Key Post Check your mobile bill. Are you being charged for unwanted texts? e.g. Tarot cards

M

Mumha

Registered User
Messages
196
Like many of you, I have been stung by these premium texts costing in the region of €2.50 a time. It happened a few times in the past but I never took any notice of it but I saw over 6 euro worth in a short space of time during March. I've just found out that my wife has been similarly stung to the tune of over €14 last month.

The myth put out by the Mobile operators is that we must have somehow signed ourselves up for some promotion and that is how we are getting these text charges.

Zamano, when I rung them, told be the Date/Time and the "partner" that signed me up. But here is the interesting bit. The Date/Time was 1pm on Sunday the 22nd March. Now there is no way that I signed up for anything because I was suffering from a hangover from celebrating Ireland's Grand Slam victory the night before, and I wasn't doing any internet surfing. Also, I don't enter competitions through the phone except the very odd Late Late Show on a Friday night.

So this was a mystery.....until I checked my phone records for that day. There were no phone calls made, however there were two entries relating to Data Usage. one for 14Kb and one for 1kb. Once in a blue moon would I check anything on the net through my phone because I don't have it as an add-on package. I definitely didn't use the net on my phone that day.

And then the penny dropped. Amongst the raised buttons on my SE K800i phone are the Internet button and the select button. I've noticed in the past that on some occasion when I hadn't locked my phone before putting it into my trouser pocket, it has an internet page up in the Mobile screen when I take it out the next time, and I wouldn't have navigated my way there.

Almost always there is some banner ad on the first page of my providers site (saying Click Me or something like that), and with the raised keys touching the coins/keys in your pocket, it is eminently possible to connect to the net and select your way into a competition screen. As I have said, I have seen my mobile delve into a number of internet levels, having been in my pocket.

On my wife's phone, if she doesn't lock her phone and something presses against the Zero button, it shortkeys into the Internet as well.

Being a computer programmer, I know you can position the cursor anywhere on the screen. In this case, when the DEFAULT internet page starts on the mobile, it is positioned on the first item which is an ad ! And lo & behold, when you go into the ad page, it mentions "Weekly subscriptions for Tarot reading etc" and the infamous 57030 number to stop the service.

But by clicking through HERE, you sign up for the service, which they don't alert you about. You only see it on your statement, if you check your statement (most don't - why would you ?). It isn't that you sent a text that YOU create, it is all done by selecting a button on the mobile and as I said the flow of the age setup is done in such a way that it is easily done if the unlocked phone is hitting coins/keys etc in your pocket or bag.

I am stating here and now that this stinks from the Mobile operator to this Web intermediary company to Zamano to the Regulator. I have no doubt in my mind that the Mobile Operator knows and is complicit in what is going on, in fact they all know. Probably even Comreg. This carryon (I want to use a stronger word but legally it may be best not to) could be raking millions of euro in.

How many Prepay users check their online call details ? A fraction of the Postpay users, I would guess. Because I was alerted to check my call details by the Liveline program on this subject, I also checked my wife's who happens to be Prepay. That when I discovered she had 7 charges for €2.07 each time from Zamano.

My mobile operator tried to make out that I MUST have entered one of the mobile competitions. Zamano played dumb and just referred to some web partner. Comreg ? Well I have complained and have heard nothing from them.

Oh, and I asked my Mobile operator to disable the shortkey Internet button on my K800i phone but the girl said that it couldn't be done. Well that is a lie because it can, and I've done it. I am so angry that this was done to me and so many others, but I'm livid that they are still getting away with it.
 
Re: Zamano and the Unwanted Mobile Charges

The people you need to complain to are Regtel, not ComReg. The premium rate industry is self-regulated, which means it's barely regulated at all...
 
Re: Zamano and the Unwanted Mobile Charges

I had a similar experience with EU2.50 being deducted without authorizartion every six days on my Meteor bill pay account.
I would suggest the following for anyone with a similar experience:

1. You must immediately text STOP to 57030 for Zamano to stop deducting
2. I suggest you complain to RegTel at 1850 741 741
3. Try writing for a refund to Zamano at: Zamano plc, 4 St. Catherine's Lane West, The Digital Hub, Dublin 8.

