Con Messages from Diva Downloads aka Expanding Vision and Mobtopia

Night_Watchwoman

I don’t know if anyone has experienced the same problem.
For the past few months iv e started receiving text messages daily for ‘free’ ringtones, downloads and videos. I noticed on my monthly mobile phone bill I was paying about £20-22 a month EXTRA for charges from other companies. After contacting my network provider T-Mobile they told me to text STOP to these messages, which I did but still received messages from them. The catch? The company called Diva Downloads has different numbers and names such as Expanding Vision and Mobtopia, working under the same group so you can text STOP to one and get another message from a different number at £1.50 per message sent to you.
After getting in touch with T-Mobile again, they told me there is nothing they could do as they have nothing to do with this company, I need to speak to them directly to get them to stop.
So after ringing one of the few premium numbers I was given, a man answered the phone(he sounded like he was in his kitchen),said he can stop the texts but to get a refund on the money I feel they have conned out of me, I need to contact the main ‘office’ ,but unfortunately they are all on holiday so I will need to call them in a week or so when they return.
Has anyone got any advice?.
It seems like this is never going to end and I’m going to loose the £100 or so they have taken off me.
:mad:

asea

oh I've been getting alot of these as well although haven't noticed any money yet. Mine aren't text messages but browser messages - do you have those too or are they texts??

Going to call Virgin now & check!

Night_Watchwoman

Thanks for your reply Asea.
I have been recieving a bit of both,mostly text messages asking me to go to a certain web link to recieve my free ringtones and downloads.
If you look at your monthly statement it will say at the bottom,charges from other companies and the amount extra charged,in my case around £20. So for what should have been a standard monthly rate of £21,I was having to pay £40-50 a month.

Night_Watchwoman

Help!!
I have just recieved my latest mobile statement and have noticed,following my conversation with a guy from Mobtopia(or whatever name they have changed to now) who promised to stop the text messages,I am still recieving messages and being charged!!
I am at aloss what to do,should I pay the £100 or so to cancel my contract with T-Mobile,as my contract dos'nt offically finish till October?
If anyone has some advice or know of someone I could contact,please let me know.

Jo_F

Get in touch with the company that is still sending you the texts, tell them that you have unsubscribed, but are still getting the texts and if they don't put a stop to it within 24 hours, and then refund all monies taken since you unsubscribed then you will report them to ICTIS. (maybe give them 7 days to refund)

The threat of this is usually enough to make them pay up, even if they just call it a good will gesture, the last thing any of these companies want is to lose their licences.

Night_Watchwoman

Thankyou for your reply.
I will defenatly do that! When I spoke to this guy who promised to stop the texts,he said to get a refund I have to ring the main office,but it will have to be in a week as the staff are all on holiday,I have never heard of an entire office taking a holiday at the same time,thats what makes me think that this guy is a con artist working from home. T-Mobile are hopless as they keep saying its nothing to do with them,and carnt stop any other companies contacting me.
The funny thing is,I have never subscribed to anything,as soon as I got the phone,I cancelled the internet so I wouldnt press the button by mistake,and I havn't entered any competitions,so how on earth would they get my number?
Thanks again for your advice.:T

wantmemoney

Night_Watchwoman wrote:

T-Mobile are hopless as they keep saying its nothing to do with them,and carnt stop any other companies contacting me.

You are being lied to and ripped off into the bargain. T-Mobile take a large percentage of the money that's being stolen from your account. They take between 20% to 50% before passing the revenue on.

Night_Watchwoman wrote:

So after ringing one of the few premium numbers I was given

What were the numbers?

Tigger_Di

Like Night Watchwoman I am disgusted and frustrated by the actions of companies like these especially as they target young people as well as adults. I have just switched my daughter's phone from T Mobile and asked about these premium texts which have been received on her phone. I was told it was Mobtopia and that ending the contract with T Mobile should put an end to the texts (as she is keeping her old number) but she gave me a customer services number to make sure. I have rung the number (0871-4742707) but just get a recorded message saying to ring back another time.
This company have taken £1.50 every week from us without us receiving anything or knowing who they are; when the bill comes it gives no info other than 'Premium Text Received £1.50'. The frustrating part is trying to stop these. Surely they must be breaking some kind of code.
Does anyone know if I stand any chance of complaining and requesting a refund? Thanks.:mad:

wantmemoney

http://www.andmore.co.uk/indexJoinOffers.jsp

Domain name:
andmore.co.uk

Registrant:
Bemms Limited

Registrant type:
UK Limited Company, (Company number: 4435308)

Registrant's address:
Bemms Limited
PO Box 3
Burnley
Lancs
BL9 0LL
GB

Registrar:
2 Ergo Limited [Tag = LAMMTARA]

Relevant dates:
Registered on: 07-Dec-1999
Renewal date: 07-Dec-2009
Last updated: 03-Dec-2007

Registration status:
Registered until renewal date.

Name servers:
ns0.lammtara.net
ns1.lammtara.net

Bemms went into liquidation in 2005??
https://secure.creditgate.com/search/search.aspx?AP=Full%20Non-Limited&CompanyID=04435308&CompanyType=D&BS=1&BT=Full%20Dissolved


2 Ergo has a disgraceful record for this sort of fraud.
I would kick up merry hell with your mobile network for a refund and ask for the contact address for Mobtopia

Night_Watchwoman

Thanks to everyone!
I thought I was the only one who had this problem,I am going to try and get in touch again with this company,they ARE con artists. Alternativly I'm going to cancel my contract with T-Mobile as they reassured me that they would block this messages,but clearly havn't.
I really hope you get yours sorted out too tigger Di.
I have a number for mobtopia/Diva Downloads etc,even though its a premium number,which dosn't suprise me.Its the same one that you have Tigger Di,I can give you this alternative one.This guy answered the phone and said the main office was all on holiday so try in a week,So I'm just going to call him back and demand he does something. We could always put this in writing to watchdog!
TEL: 0871-8719625

wantmemoney

2 Ergo Ltd
St Marys Chambers
Haslingdon Road
Rawtenstall
Lancashire
BB4 6QX
Tel: 0871 871 9625
[EMAIL="customer.services@2ergo.com"]customer.services@2ergo.c om[/EMAIL]

PhonePayPlus (Icstis) 'fines' record.
http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/consumers/adjudications/default.asp?AD=08%2F04%2F2008&SP=2+Ergo+Ltd&ST=&SpLookup=Search&Keywords=&cmd=2

The fines are taken from the (30 day period) revenue that 2 Ergo withhold from their content providers like Mobtopia. The fines are subject to the Communications Act 2003 and cannot exceed 10% of that revenue. Are the fines a deterrent or 'tax' ?