the company that raised fraudulent charges against me.
I will take the matter further in the absence of a satisfactory reply
Dear Ms Druce
Thank you for rehashing the past
What I want to know is what Vodafone intends to do about the company that raised fraudulent charges against me.
I will take the matter further in the absence of a satisfactory reply
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
The fob-off
TO:
Don Boulton
Customer Fobbing-off Manager
Vodafone Australia
Dear Mr Boulton,
I have your letter of 26th.
I take it that you are not interested in finding out whether or not Mobile Messenger are scammers?
Please advise.
In the absence of a reply I will have to kick this up to your UK head office.
TO:
Don Boulton
Customer Fobbing-off Manager
Vodafone Australia
Dear Mr Boulton,
I have your letter of 26th.
I take it that you are not interested in finding out whether or not Mobile Messenger are scammers?
Please advise.
In the absence of a reply I will have to kick this up to your UK head office.
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