I got back a refusal letter from their Customer Service Manager and got what purported to be a call log.

I wrote a polite letter to their CEO Mr. John O'Shea and got a refund cheque by return of post.

Hope this info may help someone.
 
Re: Zamano and the Unwanted Mobile Charges

I got nowhere with Comreg and Regtel, apart from a refund cheque. It wasn't the money, it was the principle that this is a scam in the way it is set up on the web page. This must be catching 1000s of people a month, yet the Regulatory bodies showed no interest. This would make a neat campaign for an enterprising TD or councillor though.
 
Re: Zamano and the Unwanted Mobile Charges

What you have established is that kybosh was right.

I can't recall the details, but I once pursued a complaint with Regtel. It was obvious to me that they had no appetite for putting manners on service providers, just in getting me out of their hair.
 
Re: Zamano and the Unwanted Mobile Charges

Regtel is funded by the premium rate industry. They exercise feather light control and often are unable to properly identify businesess hiding behind a layers of aliases and other companies. They're afraid to clean up the industry as it would affect their funding. The UK equavalent has more teeth.

The way to get action is to go down the Data Protection Act route. The DPC is government funded . If you can prove to premium rate operator has broken the DP law, he'll take the matter up. The Data Protection commissioner has had some success putting manners on companies that play fast and loose with your personal data.

But, don't waste the DPC's time, make sure you have times, dates, transcripts.

I once asked my phone company to block all premium SMS from my phone...they wouldn't.
 
Last edited:
Re: Zamano and the Unwanted Mobile Charges

Same thing happened to me, unwanted texts draining my phone credit, there was no number avail to text "stop" only a website address which I looked up and it gave me a number to call to cancel the subscription.
I called Zamano to stop the texts and also to give out to them as I had never subscribed to them, don't enter competitions and don't use the internet on my phone so they had obviously just added my number themselves.
They said they would investigate and within a week I received a cheque for sixty euro.
In the meantime I emailed comreg with all the details complaining that Zamano were not abiding with their legal requirements to give regular updates on the cost of the texts, providing a number to "stop" etc, they just didn't want to know. I can't believe Zamano are a legit company with their behaviour, I was sure they were scammers.
 
Re: Zamano and the Unwanted Mobile Charges

Had the same problem some months ago. Regulators were useless. Thought they might be a Zamano subsidary. Mobile operator was glib till I opted to switch providers. Customer services were on like a shot to ask why I was off. No problem getting Zamano charges credited to account. Do remember your provider is most likely getting a whack of the money you are paying Zamano.

hitbit
 
Re: Zamano and the Unwanted Mobile Charges

According to a news article today, legislation is being drafted by the government "to crack down on premium-rate phone services that trick consumers into paying excessive fees.

The new law is aimed at tackling the situation whereby customers are often tricked into signing up to subscription services for ringtones, wallpapers or competition offers on their mobile phones."

Providers will have to obtain licences which may be removed from them in the event of malpractice. Apparently 98% of over 6,000 complaints received by Regtel related to subscription services.
 
Re: Zamano and the Unwanted Mobile Charges

priscilla said:
Same thing happened to me, unwanted texts draining my phone credit, there was no number avail to text "stop" only a website address which I looked up and it gave me a number to call to cancel the subscription.
I called Zamano to stop the texts and also to give out to them as I had never subscribed to them, don't enter competitions and don't use the internet on my phone so they had obviously just added my number themselves.
They said they would investigate and within a week I received a cheque for sixty euro.
Click to expand...

I'd love to know whether, while YOU are sure you don't use the internet, is the internet still active on your phone ? i.e. if you wanted, can you use the net on your phone ?
 
Re: Zamano and the Unwanted Mobile Charges

TreeTiger said:
According to a news article today, legislation is being drafted by the government "to crack down on premium-rate phone services that trick consumers into paying excessive fees.

