giffgaff = con-con
in [UK Mobile]
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From: Martin Jay on 16 Mar 2010 17:18 Well, well, well. Despite all it's community based fully charm, giffgaff is just another con. A few days ago I noticed my giffgaff balance had unexpectedly dropped by GBP5, so I sent an email requesting a refund. Surprise, surprise it transpires that giffgaff have charged me for an unrequested premium rate text message that was sent from a third party. I had hoped the premium rate text message business had put its house in order, but it appears not. And, sadly, it also appears that mobile networks and their resellers are happy to cuddle up in bed with premium rate text message thieves. ----- Begin Quote ----- Hi Martin, After a full investigation into your credit loss the giffgaff Tech Team have now concluded the following: 15/03/2010 10:54 AM - The giffgaff Tech Team Hi Simon This look like the customer is subscribed to a text service that charges him �5 a text on return for a service. The short code is 82023 which the customer should text the word STOP if he so wishes. This is a legitimate charge so it wouldn't warrant a credit as it has happened on 2 separate occasions. Thanks Wayne I trust this clears this particular issue up over your lost credit and should you require any further assistance in any other query then please don't hesitate to contact us here at the giffgaff towers. Cheers, Simon @ The giffgaff team Response (Simon(a)giffgaff) ----- End Quote ----- -- Martin Jay Back the Ban: <http://www.backtheban.com/> League Against Cruel Sports: <http://www.league.org.uk/>
From: Steve Terry on 16 Mar 2010 17:26 "Martin Jay" <martin(a)spam-free.org.uk> wrote in message news:806.1268774293.20100316(a)spam-free.org.uk... > Well, well, well. Despite all it's community based fully charm, > giffgaff is just another con. > > A few days ago I noticed my giffgaff balance had unexpectedly dropped > by GBP5, so I sent an email requesting a refund. > > Surprise, surprise it transpires that giffgaff have charged me for an > unrequested premium rate text message that was sent from a third > party. I had hoped the premium rate text message business had put its > house in order, but it appears not. And, sadly, it also appears that > mobile networks and their resellers are happy to cuddle up in bed with > premium rate text message thieves. > > ----- Begin Quote ----- > > Hi Martin, > > After a full investigation into your credit loss the giffgaff Tech > Team have now concluded the following: > > 15/03/2010 10:54 AM - The giffgaff Tech Team > Hi Simon > This look like the customer is subscribed to a text service that > charges him �5 a text on return for a service. > The short code is 82023 which the customer should text the word STOP > if he so wishes. > This is a legitimate charge so it wouldn't warrant a credit as it has > happened on 2 separate occasions. > Thanks > Wayne > > I trust this clears this particular issue up over your lost credit and > should you require any further assistance in any other query then > please don't hesitate to contact us here at the giffgaff towers. > Cheers, > Simon @ The giffgaff team > > Demand they offer reverse SMS opt out like T Mobile and Vodafone as anything else is aiding and abetting theft. Your posting deserves to be on the giffgaff forum, posting it here won't embarrass giffgaff Steve Terry -- Get a free Three 3pay Sim with �2 bonus after �10 top up http://freeagent.three.co.uk/stand/view/id/5276
From: Martin Jay on 16 Mar 2010 18:05 On Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:26:58 -0000, "Steve Terry" <gfourwwk(a)tesco.net> wrote: >Demand they offer reverse SMS opt out like T Mobile and Vodafone >as anything else is aiding and abetting theft. And there should be an explicit and traceable opt in process for reverse charge premium rate text message services. The industry obviously can't regulate itself and the mobiles networks turn a blind eye to what's going on, presumably because it's a nice little earner for them. >Your posting deserves to be on the giffgaff forum, posting it here >won't embarrass giffgaff Already done that. :) -- Martin Jay Back the Ban: <http://www.backtheban.com/> League Against Cruel Sports: <http://www.league.org.uk/>
From: Steve Terry on 16 Mar 2010 18:40 "Martin Jay" <martin(a)spam-free.org.uk> wrote in message news:807.1268777125.20100316(a)spam-free.org.uk... > On Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:26:58 -0000, "Steve Terry" <gfourwwk(a)tesco.net> > wrote: > >>Demand they offer reverse SMS opt out like T Mobile and Vodafone >>as anything else is aiding and abetting theft. > > And there should be an explicit and traceable opt in process for > reverse charge premium rate text message services. > > That would end reverse SMS as hardly anyone would opt in. I like the idea Realistically opt out is best we can hope for Steve Terry -- Get a free Three 3pay Sim with �2 bonus after �10 top up http://freeagent.three.co.uk/stand/view/id/5276
From: Theo Markettos on 16 Mar 2010 19:38
Steve Terry <gfourwwk(a)tesco.net> wrote: > "Martin Jay" <martin(a)spam-free.org.uk> wrote in message > news:807.1268777125.20100316(a)spam-free.org.uk... > > And there should be an explicit and traceable opt in process for > > reverse charge premium rate text message services. > > > That would end reverse SMS as hardly anyone would opt in. > I like the idea But is there no audit trail for the subscribing text? If they claim you sent 'Scores ManU' to 81234 they should have a log of when this was sent, including all the metadata? Or can someone sign up to premium rate texts in some other way than using the phone? It shouldn't be too difficult to produce this log in case of dispute. Though I suppose you might have to get into crypto to prove whether the log entry was actually sent from your SIM or if the network made it up. Theo |