Charged for unrequested service - Check your bills

Totoriko

I've checked one of my O2 bills and there's an item on it that I was charged for without my knowledge. It's listed as "80160" and I was charged £1 for this service. I called O2 and they gave me the number of the company who sent it. I gave them a call and they said they are only a provider and they then gave me the number of the company who initiated the service, they are called "Gossip Trading".
I tried calling them over the past few days but I only get an automated message.

My phone never received any text or service of any kind on the day/time that is printed on my bill, so it looks that they could be scamming people by harvesting numbers and charging these numbers hoping no one will notice.

Anyone else had this problem?

wantmemoney

"Gossip Trading".
"80160"

This is what we know about the number you entered (80160).
We have the following information about this number.

mBlox Ltd
0871 223 0000
service@mblox.com and customer_care@mblox.com
1 Oliver's Yard
55-71 City Road
London
EC1Y 1HQ

mBlox are supposed to make sure the companies using their numbers don't abuse them
this is Mblox record of fines imposed by Icstis the UK regulator.
http://www.icstis.org.uk/consumers/adjudications/default.asp?mode=1&serviceprovider=mBlox+Ltd&servicetype=&fine=0&submit=+search+

this is who sits on the Icstis Board.

http://www.icstis.org.uk/about/icstis/board/Andrew_Budd.asp
andrew bud is Executive Chairman of mBlox Inc, the largest premium rate SMS aggregator in the UK and the USA. He co-founded the company in 1999 and, as CEO, built it to become a leading provider of text messaging and billing services.

you couldn't make it up

anon12345_2

Hi I am on o2 too. I have a similar problem. Last time it happened, I think o2 refunded me the money. Now, I am supposed to have received a text from mblox ltd from 60030 when I am certain I did not. o2 are not interested and claim that I have to send a stop message (WHY???? when I never received any message in the first place)

Is it possible technically for these companies (esp mblox who seem to feature a lot in this ?scam?) to not send a text but still bill a user?

If Vodafone can block incoming premium SMS texts then o2 bloody well should be able too, but they say they can't.

any ideas?

thanks.

geoffarm

Just got off the phone from T-Mobile (who were very helpful) regarding a £6.10 charge on my mobile. This came from an un-named company text number 78881 and whose telephone number is 0871 2230000. I have never received a text from this company or number or requested any services from them.

T-Mobile recommended that I send a text to 78881 with the message STOP ALL, in addition they have set up a block on these premium rate text messages.

Seems like

mBlox Ltd
0871 223 0000
[EMAIL="service@mblox.com"]service@mblox.com[/EMAIL] and [EMAIL="customer_care@mblox.com"]customer_care@mblox.com[/EMAIL]
1 Oliver's Yard
55-71 City Road
London
EC1Y 1HQ

are still up to their scamming tricks.

This is why you should check you phone bills every month.

I will list some combinations of the telephone number so search engines will find them. 0871 223 0000 0871 2230000 08712230000

Jon_01

anon12345 wrote: »

Is it possible technically for these companies (esp mblox who seem to feature a lot in this ?scam?) to not send a text but still bill a user?

thanks.

I don't believe it is. The text going through the network create a 'billing event' which is logged on your acc. Without this happening there's no way to get a charge on the systems...

diamonds

it is possible Orange, T-Mob, o2, 3 & Vodafone set up a unregulated scam:
http://www.payforituk.com/

most of the " Accredited Payment Intermediaries" are scam SMS companies who have been fined by icstis....these " Accredited Payment Intermediaries" have access to EVERY "live" UK mobile number


I reported on here long ago, I approached Orange & Ofcom

Ofcom said it needed more complaints to investigate payforit, I posted here on MSE for help in doing so...no-one to my knowledge helped


REMEMBER your network gets a % of each sale.....& they through payforit are arm & arm with the SMS scammer companies through payforit, handing out many " Accredited Payment Intermediaries" to companies FINED by regulator ICSTIS

Jon 01 Orange are guilty as the rest - I reported such to Orange Exec Office & they confirmed ANY " live " Orange number these " Accredited Payment Intermediaries" have access to & can bill


Another shambolic nature of Ofcon, a public regulatory body funded by YOUR taxes turning a blind eye

go to the website, bottom of page ---> T&C or Privacy Policy --- its been like that since the website started, you have been opted in to payforit by all the 5 UK networks, no t&c or privacy exist & these " Accredited Payment Intermediaries" SCAMMERS have LIVE access to all 5 UK billing platforms & your details

website & payforit as a whole is outsourced to these guys http://e33uk.com/

payforit scheme rules ( PDF ) : http://www.short-codes.com/payforit/docs/Trusted%20Mobile%20Payment%20Framework%20-%20version%202.0.pdf.zip

Jon_01

Hey diamonds, last thing I'm going to do is defend Orange...
I wasn't aware of that, I'll look into it now. . .

diamonds

i know that mate ! just letting you all know......

for more info on payforit - text " CALLBACK " to 07786200100 & they will call you back

digp

raise it with payphoneplus. these services need to be shut down.

diamonds

payphoneplus said they had no remit to stop the 5 doing it as per thier regulation plan passed to them from Ofcom, it was an Ofcom matter & I could not even get 1 MSE to back up me with a 2nd complaint

sporedude

These services usually only charged if they are requested using the shortcode...