The new law is aimed at tackling the situation whereby customers are often tricked into signing up to subscription services for ringtones, wallpapers or competition offers on their mobile phones."

Providers will have to obtain licences which may be removed from them in the event of malpractice. Apparently 98% of over 6,000 complaints received by Regtel related to subscription services.
Click to expand...

Seeing will be believing !!!

If 6,000 complaints have come in, you can probably multiply this by 10 (at least) as to a closer number, as most mobile users don't even realise it is happening.

Things that need to change

1) Why I believe this is happening starts on the keypad. On the phones that I've seen, there is always a shortcut to the internet. My Sony Ericsson has a raised Internet button, which will start up straight away. Other phones start up by keeping a specific number pressed like 0. I was told by my Mobile Phone provider that it wasn't possible to disable this button, which is not true. Apparently there is a way. They shouldn't be allowed get away with this.

2) When the internet starts up, the cursor is sitting on a "Click Me" button, which normally has an ad for a gaming subscription service. The Provider should be forced to change this so that the initial cursor is not resting on anything that you can click through to.

3) If you go through to the Subscription service, disgracefully, you do not get a text message to alert you that you've just signed up for a rolling subscription service. You could have been caught for tens of euros before you notice the money gone, if you do notice it.

4) How many Pre-pay phone users check their account on-line ? Not a scratch on the Monthly phone users, I'd say. Yet month after month funds are being siphoned out of their pre-paid balance.
 
Re: Zamano and the Unwanted Mobile Charges

Mumha,

I have an old motorola mobile that closes over when not in
use, it always returns to the home page and I have never seen it
go to internet or anything else without actively looking for it. Because
it is closed over when not in use it is impossible to go into the internet
or call anyone by accident which makes me really believe that Zamano subscribed me themselves to their service. The fact that they returned
my money without question would also back up this claim I believe.

I still appear to have access to the net but I don't know how to use it by mobile and I'm afraid I will get subcribed to something inadvertantly while trying it out so I'm not going to.

What really bugged me was that Comreg and Regtel weren't bothered
by the breaches in their own guidelines, seems to me that once the Government sets up these bodies we the public should be happy enough,
it dosen't seem to matter that they don't seem to actually do anything.
 
Re: Zamano and the Unwanted Mobile Charges

The 'premium service' sector is, as many posters have said, effectively a free for all. I have had experience of bringing a complaint and only the most stubborn will persevere with the process ( I did, but it was out of character......) The ONLY way that the sector will ever behave itself is:

1. De-incentivise the network operators. I don't know what percentage cut they get, but it is huge. There is no reason that phone operator should pay ( to ordinary retailers) a commission of as little as 5% on the sale of phone credit through those retailers, whilst raking in commissions of perhaps 30-40% or more when that phone credit is in turn sold for 'premium' content. There is no reason for such a disparity other than abuse of a government-granted oligopoly. So their cut should be regulated down to no more than, say, 6%. Straight away this would get rid of half the problem. ( Indeed, better regulation of this aspect of mobile operators' licences would also give a huge boost in general to the market for micro-payment services and all in all it would be a Good Thing)

2. Effective financial penalties should be imposed on providers of so called 'premium' services. For example, if a spate of unsolicited texts is sent out, each recipient should be compensated in the sum of, say, €2, regardless of whether they actually got caught out by the text. In other words, rather than get into any debate about imposing fines, bad behaviour should always be subject to a penalty that is 100% guaranteed to render it loss-making.

In the USA, the class action is an effective tool against these abuses. The rationale may be summarised as follows: "If I steal a million dollars, I will be sued; but what if I steal a dollar each from a million people; who will sue me then???? ........"

The answer in USA is that a class-action lawyer will make a buck by suing the offender, thus playing a role in helping to keep their market free of such abuses. There is no corresponding action available here in Ireland. There should be.
 
