Ferdamia investment

[Fater1992]

Does anyone know the text number for ferdamia investment, cause I have been subscribed to it unknowingly and can’t seem to get rid of it. Tried phoning O2 they won’t do anything and I don’t have the number to stop it any more

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[MI5]

Hi @Fater1992 have a look at our help here https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/How-to-Guides/Have-you-fallen-for-or-been-conned-into-a-premium-rate-s...

[Cleoriff]

Ferdamia Investments are a company based in Cyprus @Fater1992

As well as following the advice in the link provided by @MI5 have a look at this info about the company and how to get in touch

You have obviously clicked on a link and subscribed to the service unknowingly

Ferdamia are a principal provider of text message marketing solutions and SMS marketing services. We offer SMS solutions that allow brands, agencies, and businesses to proficiently build integrated marketing campaigns and messaging services for business communication, alerts for schools and colleges, text voting services and bulk text messaging applications. We offer a unique web based solution that allows businesses, government, and non-profit organisations from all industries including education, hospitality, politics, technology and more to create and deploy the ultimate text marketing campaigns.

Contact details are here....so get in touch and ask them to unsubscribe you and refund any money they have taken

• Ferdamia Investments Limited. Galinou,2, Ypsonas, Limassol, 4193, Cyprus
• + 1235 2355 98
• admin@ferdamia.com
• www.ferdamia.com

[EmilieT]

Cheers @MI5 & @Cleoriff for the info!

Let us know if you need further help with this, @Fater1992 

[Payforit_Sucks · Accepted solution]

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@Fater1992 wrote:
Does anyone know the text number for ferdamia investment, cause I have been subscribed to it unknowingly and can’t seem to get rid of it. Tried phoning O2 they won’t do anything and I don’t have the number to stop it any more

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It appears that Ferdamia Ltd, based in Cyprus, run two 'Payforit' services in the UK. According to the regulator, these services use shortcode 83463. There is also a UK Customer Services number 0330 053 8665.

Regardless of what some may tell you, it is not your fault for 'inadvertently clicking on a link'. The rules for these services, (The PSA Code of Practice) lays down very clear rules for a valid signup. If you click on a banner or other advert, you must first be taken to a 'landing page'. The landing page has to provide links to terms and conditions, and must display a 'payforit' banner. On the landing page there must be a button clearly labelled with something like 'Subscribe for £4.50/Wk'. The price must be on the button and notin small print somewhere else. In the unlikely event that a consumer 'inadvertently' clicks the subscribe button, he is then taken to a confirmation page with a button which says something like 'Confirm this charge to my phone account'. It is almost inconceivable that a consumer could subscribe 'inadvertently'. 

What is happening of course, is that scammers have found ways to circumvent this protection, either using javascript exploits, or more recently through malware on Android phones. There is plenty of evidence of this. Try Googling 'WAP Billing Scam'. Since it is the 'service providers' who benefit from these scams, it seems reasonable to assume that they are the parties directly or indirectly responsible for them. Usually the scams are perpetrated by affiliate marketers who receive a payment from the 'service provider' for signups they refer.

If you've been scammed by Ferdamia.com, you can leave them a review on Trustpilot. A similar scam Cypriot company, Lasevia.com has managed to amass an impressive number of  one star reviews!

It almost beggars belief that O2 continues to regard these companies as 'trusted partners' who can help themselves to their customers funds without any proof of consent.

The website linked in my signature conatins a wealth of resources to help with handling 'Payforit' scams.

Paul

payforitsucks.co.uk

[professi0nal]

As shown by all the reviews, this service is a total scam.  

I received a £4.50 charge each week on my phone bill (which I missed as don't check my bill frequently enough) and occasional texts which I thought were a scam so did not click STOP.  Even when I did eventually click the text failed.  I did not sign up for anything but in all likelihood clicked on something in Facebook while on my phone and they were able to get the info.  Extremely bad sales practices. 

