OT: warning about 194040 scam

Michael C wrote:
> I wouldn't normally send SMSs into competitions but I saw one on the box the
> other day and having a $49 cap I thought why not, I may as well use the cap.
> The idea is if you answer a really simple question correctly then you go
> into a competition. But that's not what happens. If you get the first
> question right they ask you another and another up to 5 questions. The SMSs
> cost $2 to both send and receive so by the time you've answered all 5
> questions you've already spent $20. And the prizes aren't that great, they
> give away something like 3 xboxes per week nationally. I only sent the 1 sms
> and stopped there but now they keep sending me messages every week. At first
> I though they'd get sick of sending them but they never will because they
> make $2 every time they send a message. And they send multiple messages at
> once, they never say everything they need to say in 1 message suprise
> suprise.
>
> If anyone's got the same problem the solution is to phone 1300 650 521
> (local call cost) and tell them that you phoned them immediately after
> getting the first message to unsubscribe but they failed to unsubscribe you
> hence you want a refund after the first message. I believe they are one of
> these companies that rely on people not pushing for a refund so don't argue
> when you ask for one. You could tell them that you never sent the first
> message and they'd probably give you a full refund.
>
> Anyway, just thought I'd let some people know. BTW, if anyone want to tell
> me how stupid I am and how smart they are because they would never enter a
> "competition" like this don't bother, I'm not interested. I never imagined
> something that is advertised on the major networks would be so dodgy. I also
> never imagined that it was possible for a company to charge me for sending
> an SMS to me. If anyone's wondering how they can do that apparently it's in
> the fine print on the tele and when you first send them a message you are
> agreeing to subscribe to a paid service.
>
> Michael
>
>
>


Interesting technique to make money out of nothing, I wonder if the
X-boxes even exist

Michael C wrote:
> I wouldn't normally send SMSs into competitions but I saw one on the box the
> other day and having a $49 cap I thought why not, I may as well use the cap.
> The idea is if you answer a really simple question correctly then you go
> into a competition. But that's not what happens. If you get the first
> question right they ask you another and another up to 5 questions. The SMSs
> cost $2 to both send and receive so by the time you've answered all 5
> questions you've already spent $20. And the prizes aren't that great, they
> give away something like 3 xboxes per week nationally. I only sent the 1 sms
> and stopped there but now they keep sending me messages every week. At first
> I though they'd get sick of sending them but they never will because they
> make $2 every time they send a message. And they send multiple messages at
> once, they never say everything they need to say in 1 message suprise
> suprise.
>
> If anyone's got the same problem the solution is to phone 1300 650 521
> (local call cost) and tell them that you phoned them immediately after
> getting the first message to unsubscribe but they failed to unsubscribe you
> hence you want a refund after the first message. I believe they are one of
> these companies that rely on people not pushing for a refund so don't argue
> when you ask for one. You could tell them that you never sent the first
> message and they'd probably give you a full refund.
>
> Anyway, just thought I'd let some people know. BTW, if anyone want to tell
> me how stupid I am and how smart they are because they would never enter a
> "competition" like this don't bother, I'm not interested. I never imagined
> something that is advertised on the major networks would be so dodgy. I also
> never imagined that it was possible for a company to charge me for sending
> an SMS to me. If anyone's wondering how they can do that apparently it's in
> the fine print on the tele and when you first send them a message you are
> agreeing to subscribe to a paid service.
>
> Michael
>
>
>


Interesting technique to make money out of nothing, I wonder if the
X-boxes even exist

Michael C wrote:
> I wouldn't normally send SMSs into competitions but I saw one on the box the
> other day and having a $49 cap I thought why not, I may as well use the cap.
> The idea is if you answer a really simple question correctly then you go
> into a competition. But that's not what happens. If you get the first
> question right they ask you another and another up to 5 questions. The SMSs
> cost $2 to both send and receive so by the time you've answered all 5
> questions you've already spent $20. And the prizes aren't that great, they
> give away something like 3 xboxes per week nationally. I only sent the 1 sms
> and stopped there but now they keep sending me messages every week. At first
> I though they'd get sick of sending them but they never will because they
> make $2 every time they send a message. And they send multiple messages at
> once, they never say everything they need to say in 1 message suprise
> suprise.
>
> If anyone's got the same problem the solution is to phone 1300 650 521
> (local call cost) and tell them that you phoned them immediately after
> getting the first message to unsubscribe but they failed to unsubscribe you
> hence you want a refund after the first message. I believe they are one of
> these companies that rely on people not pushing for a refund so don't argue
> when you ask for one. You could tell them that you never sent the first
> message and they'd probably give you a full refund.
>
> Anyway, just thought I'd let some people know. BTW, if anyone want to tell
> me how stupid I am and how smart they are because they would never enter a
> "competition" like this don't bother, I'm not interested. I never imagined
> something that is advertised on the major networks would be so dodgy. I also
> never imagined that it was possible for a company to charge me for sending
> an SMS to me. If anyone's wondering how they can do that apparently it's in
> the fine print on the tele and when you first send them a message you are
> agreeing to subscribe to a paid service.
>
> Michael
>
>
>


