Phone users are being sent text messages costing £1.50 (sometimes even more) by paid-for services.
One MP has expressed concern that some customers are being signed up to receive these text messages without their consent and sometimes without them even realising they are paying for them at all.
John Mann, Labour MP for Bassetlaw in Nottinghamshire and who also sits on the Treasury Select Committee, told the Mail On Sunday that more needs to be done to protect people.
He said: “These texts are a national scandal, impacting young and old alike. The regulator needs to act.”
Premium texts can be anything from competitions to weather or lottery updates or even adult content.
But how do they work and how are they regulated? How do you know you’re not paying for a service you don’t want right now? Here’s how to steer clear of premium texts.
Expensive mistake
Technically, you can only be subscribed to a paid-for text service if you agree to it and so most of these ‘services’ cannot be considered scams even if the customer feels they have been misled.
However, that doesn’t mean you’ve enthusiastically handed over your details because you want to pay £1.50 a pop.
Often, it can be because you failed to tick or untick a box on a website. Sometimes it can be because you replied to a text message and kick-started a subscription.
You may even have agreed to receive one text without realising you would be signed up to receive an ongoing deluge of pricey premium texts.
Downloading certain apps and games can automatically subscribe the user to a premium number service.
Now read: How to use mobile apps safely
All these show how essential it is to read the small print of any contract, even if it just seems a small purchase.
However, some people claim they have been signed up for premium services against their will by scammers or rogue firms and with no permission given even accidentally. Mann suggests that some people behave criminally by using this system to take small-scale regular payments, hoping that the amounts in question are so small that no one bothers querying them.
Which? is clear that customers should treat their mobile phone numbers like their credit card number – and only hand it over to a company they trust not to abuse it.
Making it stop
If you’re paying for a service you don’t want, need, or even remember signing up for, then the most important thing is to make it stop.
If it’s a legitimate company then you can reply with ‘STOP ALL’. Don’t expand on that or send any other replies, and keep the message so you have proof you sent it if you need to make a complaint at a later date.
However, if it’s a dodgy company or a scammer then the last thing you want to do is reply and confirm your number is in use. Spam can be reported directly to your mobile phone provider, simply text 7726 to report the message.
All operators use that number to report spam texts and it’s free. You’ll get a reply asking for you to send the phone number that texted you.
Now read: Scam victims promised better protection… NEXT year
Can’t I just turn off paid-for services?
For a lot of services it is possible to turn off purchasing from a device. For example, with tablet computers or apps it is increasingly common for people, especially parents, to take steps to shut down the ability to spend extra cash simply by clicking.
Ofcom made this helpful video to show how to turn off in-app purchases on the iPhone (IOS 6), Android, Windows and Blackberry smartphones.
However, it is harder to shut down paid-for phone services as not every mobile network provider has a process for that.
It’s worth contacting yours to discuss the possibility of barring all phone-paid services from being made from your phone if you’d rather never think about this again.
With that, there is a risk that you’ll be unable to make payments you actually want to at a later date, such as charity donations via text.
Now read: Police investigations you shouldn’t help
How do I complain?
If you’ve suddenly discovered many tens of pounds of charges on your bill and you’re feeling angry about the ‘service’ you’ve been paying such a premium price for then there are steps you can take to complain.
Your network provider has a responsibility to explain what the charge on the bill is for and to provide the contact information for the service provider.
It’s also possible to find out who is sending messages via the regulator’s Number Checker tool.
Then, the company that actually sent you the message has to explain what the service is, how they charge for it and to provide proof that you subscribed. If they can’t, or if they don’t stop sending premium messages once you ask, then you should be able to ask for a refund.
After that, you can complain to the regulator, the Phone-paid Services Authority.
It can offer advice on your rights but, best of all, it can also deal with your complaint if you’ve complained to the service provider and you’re not happy with the outcome.
However, it can probably only make the provider issue a refund if the service has actually been misleading; if you’ve agreed to receive it by not opting out or reading the small print then there’s unlikely to be anything they can do.
Finally, it can also act against companies that charge for phone services but do not meet the code of practice requirements, which includes being upfront about the services and cost, and treating customers fairly.
You can contact the service via its website or its helpline is available on 0300 30 300 20 from 9.30am - 5pm Monday to Friday.
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that instead of deleting that annoying text that interrupts your day, you really need to make sure you’re not being paid for the privilege of being pestered.
If you think you've been a victim of fraud it's best to check your credit report for anything suspicious.
Have you experienced this? Do you think enough is being done to prevent customers paying for services they don’t want or is it ‘buyer beware’ when handing over numbers? Have your say using the comments below.