Being billed by Payforit for unrequested services

Smiley_Mum · 29 April 2010 at 8:59AM

My son's mobile is currently being billed £4.50 at random intervals for a service which he hasn't accessed. He was at school when the service was accessed and his phone was at home so... what can I do. I can see from other posts that Payforit are not a reputable company and dishonest to say the least.

Any way I can get my cash back, cancel the service which wasn't requested. His phone is PAYG on Orange. I'm well p'd off about this as things are really tight just now as I'm paying off my debts and £13.50 in the past week for a service which hasn't been accessed is a lot for me.

My son's really upset. I did notice though that the service began to be billed for AFTER I registered my credit card details and topped up my sons phone online. Prior to that, I had only topped up at the Orange shop and now I'm getting billed for this stupid service which is extremely annoying. :mad::mad::mad:

Any information, help that anyone can provide will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Lavender13 · 29 April 2010 at 9:19AM

Not sure if this helps but some time ago DD subscribed to reputable on-line site to enhance game play ( with my authorisation) using my mobile, monthly fee if I recollect. However I started to get random jokes sent to my phone! Not funny as they charged me for each one. Texting STOP, to number and contacting firm directly I was able to achieve a refund as they were unable to supply proof that I had signed up. Have you tried contacting orange to query?
Hopefully someone else will have more info about the company for you.

Smiley_Mum · 29 April 2010 at 9:27AM

I can't contact the company etc as this is what is on my bill as a description...

BEM01000002Payforit

There is no number but the billing takes place when my son is at school. The phone stays in my desk drawer and he only ever uses it at weekends if he is out with his dad. There have been three separate billings for £4.50 a piece and I am really hacked off. I asked my son before he went to school and he said he did access a game but just the once but he can't remember the company name, number, details, or anything. He had £15 on it the other week and now he's got £1 odd. I'm absolutely fuming. I've googled the details of the transaction but nothing, no info on company etc. I have no idea how to get hold of the company. :-(

I am just going to phone orange just now and see what they say. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Thanks for replying, appreciate it.

Smiley_Mum · 29 April 2010 at 9:47AM

Contacted orange and informed them of the above. The guy I spoke to has refunded two of the charges. One is fair I guess as my son did say he downloaded some games. The other twice he was at school and his phone at home and I don't use it so some phantom charges there. Anyway, the chap refunded two of the charges and also blocked access so my son can no longer download stuff. Thank goodness. Hope anyone that has problems like this can get it sorted. Cheers.

Lavender13 · 29 April 2010 at 9:54AM

Glad you got some money refunded

Intasun32 · 29 April 2010 at 11:01AM

PayForIt was put together by Phone Pay Plus, the premium rate industry regulator, to try (without much success) to make the industry look respectable. It consists of many companies that have had fines and suspensions made against them by the regulator for making unauthorised charges to mobile phone accounts (aka A Scam), my own being one of them. This can be easily confirmed by checking the Phone Pay Plus web site.

In any other industry this would be fraud or theft but the mobile phone industry operates in a grey area and the Police, Trading Standards and M.P.'s for some reason will not get involved, as I was to discover. The networks can take up to 50% of the costs of the premium rate text charges as administration, one of the reasons that they will not always help. You are very lucky to have received some help from Orange.

Google 'unsolicited reverse bill texts' for more information on scams.

When your son receives the texts they do not have a normal phone number but a five figure number called a 'short code'. Post this number and I will try to trace the company that is sending the texts.

When youngsters download games, wallpaper and ringtones more often than not in the (very) small print they will have subscribed to the service to receive further games, jokes etc, as you have found out. It is not unknown for such companies to pass on mobile phone details to other 'cowboy' companies, which IS against the law, therefore you receive even more chargeable texts!

Only T-Mobile and Vodaphone will bar short codes from an account, but this will also stop youngsters from downloading games etc. It's a choice that has to be made, a secure account or games?

If I were in your position I would let the credit run out on your sons current PAYG sim cancel and obtain a new sim card. Yes it would be an inconvenience to let all his friends know the new number but at least he would be free of the Premium Rate texts. Again if it were me, I would not register my card to top up air time. Inconvenient, yes, but you would be in control of your funds. Also don't forget to cancel your card details from the PAYG account.

:mad:

Annie._2 · 29 April 2010 at 12:28PM

If your Son is having regular amounts taken from his credit, could he unknowingly have entered into an agreement with this company to provide game updates. If this is the case, they may send him new games for a monthly period.

There should be a number where he can text back 'STOP' or 'STOP ALL'.

Its a pity Orange do not have a service like Vodafone or tmobile where you are able to have an 'unsolicited reverse charge premium rate text message bar' added to an account. Children really need protection from these scammers.

Smiley_Mum · 29 April 2010 at 4:53PM

Thanks very much for your replies. When I contacted Orange this morning I asked them for info on the code that was on the bill, but they COULDN'T give me that information. It was through Orange World, and my son said that he had gone through Orange World to access a game. He doesn't recall the name of the company etc, just that it was £4.50 but he didn't look at T&Cs etc. Apparently, if Orange know that a phone is used by a child then blocks are put on Orange World etc so that large bills can't be built up. I'm just glad that some money was recovered. The phone is only really used when my son goes out at weekends etc, just to let me know where he is, when coming home etc. Not really for games etc, he has console for that or he can use internet access and it's free.

Just anyone whose child has a mobile phone on PAYG, keep tabs on the account online. Contact Orange and tell them that the phone is used by a young person (under 18) and you want internet access blocked, Orange World etc. I was probably a bit naive in thinking that my son wouldn't get curious and start tinkering away at things. Anyway, sorted now thankfully. I just hope that the subscription is now totally cancelled and no other problems occur.

I called this number to contact Orange about things, personal PAYG accounts. Tell them that the account is for a child.

0800 801080

Smiley_Mum · 29 April 2010 at 4:55PM

Ann_S wrote: »

If your Son is having regular amounts taken from his credit, could he unknowingly have entered into an agreement with this company to provide game updates. If this is the case, they may send him new games for a monthly period.

There should be a number where he can text back 'STOP' or 'STOP ALL'.

Its a pity Orange do not have a service like Vodafone or tmobile where you are able to have an 'unsolicited reverse charge premium rate text message bar' added to an account. Children really need protection from these scammers.

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately, there was no number under the description when it appeared on the bill. Just a code, see my above post. There was no number I could call to cancel the subscription. AFAIAW, the game was accessed through Orange World which is why no number appeared, the money was taken by Orange.

Intasun,

Thank you very much for your detailed response, much appreciated. I shall do what you suggest. Just checked the account and they have updated the sim card so that should be Orange World all blocked off. I shall get a new sim card once the credit has been run down on his account and block Orange World. Thank you all very much for your responses, much appreciated.

Smiley_Mum · 4 May 2010 at 12:21PM

Just tried to make calls on my son's phone and have found that they have totally blocked the phone now. Can't make calls, texts etc. !!!!!!!!! How am I supposed to run the credit down on the phone if they've blocked the whole thing!!!!!!!!!! What a total !!!!!!! pain in the @rse. ORANGE..... your excellent customer services REALLY SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There has also been a charge of another £4.50 on the account for what? He can't use the phone, it's blocked, totally.

Rapidly losing patience with Orange and their "excellent customer service".

Smiley_Mum · 6 May 2010 at 12:01PM

... and another. Account now at 78p. Bought another sim card, put all this [EMAIL="c@c"]c@c[/EMAIL] down to experience. Keep close eye on your kids accounts though.

Being billed by Payforit for unrequested services

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