Anyone else getting charged for supposed text messages received from 700034153?

gjchester

Intasun32 wrote: »

With regards to the complaints regarding this number on 'whocallsme', how could you not be 'suss' that all the posts were from customers of TM or Virgin?

You are incorrect regarding the 7000xxx number, from my own experience I can tell you that this is a number (or reference) which is used by T-Mobile on bills for many premium rate numbers.

Didn't know that, I googled the number as anyone could do.

My point remains, lets say the dial code for a virgin block of phones is 07123 xxxxxx

If I send a text saying " Free ringtone, Test Yes to 12345 to get yours now" and send that to the number 07123 000000 and send a million to 07123 999999 then the chances are the majority of replies will be from Virgin customers, it's not malice or greed on the part of the mobile company if they are targetted it's just how it works.

They will only need a few people to be fooled into thinking it's a freebie and reply yes for the subscription to be worth it to them.

Yes I know the texts won't be free but probably not 10p a time to them, if they send ringtones etc they may have the software to do it for free or pretty much nothing.

Now it maybe the network takes a slice of the cost, but they may be innocent in the process, if it came from another network they'd have to pay the charges to the other network.

Intasun32

gjchester wrote: »

Didn't know that, I googled the number as anyone could do.

My point remains, lets say the dial code for a virgin block of phones is 07123 xxxxxx

If I send a text saying " Free ringtone, Test Yes to 12345 to get yours now" and send that to the number 07123 000000 and send a million to 07123 999999 then the chances are the majority of replies will be from Virgin customers, it's not malice or greed on the part of the mobile company if they are targetted it's just how it works.

They will only need a few people to be fooled into thinking it's a freebie and reply yes for the subscription to be worth it to them.

Yes I know the texts won't be free but probably not 10p a time to them, if they send ringtones etc they may have the software to do it for free or pretty much nothing.

Now it maybe the network takes a slice of the cost, but they may be innocent in the process, if it came from another network they'd have to pay the charges to the other network.

@Gjchester

We seem to be looking at this from different angles.

The 7000xxx number is not a mobile phone number it is a TM reference used for premium rate charges. You cannot connect to another phone number using a 7000xxx number.

Yes, if it was an 0700xx number (the first number being a zero) but there is no '0' (zero) at the begining of this number that has been queried.

With regards to the placing of any blame or malice in the direction of Virgin, the point I have made is that in the past there have been cases of the 7000xxx number showing on bills (as here) where the several account holders have stated that they have not subscribed or sent a short code text to any service. The 7000xx charge is made for a premium rate text which is paid by TM or Virgin, charged to your account, to a content provider that supplied services, such as music, wallpaper, jokes and sexual content sites.

If you check out the Adjudication section of the Phone Pay Plus (the premium rate regulator) web site you will see that not all content and service providers act within the regulations set down. You will note fines and suspension dating back many years, oddly with the same name showing time and time again yet nothing is done to protect the consumer against funds being taken from our account without our permission, aka theft.

I am not saying that this has happened in this case but it has happened several times in the past and from what Karmal has posted it is an avenue worth exploring.

:beer:

BobDelamare

I am on O2 and got a message

"FreeMsg: Trivia Cash Link coming soon. Win £300. U joined this service at £3.00 per week, txt stop to 83023 to exit. Thanks. TxtPromos. 08445796368"

I ignored it as I haven't signed up to anything but now see my bill has a £2.55 extra charge. I called O2 who suggested to text "stop" as stated. In my experience with email spam that just confirms to the spammer that you are alive and it keeps coming. We will see but in the meantime be warned!