unsolicited premium texts

[PurpleRonnie]

Has anyone else received unsolicited texts which you did not sign up to?  I received a text from someone called ThumbTiger on Wednesday, thanking me for subscribing for £4.50 per week.  I have never heard of this company, and I certainly did not subscribe to them.  I have checked my bill, and £4.50 has been added.  Do O2 normally refund these charges if you did not sign up to them?  I have not sent a stop message yet, I guess I need to or I will continue to be charged for something I did not subscribe to.  Might be easier to get my number changed!

[LJB1974]

I was billed on my monthly direct debit phone bill each week after receiving what I thought was a spam text from Thumbtiger which I ignored. I searched around online but could not find any advice which was short and coherent so I risked it and bit the bullet and rang the number shown on the text 0333....... It started with an automated system which asked if I wanted to end a subscription which I did so I followed instructions and received confirmation by text. I then stayed on the line to speak to them and asked for the refund of unauthorised monies. I was sent another text (FOC) with a case number and an email address to send copies of the part of the bill showing payments/ dates and it seems simple enough. Pending monies returned which luckily was only 5 x £4.50 as noticed on bill but if you don;t check you bill this could go on and on unnoticed.

[BlasterDawg]

Again, so O2 allows a company with a record of scamming access to billing their customers for services they didn't sign up for?  Why is that a good business practice?  I haven't been scammed on the internet, or on itunes, or on appstore, but yet O2 just says "oh sorry"  you should pay more attention when a company that O2 recognises as a legitimate business steals money from you.  Thumbtiger is a scam and O2 is not protecting its customers.  

[BlasterDawg]

You are correct.  No one signs up for these services. They merely random text numbers and set you up.  I didn't opt out immediately because I thought the scam was responding and then they capture details that the number is a working number.  

Why is O2 doing nothing about this?   Why do they bill their O2 customers for a bogus service from a company that is all over the news and websites reporting scams ?  

I heard if you say that O2 is complicit you can get in trouble.  Well maybe if they did something about it O2 would be in the clear.   They  are receiving money off of the scam.  Another company doens't just bill O2 customers without paying a fee.  Someone should investigate the amount of money O2 is making off of the scams.