Premium text charges, Do,s And Don't,s

sloz

DO BE VIGILANT AND READ TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Firstly. when browsing and using apps. Look at the terms and conditions on the page. If it's a pop up advert, it'll say it's for a weekly charge (albeit in small lettering)

There's several ways in which you could subscribe to a premium service

In some instances the act of just clicking a link, and then clicking confirm will enter you into a weekly subscription

(IMPORTANT the received text may inform you that you have a free 24 hour cooling off period first)

clicking a link will then result in a text being sent to your phone

there'll be a box to input your mobile number.

The received text will ask you to send a reply with a key word

it'll give you a code to input back on the site

You'll receive a link to click

Replying with the key word or inputting the pin code on the site or clicking the link will start the subscription.

So be aware of those various scenarios

DON,T IGNORE OR DELETE THE TEXTS

if you have inadvertently subscribed to a service or fell into the trap of subscribing to a service. Don't ignore the situation.

Open the text.

the act of opening a text won't charge you or initiate the subscription. If you've been subscribed to a service it's already happened. Read the text fully and don't delete it. Retain it in your inbox.

It'll show the weekly charge and it'll also include the customer service number. It'll also tell you how to unsubscribe

(IMPORTANT, do not delete that first text, if you delete it, and don't currently have any credit to cover the cost of the subscription and then add credit at a later date, you may receive a receipt text from 30090007 or 30090009 (or another 8 digit number starting 30) , this is from payforit, and won't supply any information on how to stop the service, all that info will be contained within the first text you received)

DON'T BLOCK ANY 5 OR 8 DIGIT NUMBER

If you receive a text from a shortcode number whether it's indicating that you've subscribed to a service or you haven't.

Don't block the number

Blocking the number won't stop the deductions. Weekly charges will still be taken but you won't receive a confirmation text of the deduction.

Also if you have the number blocked and don't currently have a subscription linked to the number.

If you subsequently inadvertently subscribe again. Charges will be taken and you're then left in the dark where they originate from.

So don't block any 5 digit numbers

And if you already have. Unblock them

DO TAKE ACTION IMMEDIATELY

If you receive a text indicating you've subscribed to a service.

Text the word STOP or STOP ALL as soon as possible (important if you have a 24 hour cooling off period)

the text will arrive from a 5 digit number or a word or words ("freemessage" for instance)

the number to send the text to, will be mentioned in the body of the message.

The text will almost always cost 10p to send. It won't cost any more

You won't be charged a larger amount (£1.50.£2. £3. £4.50 ect) As some people fear will happen.

(IMPORTANT, if you have inadvertently subscribed by merely clicking a link, you sometimes have a free 24 hour cooling off period.

So take action immediately and text the word STOP to the number mentioned in the text, if you don't have any credit, call the customer service number and use the automated unsubscribe option)

If you have at least 10p and the stop text won't send. You've almost certainly got a block on outgoing premium texts in your android settings

(steps will vary from phone to phone)

Go to settings

manage applications

Swipe to all

Scroll down to messages

And go to the permissions settings

And premium texts

Tick to "always allow"

(if you don't have an Android and /or you don't have a restriction set up in your settings, adding the 5 digit number to your contacts list, then sending a text by adding the contact on your messaging client will usually overcome the message failure)

If you don't have an android and /or you don't have a restriction applied. Try adding the 5 digit number to your contacts list, and sending a text by adding the contact

If you don't currently have any credit. To send the stop text. Call the customer service number that's mentioned within the text. It's not a premium number. It'll be either an 01,02, 03 or an 080 freephone number. Sometimes there'll be an automated option to unsubscribe your number on the line.

If you've subscribed to a service and didn't have enough airtime credit to cover the charge. It will be taken as soon as you add airtime credit.

In this situation you can either add some Airtime credit so the charge is taken. And take your medicine so to speak.

Or you can call the customer service number up during office hours. Ask for the subscription to be cancelled (if you haven't already done so)

And ask for any owing subscription be wrote off. Most services will agree to both those requests.

If you've already had the premium charge deducted you can also argue that you never knowingly subscribed to anything and ask for a refund

Most companies have a policy to agree to a refund if you specifically ask for one

They'll refund to your bank or PayPal account. or send you a cheque

So you need to supply details

DON,T ASK AN AGENT FOR A REFUND OR TO BLOCK THE CHARGES

Giffgaff aren't able to block the texts or charges at network level. It's the customers responsibility to manage and deal with the situation

If you think you've had a premium charge deduction

( check on the premium rate total on your balance usage here

Http://www.giffgaff.com/profile/usage-statement to see if there's a deduction)

and you've deleted any text and isn't in your blocked list. It still may be possible to discover the company that's taking the premium charges

Contacting an agent..

