topic Good news for customers in Discussions & Feedback

Good news for customers

Anonymous — Thu, 03 Aug 2017 23:17:47 GMT

O2 have announced that they will always make sure customers get their refunds for disputed digital content purchases. (About time O2 complied with the law and made sure refunds go straight back into customers accounts directly.) hopefully this will see and end to seeing bounce.mobi, iFitness scams on this community board!!!

https://www.o2.co.uk/charge-to-mobile.

"If something goes wrong, we'll be there. We'll always make sure you get your money back if you're a victim of fraud. Have a look at the refund page to find out how to claim for a refund

Re: Good news for customers

madasaf1sh — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 05:42:13 GMT

This doesn’t seem to apply to reverse billed sms, and I’m sure o2 will make you prove that you didn’t sign up for the service that has allegedly been signed up for...

Re: Good news for customers

Cleoriff — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 05:47:40 GMT

Hi @Anonymous Good news in theory. I'm not sure I can see it working though. You would need to prove that you hadn't signed up for anything ....Difficult to do when so many people actually want to sign up for these things...

Re: Good news for customers

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 07:20:01 GMT

Have to wait and see what happens, but O2 cannot make statements saying that they will make sure customers get their money back and then leave them high and dry.

Re: Good news for customers

madasaf1sh — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 07:39:50 GMT

Your missing something though @Anonymous its up to the customer to prove they haven't signed up for anything, and have been the victim of fraud, all o2 is doing is acting in accordance that you can prove beyond all reasonable doubt that you didnt sign up or where negligent i.e letting kids know your pin code or password...

Very difficult to do with the app stores, as Google and the other stores make you verify that you want to proceed with the purchase...

Re: Good news for customers

MI5 — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 07:42:03 GMT

I'd hate to rain on anyone's parade here but that isn't anything new and charge to mobile is different from the scams you mentioned.

Re: Good news for customers

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 08:02:21 GMT

On O2 bills iFitness etc show up under the "things you've bought" section not the Premium and Information Services section.

This is because calling or texting a premium rate number is not generally for making a purchases of goods or digital content it's a service. This why it's different.

A consumer who purchases goods or digital content is entitled to a refund using the same method than was used to pay for the goods/digital content.

All refunds in future must be made into an O2 account and only O2 can do that!!

Re: Good news for customers

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 08:20:05 GMT

I get what you are saying madasafish regarding still having to complain to prove that you did not subscribe to a service, but all the while Bounce.mobi and other PRS providers do not have agreements in place which allow them to refund directly back to your O2 account O2 have removed their customers statutory rights and are negligent.

This negligence voids their terms and conditions and customers cannot be held liable for third party charges

Re: Good news for customers

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 08:37:16 GMT

I don't think it will work

Re: Good news for customers

MI5 — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 08:42:38 GMT

Like I said, it's not new.
The statement has always been there but the services being referred to come under different legislation unfortunately.
It's not right but it is how it is until laws are changed.

Re: Good news for customers

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 10:45:59 GMT

The law is changed though. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 only came into force and any purchases of digital content are covered by the act.

ILovemyphone which part don't you think will work? I'm genuinely interested in a discussion.

Re: Good news for customers

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 10:49:57 GMT

@Anonymous They'll find a way around it eventually then the same problem will occur over & over

Re: Good news for customers

MI5 — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 10:53:24 GMT

2015 act?
My point is the wording that you quoted from o2 hasn't changed.

Re: Good news for customers

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 11:38:57 GMT

That I agree with, having been emailing the Director of policy and external relations at the Phone Paid Services Authority, I know they are looking at implementing different opinions for a refund, but at the moment Networks are liable

Re: Good news for customers

jonsie — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 11:41:16 GMT

You and O2 are talking about two entirety different things. Yes protection is there for fraud but the sort of scams being run by the likes of ifitness have been ruled as legal so don't automatically expect a refund from O2 on the back of your opening post.

Re: Good news for customers

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 12:01:57 GMT

O2 won't do anything about ifitness etc as it's nothing to do with them

Re: Good news for customers

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 12:03:50 GMT

That's the thing Jonsie, O2 and other networks would like these two things to be separate entities entirely. But they are not, any purchase that you make for digital content if you pay from your O2 account, you're entitled to a refund into your O2 account. If no mechanism exists for the third party to refund back into your O2 account then that's down to the Networks incompetence and they are liable.

Re: Good news for customers

MI5 — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 12:14:29 GMT

I really can't see why all the networks can't get together to combat this scurg as they are all affected by it.

Re: Good news for customers

PhoneChanger — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 12:34:01 GMT

@Anonymous I'm not sure I agree with O2 being liable. If you have been a victim of fraud (and can prove this (it isn't for the networks to prove)) then O2 will refund you that is what they are saying and that is the current legislation.

If you pay by mobile for a service, and then you request a refund but the service provider doesn't offer you one O2 are not liable to provide you with one.

I think what you are referring to is a refund back on the original payment method, and sadly I don't know the technical details on this, but I doubt there is a solution in place for this since a lot of digital delivered content is available to use immediately there are no automatic rights for a refund.

Re: Good news for customers

MI5 — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 12:42:46 GMT

All this can be easily fixed by having a 2 stage subscription process to these services rather than an obscure click of a link.
Until the regulators grows some balls this will never change.