Jump to content

$9.99 for a "Premium" Text Message


[LaW]Maverick

Recommended Posts

I just thought I'd share.

 

So, somehow a company called solow.com got a hold of my wife's cell phone number and sent her a text message as part of their "premium subscription service." It was just a text message for some company that apparently runs text message sweepstakes through mobile networks.

 

Yeah, so it charged us $9.99 for that single text message on our bill!

 

Does it really cost $10 to send an automated message consisting of 10 kb or so over the airways? :unsure:

 

 

Hehehehe...anyway, I've gone on a few recent rants recently about how ridiculously overpriced cellular data plans are, but $9.99 for a text message takes the cake--I got a good laugh out of it, and I'll see later if I can get the charge removed. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Document everything about it. Your carrier and everything. Any emails that you send, Copy the comsumerist.com. I guarantee you that either your carrier will reverse the charge or they will look like fools when they do later anyway after being called out on it by the Consumerist.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

that's bizarre dude. i haven't heard of anything like that before, unless the person opted-in at some point. i had a couple spammers hitting me with text messages, but i never noticed a charge. at&t was quick to block that number from my account, and honestly, that was the easiest thing i ever had at&t do.

 

...just don't ask them to explain the line items in your bill :spinface:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's very strange, usually the telecommunications industry is tight as a clam with things like that with the FCC levying enormous fines/punishments for even minor infractions as these things tend to snowball very quickly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Verizon reversed the charges no problem--and today I'm calling in a bit later to get the service blocked from Verizon's end. They had us send a text message with "stop" in the body to the appropriate number too--but I'm still having the service blocked as a precaution.

 

Amanda (my wife) had never heard of the service before yesterday, so she definitely didn't opt in--and I'm very strict on my internet teachings: "DO NOT CLICK ON ANY ADVERTISEMENTS . . . EVER!" :) It goes along those lines, so I really doubt she got suckered in somehow. I think the solow.com people are going to end up in a world of trouble if this keeps happening to people.

 

 

And yes, the message was lined with gold...but it was only gold plated aluminum, so not worth much :freak:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Well... this is quite interesting.. I have seen text messages cost this much when you text certain numbers you see on TV offering horoscopes and crap like that... (No... I personally have not tried this) but never the reverse. You should really be able to get that 10$ back.. seems fishy to me

 

funny

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...