MTN and Samber Trading billing scam

O

oronte

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I need help. I got R75 worth of 'content charges' according to MTN yesterday from a company called Samber Trading. They gave me the number and told me I have to call them to sort it out - I did and I got a 'this number does not exist' message on all their numbers, MTN said to try again tomorrow, I will but I don't have much hope.
I searched google and got these from Hellopeter:
http://www.hellopeter.com/the_comment.asp?recid=168483
http://www.hellopeter.com/the_comment.asp?recid=160240
http://www.hellopeter.com/the_comment.asp?recid=129373

Clearly this company is scamming people but MTN don't care.
As for me I've never subscribed to any of these kinds of services on my current number, never replied to one of those spam mails and no one else uses my phone. Yesterday the only out of the ordinary thing I did was install Amaze GPS (which says its free) and use it to see if I could find my house, could this be it? Otherwise I just don't understand I didn't download a single thing yesterday and I've never downloaded any of this kind of content (I use my own MP3's, pictures, and I use UIQ games software downloaded straight from the net on my PC with no mention of my cell number).
What do I do? Who do I report them to?
 
oronte said:
3.5 years. 2 with Nashua and MTN then I ported to MTN sp.
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Find out how much you need to pay in if you want to cancel your contract prematurely.

That's the only effective way of getting rid of that money-sucking leech which've attached itself to your account.

Otherwise you'll spend a lot of time and effort in getting rid of that leech.
 
Today one has to really watch your phone closely, my mate had a really bad experience with his cellphone bill recently. Someone at home sent an sms out from his phone with this ****ty advertising on TV where you get billed for some crap weekly even if you dont use it. So all im saying is always keep your phone in sight.
 
fonefreak said:
Today one has to really watch your phone closely, my mate had a really bad experience with his cellphone bill recently. Someone at home sent an sms out from his phone with this ****ty advertising on TV where you get billed for some crap weekly even if you dont use it. So all im saying is always keep your phone in sight.
Click to expand...

My phone is always with me and at home it's just my mum and dad.
 
WTF?? I've had the exact same thing happen to me this weekend - sudden appearance of an SMS from 'hugemob.com' saying I had been subscribed at R15/w!

Calling MTN I got the usual 'call this number' and 'you wont get a refund, but you can cancel' kind of responses.

I tried all their suggestions, found it wasn't an MTN service, and called the help line again. This time, I got someone who can actually read what is in front of them, and told me I had been subscribed to a service run by Samber Trading and gave me their number, which does not exist. 012 548 2791 does not work, but 012 342 8001 does

I tried the number on the SMS, and got through to what sounded like a single person in a very quite office, who unsubscribed me immediately but said she could not refund the R45 already deducted for a game I had never downloaded!!

I asked her what type of phone had downloaded the game, and she said a Motorola V360 - hah! I don't own one! I got them on that one!!!

The thing that burns me is that MTN could not tell me which phone d/l this, but when I tried to claim insurance on a phone that I owned but did not use day-to-day, they could definitely tell me then that the insurance only covers the phone I was actually using at the time, and they could see which one I had been using - seems it only works for them when it is in their favour!

And how can MTN allow people who are so clearly scamming on their network to continue to operate without caring???

Bastards

EDIT:

I have managed to find out guilty company's name is SMSnet
http://www.smsnet-sa.co.za/contactus.html

Calling them just gets you to snotty call takers who have a "That's your problem" and "good luck with trying to get a refund" attitude.

I threatened the rudest call center operator I have ever spoken to (Sfiso) that I'd be visiting him at 440 hilda str hatfield to make him eat his phone.... and he said "Fine - do what you need to..."
 
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Microwave, your experience is exactly what happened to me today: apparently I subscribed on Saturday and downloaded Colin Mcrae Rally for R40 and subscribed for R15 (don't know what the other R20 was for) on my Samsung J700. I don't even know anyone who owns a J700 and I am absolutely certain my phone never left my sight on Saturday; furthermore, at the time I was supposed to have downloaded this game I was checking out the blackberry forums to find out about the bold on Opera Mini. I never visited their website - hugemob.com.

I think anyone can type in any number at their website and download the content immediately from the website - I'm not really sure how this works but apparently you subscribe by visiting their website. This seems either highly irresponsible to me because then anyone can download anything with someone else's number or this company is directly responsible for fraud.

MTN really irritate me too, they are doing nothing to protect their customers just letting whoever charge whatever without any kind of check. This is just ridiculous. They make billions but they can't spare the time to make sure a company is is ripping off their 'valued' customers is legitimate? Anyone know who to report this to?
 
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Reading the last few posts I was about to suggest that WASPA should be contacted with this.
Nice on cyberarmy ;)

They should be roasted, these scamming bastards!
 
Which begs the question - how is it possible that somebody is able to use your number to download dodgy content?

Something smells rotten here...
 
Thanks Cyberarmy and Shake&Bake I'm writing up my complaint right now. If there's anyone else to contact let me know. Also if anyone else experiences problems with this company please post here so we can show WASPA. I, for one, am not going to let them get away with it. It appears to only be MTN SP contract clients who are being targeted by this company so if you're with them check your bill, it comes up as 'content charges'.
 
oronte said:
Thanks Cyberarmy and Shake&Bake I'm writing up my complaint right now. If there's anyone else to contact let me know. Also if anyone else experiences problems with this company please post here so we can show WASPA. I, for one, am not going to let them get away with it. It appears to only be MTN SP contract clients who are being targeted by this company so if you're with them check your bill, it comes up as 'content charges'.
Click to expand...

