Warning - possible scam on internet dongles

zz9pa

Just checked my pay mothly bill (vodafone) and noticed a £1.27 charge - called up to check - and apparently I've subscribed to an SMS ringtone subscription service!

Now - bear in mind - this is an 3G dongle for internet access - and *doesn't even have a ringtone*...

The lady was quite helpful and removed the £1.27 from this month and last - but I cannot understand how its possible for the modem to have been subscribed in the first place.

She said they had no intension of checking if other people might be affected

So you will have to *check your bills* yourself...


I'll be phoning the SMS company I'm supposed to have subscribed to on monday to check how its supposed to have happend (they are closed at the weekend)

Donnie

....for the smile.

Vodafone

Hi zz9pa,

It is possible to send and receive text messages via our pay monthly dongles so that would partly explain the charge being possible.

In terms of establishing how the charge came about what did the SMS company say?

Thanks,

Lee

Web Relations Team

Vodafone UK

zz9pa

Reality is no one with a dongle would subscribe to a ringtone subscription service - period..

The SMS company said that the number had been "ported" and the original subscription was in 2006.
Their system (apparently) keeps attempting to bill - and vodafone were now allowing it to whereas for the previous # months it had been refused..

The guy from the SMS company sent me out £15 in Virgin Megastore gift vouchers by way of compensation for the trouble caused.
I don't know if he was taking the p!ss - because Virgin have closed down their megastores so theres nowhere to actually spend them :rotfl:..