premium rate sms on ds phone but dunno what they are?

[ErnesttheBavarian]

ds has a payg mobile. I recently put 15 quid on it (like 2 weeks ago) which would normally last him for ages. He's told me he's out of credit - very weird so investigate.

On the bill are 4 premium rate sms numbers (the same one each time), each costing 4.99. They have all been sent on consecutive Wednesdays (with 1 week missing, so April 13 & 20 & May 4 & 11) at exactly the same time, down to the second, so I'm assuming they are sent to him as he would never time something down to the second.

Initial thoughts are he's signed up for some towny site, but it's sms, not mms, so no pictures. He swears he has no idea what it is.

I have emailed the provider saying I don't know what it is and want it blocked, but not had reply.

How do I find out what it is, and if/how he's signed up for it, so I can block this, and avoid it happening again?

Have tried to search through phone of course but not found anything.

Tomorrow is Wednesday, but the pattern so far has been he received 2 then the 3rd week nothing, then received another 2, this is 'week 3' so maybe nothing will happen tomorrow at 17.54 and 43 seconds.

WHat else can or should I do? I can believe he has deliberately signed up for some twonk, also can believe he has totally naively signed up for something without realising.

www.phonepayplus.org.uk/

has a number search facility which identifies the company providing the number.

AFAIK, sending STOP or STOP ALL to the number (as a text message) should cancel the subscription. Is there any chance some "friend" from school sent a text when your DS wasn't looking ?

At 4.99 a week, it sounds like it might be some service allowing you to download music tracks or ringtones. I've not used any of these costly services myself (and if your service provider has not responded to your e-mail I would suggest you try to get them to refund any costs following on from the date you sent the e-mail... the advice to cancel (sending STOP) should be on the PayPhonePlus web site (previously this was known as ICSTIS, I think, the organisation which monitors premium rate services).

They don't always deal with the public in respect of resolving disputes (but have the means to fine companies if they mislead the public, etc).

What's a 'towny' site? Sorry, it's either a typo or something I've never heard of!

FWIW, I bought a s/h mobile from some young Mum and get junk texts from 87111 which have subject lines like "Naughty Clair from all hot and ...." followed by a further text with a web link to some (naked) image.

The PAYG credit was overdrawn (and I already had a SIM so it was no problem) but they keep sending and no doubt will do so until I top up the SIM, paying off the 2.50 'reserve tank' debt and can then send a STOP message.

sorry, towny is towny, ie porn.

sorry, should have explained, I am not in uk so the stop thing won't work, just wondered if there was some way other than the provider from whom I've not heard, if I can find out who or what it is and how I can stop it.

doh, bloody spell checked again.
towny should read twonky , ie porn.
have no idea what it could be? don't think he's into ring tones. Only thing he is into is a couple of games

so where are you? Awkward to assist if we don't know the number, don't know what country you are in, and don't know which network you use.

There's a slightly higher chance if all those items of info are known, perhaps, but it seems a long shot unless someone from you are in pops into geeky_stuff.

I'm in Germany - hence Bavarian in NN.

Think we've worked it out that he put his number into a HAndy lokalisiren (so, mobile phone locating tracker thingy,) but he can't remember the name of the web site or anything, it was an advert he saw and he put his mobile number into, didn't read or understand or both, the blurb.

So, I have the mobile number it is coming from, but not the name of the company or web site or anything. So how do I deregister from this thing that I know nothing of. He can't even remember which web site the advert popped up on.

I tried googling the number (funnily enough come up with lots of UK numbers) and the general service with amount charged, but no luck

Seems best bet is to phone the network provider... after all, they have a duty of customer care, and if there's a debit from week to week (albeit having some weeks without a charge) of such a significant amount then they ought to be able to provide you with assistance in identifying the company involved and getting these stopped. If they don't seem to want to help, is there some consumer body which can step in on your behalf? I don't suppose he can be topped up by around 5 quid and then use some of the credit so these charges fail (or does the balance just go negative until topped up again?)

Alternatively, would it just be easier to just get a fresh SIM from the same network, giving him a new number, and the cost of this is "put down to experience" (and will be very unlikely to ever happen again, after this chaos)!!

PS I could have used the name WelshDragon but not been in Wales but the Patagonia region of S America, or alternatively in some old Welsh-founded coal town in Pennsylvania, USA :)

Thanks NG. I know re nickname, wasn't being sarcastic, just explaining.

IHis account goes negative if there's not enough credit which I'm and about, I mean, surely the whole point of PAYG is limiting the amount a kid can spend.

Only got an email from the service provider not a phone number. Spent my whole bloody day trying to sort this out (and it's my birthday, sob) and not much further really.

Just get him another SIM with another number.

That way you can be sure it won't happen again, saves you hassle and gives your DS a bit of inconvenience which will hopefully teach him not to sign up to anything again.

thank you for your help.

Am I being dim though (quite probably)? If the account goes negative, then getting a new sim card solve the problem, as it will just keep incurring charges.

SO frustrating I can't cancel whatever it is, as dopey ds can't remember.

Well, if it is really a PAYG service, getting a new SIM (with a new number) and not using the existing SIM means you start with a fresh number and a clean slate financially.

If you are getting bills in the post and they will chase for the money then you clearly need to be in touch with the mobile network and put a stop to it with them, explaining that your DS does not know which website and there is just a significant bill each week but no further information to help you determine the company providing the 'service'.

I'd guess it is either ringtones, music or football club updates.

ok, provider still not replied, and tonight could be next charge. maybe at least then there will be an sms to say who or what it is. if not I will cancel the sim.

Thanks for ideas

no, E-the-B explained earlier "mobile phone locating tracker"

Well, just to conclude,

provider finally got back to me with all the contact details for this thing, so I have called, complained and cancelled. Sorted.

thanks again all.

May be worth considering another provider, too, if it takes ages to get back to you!