BG games etc

[eFestivals]

thanks Charm, your many posts about what's happening are the most use of anything for getting this sorted.

[teejdee]

I've been getting redirects to text subscription adverts lately - fortune telling and adult videos are the two that I remember. I checked my phone bill today and i've been signed up to a £3 a month service! I must have inadvertently clicked one of the adverts whilst trying to get rid of it. Worth checking your phone bills to see if this has happened to you as all you need to do is click in the wrong place - don't have to enter any details or anything! It must scalp the mobile number from the phone itself. very scary that they can do this! This is the details of the 'service' I had been signed up to:

Check a Number - Result
PhonepayPlus has the following information about Payforit ID/ShortCode:
700038474

Customer care number:    0122 359 0555
Customer care email:    [email protected]
Customer care website:    Zamano Solutions Ltd. has not provided this information
Search result provided by:    Zamano Solutions Ltd.
Service connected on:    02 December 2013
Service terminated on:    This service is still operating
Name of service:    Shared Shortcode
Type of service:    Competition - non-scratchcard
Service description:    Weekly Competition Subscription Service

 

I'm using an iPhone 6s+ running iOS 9.2.1 and mobile safari browser. Only seems to happen on 4G, not when connected to WiFi.

[eFestivals]

9 minutes ago, teejdee said:

I've been getting redirects to text subscription adverts lately

Thanks - but how lately? Has it happened today? If so, at around what time?

 

[teejdee]

Last time was probably a week ago. haven't seen anything since then so that's hopefully the last of it.

I have just made a complaint to the regulator for paybyphone services. I never received a confirmation text saying I had signed up to a service and the texts they sent were just a single web link (with kinky in the Url - you get the idea). No indication that it was a paid for service and no details of how to stop it. I just assumed they were spam texts due to the very dodgy URL...

Edited March 11, 2016 by teejdee

[eFestivals]

2 minutes ago, teejdee said:

Last time was probably a week ago. haven't seen anything since then so that's hopefully the last of it.

Thanks for replying.

We're trying to get on top of the problem but it keeps creeping back, cos these scammers don't tell the advertisers this is what they're going to do. I apologise for the problem you've had.

Please do let us know swiftly if you encounter a problem, because if we don't know of it we can't stop it.

[teejdee]

The dodgy redirect adverts have started up again. Got a redirect last night around 1am and took a screenshot this time - i've cropped it to remove the pictures of desperate looking semi naked woman as it's not appropriate viewing on a public forum! This was on an iPhone 6S, iOS 9.3, safari browser, connected to 4G, on BT Mobile's network (same as EE).

In other news, the regulator is investigating my complaint about the last dodgy provider that I was inadvertently signed up to. Not expecting much to happen as they didn't seem to think there was a problem with aggressive redirect adverts that can sign you up to a premium service with a single accidental click, and actually blamed me for not taking my time for the advert to fully load before trying to get rid off it!

[eFestivals]

thanks for letting me know, i'll do my best to get it traced and killed off.

[teejdee]

On 24/03/2016 at 10:27 AM, teejdee said:

In other news, the regulator is investigating my complaint about the last dodgy provider that I was inadvertently signed up to. Not expecting much to happen as they didn't seem to think there was a problem with aggressive redirect adverts that can sign you up to a premium service with a single accidental click, and actually blamed me for not taking my time for the advert to fully load before trying to get rid off it!

 

Finally got a response from my complaint. Quite impressed that it wasn't just swept under the carpet. You have to wonder how much money they made from these dodgy business practices to warrant a £500k fine, and whether that is just a drop in the ocean for them and worth the risk from their side. Regardless it's good to see a regulator actually regulating, even though they did so reluctantly!

 

 

We are writing to advise you of the outcome of your complaint to the Phone-paid Services Authority.

 

As you may be aware, the Phone-paid Services Authority regulates both the content and advertising for premium rate services.  The Phone-paid Services Authority develops and applies a Code of Practice (“the Code”) to the companies which operate premium rate services (Providers). These companies are bound by their contract with the Network operators or Level 1 providers to comply with the requirements of this Code.

 

In response to your complaint about this Service, the Executive commenced an investigation.

 

 

Investigation 

 

The Executive received a number of complaints for the Service and its promotion by the Level 2 provider, TijaMobile Limited. Complaints were received from consumers stating that the Service charges were unsolicited. 

 

These complaints suggested that the Service may be in breach of the PSA Code.

 

Adjudication 

 

The case subsequently went before a Tribunal panel for adjudication and its decision was that the Service was in breach of the PSA Code of Practice. 

 

Due to the nature of the breaches, the Panel imposed the following sanctions:

 

·        a formal reprimand;

 

·        a fine of £500,000;

 

·        a requirement that the Level 2 provider remedy the breach by ensuring that it has robust verification of each consumer’s consent to be charged before making any further charge to the consumer, including for existing subscribers to the Service;

 

·        a requirement that the Level 2 provider submit to a compliance audit of its procedures for ensuring that consumers (including existing subscribers) were not charged unless the Level 2 provider held robust evidence of those consumers’ consent to be charged. The audit is to be carried out by a third party approved, and to a standard prescribed, by the PSA, and the costs of such audit are to be paid by the Level 2 provider. The audit must be completed and the recommendations implemented within a period specified by the PSA; and 

·         a requirement that the Level 2 provider must refund all consumers who claim a refund, for the full amount spent by them on the Service, within 28 days of their claim, save where there is good cause to believe that such claims are not valid, and provide 

 

      evidence to the PSA that such refunds have been made.

 

 

You will also be able to view the details of the adjudication on our website:

 

http://psauthority.org.uk/for-business/adjudications/2016/12/tijamobile-ltd-72142-track-2-d32bba9a-21c1-e611-b741-00155d050fd1 

 

[eFestivals]

i've been caught by this too - 4 charges a month at £1.50 a go for 18 months. 

If you phone your mobile operator, they can unsubscribe you and block these bastards from doling it to you again.

There's details here:-
https://community.ee.co.uk/t5/Community-Feedback/Buongiorno-B-Games-scam/m-p/311481#M4881

of the refund process, tho having just phoned the number I've been told to email [email protected] with details to sort a refund - which I'm about to do.

 

Edited January 19, 2017 by eFestivals
correcting typo in email addy.

[zahidf]

37 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

i've been caught by this too - 4 charges a month at £1.50 a go for 18 months. 

If you phone your mobile operator, they can unsubscribe you and block these bastards from doling it to you again.

There's details here:-
https://community.ee.co.uk/t5/Community-Feedback/Buongiorno-B-Games-scam/m-p/311481#M4881

of the refund process, tho having just phoned the number I've been told to email [email protected] with details to sort a refund - which I'm about to do.

 

They will offer to refund 25%. you should refuse it! You may have to push them for the full amount

 

Mobile companies are in on it i reckon. 

Edited January 19, 2017 by eFestivals
correcting email addy in quoted part

[eFestivals]

4 minutes ago, zahidf said:

They will offer to refund 25%. you should refuse it! You may have to push them for the full amount

I'll be visiting their premises with a baseball bat if that's what they do.

 

4 minutes ago, zahidf said:

Mobile companies are in on it i reckon. 

I doubt it. Without me asking mine (EE) were offering all of the possible solutions to get these bastards off my phone.