The messaging service sent Christine explicit messages at random intervals until she contacted Vodafone and a customer service representative explained that "3000" is not a Vodafone number but an outside provider the telco has no control over. "They were very understanding and sorry that this had happened and credited money to my account. Even when I texted 'stop' I continued to get texts from 226 so the system is set up to catch you out."
Vodafone spokesman Matthew East says Christine "inadvertently" signed on to a singles chatroom. She should have texted 756 to review her add-on.
Samuel*, another Vodafone customer, received two random messages from a company called Global Billing. He decided not to respond and instead called Vodafone. He discovered he had been charged $4.50 for each message he'd received. "I thought, 'That seems weird, I'm going to call Vodafone'. They said it would've been from something I'd signed up to. But I really don't remember; I don't tend to sign up for things. They said I wasn't the only person that'd rung about this sort of thing."
Samuel was told his number had been acquired when he signed up to an online contest to win an iPad2 - something he says he never did. He was also told that sometimes the fine print advises the number will be used for other purposes.
Telecommunications Users Association chief executive Paul Brislen says people sign up for things without reading the terms and conditions and text scammers count on consumer negligence. "A lot of these people are complete ratbags. There might be some sort of 'go in the draw to win' thing. What they don't tell you is you're also signing up to receive five or six horoscopes a day. Vodafone had a real clampdown on this a couple of years ago."
Samuel says he feels he was given the run-around when Vodafone directed him to the company that sent the messages, claiming it set the charges.
He sat on the phone for half a day trying to get through, to be told his network provider had charged him.
Global Billing's Lesley Hynes says the company is a mobile content and entertainment provider. "We do not send text messages to consumers unless they have entered their mobile number to sign up for one of our services."
Vodafone has since advised there was a breakdown in processes and has refunded Samuel. "I said to Vodafone that it stank that they knew this happened to people but there was nothing they were doing to stop it."
Mr East says Vodafone keeps a close eye on third-party suppliers. "If any of their business practices are not legitimate we will shut the service down."
Can spam
Vodafone runs an online forum where consumers can post contents of suspicious messages they receive and find out whether or not they are hoaxes.
Some of the most recent scams included messages telling customers to forward a text on to their friends to receive $20 in Vodafone credit, while another tells recipients they have won $400,000 in a UK mobile draw.
Vodafone says if a customer does receive spam they should forward the message to 7726 then visit: www.dia.govt.nz and search for anti-spam and click on 'make a complaint'.
* Christine and Samuel asked that their real names not be published.