On plus side, here is how I fixed it:
1 - called O2 and they put bar on these kind of charges to prevent it happening again.
2 - called Ferdamia on 0330 053 8665 and emailed them also. I asked for the following:
    what the charge is for
    the specific application process that led to this being billed to me
    the date this began
I asked for a full refund of all changes and told them if I did not get refund I would take the complaint to the PSA.
3.  They called back within an hour and say they are providing a full refund.  Either by paypal or bank account.  I did not want to provide bank account so gave paypal.

Full refund is due in 7 - 10 days.  I don't know if I will get it and if I don't will report back and also take to PSA

[Fabez]

I just had the same problem. 

‘I called o2 customer services on 202 to get charges stopped. Only to be told I had to do it myself and that they could not bar these premium services. I asked to be put through to the complaints department, then to be told o2 doesn’t have a complaints department. Hmmm.

i phoned Ferdamia investment on 08455571267 and chose option 1 to cancel subscription that I didn’t sign up for. I then I called back and chose option 3 to request a refund. I was told that that department was closed and would get a call on Monday or tuesday as its the weekend(1pm on a Friday)

then I called the ombudsman services to raise a complaint on 0330 440 1614. They couldn’t start a complaint yet as I hadn’t followed their procedure but the nice lady talked me through what to do which includes phoning o2 complaints review service on 0344 809 0202, who then called ferdamia investment on my behalf while I was on the line with her, made sure the refund procedure was underway. She also put a block on all premium numbers and services, which I was already told o2 can’t do. Make sure you take name of person and time of call just in case you need to take things further later with the ombudsman again.

You can also phone the phone paid services authority on 0300 303 0020, but I have not had to do that yet as refund process is underway.

this is a pig eared way to get a simple thing sorted,with the amount of complaints I have seen about this company, you would think o2 would be doing something proactive about it. 

[MI5]

You would think so and if they cared more about customers over profit they would do as EE have done.

[Payforit_Sucks]

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@Fabez wrote:

I just had the same problem. 

‘I called o2 customer services on 202 to get charges stopped. Only to be told I had to do it myself and that they could not bar these premium services. I asked to be put through to the complaints department, then to be told o2 doesn’t have a complaints department. Hmmm.

i phoned Ferdamia investment on 08455571267 and chose option 1 to cancel subscription that I didn’t sign up for. I then I called back and chose option 3 to request a refund. I was told that that department was closed and would get a call on Monday or tuesday as its the weekend(1pm on a Friday)

then I called the ombudsman services to raise a complaint on 0330 440 1614. They couldn’t start a complaint yet as I hadn’t followed their procedure but the nice lady talked me through what to do which includes phoning o2 complaints review service on 0344 809 0202, who then called ferdamia investment on my behalf while I was on the line with her, made sure the refund procedure was underway. She also put a block on all premium numbers and services, which I was already told o2 can’t do. Make sure you take name of person and time of call just in case you need to take things further later with the ombudsman again.

You can also phone the phone paid services authority on 0300 303 0020, but I have not had to do that yet as refund process is underway.

this is a pig eared way to get a simple thing sorted,with the amount of complaints I have seen about this company, you would think o2 would be doing something proactive about it. 

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Welcome to the crazy world of 'Payforit' scams! Where even the networks seem unsure of what they can and can't do! I've been assured that O2 can apply a 'charge to bill' bar to your account which will stop you being billed by these scams in the future.

It really is about time that something was done about these scams. Take a look at the Truspilot reviews of Ferdamia. Why do O2 continue to allow companies like this to plunder their customers' accounts?

Please do complain to the Phone-paid Services Authority. You can do this online. You were charged without consent, and that is contrary to their Code of Practice. Whether or not you got a refund is irrelevant to this. Companies often offer speedy refunds in the hope of limiting complaints and allowing them to continue their scams for longer. Regardless of any financial loss, 'Payforit' scams are very inconvenient to consumers affected by them, as you have discovered.

A full set of resources for dealing with these scams is available on the website linked in my signature.

These scams are a disgrace to the mobile communications industry.

Paul

payforitsucks.co.uk