Online content R5.00 ?

[Frankie]

I just checked my VC pre-paid account online and see two amounts of R5 each deducted on 2009-07-25 05:42:41 and 2009-07-26 01:30:47

I was asleep at those times, so what is this charge.

 

[Edduck]

Hey frankie!

I tried to post yesterday about a similar problem but my thread has yet to appear in the forum! I accidently clicked on a link through my s60 nokia browser and when I checked my airtime later in the day it was R0.04! Checked my statement on vodacom4me and I was charged R14 for clicking the link even though I did it by accident and didn't agree to purchase anything!! Is this legal???

 

[Frankie]

Just called "111" and they tell me it's "viamedia" that is making the deductions and we can call them tomorrow to get it stopped.


http://www.viamedia.co.za/

Please feel free to contact us regarding any "going mobile" questions you may have...
You can reach us:

>> On the Telephone:
+27 (21) 425 9680

>> By Email:
[email protected]

>> In our building:
Above Seattle Coffee Shop at the Bottom of Loop Street!
Or, more specifially:
Unit 3, 9th Floor
The Studios
4 Loop Street
Cape Town
8001

 

[Frankie]

Hey frankie!

I tried to post yesterday about a similar problem but my thread has yet to appear in the forum! I accidently clicked on a link through my s60 nokia browser and when I checked my airtime later in the day it was R0.04! Checked my statement on vodacom4me and I was charged R14 for clicking the link even though I did it by accident and didn't agree to purchase anything!! Is this legal???

VC are aware of this trickery but aren't interested in doing anything about it.

 

[Frankie]

Further research shows that Vodacom is complicit in this new type of scam, even scamming other service providers networks.

Cointel + Vodacom in bed together scamming the public.

http://www.cointel.co.za/

http://www.hellopeter.com/search_results.php?search=Vodacom+Internal+Wasp+(previously+Cointel)


Vodacom, if you are not part of this new "WASP" scam, then make a provision for your subscribers to elect not to have this "WASP" service that puts them at risk of scams by you and partners such as Cointel, Viamedia, Sybase, Itouch, .....

 

[marine1]

Go lay a charge against them.

 

[Oomtas]

Further research shows that Vodacom is complicit in this new type of scam, even scamming other service providers networks.

Cointel + Vodacom in bed together scamming the public.

http://www.cointel.co.za/

http://www.hellopeter.com/search_results.php?search=Vodacom+Internal+Wasp+(previously+Cointel)


Vodacom, if you are not part of this new "WASP" scam, then make a provision for your subscribers to elect not to have this "WASP" service that puts them at risk of scams by you and partners such as Cointel, Viamedia, Sybase, Itouch, .....

Dude if you do a search on hellopeter do it properly before posting the search results what you did has got nothing to do with WASP they all different complaints

 

[Frankie]

Dude if you do a search on hellopeter do it properly before posting the search results what you did has got nothing to do with WASP they all different complaints

That Hellopeter link points to Vodacom WASP complaints, mainly to do with Cointel doing exactly what Viamedia is doing in my case.

 

[McGuywer]

That Hellopeter link points to Vodacom WASP complaints, mainly to do with Cointel doing exactly what Viamedia is doing in my case.

Quote from Hellopeter:

Customer’s accept and register to WASP services via sms/calls at their own will and therefore it is the account holder’s responsibility to safeguard their handset as they will remain liable for charges incurred.

 

[JK8]

VC are aware of this trickery but aren't interested in doing anything about it.

Wrong!

Its the WASPs taking advantage of you, you clicked the link, they enticed and you fell for it...

Voda is just the SP, Viamedia is the WASP.
Voda and other SPs know these WASPs take advantage of their customers and are trying to sort it out... its not that easy at the moment.

 

[Antonf]

Wrong!

Its the SPs taking advantage of you, you clicked the link, they enticed and you fell for it...

Voda is just the SP, Viamedia is the WASP.
Voda and other SPs know these WASPs take advantage of their customers and are trying to sort it out... its not that easy at the moment.

WRONG WRONG WRONG!
It is unbelievably simple to "sort it out", if Voda wants it sorted out. What is stopping Voda from having a facility on V4me to block all WASP services permanently? Fact is, Voda does make money out the "scams", so why should they want to stop it?

 

[Smooth Criminal]

Wrong!

Its the SPs taking advantage of you, you clicked the link, they enticed and you fell for it...

Voda is just the SP, Viamedia is the WASP.
Voda and other SPs know these WASPs take advantage of their customers and are trying to sort it out... its not that easy at the moment.

Huh???

 

[JK8]

WRONG WRONG WRONG!
It is unbelievably simple to "sort it out", if Voda wants it sorted out. What is stopping Voda from having a facility on V4me to block all WASP services permanently? Fact is, Voda does make money out the "scams", so why should they want to stop it?

The SPs are losing more than the 50c per sms they get.

Huh???

Oops worded it incorrectly...

 

[Frankie]

WRONG WRONG WRONG!
It is unbelievably simple to "sort it out", if Voda wants it sorted out. What is stopping Voda from having a facility on V4me to block all WASP services permanently? Fact is, Voda does make money out the "scams", so why should they want to stop it?

After my call today VC are processing a "suggestion" to block WASP services - at this time there's only an option to block internet access entirely.
Juts don't have much faith in them getting onto this promptly because, and you say they are making money from it.

BTW, the trick is that they lead you to believe you are electing to download a once-off image or ring tone, and they then bill you monthly for life - now why cant they set the default to once-off and not subscribed for life (yeah, we know the answer to that).

 

[Edduck]

I didn't even agree to purchase anything!!! All I did was accidently click a link which forwarded me to a website selling celeb pics! And I got charged R14! Wtf?!?! Someone pls explain this to me!

 

[Antonf]

The SPs are losing more than the 50c per sms they get.

How/why are they losing money? Are you trying to tell me they do this as a favour to the WASPs?

 

[KaasP]

Lots of confusion here.

Wasp 101:
Recurring/subscription charges can be levelled against a cellular subscriber's account as payment for content/ringtones/logos etc. Vodacom calls this OBS (Online billing service), MTN EBB (Event billing ?), CellC (?).
The idea is a noble one, i.e. provide a facility for the collection of small amounts without requiring cash. The reason this hasn't been used for obvious applications like ticketing/parking fees/vending machines etc. is that the margins retained by the operators is too great to make this feasible.

This is not (only) out of greed, R5 airtime does not equate to R5 cash, the airtime is sold at a discount + ongoing revenue deals with SPs need to be honoured, this sees a % of the airtime loaded paid to the distributor of the simcard.

The provider of the content is usually a Wasp or an Aggregator (think Superwasp), they need to comply with a code of conduct here
They are regulated by Waspa.

If you feel a Wasp has illegally billed you, first get yourself unsubscribed by betting in touch with the wasp, demand a refund and lay a complaint here. It takes time and effort, but this is the only way to hit an unscrupulous Wasp where it hurts (the wallet).

IMO most subscription services suck, selling crap that's freely available on the net via dubious marketing/billing strategies should spell failure. You only need to take a look at who's advertising on TV + the alacrity at which fines get paid to know this isn't so.

Hope that helps.

 

[Frankie]

Noseweek - WARNING! Your cellphone is a pickpocket

Glad to see Noseweek are also exposing this SCAM of Vodacom and their WASP partners.

WARNING! Your cellphone is a pickpocket

Unsolicited content services are rich pickings for unscrupulous network providers.

It appears that pre-paid subscribers are even being hit when they don't reply to messages because they don't have air time. When they later top up their account, the amount "owing" to the WASP is instantly deducted.