Re: Being Billed For "Premium Text Messaging"
DaniLove13
Contributor - Level 3

jannine wrote:
We have the same problem with trying to get info from Verizon about a download, WSRUNNER.  All they can/will tell me is that it is a third party and they have no idea who.  Can I really get that info from a knowledgeable rep?

 

WS Runner is Wireless Sync Email. It should be listed as in app in either your Get It Now menu or Media Center, depending on the phone you have. If you're not using it, delete the app and charges will stop.
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Re: Being Billed For "Premium Text Messaging"
Moriturus
Newbie

UPDATE TO ORIGINAL POST

 

I managed to finally get the charges reversed on my bill.  On the Verizon Wireless website, they have a link to a "How are we doing?" type of survey, in which they ask whether or not I would recommend Verizon Wireless to a friend or family member.  I responded by rating Verizon Wireless's service with a "zero" based on their stonewalling me on these charges, and pointedly noted that I would recommend NOT signing up with Verizon Wireless to anyone who might ask.  I also said that since my contract was up I'd be switching carriers immediately.  I was contacted by a representative a couple of days later who said that Verizon wanted to keep me as a customer, etc.  I said I'd be delighted to renew if these charges were removed.  The charges were removed, I renewed, and I now have a very nice new Verizon cellphone which I'm quite happy with. I don't know what Verizon's response would have been, however, had I not been up for renewal.

 

I'm baffled as to why Verizon perpetuates this scam by making it so difficult to remove these fake charges, when it causes them so much ill-will from long-time customers.  Considering how much they charge per month, it would seem that their long-term contracts are their main profit center even if they make a lot of money on each one of these scam text messages.  I've been a loyal customer of Verizon Wireless for over ten years. They've had their problems, but have generally provided good service at an affordable price over a broad coverage area.  I've recommended Verizon in the past to people who asked me how I liked my cellphone plan.  Had they not reversed the charges on my bill they might have made some significant percentage of $19.98 but they would have had a hostile ex-customer for life.  Oh well, I guess that's capitalism . . .

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Re: Being Billed For "Premium Text Messaging"
malevolence
Enthusiast - Level 2

 mamatrueby and moriturus, I think I also just received credit for the fraudulent charges. Moriturus, I agree with you completely regarding Verizon's involvement and response to customers. Years of being a good customer is quickly forgotten if they think there's a quick profit today.

Verizon, if you are reading this, be advised: The bitter taste of poor service (and in this case facilitating fraud) remains long after the sweetness of a discounted phone.

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Re: Being Billed For "Premium Text Messaging"
hopelesskase
Enthusiast - Level 3
My son had the same thing on his bill and paid it for a year. He thought it was his unlimited text package charge until we were comparing his bill to mine. He called verizon customer service and they told him it was from someone (his old girlfriend) doing a survey online. She had did the same thing to home phone. Anyway they blocked the third party from texting him and canceled the service from his account with no problem
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Re: Being Billed For "Premium Text Messaging"
lifesgreat
Newbie

I also got burned with  the 'premium text messaging' scam.  I just received my first bill & it has $538.29 of premium text messaging charges on it.  I didn't even know there was such a thing as premium text messaging.  I spoke with customer service who told me Verizon couldn't do anything about the charges but gave me the 3rd party # to call & work it out with them (866-242-0384).  I've tried several times & never get anything except an answering machine.

 

I would like to respond to the 'How Are We Doing?' survey but can't seem to find it on Verizon Wireless website.  Can you be more specific as to how I get to the survey?

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Re: Being Billed For "Premium Text Messaging"
malevolence
Enthusiast - Level 2

Lifesgreat, I did a reverse lookup and that number led to: http://www.Clubm8.tv

It looks like one of those adult texting websites and someone must be using your number fraudulently. Did you get the premium text messaging service blocked by Verizon?

I wish you luck at getting the Clubm8 people to give money back, but if I was in your place, I wouldn't bet the ranch on it.  

I think Verizon may have in effect acted as an agent by making this kind of fraud possible and facilitating it. As I've written before, Verizon will get serious about this problem if they start to feel the pain as well. And the only way to make Verizon feel the pain is to make it cost them. Otherwise, this kind of fraud is just more profit for them.

 

As far as "how are we doing?", that kind of outlet is mostly to allow you to vent. The customer no-service people will probably not respond. You could write actual letters to the corporate officers, copies to FCC, BBB, consumer agencies, etc. That would be more likely to get a response.

Message Edited by malevolence on 05-30-2009 08:33 AM
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Re: Being Billed For "Premium Text Messaging"
madmia
Newbie

WOW!! The anger! Just FYI: Yes, Verizon DOES care what you think. No, Verizon DOES NOT need the small percentage they would receive from your PSMS. Yes, most reps WANT you to be happy, healthy phone users. YOU pay their bills! By all means, block PSMS BEFORE problems arise, especially if you're in the habit of NOT reading the fine print. Finally, any rep at a call center has the ability to see the flow of the double opt-in requirements for these services, educate you as to how EXACTLY to opt out or unsub or cancel the subscription, and yes, they can even CREDIT you, but not indefinitely. The rep can, and will, process the cancellation for you, but you are ultimately responsible to cancel.

