EE/google play fraud - not enough info to know which ombudsman

Dawnt

I have an issue with EE that I’m completely stuck on! We have reached deadlock but EE can’t even give me enough information about the disputed charges for the ombudsmen to decide which one should be dealing with it?! I’m completely stuck 😞

From the beginning: back in 2016 I bought a SIM card from EE. It was intended for me to use to share data across my devices but I never actually used it and pretty much forgot it existed.
Then in July this year my bill was suddenly huge with nearly £500 of google play charges. These were not made by me or my family. They’re not on my google play account (I don’t use it). I’ve never used that sim, I’m not sure where it is but it’s no doubt in the corner of some drawer in my house! We haven’t been broken in to. I can only conclude someone’s somehow got hold of the info for it and fraudulently bought this stuff which my account is being charged for.

Though several employees agreed it looked fraudulent and even said they’d seen similar before,EE say they can’t remove the charges as google play are charging them.

Google play say they can’t remove them as they can’t find them! The only info I have is the phone number of the sim and the reference numbers on the EE bill. Apparently this is meaningless to google play.

When I’ve gone to the ombudsman they’ve said I need to ask PSA to determine which type of charge they are so they know which ombudsman deals with it. PSA couldn’t tell anything from the EE refs, again the only info I have. They suggested action fraud who I’ve reported it to. However this doesn’t change anything and EE are still pursuing me for charges and intend to finally cut me off for good in a couple of weeks. I’ve been with EE and before that orange for 20 years. They’ve made no attempts to resolve this at all. In fact the deadlock letter they were supposed to send out on 31st of July never arrived. Over the intervening months I have chased them many times about this and been told it was never sent, but would be, again not received, then that it had been sent in July. Then that they’d email it. They emailed and didn’t attach it. I had to chase them to email it again. All in all the Customer Service has been appalling.

But even then it’s useless as there’s not enough info from them to know which ombudsman should deal with it? Yet this is apparently sufficient info to charge me £500?!

Please help! I’ve no idea where to turn now.

I’m still in contract for ages and my phone handset is part of that. What happens if they cut me off?

Any advice would be gratefully received.

Dawn

pmduk

If EE admits they sent you a deadlock letter (albeit you never received it), then escalate the case to CISAS. They are EE's ADR (Ombudsman).

I'd be arguing that it's for EE to liaise with Google to justify or substantiate these charges.

Has the SIM ever been used for data?

I'd also tell EE in writing that the bill is in dispute, but make sure all monies are paid except the Google Play amount.

Dawnt

Thanks pmduk

I have paid the “bill” part but not the google play charges bar £50 or so that was on the previous bill which I didn’t notice at the time (it started just at the end of one billing period and when that bill was a bit big I assumed my husband had bought extra data or something as his phone was on the same account).

The sim has never been used to data no. Only to buy these apps or games or whatever they are from Google play.

I have tried to keep as much as possible in writing (it was apparent at the first phone call that this wasn’t being taken seriously and I wanted a paper trail).

EE insist it is for me to settle with google play. But google play can’t do anything as the EE reference numbers don’t mean anything to them.

EE are the ones charging me but can’t show what I’ve bought!

I’ve told them by email that I’ve taken the case to action fraud. They say they’ll cut me off if I don’t pay the google play charges in about 2 weeks (can’t remember exact date) and have offered a payment plan 🙄

I’ll contact CISAS thank you

paulmu

Interesting! Someone on Twitter is having a similar problem with Google Play charges, but this time on a Three mobile bill. Similar situation - neither Three nor Google Play are able to say what the charges are for, or to stop them!
https://twitter.com/Euan_Richardson/status/1049754037380366336

pmduk

Given the urgency of the situation I'd also raise a complaint with the Phonepaid Services Authority. I know they've already referred you elsewhere, but I'd argue that's not good enough. It's their job to regulate this industry, if a company is levelling charges but cannot substantiate them. Then the charges need to be withdrawn.

I'd probably also contact a personal finance journalist at the Daily Mail, who love writing critical stories about these "services" and their charges.

Dawnt

Thanks a lot this is all helpful!

[Deleted User]

Dawnt wrote: »

I have paid the “bill” part but not the google play charges bar £50 or so that was on the previous bill which I didn’t notice at the time (it started just at the end of one billing period and when that bill was a bit big I assumed my husband had bought extra data or something as his phone was on the same account).

I don't know how this works, how do you know the charges aren't from your husbands phone?

pmduk

Unless both handsets are on the same Google account, Google Play ought to be able to differentiate which account made the purchase and what it was for.

pmduk

I certainly agree it would be helpful if you could find that SIM and confirm it hasn't left your possession.

eDicky

Dawnt wrote: »

I bought a SIM card from EE.

I can only conclude someone’s somehow got hold of the info for it and fraudulently bought this stuff which my account is being charged for.

Do you mean that you ordered an extra SIM on the account of yourself and your husband, and the charges on your account are identified with that SIM phone number?

Getting hold of 'the info for it' is unlikely to be enough to use it to set up a personal Google account and make purchases on Google Play. This is what must have happened somehow, and is why the phone number of the SIM is not relevant to Google.

Most likely somebody has found this SIM lying around, put it in a phone and used that phone to register a Google account. Who could that be? The responsibility can remain yours unless the fraudulent use is recognised and/or investigated.

When you call the number does it ring /answer..?

Dawnt

There were three numbers on my account and the bill itemised which charges were for which numbers. All the google play charges were on the unused sim which had never before had anything on it at all.

The sim had never even been in a handset (why I thought it was a good idea when we sold it to me
Idk)

Google play have had the phone number of the sim and the EE references and can’t find the charges.
I’m starting to think, after that twitter thread, that perhaps googleplay haven’t taken any money for it? And actual it’s someone somehow extracting money and it looking like goggle play?! In the same way that dodgy emails look like they’re from
“Apple support” but when you click on the actual email address it’s something weird? But the weird thing is there were two refunds too! So that’s bizarre. Maybe I’m getting too paranoid 😂

I’m gonna have a proper look for the sim.
It just all takes up so much time.

Also I’m going to update my report to action fraud with that twitter link thanks as it looks similar.