"Mobitrans Mob" weekly charge on bill of £3.33?

DCFC79

elgar9000 wrote: »

Hi there - I just wanted to see whether anyone has actually managed to get their money back from these people? So angry and they said they would refund but wanted my back details. Worried about giving this to them, I have sent them an invoice via paypal. They are now ignoring my many emails that I am sending them.

I have no idea how I even subscribed to this ridiculous service and I can't find a proper website for them. Also does anyone know where they are based?

EE have been extremely unhelpful and have basically said it's up to me to try and get money back.

Signed... angry..

Dnggal said he got his money back.

How else will they refund without the bank details ?

dario2739

I've just been victim of this scam!
I initially received a text on 30/03/2015 telling me I was subscribed to MACADEMY at £4.00per week and if I wanted to unsubscribe I should text STOP MACADEMY.
I ignored this text, thinking it to be a scam, and that by sending the text I would incur costs – I hadn't subscribed to anything.
Then yesterday I got another texts saying I was subscribed to VIP GAMES... again, I haven't subscribed to anything!
Surely this is illegal? Fraud? To subcribe to something shouldn't you have to agree to their Terms and Conditions?
I work on computers, and thought I was well aware of scams, so i'm really annoyed – I just can't see how this has happened!

...I have had a look around the internet and discovered complaints from Mobile Phone users in Singapore who have also been victim to the Mobitrans scam. This seriously needs a criminal investigation.

Ian011

If you receive a message from a mobile shortcode and ignore it or block it you will still be charged.

Send the STOP message. If this does not work then complain to PhonepayPlus.

If you receive dodgy texts from 07 mobile numbers feel free to ignore or block those.

coolcaravan

We have just found £1.50 per week charges on our mobile router account with T mobile, over the past 5 weeks. We don't even use this mobile number for anything other than as a mobile router, so it is not possible that we have clicked on anything, and we certainly don't play any games. EE told us to text STOP to BM Games. We rang them and they have promised to refund us via PayPal within 14 days. Surely this is fraud and needs investigating.

Sandyvalentina

Apparently they are based in the Netherlands. The CEO is a Joost Goeree.

squinz

I rang EE last night to find out how an extra £16 was charged to my mobile bill...

It turns out a company called MOBITRANS MOBILE ACADEMY have been charging me via my EE bill to recieve texts for them for £4 each time. I had been getting weird texts but just deleted them. The generic kind that give the option to STOP. I never did text STOP as I thought its best to ignore them or they know it is a working number and may lead to more. (Have I wrongly believed this?)

On contacting them, they say I subscribed online and accepted their terms and conditions. Of course, I never did accept or click on anything. I'm actually very careful and normally quite savvy so it feel even worse. They have sent me a generic email saying they wont refund me and very dodgy looking emails of 'proof' of my subsciption and their app that I clicked on.

I am sure this must be fraud? I'm clearly not the first to experience this as people online have posted about them before. I am going to report to phonepayplus but not sure if anything will come of it.

I'm furious about this but dont know if there is any thing else I can do?

Can anyone help?

Browntoa

the email address for the Company direct


[EMAIL="supportuk@mobileacademy.com"]supportuk@mobileacademy.com[/EMAIL]

squinz

FYes I have already emailed them directly...

"
[EMAIL="supportuk@mobileacademy.com"]supportuk@mobileacademy.com[/EMAIL] 09:27 (6 hours ago)

Hello, Thank you for your query. We checked the mobile number you provided us with and we were able to find one active subscription, activated on 29 May, 2015. Our logs show that you interacted with one of our promotional pages for the Mobile Academy. This page provided details on the service and its subscription fees. Only after you clicked a button with ‘Subscribe now £4 per week’, we activated the service and sent a confirmation message by SMS to your phone. This text message provided the cost and the frequency of the service as well as contact details and instructions how to unsubscribe. Be assured that charges for Mobile Academy only commenced after the user’s confirmation. The Mobile Academy is an award-winning, interactive mobile learning environment that provides a new way to learn-on-the-go. Each course contains test questions, videos, audio and other fun features that empower customers with a new learning experience on their mobile phones. A subscription to the Mobile Academy service costs £4.00 per week and, as mentioned earlier, you have been informed both before subscribing (on the promotional page) and right after the activation (by SMS) on the details of the service. The text message that was sent right after the activation had the following content: "[FreeMsg] You have subscribed to Mobile Academy. All-you-can-learn for £4.00 per week until you send STOP MACADEMY to 80206. Help? Call 02087790598”. On top of this, a monthly reminder about the service, including the cost of the service and opt-out details have been sent by SMS to the mobile number in question with the following content: "[FreeMsg] Reminder: You are subscribed to Mobile Academy. All-you-can-learn for £4.00 per week until you send STOP MACADEMY to 80206. Help? Call 02087790598" We confirm to have unsubscribed your number from our service. Therefore, no further charges will take place nor will you be receiving any messages from us. Should you have any questions or need more info, please do not hesitate to contact us. Kind regards, Angela Buckley
_____________________________

Customer Care

Confidential information may be contained in this message. You may not copy or publish this message.If you are not the addressee indicated in this message please remove it from your computer.

12:10 (4 hours ago)

to supportuk I'm sorry but this is not the case. I did not activy this or agree to any terms or conditions. I did not even access the Internet this day as was on holiday. I would like a refund immediately as this is a scam and you have sent these messages without my consent.supportuk@mobileacademy.com 14:58 (1 hour ago)

to me Hello, In attach you will find the logs in relation to your number, including a full list of the messages sent to your mobile phone device.

