Ben was very pleased with his new mobile – picture messaging and all. Then
he got a text message: Hi there! I’m delighted to tell you that you’ve won a
fantastic prize in our new competition – a trip to Florida! He’d heard of
such things before but this had never happened to him, but somebody had to
win. All it would cost was £1.50 to text back and claim his prize. He called
– and then he was led through a series of calls that eventually came to a
dead end – and he heard no more. Subsequently, he was horrified to find that
his balance on his mobile account was £20 less than it should have been.
Ben was feeling rather stupid and angry, and he knew his parents would not
be pleased, so he rang a trading standards consumer adviser for help. He
knew they had experience of things like this and would advise him on his
legal rights. The adviser told him that she’d heard of numerous such cases,
but that it was his responsibility to complain, though he wouldn’t get his
money back under present law.
Thousands of mobile phone users have complained they are being charged for
receiving premium rate text messages they get drawn into. The best way to
deal with the problem is get your phone company to bar premium rate numbers
from your home and mobile phone, and never, ever, text to a 5-figure number
unless you are sure you can trust it. Most phone companies offer a
call-barring facility, but it costs. We think it should be free. We’re
working with the BERR to review the regulations governing premium rate
charging, and when the new rules are in place rogue operators will have
their service barred and be fined heavily. It’s all part of our campaign to
strengthen consumer protection.
