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johnray's profile

Mentor

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29 Messages

Saturday, January 21st, 2012 7:01 PM

At&t let a third party charge me $9.99 without my consent

I got a spam SMS from 31850 asking me to sign up for some quiz, I just ignored it, I've always heard not to reply 'STOP' to spamers because then they know your number is real and being spammers they don't care what you reply. I've seen messages on this board where people reply 'STOP' and it does no good.

 

Anyway, I just got my bill and AT&T let this "third party" (it's in quotes because they have to be in cahoots with at&t for this to happen) charge me $9.99 for their subscription. I don't have time to deal with it now but I'll probably have to take time out of my day monday call At&t.

 

I usually don't get upset over stuff but I can't believe that AT&T lets someone sign me up for a  $9.99 a month charge without consent, without a password or pin or an email or anything.

 

By the way, you are all now signed up for my subscription service.  Please read this sentence to confirm.

 

Accepted Solution

Official Solution

Former Community Manager

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5.2K Messages

11 years ago

Hey folks, 

 

There's a lot of heated discussion around this and I want to step in with a couple key points. 

 

First and foremost - these forums are here to help. I know topics like this can get people frustrated and heated but this is a community of peers and courtesy is imperative. Please keep in mind that everyone here is here to help or to get help. This is not a place for name calling and nastiness. 

 

Secondly - Scammers like those talked about in this thread typically use confusing jargon and sneaky tactics to get you signed up for their service. 

 

The best defense you have against these companies is to make sure that purchase blocker is applied to each phone line. This is a free service and will not allow 3rd party purchases to be made against your account; regardless of if you (or a family member) accidentally agree to terms and conditions from these companies. 

 

Here is a post from earlier this year that provides more information about purchase blocker and how to prevent 3rd party charges: http://forums.att.com/t5/Wireless-Billing/3rd-Party-Subscriptions-amp-Purchase-Blocker/td-p/3095123

Official Solution

Guru

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641 Messages

12 years ago

Thats not how it works. If its authorized by the mobile user it will be added to your bill. Blame AT&T all you want but they didn't let it happen, it was authroized by you or a mobile user whether you would like to believe it or not. Instead of continuing this conversation thats leading nowhere, you should contact AT&T and have it removed, credited, and add the free purchase blocker that I was telling you about. AT&T created that purchase blocker so even if you accidentally authroize a purchase, it wont go through. It's a preventive measure.

 

Customer service is open on the weekends, It will honestly take about 10 minutes to complete.

Guru

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641 Messages

12 years ago

AT&T doesn't just "let" them charge you. Somewhere somehow it was authorized onto your monthly bill by either you or a mobile user. I have seen it done accidentally, it's happened to me before accidentally.

Call AT&T, have them remove it and request a free purchase blocker. Once they activate the purchase blocker it won't allow any purchases and you don't have to worry about these third party charges anymore, accidental or not.

Mentor

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29 Messages

12 years ago

I don't see how I have possibly authorized this, I got a message saying take this quiz at some website before I got through reading it I got another message saying I scored 107 then another with some weird fact about handwashing, I never replied I never went to their website or to AT&T's website or even looked at my account untill I got billed and I'm the only one that ever touches my phone.

Mentor

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29 Messages

12 years ago

I just googles the short code, I'm not the only one this has happened  to

 

I can't believe AT&T lets this happen

Expert

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12.2K Messages

12 years ago


@johnray wrote:

I just googles the short code, I'm not the only one this has happened  to

 

I can't believe AT&T lets this happen


Deep within the wall text that you are presented is the " I agree to be charged" text, contrary to what you believe no carrier will let a 3rd party company put a charge on your phone bill without you authorization.

 

This is a common trick by the "free" ringtone, wall paper, etc sites that are presented to the cell user. As a matter of siple fact there IS a opinion poll on facebook that has the agreement built into it.

 

ATT did not let it happen without your authorization.

Mentor

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29 Messages

12 years ago

I don't understand what you mean by "Deep within the wall text that you are presented is the " I agree to be charged" text" I didn't sign up for anything or hit any submit button anywhere.

 

I havn't been to any free ringtone or wallpaper or any other sites If I ever purchase anything on my iphone it is through apple's app store and that's been a long while ago and it's tied to my email address, I don't care anything about ringtones or wallpaper, at&t is the only website that i've ever given my number to.

 

Out of the blue one day I got a spam text saying 'enter this four digit code on website to sign up for fun facts challenge quiz for $9.99 a month and it had a phone number, It didn't say what website to go to nor did I  go to any website or enter any code. I'm not the kind of person to sign up for anything and never give my number out.

 

 before I even finished reading the text I got another one saying 'you scored 107 you are pretty smart $9.99/mo reply HELP for help or STOP to cancel

 

, then another text about only 1 in 3 people washing their hands after using the restroom.

 

After the second message I thought these guys have me on their spam list and I worried I would start getting messages from them and have to call at&t to block them if STOP doesn't work but I never thought AT&T would actually charge me the $9.99 without contacting me first.

 

Even if I were to sign up for something with a third party at&t should not start charging me just because some third party gives them my phone number and says I signed up for it, they should contact me somehow and get my password or something. That's why I blame at&t.

 

 

Mentor

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29 Messages

12 years ago

That's exactly how it works, It's exactly how it happened to me, I just spent a few minutes googling 'premium sms scam' and it's happened to a lot of people the same way with 3 text messages. I never search for anything like wall paper or ringtones on my iphone or anything else for that matter, the screens to small, and never give my phone number out or sign up for any text messages or anything I'm just not that kind of person, there are only five websites I visit everyday, I don't stray from them unless I have a reason like today. and it is impossible for me to have accidentally authorized a purchase, most days I hardly even touch my phone now that I have an ipad. I just read where google had to pull some apps from their store because they were signing people up for premium sms in other countries but it didn't affect north america and I havn't downloaded any iphone apps in a while.

 

I don't see how another mobile user could have authorized it without my password, I live alone and no one has ever even touched my phone other than me and the lady at the apple store.

 

anyway I thank you for your comments and help, I plan on calling customer service tomorrow or monday when I have more uninterupted time, At&t customer service has always been very nice and helpful to me, I'll ask about the purchase blocker and see if it's right for me.

 

I hope at&t adds the ability to block all premium 5-digit sms messages soon like verizon if they haven't already.

 

Mentor

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29 Messages

12 years ago

Thanks wingrider01,

 

That looks like what I got hit with except I didn't participate in any quizzes or anything, they got my number from somewhere else, I did sign up for facebook so I could see some pictures my cousin took in Mexico but I never used facebook since, and I certainly never entered my phone number in any site.

 

Reading those articles I didn't see where anyone's service provider  asks the user for confirmation, all they need is the phone number, which is wrong in my opinion.

 

In a few of the articles it reminded me of the service where you text a certain code to a charity and they charge your phone bill, you know like after an earthquake or something. when that happens does at&t confirm with the user? maybe that's what this is, a $9.99 text message they are fooling at&t with saying I replied to and signed up for.

 

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