In addition, you will find the screenshot of the page on which the confirmation was given. As you can see, you were provided with all the relevant information about the service (price and frequency of the messages included). The messages were reminding you that the service was active.
Our technical support team found no technical or administrative problems with the service you have been using and unfortunately, in accordance with the Terms of Service that were agreed to upon subscribing to our service, we are unable to reverse the charges incurred.
If you do not recall activating the subscription yourself, please check which other members of your household had access to your mobile device and could have activated the service in your name.

2 AttachmentsPreview attachment Upgrade Yourself LP.png



Preview attachment Subscriber_447807935531.xlsx





15:25 (47 minutes ago)

to supportuk I refuse to accept this and will take it further. The subscripton screen image means nothing to me and you could have fabricated this randomly. The second image is also entirely redundant as I never subscribed. I live alone so no one else could have done this.

Atasas

In my case, I had a help from PayPhonePlus dot org... If I could call it help, but they are regulatory body... Sort off.
I suppose it would be no harm to get them informed.

davemck3834

Well I found this thread after discovering texts on my phone ( I rarely check for texts but now I will be checkng daily )

I guess a bit of pocket fumbling whilst out dog walking got me in trouble in the first place , a pop up on my phone and a huge "subscribe" button to very easily activate is a money spinner for this company

After sending an email to the CEO with the support email address in cc on Sunday evening I received a reply today and a form to fill in for a refund via Paypal or Bank at my choice :beer:


My first mail


Dear JoostGoeree ,

Checking myprivate mobile phone this evening which I rarely use I discover 2messages from what I believe is your company via use of google references
To myknowledge have not subscribed to what I believe only adds up to a “scam”service and would like it stopped immediately and refunded to my EE account orwhatever means possible

ReceivedSunday ( assumedly 12th July )
from“Mobitrans” Learn great courses from your mobile XXXXX
ReceivedSunday ( assumedly 12th July as I don’t use my private phone that often )
“FreeMessage” you have subscribed to Mobile Academy . All you can learn from £4.00 per week until you send STOP MACADEMY to …………
2ndReceived Sunday
“FreeMessage” you have already subscribed to Mobile Academy All you can learnfrom £4.00 per week until you send STOP MACADEMY to …………
I HAVEKNOWLEDGE OF REGISTERING FOR THIS SERVICE NOR DO I WISH TO BE PART OF IT ,PLEASE HAVE ME REMOVED IMMEDIATELY AND REFUND ANY CHARGES ALREADY MADE TO MYACCOUNT
THIS IS IN RELATION TO UK MOBILE NO. 07976 XXXXXXX .
I have sentthe message STOP MACADEMY this evening to 80206 as instructed ( regardless ofthe fact that I have not subscribed ) Please confirm immediately thatthis service is stopped and you are looking to refund my money
I will be planning to take thenecessary action to report this service to the relevant mobile phone watchdogauthorities unless I receive a prompt reply and refund from your company


:j:jAND REPLY RECEIVED TODAY:j



DearMr. Mckimm,



Our logsshow that on 12 Jul, 2015 you've interacted with one of our promotional pagesfor the Mobile Academy. This page provided details on the service and itssubscription fees. Only after you clicked a button with ‘Subscribe now £4 perweek’, we activated the service and sent a confirmation message by SMS to yourphone. This text message provided the cost and the frequency of the service aswell as contact details and instructions how to unsubscribe. Be assured thatcharges for Mobile Academy only commenced after the user’s confirmation.



The MobileAcademy is an award-winning, interactive mobile learning environment thatprovides a new way to learn-on-the-go. Each course contains test questions, videos,audio and other fun features that empower customers with a new learningexperience on their mobile phones. A subscription to the Mobile Academy servicecosts £4.00 per week and, as mentioned earlier, you have been informed bothbefore subscribing (on the promotional page) and right after the activation (bySMS) on the details of the service. The text message that was sent right afterthe activation had the following content: "[FreeMsg] You have subscribedto Mobile Academy. All-you-can-learn for £4.00 per week until you send STOPMACADEMY to 80206. Help? Call 02087790598”.



Date ofsubscription: Jul 12 2015 1:36PM GMT+4

Date ofservice termination: Jul 18 2015 11:25PM GMT+4

SubscriptionMethod: Via WAP, The user visited the page clicked on "Subscribe Now"Button.

Visited ourpage on the following date:

Date 2015-07-12 Time 09:37:33

2015-07-12 Time 09:51:06

2015-07-12 Time 09:56:04

2015-07-12 Time 09:56:04

2015-07-12 Time 09:57:36

We aresending you a screenshot of the page on which the confirmation was given fromyour mobile phone device in attach.

Nonetheless,as a gesture of goodwill, we agree to refund the charges.

Please fillout the following form so that we could proceed with the payment.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Should youhave any questions or need more info, please do not hesitate to contactus.


:beer::beer::beer:

AND MY RESPONSE ( I always like to have the last word )


Thankyou for your reply and I look forward to your refund



Please confirm via return mail that this subscription is stopped



I think it is clear from “interaction history” that ifthis has been done ( and I have not checked ) then it is a very simple actionto make perhaps even from putting an unlocked phone in your pocket



No doubt the screen is a pop up and the subscribe button is waytoo big , there should be legal guidelines on steps for confirmation required ,not everyone checks their messages every moment of the day ( for me it was over7 days before I saw any messages on my phone )



Perhaps a better system for you would be to send a message onrequest to subscribe with a confirmation link , at least then this stopsaccidents 100%, but perhaps this is also reliant on accidents and that noteveryone takes the steps to claim or perhaps even notices the charges.



Your system and the legalities and ethics of it should bereviewed but thankyou for your co-operation in this matter



Best regards



SO PEEPS JUST FOLLOW THE LEAD AND GET YOUR EMAILS IN THIS IS A BLATANT RIP OFF THAT RELIES ON PEOPLES ACCIDENTS AND FAILURE TO NOTICE THEM