£1.50 text charge?????

Wayne3765 · 21 June 2007 at 11:42AM

shareef wrote: »

Let me know what Virgin say!

More or less said they're sorry about the texts but there's nothing they can do about it but did say to reply with the word STOP to the message and that should make sure I don't get another from them , if not they may be able to do something about it then.

My worry is that as I have no knowledge of ever making contact to that company ( focgifts ) then they must have just randomly generated my number and sent me the text making a profit from it and can easily start another similar set up and catch me for another £1.50 now they know my number is active.

I assume that Virgin take the £1.50 from me and forward £? to focgifts so I asked Virgin if they could stop the payment as it's seems like a scam but they replied that they couldn't refund me

I didn't want a refund just would have been nice to know that focgifts got nothing from me for their time and effort.

I know its easy enough to get a new sim card but I've had this number for a long time and it's a very easy number to remember.

mcdonut · 24 June 2007 at 1:02PM

I have just received 2 one after another watch it, how di=othey get Mobile numbers

Browntoa · 24 June 2007 at 1:06PM

a so called "friend" of yours has signed you up i suspect

http://www.focgifts.com/howItWorks.php

Refer some friends to do the same. To help you along, you earn 20 referral points* for referring friends and 10 referral points* for the friends that they in turn refer. You also get 20%* of the offer "cash back" points that your referred friends complete and also 10%* of the sub referrer points (see above). Once you have accumulated a minimum of 1000 points you can claim a voucher for a top high street outlet!

Browntoa · 24 June 2007 at 1:08PM

Enquiries for billing, joining queries, goods dispatch or points queries can contact us via [EMAIL="customerServices@focgifts.com"]customerServices@focgifts.com[/EMAIL] or call our customer services line on 0871 310 8340 Calls cost 10p per minute at all times from a BT Landline. Calls from mobiles cost more.

Browntoa · 24 June 2007 at 1:12PM

check the 5 digit 088 number here that the text comes from

http://www.icstis.org.uk/communications_providers/ncd/default.asp

you can complain there as well

tenchy · 24 June 2007 at 4:53PM

Don't bother with ICSTIS, they are not worth a carrot. I've dealt with them in the past. They are thoroughly incompetent and unprofessional.

I've just received two unwanted texts on my company Vodafone mobile. They invited me to logon to a website, enter the passcode and then I'd receive a chargeable text, so I don't know how they will have managed to charge me for the two unsolicited texts. If they have, then it is an immediate fraud. It also speaks volumes for the mobile industry that this sort of thing can happen.

I've emailed these gits at focgifts threatening them that if they don't disclose how they obtained my mobile I'll report them the the UK regulatory authorities - ICSTIS :rotfl:

Wayne3765 · 24 June 2007 at 10:02PM

Following my complaint asking how they got my number I've had a reply

Dear Wayne
I have checked your mobile number against our records see that you were indeed signed up to one of our services. If you were referred by another user then that would explain how your number was aquired.
We have a policy to refund any unsatisfied customer. Can you please provide an address to which we will send out a refund of £2.00. Your number has also been barred from all our services.
Thank you
Customer Services

I was just going to let it drop for the sake of £2 but decided to test the offer and sent them an address , surprised me but a £2 postal order turned up in the post the next day.

chrisfellows · 24 June 2007 at 11:28PM

You'll have better luck complaining to the Information Commissioner here http://www.ico.gov.uk/complaints/privacy_and_electronic_communications.aspx.

Its worth complaining so that at least the company gets warned and is likely to get fined if they spam you again. They rely on people just deleting the message and taking no further action. Your number is probably on a spam list (just like mine is!!!).

Point out to the company that they're in breach of the Privacy & Electronic Communications (EC) Regulations 2003. (You did not give them explicit permission to send you text messages and you did not meet all 3 conditions for an implicit opt-in.)

Grey_Ghost_2 · 1 July 2007 at 10:20AM

Hi
I have been ripped off by the same company and my phone service provider can do nothing to reclaim the charges,
lets face it your service provider is operating like a bank when you purchased anything via text message, why cant they refund the unauthorised transaction the same way the banks would ,
I have contacted my service provider and I have had a stop put on any chargeable text messages, I dont use my phone to pay for anything so I dont need it, also I am thinking of having text messaging removed from my phone as i have lost confidence with this sort of system,
I think this sort of chargeable text message without authorisation is FRAUD, who do we report it to and do they bother penalising the rogue companies.

Look to the future where they want us to use our mobile phones to pay for all sorts of services and products instead of cash or credit cards,
pop into a shop and pay using your phone???? we will see a massive increase in this type of phone fraud,

nuff said good luck all

chrisfellows · 1 July 2007 at 12:14PM

I also had the same text from this company. I spoke to O2 today and, although they can't withold payment to this company, they will remove the charge from my bill (Pay monthly). Obviously it doesn't stop this company getting money but maybe it will make the mobile providers put pressure on ICSTIS to start taking action!!!

O2 said that ICSTIS are obliged to take action if you did not agree to the charge. ICSTIS fobbed me off with excuses last week so I'm planning to kick up a fuss and insist that they take action.

£1.50 text charge?????

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