To feel scammed

[Tainbri]

Just went online to check mobile bill and £2.99 per week has been taken for some gaming subscription I know nothing about. no text or emails for this service, nothing. Just taken the money. Contacted Vodafone who said I had to contact the company to unsubscribe (to a service I never wanted or asked for in the first place!!) I am furious that Vodafone seem to be party to this scandal. I have no idea how it's occurred as I'm not into gaming so it's not like I've clicked on anything "by accident" and nothing to warn me that I'm being charged. More to the point, there seems like no way to get the money back!! Unless someone knows different??

[Bunglecunt]

I had this years ago, 2 companies kept sending me spammy messages and charging me so that my credit went as soon as it was put on - I text stop and they replied that I wasn't subscribed and charged me for that text too! Eventually I got the numbers from Vodafone to block them but they told me it was perfectly legal and there was nothing I could do to get my money back

[Tainbri]

Thank you everyone. The links to PSA is really helpful. I'll get on to that. I have texted STOP to the number Vodafone gave me, but not convinced it will work and absolutely no record of any texts from anyone to have an option to opt out or I was subscribed to anything in the first place. It's some gaming site, I'm not into gaming anyway so not like I've been on a site at they've hooked me. I don't think I can cancel the vodaphone contract as it's two years and I'm not even a year in!! Will give PSA a go!!

[gamerchick]

It is also very difficult to end a contract with vodaphone

Aye, or unlock a phone locked into vodaphone. All this use a payg sim for a month then they’ll send the code bollocks is really irritating. Still waiting for my code as the damn phone keeps bleeping on about bundles because the other ones ran out or something.

Never ever willingly going with vodaphone.

[Poppins2016]

The phone-paid services authority might be helpful: psauthority.org.uk

[Eminybob]

I had something really similar. I managed to track down the company and emailed them saying I had never subscribed, and they cancelled and refunded everything I had already paid.
I think it’s a scam, they rely on people not noticing, but as soon as you do notice they put it right.

[endofthelinefinally]

It is also very difficult to end a contract with vodaphone. It took me 3 goes and eventually I had to go into a store with my passport to get them to end the contract and call off the debt collectors. They simply would not do the necessary process when I switched to another company.

[Shamoo]

I had similar (to a “girlz” chatroom!) and Vodafone were beyond useless. I called the company. To start with they said that I must have agreed to it, but when I told them the obligation was on them to prove it they ended it, and when I threatened the PSA they refunded it all. I made them do it by cheque so I didn’t have to give them my bank details. I then reported them to the PSA anyway, who did follow up too. The PSA are pretty good and have fined companies for this.

[gemmamiller]

Contact the Phone-paid Services Authority (PSA) by filing a complaint on their website, I did this in a similar situation. Took about 4 months but I received a cheque for £45, which was half the amount the leeches took but better than nothing!

[Serenaballerina37]

This happened to me. I think a dodgy company bought my number somehow (I used to do those ITV competitions - with £50K and a car type ones and others and I think some scammers may have got my number that way). There was no easy way to 'unsubscribe' to the service I hadn't signed up to so I had to change my number in the end.

Vodafone gave me a credit for the first 1-2 months then said there was nothing more they could do. The companies are operating through a legal loophole. It is all very odd.

[ElephantsandTigers]

I lost £90 to services I never asked for and Vodafone said I couldn't cancel. I was on PAYG so kept going Tom zero balance every time I put money on. I got 90% back after three very calm and cold phone calls.

[gamerchick]

Isn’t this sort of shit a precursor if your card details have been cloned or hacked or something. Check it’s working before they clean you out?

[RidingWindhorses]

I tried the whole STOP thing it didn't work. I had to ring the company itself.

[RidingWindhorses]

This happened to me, it's fraud plain and simple. I had to contact the company and unsubscribe. (Never subscribed in the first place).

[youwouldthink]

The subscription has to have been done from your sim, whether through a pop up or when browsing. The phone provider should have given you the details fo the company tou took the subscription with (knowingly or unknowingly). The details will give you the stop message to send eg send STOP to 12345. They will also be able to give you the contact number and email for the service where you can request a refund for monies taken. If this doesnt meet with your expectation you can escalate online to the PSA who are run by Offcom.
Finally Vodafone should have put a charge to acc bar on your acc to stop any further subscription services gaining access

[Pickleypickles]

There was a really similar vodafone thread woth a woman who was unknowingly paying for a wrestling subscription. Dont know the outcome but maybe someone cleverer than me can find it and maybe it has a solution?

[Maelstrop]

Vodafone are twats for this. I had some gym support subscription, total scam because they never sent anything. I contacted Vodafone who were the Ines who allowed the payments-twice and went mad over the live chat thing. They blocked the scammers.

[Justgivemesomepeace]

Who is the subscription to? You can bill stuff from Xbox or PlayStation via mobile phone bills. There are companies that put links and things on Facebook which people click and don't realise they are subscribing to something. It's not the mobile phone network providers fault so they probably wont be able to help you. They won't be able to stop it either.

[endofthelinefinally]

Vodaphone are awful wrt this sort of thing.

[rjay123]

These are notoriously easy to sign up for by mistake. Click an advert while browsing the web on your phone and it can happen

[Cheeseontoastie]

I would contact your bank who might be able to get your money back if your sure no one signed up to it on your phone.

[Cheeseontoastie]

Must have done it some how surely? Do your kids play on your phone?