Unsolicited Premium SMS Services

I just got a call on the mobile.

07-3018-0586 was the originating number.

I got a recorded message telling me how I just "won" a free trial to a trivial
pursuit game that's sent via SMS.

I hung up. Apparently people are unwittingly subscribing to such services and
hence are receiving unexpectedly high phone bills.

I called Telstra. The fellow has placed bars on incoming premium SMS messages to
both my mobile and that of my wife's. So, hopefully we won't get slugged with
any unsolicited SMSes.

I called the number above to see if anyone would answer. First call I got
something that sounded like a male saying, "no". Second attempt I got really lo
res and crappy sounding hold music which terminated and the call disconnected
after a couple of seconds.

I'm fuming too. I don't give out my mobile number to anyone other than family
and friends. Hopefully none of them have used my number in any "competitions"
online. The Telstra guy said that often they ring random programmed numbers and
when they answer the spiel begins.

I personally think that such enterprises should be outlawed. In fact, I wish the
TPA outlawed practices where you have to "opt out" rather than to opt in to such
agreements.

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› See More: Unsolicited Premium SMS Services

"Snapper" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I just got a call on the mobile.
>
> 07-3018-0586 was the originating number.
>
> I got a recorded message telling me how I just "won" a free trial to a
> trivial
> pursuit game that's sent via SMS.
>
> I hung up. Apparently people are unwittingly subscribing to such services
> and
> hence are receiving unexpectedly high phone bills.
>
> I called Telstra. The fellow has placed bars on incoming premium SMS
> messages to
> both my mobile and that of my wife's. So, hopefully we won't get slugged
> with
> any unsolicited SMSes.
>
> I called the number above to see if anyone would answer. First call I got
> something that sounded like a male saying, "no". Second attempt I got
> really lo
> res and crappy sounding hold music which terminated and the call
> disconnected
> after a couple of seconds.


well there goes $36 in phone charges

On Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:31:00 will_s may have written:
> well there goes $36 in phone charges

For a local/STD call of a few seconds? Hardly...

PD

--
Paul Day

will_s wrote...

> > I called the number above to see if anyone would answer. First call I got
> > something that sounded like a male saying, "no". Second attempt I got
> > really lo res and crappy sounding hold music which terminated and the call
> > disconnected after a couple of seconds.

> well there goes $36 in phone charges

Sorry, you've lost me...

Paul Day wrote...

> On Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:31:00 will_s may have written:
> > well there goes $36 in phone charges
>
> For a local/STD call of a few seconds? Hardly...

It was a VOIP call, actually, so it cost me ten cents.

That is, if this is what Will is refering to - me calling this mob.