£4.50 Premium Texts

[Fab Estate]

A few months ago I started getting charged £4.50 a week to something I didn't subscribe to, in the end my mobile provider contacted them and it stopped. Then last week I've suddenly got two different companies sending me premium texts and at the same time getting scam phonecalls from Africa. I presume my mobile number is on a list somewhere on the net being passed around so I have now changed my phone number.

Will my new number  stop me getting these texts?

[SC03OTT]

1 hour ago, Fab Estate said:

A few months ago I started getting charged £4.50 a week to something I didn't subscribe to, in the end my mobile provider contacted them and it stopped. Then last week I've suddenly got two different companies sending me premium texts and at the same time getting scam phonecalls from Africa. I presume my mobile number is on a list somewhere on the net being passed around so I have now changed my phone number.

Will my new number  stop me getting these texts?

 

Probably not. I’d say it’s damn near impossible to stop SPAM crap texts or calls to mobiles. Best thing to do is keep updating your blocked caller list if you have the facility. 

[gadgetman]

Legally you cannot be opted in to premium texts without consent from the mobile. So replying to a message you don't know could opt you in, as can Rogue phone apps. 

 

Contact the following and raise a complaint 

https://psauthority.org.uk

[skomaz]

Are you on EE by any chance???

[Loz]

I had a similar problem once. I clicked a link on facebook that had a recipe on it. It then started a "sign up" process and ended up saying you'd be signing up to a subscription of £4.50 a week. So I didn't complete the registration, and just clicked "back" to go back to facebook.

 

Next thing I know I had a text saying I'd been charged £4.50 for this subscription, despite not agreeing to it, or clicking confirm, or going through their 'sign up' procedure. I cancelled the sub, but it had still taken money from me, which p***ed me off. 

 

I contacted Three and asked why they'd allowed someone to take £4.50 from me without my consent. They said that basically your phone bill is effectively a credit card, and people can charge whatever they like to it! I expressed my dissatisfaction to them, and they were really good with helping me solve it. They contacted the company who took the money on my behalf and tried to get it back for me. It took ages, and eventually Three even paid it back to me themselves. On top of that, the company did eventually pay it me back. 

 

On the back of that, I told Three to cap my bill so that no one can ever charge me anything. It actually suits me fine as I don't want to accidentally ring premium rate numbers etc anyway. 

 

I didn't know until then, which was a few years ago, that things can be charged to your phone bill so easily, and that there's next to no regulation for it.