Interesting technique to make money out of nothing, I wonder if the
X-boxes even exist

"Mark Harriss" <billy@blartco.co.uk> wrote in message
news:4459f967$0$497$61c65585@uq-127creek-reader-03.brisbane.pipenetworks.com.au...
> Interesting technique to make money out of nothing, I wonder if the
> X-boxes even exist

I suspect they do. I believe they would be making a shitload of money, no
point screwing it all up for not giving away 3 xboxes

The other thing I was going to mention was after all this the charges are
apparently not included in capped plans, although I don't seem to have been
charged any extra. So I might actually end up making money out of it (or at
least getting some of my cap back .

Michael

"Mark Harriss" <billy@blartco.co.uk> wrote in message
news:4459f967$0$497$61c65585@uq-127creek-reader-03.brisbane.pipenetworks.com.au...
> Interesting technique to make money out of nothing, I wonder if the
> X-boxes even exist

I suspect they do. I believe they would be making a shitload of money, no
point screwing it all up for not giving away 3 xboxes

The other thing I was going to mention was after all this the charges are
apparently not included in capped plans, although I don't seem to have been
charged any extra. So I might actually end up making money out of it (or at
least getting some of my cap back .

Michael

"Mark Harriss" <billy@blartco.co.uk> wrote in message
news:4459f967$0$497$61c65585@uq-127creek-reader-03.brisbane.pipenetworks.com.au...
> Interesting technique to make money out of nothing, I wonder if the
> X-boxes even exist

I suspect they do. I believe they would be making a shitload of money, no
point screwing it all up for not giving away 3 xboxes

The other thing I was going to mention was after all this the charges are
apparently not included in capped plans, although I don't seem to have been
charged any extra. So I might actually end up making money out of it (or at
least getting some of my cap back .

Michael

"Michael C" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:4459f89b$0$7532$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au ...
> never imagined that it was possible for a company to charge me for sending
> an SMS to me. If anyone's wondering how they can do that apparently it's
in
> the fine print on the tele and when you first send them a message you are
> agreeing to subscribe to a paid service.
>

That is correct. It's very fine print, but it is there.

Betcha they catch a lot of kids out.

"Michael C" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:4459f89b$0$7532$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au ...
> never imagined that it was possible for a company to charge me for sending
> an SMS to me. If anyone's wondering how they can do that apparently it's
in
> the fine print on the tele and when you first send them a message you are
> agreeing to subscribe to a paid service.
>

That is correct. It's very fine print, but it is there.

Betcha they catch a lot of kids out.

"Michael C" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:4459f89b$0$7532$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au ...
> never imagined that it was possible for a company to charge me for sending
> an SMS to me. If anyone's wondering how they can do that apparently it's
in
> the fine print on the tele and when you first send them a message you are
> agreeing to subscribe to a paid service.
>

That is correct. It's very fine print, but it is there.

Betcha they catch a lot of kids out.

> Anyway, just thought I'd let some people know. BTW, if anyone want to tell
> me how stupid I am and how smart they are because they would never enter a
> "competition" like this don't bother, I'm not interested. I never imagined
> something that is advertised on the major networks would be so dodgy. I
> also never imagined that it was possible for a company to charge me for
> sending an SMS to me. If anyone's wondering how they can do that
> apparently it's in the fine print on the tele and when you first send them
> a message you are agreeing to subscribe to a paid service.

Yes, an interesting business tactic. Flash up what amounts to a legal
contract on TV aimed at children designed purely to suck them into paying
for way more than they bargained for. I can't beleive it's a legal business
practice.
In any case it's highly unethical and TV and Music industries need a big
kick up the arse for allowing it.