Beware promotional texts
 

I've been getting promotional texts on my phone which I've ignored. Sometimes two or three a day. I I've been getting promotional texts on my phone which I assumed they came from Vodafone, but apparently not. However I've just discovered that I've been charged to receive them!

We haven't received bills for a while I don't know how long this has gone on for but according to my latest bill in a period of about two weeks I've been getting charged over 1.24 a time for these.

My husband heard something about this on the radio yesterday but it didn't catch his attention till it was too late.

Between my phone and my husband's this adds up to nearly €70 +IVA! No wonder the bills have been high.The bill only goes up to the end of November so there is another big charge to come.

Does anyone have any information about this? I need to know how to stop these and if there is any way to recover the money.

Re: Beware promotional texts
 

Is this in the UK or in Spain?

You may have inadvertently signed up for this. It happened to me once via a link on the Trafico website.

If you can find out who is sending them it should be possible to cancel it on their website.

Re: Beware promotional texts
 

Thanks Fred. It is in Spain. I have no idea how to go about finding out who is sending them. My OH thinks there is something that should be sent in reply to the messages to stop them, but we don't know what it is.
I feel very stupid about this.What an expensive mistake to make.

This kind of thing really shouldn't be allowed. It is clearly a scam to catch people out, who in there right minds would ever knowingly chose to spend over 3 euros per day on promotional texts!

Re: Beware promotional texts
 

There has already been a thread about this - I'll try and find it for you.

These 'push' messages are VERY hard to stop.

We rang the service provider and asked them to block them - they couldn't/wouldn't.

We found who was sending them and phoned to speak to someone - only recorded messages so we left a message asking them to stop - didn't work.

We send an SMS in response to their 'push' message with the word 'baja' in the message - this didn't work either despite everyone telling us that it would.


Eventually we found a web page for the company and managed to contact them - they have since stopped!

All-in-all it cost my son about 80euros - he only has his phone for emergencies as he was only 11 years old.


edit> found it, try here.

Re: Beware promotional texts
 

Thanks very much. I'll get onto it right away.

Re: Beware promotional texts
 

Thanks. It's very worrying. I'll get onto it right away.

Re: Beware promotional texts
 

Try this, it worked for me a couple of times in the UK and was recommended by the phone co.
Press reply button and text, STOPALL
Just as one word in capitals.

Re: Beware promotional texts
 

Thank you. Replying BAJA seems to have worked.

Just got to pay for the December texts now.:(

Re: Beware promotional texts
 

This is where PAYG is a better option, they couldn't get that kind of money from my account, at least I hope not.

Re: Beware promotional texts
 

Never wanted PAYG as my kids all had phones on our account and I always wanted to be sure they had credit. Never thought to change once they all left home, but now I have to agree, that is a very convincing arguement for PAYG. Wish I'd thought of it.

Re: Beware promotional texts
 

I am learning fast that in Spain it is never a good idea to have accounts with too much money in or some contracts, it seems that here they can even enter your bank account and help them selves, (and refuse to refund it) I have learned the hard way but now they are limited to what they can screw me out of, but I am still always waiting for the next surprise.:confused: