1. Unicorn56's Avatar
    So WTF is up with Verizon (and other carriers?) charging us for bogus Premium SMS "subscriptions"???

    Someone gets your phone number and sends you a junk text that auto matically signs you up for their subscription service unless you text STOP or CANCEL??? I don't remember any such text, and if I get junk textx I just delete without reading.

    How can VERIZON charge for these scams and call themselves "reputable?" Yes, I know I can turn OFF Primium SMS but then I don't get the subscription SMS texts I DO want (all free.)

    Surely, Verizon must know that the vast majority of these paid subscriptions are bogus! Yet, since they get a peice of the fee, they make no effort to police them. All they need to do is to require any company that wants them to bill a Verizon customer through their phone bill to PROVE they are a legitimate company and not one of dozens of "Joke of the Month", "Horoscope", or "Quiz" subscription services. Surely Verizon has people working for them who are smart enough to know NOBODY wants to or needs to pay for things like that when they can get that crap for free anyway.

    I have been hit 3 times for a total of $60 dollars on two different Verizon lines. NEVER did I or anyone else sign up for these services. After complaining, I got ONE refunded (9.99) but now there is another on my bill!!!

    Verizon either needs to STOP accepting PAID subscription services or start policing them! I see several class action suits already rolling around on the web (personally I don't think suing over stupid stuff like this is good for the country, but hey, how long does Verizon expect us to bend over and take it?)

    So, checked you bill carefully lately? It will show up under data.
    10-12-09 04:43 PM
  2. brandonhd's Avatar
    We got a couple of those on our company plan somehow. The guy that had the phone said that he didn't sign up either.

    I know now that you can go to my Verizon and block any premium text from the account. Good luck with getting those charges off, Verizon is sometimes pretty good about giving a credit.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    10-12-09 04:56 PM
  3. Polychrome's Avatar
    We can't police someone else's service, and there's too many legit premium SMS services out there to block it completely unless asked for. If you want to complain about these guys, complain to the FCC or something, but be warned it may be considered a "freedom of speech" issue. :P

    More likely than not, you entered your phone number on a website offering something "free", or a friend sent you a message from a chat service, which "Opts in" if you reply. Just don't trust your phone number on any website unless what's on the other side is reputable.
    10-12-09 04:57 PM
  4. R.O.C.'s Avatar
    Premium SMS is a double opt-in... Always user initiated...

    At no point do you just start getting charged for no reason...

    It isn't Verizon's fault, it's the subscriber's fault for not being careful what they subscribe to...
    Last edited by R.O.C.; 10-12-09 at 05:59 PM.
    10-12-09 05:55 PM
  5. vatothe0's Avatar
    So now people are asking for Verizon to "cripple" their service? Amazing.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    10-12-09 06:30 PM
  6. redsoxrocker's Avatar
    My sister fell into the premium messaging trap. Verizon couldn't credit back those charges because they're third party charges - verizon is charging you for what they've been charged. But who knows, with some luck, you might catch a break.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    10-12-09 09:00 PM
  7. AaronWasHere's Avatar
    Premium SMS aren't some voodoo conspiracy trap by the service providers and some random (insert random ringtone,wallpaper,porn, etc. here) service. They are opt-in services with conformations. You are not a victim, you signed up for it and you know it. A provider has no obligation to credit back individual stupidity.
    10-12-09 09:08 PM
  8. ComfortablyNumb's Avatar
    First of all, Verizon doesn't charge you for anything. The premium sms company you signed up with is charging you and billing you through Verizon. Secondly YOU signed up for something and now you're literally paying the consequences. And finally, you're lucky Verizon gave you any credit at all. By giving you a credit they had to eat the charge YOU got billed because YOU signed up for something. Do better research next time you decide to go off bashing a company.
    10-12-09 09:39 PM
  9. Super_Mario's Avatar
    I have mixed emotions about Premium SMS. I can understand why people hate it, but when you, YOU, select this service, and you do, you should pay for it. But 9.99.....that's a lot for ringtones, wallpapers, dirty pictures.....
    10-12-09 10:13 PM
  10. TwinsX2Dad's Avatar
    It is the same thing as 900 number charges & whatnot. They do not just appear on your bill - instead they are an added service, much like long-distance or FingerHut charges.

    You signed up for it or authorized it. The provider may or may not have made it really clear, but that is NOT the carrier's fault.

    The carriers charge the providers a billing transfer fee - and the number of people who use these things for anything from mapping to stock quotes to jokes of the day makes it profitable.

    But every now & then, someone wants their phone company to protect them from their own mistakes. Welcome to the real world, where you're responsible for these things.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    10-12-09 11:21 PM
  11. DD1968's Avatar
    Nicely put guys. We have the same situation in the UK (I work for Orange UK) and the amount of times I've had to explain this to customers is unbelievable.
    Be responsible for your own actions. :-)

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    10-12-09 11:42 PM
  12. tsguy52's Avatar
    How can VERIZON charge for these scams and call themselves "reputable?" Yes, I know I can turn OFF Primium SMS but then I don't get the subscription SMS texts I DO want (all free.)
    Yeah and Grandma/Grandpa didn't rent the 10 pay-per-view Playboy shows either..