What an agent can do (on most occasions)

is supply you with the number that delivered the charge

https://support2.giffgaff.com/app/ask/Calls-texts-and-data/Managing-calls-texts-data-and-premium-rate-numbers/form/

Explain that you've been charged for a premium service and ask for the number that delivered the charge

The agent will sometimes supply the number in a 11 digit format

The last 5 digits of that number is the important part

Text the word STOP to that 5 digit number or

Make a search on here

http://psauthority.org.uk/about-us/number-checker

Once you've retrieved the company name and customer service number.

Call it and follow the steps already given.

There is also a new service that will tell you if you've subscribed to one of the well known companies..

On this page

http://mobilepaymentsupport.com

Input your mobile number and click send pin

You'll receive a 4 digit pin by text

Input that code on the page

And click send

The next page will inform you if your number is currently subscribed to a premium service to one of those well known companies

It'll give contact details, including the 5 digit number to text the word STOP to

There'll be an unsubscribe option on the actual page

DO I CHANGE MY NUMBER

Although giffgaff have no say on the reason for changing your number

My own opinion is to not go down that route And to try and deal with the situation using the advice I've given

If you feel that you just want to wash your hands of the situation and predicament, and would rather change your number,

do remember this is irreversible

On your profile details page

Http://giffgaff.com/profile/details

Where it says

"get a new number"

Click open

Read the information and warnings before you complete the change

Your sim will lose service for up to 4 hours

newcrazymember2018

sloz That is very useful information, well done for this post.

newcrazymember2018

sloz That is very useful information, well done for this post.

plightfoot

great info, thanks

kiatek

If your not sure if a certain number is premium rate or not it is often worth going to Phone Pay Plus and using their search system to see if the number is known to them and if used if its going to cost money or not.

padiho

@sloz A very good post. Lots of people caught up inadvertently and your info should help them.

dannyownz

Thanks for the helpful advice

premierphotosuk

@sloz What can say well done on putting this useful guide together, as I'm sure this will be very useful to members that have or could suffer this horrible problem that blight our phones with nasty ripoff charges.

Good work and thanks for sharing. 😉

kevgaxx

Hi sloz

Thanks for a useful and comprehensive guide.

There has certainly been a very significant rise in these premium service problems within the last six months ( or is it only me who thinks so? )

So this advice is very timely.

sloz

Hi @kevgaxx

Yes ive certainly noticed an increase of people getting caught out. Particular in the last few months. A current running theme is the Tesco free vouchers premium charge which apparently arrives in an email

Regarding this Tesco scam. It would be interesting to see the wording of the email and also the wording of both the received text and the Web page that you input a code to start the subscription.

tazzy19

sloz wrote:
Regarding this Tesco scam. It would be interesting to see the wording of the email and also the wording of both the received text and the Web page that you input a code to start the subscription.

The same could also be said for the Morrisons version.

janesimmo

Good read cheers know what to do now

tazzy19

Morrisons version of the email

Clicking any of the buttons takes you to the same site.

The unsubscribe at the very bottom of the email takes you to a google search, not to a web page to unsubscribe.

unsubsribe hxttp:/ x /wathcomited.net/UALI=405-UI=128580432-OI=1579-ONI=0-SI=0-CI=0-BI=0-II=36857-IDSP=1-KLEM=13-TIE=A-IDE=995420-MID=363-FID=0-DIOM=0

The mail is sent from an anonymous address

All the signs of spam/scam email

tazzy19

To add to the above

Tescos , Argos and Morrisons are the current favourites in use.

The unsubcribe, yes and no buttons in the email all lead to the same page where you enter your mobile number.

DO NOT ENTER YOUR NUMBER via any of the links.

You can check where the links take you by opening the emails in a browser on a pc.

Simply right click on the button/unsubscribe link and copy/paste the link into notepad to see where it's going to take you.

To check where the email is coming from simply right click on the sender's address and "view details" to see a totally randomized email address, which makes you none the wiser.

If it was a genuine email it would show an @argos, @tesco, etc address

rabbit001

very nice post buddy 🙂

flowerwatson

That is a brilliant article and so much help. Thank you for posting this. I was panicking.

sylwusia

FIRST HINT dont type your number on that kind of website, many www's promise to access newly released movies or music but you end with huge bill. Any1 know how works distance selling act with this?

danwillen

Most of these website get around uk distance selling act by hosting the websites in countries that dont have the same level of customer law as the uk and were what there doing dose not brack the local laws.

Thats y these scams are so comen as these nothing the uk government can do to stop them

pattersonk54

I have fallen for the Morrison's scan £4.50 has been taken and all my airtime ...I could I have fallen for this!!

Can't text stop to short number and the 0800 number doesn't ring out...so everytime I 'topup' the scammers get it??

sloz

@pattersonk54

Which phone do you have? Do you have at least 10p credit?

What's the full 0800 number?

ewuniawu

Thank you... Unfortunatelly looks like I have been deleting all unknown messages... How can I now find out who is charging me and how can I stop that?!

sloz

@ewuniawu

An agent will supply the 5 digit number for you. Use the agent link in my opening post

Once you retrieve the number. Text the word STOP to it