SMS Spam - REFUNDED!

Toad

Dear All,

This is good, I just HAD to tell everybody. I just got a £2 refund from fantastic4mobile when I complained about them sending me unsolicited text messages.

The story is; on 1st July at 10:23, I received a message from "FreeMessage" saying, "here is your passcode ... .visit https://www.wewantthatfree.com to complete your membership" and then gave an 0870 number to call for 'help'.

I do not react to spam so simply ignored it and saved the message for my imminent report to ICSTIS.

Half an hour later, I get a message from "78181" advertising the same service and passcode. Checking the ICSTIS website tell me that this is a premium rate text. Now thinking I have been charged for this intrusion, I was not happy.

I visited the offending website and placed a complaint "without prejudice". A couple of emails later, they asked for my address to send a refund. To my amazment, this morning, said refund arrived in the form of a postal order with a compliments slip from "fantastic4mobile". No apology, no 'without prejudice' heading. I take this as an admission of their guilt and will of course be updating ICSTIS on this development.

So guys, please, get refunds for your unsolicited SMS. And report them!

regards

Tony Kenny

frothy_man

Hi,
thanks for that tip. I have just received the same two SMS texts but wouldn't have noticed the charge without your advice.
Could you post the email you sent to that company so that anyone else could just copy it. Alternativly could you explain what the "without prejudice" bit is all about.
Thanks again, Martin Chresta.

asea

i got a refund just by emailing & saying that if they didn't contact me within 24 hours i would complain to icstis & ofcom.. cheating thieving !!!!!!!s called me within 2 hrs!

pearson1984

Same story for me, charge for £1.28 sat on my bill at the moment.

Thanks for the information below, and I've emailed demanding a refund, I'll keep you updated on the outcome.

lfb1961

I too have received the "first" text, ignored it then duly within the hour received the second text which automatically took £1.50 from my mobile credit. I have now sent my second complaint by e-mail, threatening to report them to every regulatory board I could think of both here in the UK and in Turkey too . What gets me though is where are they getting our mobile numbers from & secondly, I noticed immediately the money had gone as my phone isn't contract I think many people on contract phones won't probably spot this, therefore they won't complain & this will just keep happening

pearson1984

Update! After asking for my mobile number so they could investigate, here's their response:

"Dear Mr Pearson,
I have checked your mobile number against our records see that you were indeed signed up to one of our services. If you were referred by another user then that would explain how your number was aquired.
We have a policy to refund any unsatisfied customer. Can you please provide an address to which we will send out a refund of £2.00. Your number has also been barred from all our services.
Thank you
Customer Services
"

Who know's where they're getting their numbers from, I do hope "another user" hasn't been inputting my mobile number! But I shall post again when the refund arrives :-)

pearson1984

Update: Day after saying they'll send a refund it's arrived in the usual form of a £2 postal order.

Curiously the post mark on the envelope is for Nottingham, yet the website claims the service is based in Turkey...