Premium rate services petition to O2

[MI5]

EE have introduced a 2!step verification process for premium rate services. 

Vodafone allow customers full control within the My Vodafone app. 

O2 currently do nothing and many thousands of customers are scammed out of a lot of money every month. 

What will you do O2!to keep up with the competition and protect your customers or are you happy to take a cut and leave customers exposed?

if you want to add your voice to this, please comment below. 

Over to you, O2 ?

[liggerz87]

Ad me to it I use the bill to mobile for Xbox lol

[gmarkj]

Definitely!

[Anonymous]

@MI5

Yes, think it's time this was done.

Giffgaff (a PAYG MVNO wholly owned by O2) allows customers to switch these on and off from their site/app although there's anecdotal reports of some falling foul of payforit scams even though premium texts turned off)

On the rare occiasion I do use something like that I temporarily switch it on and then switch it off again.

It's time that ofcom ruled that this control was given to customers across all providers and failure to do so should mean forefeiture of their licence and thus they wouldn't be able to trade.

That ought to act as motivation to get their finger out.

[Marjo]

Hi @MI5 and everyone, thanks for all this feedback - we'll make sure to pass this on to the business. Please don't hesitate to post if you have any additional comments anyone. 

[TallTrees]

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@MI5 wrote:

EE have introduced a 2!step verification process for premium rate services. 

Vodafone allow customers full control within the My Vodafone app. 

O2 currently do nothing and many thousands of customers are scammed out of a lot of money every month. 

What will you do O2!to keep up with the competition and protect your customers or are you happy to take a cut and leave customers exposed?

if you want to add your voice to this, please comment below. 

Over to you, O2 ?

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Add me too please ~ I think it is essential and only right 

[TallTrees]

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@Cleoriff wrote:

Totally agree and support all of the above.

O2 are now making fools of themselves and more importantly, their customers.

I will also add, asking O2 to apply a bar to all Direct Bill debits is farcical.

1) It is a reaction not a solution ie. it is applied AFTER the customer has been scammed.

2) It takes away freedom of choice, if customers genuinely want to use the Charge to Mobile facility.

So let's have a two step verification process implemented asap

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Agree with that as well ~ it is absolutely unforgiveable that a customer should be scammed

totally unaware ~ I had to ask for a bar as well as premium calls ban and actually there is no info on my account that this request has been carried out ~ not acceptable as I am unable to make sure it is implemented.  Come on O2 sort this out for us ~ we are your customers ~ shouldn't allow secret scamming.  

[TallTrees]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I agree with all of the above but I got a feeling nothing will happen soon. Maybe 2019 will see a change 

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Hope you are right about 2019 and a change ~ it is heart-breaking to read the decent o2 customers and the scams on their accounts.

[Payforit_Sucks]

Thank you @MI5 for starting this thread. Needless to say, I would wholeheartedly agree that O2 should follow EE's lead and introduce two factor authorisation for these 'Payforit' subscriptions.

Not only are these forums full of complaints about 'Payforit' scams, but there are also many cases on Twitter.

The GiffGaff forums are also awash with similar cases. @Anonymous , GiffGaff are currently unable or unwilling to put a 'charge to bill' bar on accounts, so Giffgaff members have no choice but to expose themselves to these scams.

A number of companies are responsible for these scams. Take a look at the Trustpilot reviews of SB7 Mobile Ltd and Lasevia Ltd. You will find many disgruntled O2 customers amongst the reviews there!

It is frankly incredible that these companies are still allowed access to the 'Payforit' mechanism.

The fact that O2 allow companies like these to raid customers' accounts is not just morally reprehensible, in my view it is legally negligent. O2 are well aware that the known vulnerabilities of 'Payforit' are being used to facilitate fraud. Their lack of action to protect their customers could result in them being held legally responsible for the resulting losses.

On a positive note, the Phone-paid Services Authority is currently reviewing the rules for subscription services. Whilst I have little confidence in them as a regulator there is, at least, a possibility that O2 could be forced to take action as a result of this review. Two factor authentication for all 'Payforit' subscriptions would be an obvious way of protecting consumers from these scams. It is simple to implement as it is already required for subscriptions costing more that £4.50 per week. All that is needed is to extend this to ALL subscriptions.

Paul

[MI5]

@Payforit_Sucks 

Thanks for your support and continued hard work Paul.

It is much appreciated.

[Cleoriff]

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@MI5 wrote:

@Payforit_Sucks 

Thanks for your support and continued hard work Paul.

It is much appreciated.

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Yes, thanks from me as well...We have been referring a lot of people to your site (you may have noticed Paul)