T-Mobile and Offhandset Purchases

Tracyp

I received my 13yr old son's phone bill today - it is for £680 instead of the usual £15. He had purchased something via facebook through his mobile phone. Since then, he has been receiving daily numerous texts from the company 'Zong' and from others all costing him around £10 a text to receive and he didn't tell me about it all until today.
I am furious that T-Mobile firstly did not block off his phone line before it reached this ridiculous amount and also furious that companies can target children and send these texts like this. Apparently, T-Mobile set my credit limit at £550 - this seems ludicrous to have a limit of £550 PER MONTH???

Since telling T-Mobile I cannot pay the bill, they have now restricted his line and my line and will not reactivate until I pay - I do NOT want to pay as feel this should of been addressed before it got to this. I am outraged this has happened and am wondering if any one else has been targeted like this, and if anyone has any advice of what I can do. T-Mobile are so unhelpful and unsupportive and I do not know what to do.
Also, now my son is wihout a phone as am I. Could I be any more stressed?

visidigi

Tracyp wrote: »

I received my 13yr old son's phone bill today - it is for £680 instead of the usual £15. He had purchased something via facebook through his mobile phone. Since then, he has been receiving daily numerous texts from the company 'Zong' and from others all costing him around £10 a text to receive and he didn't tell me about it all until today.
I am furious that T-Mobile firstly did not block off his phone line before it reached this ridiculous amount and also furious that companies can target children and send these texts like this. Apparently, T-Mobile set my credit limit at £550 - this seems ludicrous to have a limit of £550 PER MONTH???

Since telling T-Mobile I cannot pay the bill, they have now restricted his line and my line and will not reactivate until I pay - I do NOT want to pay as feel this should of been addressed before it got to this. I am outraged this has happened and am wondering if any one else has been targeted like this, and if anyone has any advice of what I can do. T-Mobile are so unhelpful and unsupportive and I do not know what to do.
Also, now my son is wihout a phone as am I. Could I be any more stressed?

• He's 13
• You gave him a Mobile Phone Contract
• He didn't tell you immediately - so the amount went up.
• They did NOT target children, he was on Facebook
• It should have been addressed, by your child telling you and you reacting to it.
• You haven't been targetted.

You need to speak to T-Mobile and come to an agreement with them on this. I have to warn you, people with contracts given to children which go wrong doesn't usually get alot of sympathy on this (or any other forum I know of).

You might not WANT to pay it, but there are no obvious grounds for you NOT to have to pay it unfortunately.

Tracyp

Wow thanks.

latecomer

Have you tried contacting the company which sent the messages? Its a long shot but got to be worth a try - Zong appear to be a payment processing company not the company doing the billing.

burnleymik

£10 per text? wow, how can any company (that is not a charity) be allowed to charge such a rate?

Either way, I think this is your responsibility. You should have already had a limit set up on an account belonging to a 13 year old, no matter how sensible you think they are.

gjchester

Tracyp wrote: »

Wow thanks.

Whilst visidigi was a bit forceful he is correct, the contract was with an adult (ie you or your partner) who chose to pass it to your son.

The only thing you can do is contact your provider and get details, it may be they are willing to give some goodwill discount or set up a payment plan but unfortunatly you will have to pay it.

You may be able to go via Phonepay plus if you think there have been excessive texts, if you think they have targeted young people (see http://www.phonepayplus-services.org.uk/output/search-adjudications.aspx) and get a possible refund but thats only a slim chance you'll get a refund.

visidigi

gjchester wrote: »

Whilst visidigi was a bit forceful he is correct, the contract was with an adult (ie you or your partner) who chose to pass it to your son.

The only thing you can do is contact your provider and get details, it may be they are willing to give some goodwill discount or set up a payment plan but unfortunatly you will have to pay it.

You may be able to go via Phonepay plus if you think there have been excessive texts, if you think they have targeted young people (see http://www.phonepayplus-services.org.uk/output/search-adjudications.aspx) and get a possible refund but thats only a slim chance you'll get a refund.

I didn't mean it to come across forceful, if it did I apologise, but I was actually trying to get the points in a list and comment accordingly - you'd be surprised, but doing it this way was to try and stop you getting the usual roasting from some sections of the forum for trying to say you aren't liable for what you give your son...

robpw2

burnleymik wrote: »

£10 per text? wow, how can any company (that is not a charity) be allowed to charge such a rate?

Either way, I think this is your responsibility. You should have already had a limit set up on an account belonging to a 13 year old, no matter how sensible you think they are.

buying facebook credits, he will have had to send a text saying y each time , he requests to buy creduts with his mobile .
zong don't send you texts for no reason , you have to request it

i am sorry but mum/dad should supervise their child using the internet - failiure to do so has caused this

Tracyp

Thank you everyone, I'm just obviously so wound up regarding the situation. I appreciate it is not anyone's fault as such , I just wish I knew that the bill was getting so high so I could have dealt with THR problem sooner.

I have spoken to the Collections department at T-Mobile and they are giving me 3 months to clear the debt which is still unmanageable but I have no alternative so will go back to the drawing board.

Thanks everyone that gave advice.

robbies_gal

just get him a payg phone and learn the lesson like rob says to get facebook credits you have to reply to a text its not an automatic thing unless it was something else off facebook that hes not telling you about

latecomer

You could always sell his mobile provided its a recent model and use the money to help pay off the costs. Get him a basic phone if you really want him to have one.