Re: Zamano and the Unwanted Mobile Charges

My daughter has been stung by this scam with Zamano who send unsolicited texts at a cost of £1.50 each, normally in batches of 4. Despite trying to contact Zamano I got no satisfaction at all and my service provider Orange was of no help either. Interestingly 3 people in Orange customer services promised to refund £15 plus an ex-gratia credit to make up for the 2 hours I have spent on the phone, all to no avail. Despite Orange confirming that the texts had ceased my daughter got a further 2 texts wiping out another £3 of credit. I am not concerned about the loss of £15 but as someone else states if thats affecting 1million people, what a cool way to make money! Despite the threat of legal action and moving to another service provider the supervisor on duty in India wasnt prepared to budge. He claimed he would make a further request and ring me back in 24hrs, this is quite funny as 2 other staff promised the same thing yesterday but within 2-12hrs and surpisingly no phonecall!
 
Re: Zamano and the Unwanted Mobile Charges

Hi Alan,

In my experience it's no point chasing the mobile provider as the chances are very slim of getting any money out of them, my provider O2 told me they had never heard of anyone getting a refund through them. Instead, contact Zamano by phone, their no. is on their website and demand to have your money returned, say you want it investigated how they sent out unsolicted texts to your daughters phone and chances are you will receive a cheque in the post in a couple of weeks time. If enough people persevere perhaps it may not be as lucrative for them.

Best of luck,

Priscilla.
 
Re: Zamano and the Unwanted Mobile Charges

If you get charged by these companies for apparent use of their subscription services, they got your number by you doing something.

Leaving your phone unlocked in your pocket is not the mobile operators fault, or the 5**** company's issue either.

Also, the curser may land on an ad, but that is not programmed by the mobile phone operator so it is a bit silly to say your network are designing this problem deliberately.

Having said all this, the premium rate services are an absolute joke but somehow they are operating within the constraints of the law.

Youngsters are very easily looped into these as ringtones, wall papers and other purchases from premium companies are popular. As far as i know, TV advertising for these services was kurbed to beyond 9pm to prevent kids getting sucked in.

It is supposed to be a regulation rule that replying to any premium text service with the word STOP alone in the text will terminate the service.
If you are getting mysterious 'Service Messages' they they are trying to get the service to you without giving you a number to reply to. The number will then be available if you call your mobile operators customer care.
 
I also got 10 euro stolen off my phone credit by Zamano- I woke up one morning to find my balance had been drained by 4 messages during the night.
I did NOT subscribe to any service or enter any competition.
I called O2 but they implied it was my own personal problem.
I called Regtel and they said they would contact Zamano on my behalf, which the probably did, as I found a txt saying they had tried to contact me - nothing else.
Now it looks like these people only have a 081 premium number to contact them... at 35 cents per minute! I might try sending a letter to the address indicated above, but I would be afraid to give them any more of my personal details than they already have.
To me they are a criminal organization, set up to steal money from people - I dont know if I may be violating any of the forums rules here, but quite literally they just pick their victims and then take money off them illegally - this is stealing, and it seems to be the core of their activities - and stealing is a criminal activity.
It also must be very easy for anyone to set up one of these criminal organizations, and start piling up on other people's money, with the complicity of network operators.
I dont know if I will ever get my money back, but how can I think of buying more credit for my phone, when I know that I can wake up again another morning to find it has all gone?
It's incredible that this may be allowed to happen
 
My Dad got 3 text messages from them in the space of half an hour during the week, immediately I rang O2 (billpay with O2) and they told me to firstly text STOP to the number on the bottom and them they went online to smartphone and looked up the 5 digit number, they then saw that it was Zamano and they gave me the email address to which I sent an email immediately telling them to permanently block this number from receiving texts from them and to refund the money that they took, I then forwarded the same email to the regualtor and Zamano replied immediately and looked for the address to where the refund is to be sent so hopefully this will sort it on his phone.

He can't even text let alone sign up to a subscription service.
 
Re children subscribing to these premium rate things...

Remind the operators (Zamano and the like) that as a minor the child cannot enter into an contract that usually does the trick.

Many years ago I got money back from one of these shysters (name escapes me) who conned my then 13 yr old daughter. The money turned up in cash addressed from Berlin with no letter/note enclosed. You really have to wonder about these people.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top