Text Message Rip Off

Rothy72

Hi all. New user so first post. I'm just wanting some advice on where I stand. Bare with me as a little long winded. My 11 year old son has run mobile phone bills of nearly £700, however not done on purpose. He was playing an online game where he got a message stating text a message to 78878 to recieve free credits to rank up. So he did and everytime he did this he recieved 3 messages back with some codes. Each reply cost £10, so in effect £30 a message. I spoke to phone pay plus and I've found out the number belongs to text nation. However phone pay plus suggested little can be done as my son was messaged by an individual but to speak to txt nation and get back to them. So I phoned txt nation, no answer but left a message for them to get back to me, still waiting a week later. Have phoned again but no answer.

Any advice greatly recieved

many thanks in advance

Rusty!

If your son kept messaging the number then there is little that can be done, as he was using the service.

If he is still getting messages from them, reply with STOP or STOP ALL so you don't build up more charges.

Intasun32

@Rothy72,

TxtNation are the company which distributes the very expensive texts for the 'content provider', a company that supplies the game. Do you have a name or the name of the game that your son was playing?

Why I ask is that in the 'very' small print there should be a dissclaimer (usually for the benefit of the company) an age limit as to how old you have to be to use the service etc etc. In this case it could be in your favour. This may be the line that you may have to take to get your money back, it will not be easy as you will get no help from your network.

Something important to check, in many cases it may be a subscription service, that is to say that they can charge £X per week. See below.

:beer:

Details held by PP+

PhonepayPlus has the following information about the shortcode number 78878.







This is a text message service charged at premium rate. The types of services operating on this number can be ring tones, jokes, games, tarot, chat, mobile internet services (WAP) and more.

• This service costs £10 per text

If you would like to find out more about this service you should contact the company listed below.
TxtNation
Office 404, 4th Floor Albany House
324/326 Regent Street
London
W1B 3HH
0870 199 4741
[EMAIL="aeus@txtnation.com"]aeus@txtnation.com[/EMAIL]


To cancel a subscribtion service (services that charge a regular fee - for example £5 per week) you simply need to send a text with the words "STOP ALL"(**) to the shortcode number

(**It is better to e-mail, that way you have proof that you have cancelled the service!)

:mad:

Jon_01

Intasun32 wrote: »

@Rothy72,


Why I ask is that in the 'very' small print there should be a dissclaimer (usually for the benefit of the company) an age limit as to how old you have to be to use the service etc etc. In this case it could be in your favour. This may be the line that you may have to take to get your money back, it will not be easy as you will get no help from your network.

But isn't that the age of the account holder? If he gives the phone to a third party (whoever that might be), I 'think' he's still liable as the T&C's for all the networks state that you must retain control of your handset at all times.

billsavings

http://phoneowner.info/Number.aspx/78878

http://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/78878/4

wantmemoney

adults targeting young children to obtain and take 'advantage' (whether pecuniary or sexual) is wrong.

there really are some strange attitudes and views on this forum

Rusty!

Who said anything about targeting young children?

Intasun32

There has been reported cases such as this where even though the account holder is an adult, the user was a child/under age thus making the transaction void.

As I have said it will not be easy but if two witnesses can say that it was the child that used the handset then you are on your way. Yes there will be the arguement that the account holder is liable, but I did say it will not be easy!

:beer:

simax

Who in their right mind gives an 11 year old a contract phone?!?

Snakeeyes21

Ah the age of blaming everything and everyone but bad parenting is alive and well

wantmemoney

it's wrong for peadophilesc type 'businessmen' to target children(or anyone) with swindle scam. and fraud irrespective of whether their parents are good or 'bad'.

some of you people are on the wrong forum