    You can block Premium SMS. The free texts are not labeled as premium. So.. go add that block

    And as others have stated - yes this is a DOUBLE OPT-IN SERVICE. Which means you or someone else put YOUR number in somewhere. Unless this is a brand new number and someone before you had some left over subscriptions - that I can understand.
    10-13-09 12:38 AM
  13. anim3kid's Avatar
    So WTF is up with Verizon (and other carriers?) charging us for bogus Premium SMS "subscriptions"???

    Someone gets your phone number and sends you a junk text that auto matically signs you up for their subscription service unless you text STOP or CANCEL??? I don't remember any such text, and if I get junk textx I just delete without reading.

    How can VERIZON charge for these scams and call themselves "reputable?" Yes, I know I can turn OFF Primium SMS but then I don't get the subscription SMS texts I DO want (all free.)

    Surely, Verizon must know that the vast majority of these paid subscriptions are bogus! Yet, since they get a peice of the fee, they make no effort to police them. All they need to do is to require any company that wants them to bill a Verizon customer through their phone bill to PROVE they are a legitimate company and not one of dozens of "Joke of the Month", "Horoscope", or "Quiz" subscription services. Surely Verizon has people working for them who are smart enough to know NOBODY wants to or needs to pay for things like that when they can get that crap for free anyway.

    I have been hit 3 times for a total of $60 dollars on two different Verizon lines. NEVER did I or anyone else sign up for these services. After complaining, I got ONE refunded (9.99) but now there is another on my bill!!!

    Verizon either needs to STOP accepting PAID subscription services or start policing them! I see several class action suits already rolling around on the web (personally I don't think suing over stupid stuff like this is good for the country, but hey, how long does Verizon expect us to bend over and take it?)

    So, checked you bill carefully lately? It will show up under data.
    Less QQ and dont put your phone numbers on your facebook quizes // or reply to any of the commercials on tv for Ringtones and such, Once you opt out of the service you need a Prem SmS block then problem solved.

    About that class action suite. yeah we filed that in florida and hey guess what? VZW LOST HARDCORE. 15mil lost in fact.
    10-13-09 03:57 AM
  14. blue_and_bold's Avatar
    Call and get em blocked?
    10-13-09 07:35 AM
  15. AnobizII's Avatar
    I used to work with t-mobile (uk) customer services and had lots of ppl phoneing up to stop them...

    The funniest situation was a women phoning up due to all these premium texts on her bill, she had 2 lines on one account, one for her and one for her husband...

    The husband had subscribed to something like Over 60 dating lol after telling the women this she went nuts and started shouting at her husband really loudly whilst i was still on the phone lol, her husband was in his 30's and was looking at granny porn...

    She went proper nuts for about 15 mins before hanging up the call...

    Long story short, just phone your network provider and they'll stop em....
    10-13-09 07:42 AM
  16. blue_and_bold's Avatar
    ...

    She went proper nuts
    +1
    10-13-09 07:43 AM
  17. urbanricer11's Avatar
    Well to the op I think after reading the responses you can clearly see that you f*ck*d up. At some point in time you either responded to a text or signed up somewhere for something that was "free" but in reality you were signing up for a subscription service. Next time pay a little closer attention, most of the trivia, games, or ringtones sites are subscription and not really free.
    10-13-09 07:50 AM
  18. AnobizII's Avatar
    Yea thats true...

    These things just cant send you a premium text without you requesting it first.

    Or someone requesting it on your behalf but you usually get a confirmation text before accepting the charges...
    10-13-09 07:52 AM
  19. anon(62000)'s Avatar
    Definitely refrain from putting your phone number out there. I even went so far as to warn friends that if they forward me any of that stuff, I'd delete their contact info from my BB.

    (Wouldn't REALLY delete them, but it worked! )
    10-13-09 08:13 AM
  20. blue_and_bold's Avatar
    Its more along the lines of txt this number for
    a. free ringtones
    b. some type of voting show
    c. free games
    d. free porn
    You opt in. If they reply to you txt "stop" and it should stop if not call vzw they can put a premium sms block on there.
    10-13-09 08:19 AM
  21. TwinsX2Dad's Avatar
    Its more along the lines of txt this number for
    a. free ringtones
    b. some type of voting show
    c. free games
    d. free porn
    You opt in. If they reply to you txt "stop" and it should stop if not call vzw they can put a premium sms block on there.
    Voting on American Idol or many other polling scams via text is a big one.
    10-13-09 08:41 AM
  22. blue_and_bold's Avatar
    Voting on American Idol or many other polling scams via text is a big one.
    Yeah I have to lol everytime I see that on some dancing/singing show and imagine the millions of ppl that do it...
    10-13-09 08:50 AM
  23. TwinsX2Dad's Avatar
    Yeah I have to lol everytime I see that on some dancing/singing show and imagine the millions of ppl that do it...
    Then they scream later about the charges & claim the carrier is at fault.
    10-13-09 08:55 AM
  24. blue_and_bold's Avatar
    Then they scream later about the charges & claim the carrier is at fault.
    Then we laugh, they cry its a vicious cycle.
    10-13-09 09:14 AM
  25. fewjohn's Avatar
    my question is what happened to the op???? im sure the truth that u got is not what you wanted to hear!
    10-13-09 10:58 AM
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