65488

[Anonymous]

I have recently discovered the following billing on my phone.  I don't know the number and with no record of me calling the number left on my log.  I am now £11.25 out of pocket.

Question 1:  Has anyone else been stung with this?

Question 2:  What does O2 do about it and will they reimburse?

Scott

[a_hcir]

perksie: I'd normally agree with the bit about "taking responsibility for our own actions", but in the case of these premium SMS slugs I do not.

This is a whole industry dedicated to fleecing the vulnerable and the non tech savvy. It's well known that if they aren't tricking youngsters who don't read the small print, they are either sending texts that weren't requested (which is why I think most of them seem to fold and refund as soon as the embarrassingly named "phone pay plus" get involved) or using dodgy apps that illicitly send the initiation message.

If the regulator had any teeth, they'd reform the industry so that people have to explicitly opt in to premium sms services before they could even join any of these services. Alas, it'll never happen because the industry makes too much money for the operators and the mobile networks.

[perksie]

The changes may happen before too long, right now you have to deal with yourself.

Contacting PhonePay Plus is the solution.