Dominic.

He will also refer you to WASPA.
 
Here's what I've written as WASPA under sections of code of conduct breached (code of conduct is here: http://www.waspa.org.za/code/codeconduct.shtml:
3.1.2. Lawful conduct (fraud)
3.10.1 Contact information on this website and with MTN service provider is incorrect. Phone number in invalid and company appears to use two names SMSnet and Samber Trading.
4.1.7 The contact numbers do not work at all on weekends (no ability to leave a message, I get a 'this number does not exist' message from Telkom)
5.1.5. When unsubscribing the reply SMS does not indicate the name of the service.
6.2.10 There is no confirmation whatsoever for this service, I have been charged for various services but never received any confirmation of this.
6.2.11a No confirmation was obtained from myself, no contact was made with me period. Services costing R15, R40, and R20 were charged to my account from wap site.
11.1.4 I was subscribed without my knowledge period.
11.1.7 No indication of being subscribed to service.

Then under my query I've added:
On the 15th of November 2008 I was charged on my MTN contract bill the amount of R74.57. The MTN call centre agent told me this was charged on my bill as 'content charges' by a company called Samber Trading and MTN could not reverse these charges. I attempted to call them on the weekend, the number they gave is incorrect, they have changed it. When dialing that number I got 'this number does not exist' from Telkom. Today, Monday, I called again and their agents (I spoke to two of them) told me there is nothing they can do about it.
My phone was with me the entire time on the 15th, never left my sight. I never visited their wapsite admob.com (I have never even heard of this site). I was charged R15 for subscription to this site and then charged R40 for Colin McRae racing (I did not request nor receive such content). Additionally I was charged R20 but they cannot tell me for what. Their call centre also told me that I downloaded this content on a Samsung J700, I do not own, nor do I know anyone who owns a Samsung J700 (I was using a Sony Ericsson W800 that day). Finally at the times I was supposed to be downloading this content I can clearly remember using Opera Mini and looking at my e-mail and the American blackberry forums for information on the phones - I am certain I did not even accidentally visit this website. I am not the only one this company is scamming, please see these links to hellopeter (alternately just go to hellopeter.co.za and type in 'Samber Trading':
http://www.hellopeter.com/the_comment.asp?recid=168483
http://www.hellopeter.com/the_comment.asp?recid=160240
http://www.hellopeter.com/the_comment.asp?recid=129373

Additionally I started this thread at Mybroadband:
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?t=145953
Where you'll notice the member Microwave has experienced the exact same thing.
Why do MTN know them as 'Samber Trading' but when I called them they answer as 'SMSNet', on this website they are listed as such but it is impossible to find out anything about them under 'Samber Trading', that name is not mentioned on their website?
Dishonest companies like this should be put out of business. I will be happy to provide my MTN billing, as it is available, if it will assist in proving my claims.
Clearly the system used by this company is open to abuse: as I understand it you can just register on their website and possibly begin downloading content without any confirmation (I cannot confirm this as I don't want to be charged anymore) or else this company is intentionally and fraudulently charging unsuspecting MTN customers.

Thank you kindly

PS: Microwave I hope you don't mind I mentioned you!
This is the complaint number I received on my e-mail: Complaint #5214
I don't know if you can, but anyone else who has this problem can quote it in their own complaints as back-up. Let's get these vile, malignant... politicians (sorry it's the worst insult I know :-)
 
oronte

Nice work - I don't mind at all.
I've managed to make inroads at MTN via Hello Peter, and am being helped by the same guy who responds to most MTN issues there - Paul.

We have confirmed that a Motorola had last registered on their network from my number in 2005... and Samber have a Motorola V600 in their reports, with no IMEI number to correlate...
Where it seems there may be a problem is that there are WAP portals where you can order a service or product, and it'll get charged & delivered to the number...

I think it's either a very good hacker or a somewhat suspect operator...


The_Librarian said:
Uhm... one question... is prepaid accounts safe from this kind of exploitation?
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No - there are many similar but not necessarily crooked stories on HelloPeter where the most likely reason is that kids can rape their prepaid cards and the parents get pissed...

p.s. - the mail-trail between SMSNET SA and MTN - SMSNET use a gmail account!
Click to expand...
:sick:
 
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Great Microwave. I'll put up a complaint on Hellopeter as well. As for WASPA, they take 5 days to 'unsubscribe' you, when that's resolved you have to tell them that doesn't really solve the problem then they give the company 5 days to respond and (guess what, Samber-SMSNet didn't respond) after that they hand it over to an independent adjudicator - which is where my complaint is now.
 
After having no joy with Vodacom on Hellopeter about Vodacare, I'm very impressed with MTN. I just got a call from Paul, the same guy Microwave spoke to probably, and they're refunding my account and they're going to look into Samber Trading. He agreed that there was definitely something suspect about this incident and that the serial numbers of the phone used to download the content and my phone don't match. Finally we're getting somewhere. I'm just a bit disappointed that MTN SP consultants were so rude and wouldn't let me speak to a manager, but I'm very thankful for hellopeter and this helpful chap Paul.
 
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