Unsolicited charges - O2 not helping

[Pajuwood]

Hi all

Received my bill text today which was much higher than normal. I thought i'd log into my o2 to find out where i had incurred any addittional charges.

Tariff was the same.  There were no extra charges. At the bottow there is a section called 'Things you have bought' and here there was a charge for £18.  I wasnt aware id bought anything so i clicked into this.

The screen loaded to show four weekly charges of £4.50 to Net Real Solutions totalling the £18.  Again i had absolutely no idea what this is for so i started a chat via o2 app stating the above and what i had found.

They checked this (very slowly) and advised intially this was a gaming app.  I advised i had made no purchases using my o2 account for any app. I was then advised this was an adult site and that to stop any further charges i should send a stop message to an e-mail address the advisor provided.

I made it clear i had made no purchase and i expected the charges to stop and those on the bill to be removed.  I also added how unhappy i was to contact persons at a company of no name that i had no knowledge of to discuss payment they had taken without permission from my account. 

I asked for a contact number for the o2 call centre and called them.  Sadly this did not help either the advice was similar and the advisor stated this was probably a scam company and again i should contact them.  I advised i wasnt prepared to do so and that i would expect my povider to be able to address such scams or issues.  The advisor tried to contact the company and confirmed no answer or details from them supporting her view it was a scam but then proceeded to advise i should contact them .

I have asked for a complaint to be escalated and got to speak to no one.  I have been  told i have to log a complaint and wait to be contacted.  At this point in time o2 are poposing to charge me for this and have not cancelled the charge which is likely to continue.

I'm inclined to request my PAC after many years, refer to Ofcom and the police and simply leave o2. 

Any other advice out there?

[Pajuwood]

I agree, i certainly wouldnt use again.  Incredibly disappointing

[Cleoriff]

@PajuwoodI know you have been caught out in a scam but some people do sign up for these services willingly.

We have asked for a two step verification to be put in place but as customers like yourself we have no real say in the matter.

We can only advise other customers as to the steps to take if they have been caught out unknowingly.

If you want to stop NetReal charging you again you should contact them, ask to be unsubscribed and request a refund.

[Scammers]

I have similar issues with Net Real Solutions as well as My Media games and Fitguru/Taptronic.

I have complained to My Media Games and they refuse to refund me and never answer direct questions, such as "What was it I would have seen on my screen to have subscribed me?" They could not answer this question simply because it was invisible and i was scammed without knowing.

Don't listen toanyone suggesting you accidently clicked onto a link, you were scammed. These companies are unlikely to refund anyone. My Media games do not have an address on show.

as previously advised, put a bar on all third party billings and these parasites will not be able to steal your money again. O2 has refunded me.

You must make an official complaint to O2 and to the PSA ( the Phone-pay authority)

I have a petition out, my petition is 'Ban the scam'

You can read more and sign the petition here:

https://chn.ge/2M6Iawi

Regards

[Cleoriff]

@Scammersyou may be interested in the advice given here by @Payforit_Sucks.

He has his own website which helps fight these sort of scams

https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Pay-Monthly/Phone-Fraud-The-New-Normal/m-p/1146987/highlight/true#M155...

[Anonymous]

@Scammers is the same as your other thread? If so we can only advise what we know

[Scammers]

Thanks for your response. The link for Payforitsucks is on my petition as I just discovered it myself. Despite this, it is great you mentioned it because it means others can see it. I hope everyone can join forces and pressurize the providers to push out the scammers.

[Scammers]

Dear Level 52, thanks for getting your comments and involvement. Like many, I am angry that these parasites are carrying on ripping off several years after this was known about. I am looking at complaints by people as part of my research for my petition. My own thread is the 'unsolicited bills' O2 Community conversation. I have put in comments to others where we are fighting the same enemy. I am very angry about these scams support those who have similar experiences. i am aware of immediate solutions, e.g. barring third party billings but also aware that these companies are difficult to get real responses and refunds.

[Payforit_Sucks]

@Pajuwood

 The regulator (PSA) has fined Taptronic £1,250,000 in respect of the Fitguru "service" (but it is unlikely ever to be paid!). Taptronic have also been ordered to issue refunds, so if you failed to obtain a refund you should now try again. If there was any justice, O2 should also have faced a fine for their continued participation in the scam, but PSA lack the power to sanction the MNOs. O2 will have taken at least 20% of the fraudulent "subscriptions", but will face no action and will be allowed to keep their ill-gotten gains!

The regulator discovered that malware was responsible for many of the fraudulent subscriptions. Indeed, one of their test phones became "subscribed" while locked and idle!

 O2's continued involvement in this scam for years after it was first brought to their attention is disgraceful. https://psauthority.org.uk/for-business/adjudications/2021/9/taptronic-fzc-152741-track-2-500d1951-c...