 

And please oh please, if you EVER hear the words "my supervisor will just tell you the same thing" ABSOLUTELY ask to hear the same thing from the supervisor. Chances are, they will go above and beyond to satisfy you, close contract end date or not.

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Re: Being Billed For "Premium Text Messaging"
malevolence
Enthusiast - Level 2
{no personal comments please}

 

OK, WendyM, rather than asking an individual responder who claimed something on behalf of Verizon if they actually represent Verizon, I will instead ask:

Are there any Verizon representatives willing to respond? Nothing personal in any of that.

 

I did read the fine print. I just read it again, at least the print in my contract. I saw nothing where Verizon notifies the customer that some slime can use our number to create bogus charges and Verizon will take our money with no questions asked. The reps I talked to mentioned nothing about double opt in conditions - and if they noticed that, in my case, there hadn't been a double opt in, that detail escaped their consideration while they were telling me that Verizon could do nothing but block the service at my request. In case this is confusing to you, I did not opt in even a single time and Verizon cannot produce any evidence of it. And, I didn't see the fine print that the only way I could get my money back was to beg the thieves for a refund, as I was told.

 

I can surmise from your message that the words, "my supervisor will just tell you the same thing", must be used frequently by Verizon's customer no-service people. I never heard it though. What I did hear was something that translates into, "Tough luck."

Like I mentioned in my previous message, the bitter taste of poor service remains long after the good feeling of a cheap phone has gone. Yes, I am angry.

 

This is not to say that Verizon cannot redeem itself. There are things they could do to fix this. And they could produce some prosecutions for fraud or larceny. I'd settle for a discreet , personal, private chat with some of the perps. I'm not holding my breath for any of it. Verizon, if you're listening....surprise me.

Message Edited by WendyM on 06-04-2009 09:39 PM
Message Edited by malevolence on 06-04-2009 06:48 PM
Message Edited by malevolence on 06-04-2009 06:48 PM
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Re: Being Billed For "Premium Text Messaging"
Moriturus
Newbie

As a followup on a couple of the replies:

 

1) I can no longer find the survey page on the Verizon site to which I previously responded.  Perhaps Verizon was not receiving the reaction it was anticipating from its customers.

 

2) I should have been clearer as to the response I received from the Verizon representative when I called about the fraudulent charges on my bill.  I asked to talk to someone who could help me with these false entries on my bill.  I was told by that customer representative (who Verizon holds out on its website as the person who has authority to help me with my billing questions) that NO ONE above him could do anything about my problem.

 

3) While is true that Verizon SHOULD be interested in keeping its customers happy, what most people on this thread have been discussing is what Verizon DID to them.  Just because a large corporation has a vested economic interest in keeping its customers happy does not mean that it will necessarily do so, and it is apparent that for some reason Verizon has been trying to ignore and downplay this problem.  It may be that Verizon still has internal policies in place from when Verizon was making a lot more from these fraudulent text messages. I was told that previously the charges on these phony messages were $29.99, which is a lot of money to split between Verizon and the texting crooks.

 

4) Finally, it might make short-term internal economic sense for Verizon to try and stonewall its customers on these fake messages. While the long-term economic results are probably negative, it may be that certain profit goals need to met for purposes of realizing bonuses, stock options, etc., especially if these goals are not tied to any negative long-term feedback regarding lost customers.  As news events have recently shown, large corporations can have internal economic goals and policies which are non-rational and extremely destructive towards the company as a whole.

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Re: Being Billed For "Premium Text Messaging"
Rockstar01
Enthusiast - Level 3

So I understand that most people just plainly do not understand what premium messaging is and what contract they signed with vzw states so I am gonna help out.

In the customer agreement that everyone with vzw accepted via physical contract signing or accepting a contract term via automated system which holds same value as a paper contract it states: You agree to pay all access, usage and other charges and fees we bill you or that the user of your wireless phone accepted (read again, accepted!!!), even if you weren't the user of your wireless phone and didn't authorize its use.

Okay, It is a third parties subscription service that you have to double or even sometime triple opt-in! you have to accept the Terms & Conditions of that service before you start recieving charges for the service! They dont just appear out of thin air like most people think they do!  People dont realize that verizon wireless and us as consumers have the ability to view what text message was sent and recieved, to whom, on what day and what side it was initiated on! So whenever you get a charge for premium messaging on the bill you should go to your my verizon account first and view the text usage on that day and that will prove to you that the charges are valid! Now I know that alot of people don't agree with third party subscription services but a lot of people depend on them day to day! Just little things such as weather bug updates, some schools send out school announcements via text now, also the ones that most people dispute the 9.99/month subscriptions.  So they arn't all bad like most people think they are and if you do some reaserch vzw is the lowest charging carrier out of all carriers!  The other ones range from $15-19/month and VZW is the one that contributes to the least amount of the third party subscription services out there as well! So I do want to make sure that people are aware that if you do block the premium services that you guys know that so of the little things you use day to day on your phone might stop as well.  Just check things out before you make harsh assumptions.