Stop Spam Texts Discussion Area

orrery

new wrote: »

Thanks - but on TPS site:
''The TPS can accept the registration of mobile telephone numbers, however it is important to note that this will prevent the receipt of marketing voice calls but not SMS (text) messages. If you wish to stop receiving SMS marketing messages, please send an 'opt-out' request to the company involved.''

Spam rule No 1: never opt out of something you didn't opt in to

orrery

WardyGTC wrote: »

TextraSMS is a free and/or paid app that replaces your native SMS app and has a Blacklist option. I paid £1.49 for the Pro version many moons ago, money well spent.

.. but the vast majority of spam texts come from a mobile which is used to spew millions of texts before being discarded. Hence a new number every time.

jbason_2000

How are these even legal? Why is more not being done to ban them? The company I work for have been charged for some subscription services on company mobile. The charge appears on the T-Mobile bill and when querying with T-mobile they just say these are 3rd party services you need to speak to company xyz. Hang on a minute T-Mobile are the company billing us and they want to dissolve themselves of all responsibility!!

I have even tried reporting to payphoneplus who are supposed to be the regulator and they just say speak to company xyz as we can't see any rules have been broken. Toothless regulator, I don't want to speak to company xyz as I have no idea who they are and have no wish to speak to them. I would expect payphoneplus to get evidence from xyz that we did subscribe and then be able to share the evidence with me.........

Ian011

PhonepayPlus can, and has, applied massive financial penalties to a number of premium rate services companies. Others have been shut down.

PhonepayPlus will only get involved after a company has failed to issue the necessary refunds. Send the STOP message to end the subscription and contact the company to start the refund process. The customer service line must start 01, 02, 03 or 080 otherwise there's a further breach of the regulations.

sacherlover

On 28 January 2016 I received a marketing text from EEbroadband.

At the bottom it said to text STOP to 80048 to opt out of their marketing.

I did that and received another text stating I had successfully opted out.

I received my mobile bill and saw an extra charge for 8p. After two Live Chats I was told this was due to me subscribing to ING Direct (I know nothing of this).

It was only after I checked my mobile that I saw that I had texted that number in response to EE's own marketing text on 28 January.

Yet the call centre at the end of Live Chat keep on saying it is nothing to do with them.

Beware.

Ian011

Your inclusive allowance covers
- calls and texts to geographic numbers starting 01 (except Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man) and 02
- calls to non-geographic numbers starting 03
- calls and texts to mobile numbers starting 071-075 and 077-079 (except Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man).

Calls to non-geographic numbers starting 080 and to access numbers starting 116 are free (as are calls to 105, 111, 112, 999, etc).

Everything else you pay for. This includes
- calls and texts to geographic and mobile numbers allocated in Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man
- calls to non-standard numbers starting 055, 056, 070 and 076
- calls to non-geographic numbers starting 084, 087 and 09
- calls to the Police non-emergency number on 101
- calls to directory enquiries numbers starting 118
- calls and texts to mobile shortcodes
- text messages from premium rate services
- calls and texts to international destinations
- calls made and text messages sent while roaming
- calls received while roaming.

You must send the STOP message to the mobile shortcode to stop the messages. This is the case for all such shortcodes.

There's several interesting issues here, including being opted in in the first place. It's also unfortunate that the entity that initiated the message is the same one that benefits from the charge made for the STOP message, though they are not going to get rich on that.

Scarlett

http://numbercheck.org.uk/

Is the above site any use?

"The NumberCheck service is completely free for our users. We are funded by service providers who want to ensure their UK mobile customers can easily and quickly resolve any issues regarding messages they may have received."

Ian011

Scarlett wrote: »

http://numbercheck.org.uk/

Is the above site any use?

It doesn't appear to be populated with much, if any, data.

orrery

Ian011 wrote: »

It doesn't appear to be populated with much, if any, data.

There are some indications that all is not as it should be.

It gives very little information about who they are (UK companies are obliged to give their official details on web-sites). It says that they 'support' a list of mobile service providers, not that they are set up by them or represent them and that they are a '3rd party'. It also gives a page on which short-code providers can enter their details. If it were really linked to the mobile networks, they'd know who the short code providers are.

studio_two

orrery wrote: »

Respond with STOP and then try STOP ALL.

The regulator recommends contacting the texting company directly.

http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/for-consumers/unexpected-phone-charge

But, the video contradicts the written advice on the same page.

I just received a short code text and discovered I have been charged £3 for a number of weeks by a premium text service. It's not a service I have requested or received.

Three has provided me with the contact details of Veoo (the company sending the texts), so I will call them tomorrow.