Buongiorno - unapproved charges

Bored

Just logged into T-mobile to check I was under my monthly limit for calls and texts and I found two charges for £1.25 under the 'third party' activity, both listed under the name of 'Buongiorno PI' on the 05/02 and the 011/02.

I'm very careful, never pay for apps or go over my limits so I'm very confused with this and also worried that I'll keep on getting charged. I'll give T-mobile a ring tomorrow but anyone have any idea what this could be?

grumbler

T-mobile charged you, and they have to give you full explanation of these charges.

That said, searching the board for "Buongiorno" results in four threads where it was mentioned:
KKO Mobile charges ???
Recurring charges on mobile bill - app subscription??
Orange customer with Iphone been charge £1.25 for Image contents from mobie village
Apps costing me extra on my mobile bill. HELP!!

Bored

Thanks, those links are very helpful. Hopefully I can get this sorted ASAP because I haven't actually been charged yet, but it's coming up under 'unbilled usage'.

lauz81

On checking my unbilled charges today, I noticed a 0.85p charge every Friday since march from "Buongiorno Mu" - searching them onine they look to be a music / app company, I can not remember downloading or signing up to any apps, has anyone come across the same thing or know how to cancel this - thanks

Zeldazog

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3664347

I can't resurrect the above thread as it has been locked, but I got a text this morning, from a service called "Much Gossip" so I decided to check my bill.

Lo and behold, I have been charged £0.825 twice last month, there are are unbilled charges this month of £1.65 which I can't identify as yet, as they're unbilled, (but they equate to two of the above)

They just say "Game" against them. Phoned Orange, who gave me the stop number, and its the same number that this text came from this morning. Much Gossip, part of Buongiorno. Again.

I realised that I had a text from the number (60113) back on the 7th July saying welcome to Much Gossip. Anyway, I ignored it, not realising that I was apparently subscribed to a service, until I got this second text this morning.

I've stopped it, and emailed them this morning to ask for evidence that I subscribed and they claim that I "Actively responded to an internet campaign" on the 7th July. As stated above, I did receive that text, but at the time I was running a really busy workshop with about 15 children decorating glass. I hadn't even got time to phone or text someone, never mind go internet browsing!

I've told them I want evidence, and they have offered a refund as a gesture of goodwill, however, they just state again that I actively responded.

How can ignoring something be classed as actively responding? There is absolutely no way I've actively subscribed to anything, much less a gossip service! I don't even read "Hello" magazine in the hairdressers, I am that disinterested.

Anyway, watch your phone bill folks, it might happen to you.

Earthworm

What phone are you using? Sometimes apps can sign you up without realising. I've never heard of one you have to email a reply to to sign up.

Zeldazog

I am on an iPhone.

Sorry, I put email campaign, it should say Internet campaign, I will amend my original post.

Either way, there was no way I was on the internet on my phone (or my computer) that morning, I was up to my eyeballs all morning washing glass jam jars, and out the house by 10.30 with a car full. The "welcome" text came through at 12.03pm.

It's the same company as before, when I was supposed to have subscribed to a service - as it looks as though they normally subscribe you a couple of days before you get the first charge, that one was even more odd, as I had only just got my phone back from the repair centre (it was an Android phone).

I know this company were caught out with a loop hole that meant anybody cold subscribe you if you were on Orange - they claim to have sorted it now, but I have to wonder.

shellyk6666

Hi
I know your message was a few weeks ago now but today I discovered by chance that my husband had 'outside of plan' charges of £0.82 per week to "Buongiorno iF" since mid June. After much digging this company appear to use a loophole to subscribe random telephone numbers to their sevices (in our case an iFortune app) without permission, for which we have never even heard of never mind subscribed to.

To cut a long story short this is what I emailed to ukmobivillage@buongiorno.com

Dear Sir or Madam,

I found out today that my t-mobile account (***********) has been charged for a weekly subscription to your company for a service that I have never signed up for or authorised. I have never heard of your website and/or apps and have never agreed to your services. Please stop this service immediately. I request an immediate and full refund of all charges applied to date.

I also plan to take this complaint further and would like to know the name of UK Government regulatory agency which governs your conduct. I will also contact Trading Standards as there are many complaints from other Orange and t-mobile users. Please supply this information and confirm a refund without delay.

I look forward to hearing from you

Within 3 hours I received this reply -

Your request has been processed and you have been successfully removed from Mobivillage as of 15/08/2013.

Our service logs indicate that you joined Mobivillage on 15/06/2013 by actively responding to one of our mobile internet campaigns.

As a gesture of goodwill on this occasion we are prepared to provide you with a full refund.

Your refund request will be processed through PayPal. This does not require you to already have an existing PayPal account. The amount will be refunded directly to you. An email will be sent from PayPal to "*********@hotmail.co.uk" within 7 working days providing you with instructions on how to redeem your refund of £8.91.

If you require further assistance regarding your PayPal refund you can contact PayPal on their customer care line; 0870 7307 191

Or refer to their help pages online at https://www.PayPal.com/uk/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_help&nav=5

Please feel free to contact us by replying to this email if you have any questions in the interim. You can also go to our website uk.mobivillage.com for more info.

Your reference for this query is 800832

Kind Regards,

Nozuko Poni
Mobivillage Customer Care

I am really annoyed that they have the cheek to do this and I wonder how many other people it affects without them even realises (we certainly didn't!). Their lack of fight tells me that they know they're in the wrong. I just hope the refund comes through like they say and will keep a closer eye on our mobile phone bills in future!

tontiwonti

Thank you shellyk6666 I copied your letter after having read it and received this reply a couple of hours later:

Your request has been processed and you have been successfully removed from MuchGossip as of 22/09/2013.

Our service logs indicate that you joined MuchGossip on 19/07/2013 by actively responding to one of our mobile internet campaigns.

MuchGossip promises the hottest celebrity gossip, a latest news calendar and rankings for the best stories, as ranked by you and fellow gossip fiends! Use this brilliant new web app on your iPhone or Android smartphone, and share the scandal on Facebook, Google + and twitter.

As a gesture of goodwill on this occasion we are prepared to provide you with a full refund.

Your refund request will be processed through PayPal. This does not require you to already have an existing PayPal account. The amount will be refunded directly to you. An email will be sent from PayPal to **** within 7 working days providing you with instructions on how to redeem your refund of £9.90.

If you require further assistance regarding your PayPal refund you can contact PayPal on their customer care line; 0870 7307 191

bigmondy

After spending over 2 hours on the phone with them on at least a dozen occasions and my pursuit of this over the past 6 months - I have come to this conclusion.

I really think that they now have the most inept and useless fraud department of any service provider I have ever come across. Even worse than Barclays - from personal experience - they are bad.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19210215

wooliejoolie

Thank you Shellyk6666

I have also copied your email and sent it off tonight after discovering that they have been hitting me with a weekly charge since June!


How can they get away with this?


Thanks again, Jx