RatenDate scam - How to unsubscribe

[OGroteKoning]

I have now received for the second month in a row the following message on my Vodacom 2GB+2GB account:

Your recurring R7.00 Subscription to RatenDate Chat Service Subscription will be billed on 2011-07-19. To unsubscribe go to My Account, My Subscriptions​

I never subscribed for this crap.

I found this:
http://www.vodaworld.co.za/showarticle.asp?id=2270

I sms'd from VDC "STOP" to 31116
The message I received back was:

Thank you for using this service! You will receive your link shortly. Once received, simply follow the instructions on your phone.​

Followed by the following sms:

®j​

WTF!!???

How do I unsubscribe?
Does anyone know how get my money back?

 

[xrapidx]

www.waspa.org.za

 

[OGroteKoning]

Thanks! I have just complained with them. Hope they respond soon

 

[Rate'nDate]

Response from Rate'nDate

Hi There

Rate'nDate is a contact and dating service with a vast active user-base and is not a scam.

Unfortunately, from time to time, people do find themselves subscribed to services by accident or through a technical glitch which, despite on-going effort on our side, can still occur.

Please send you mobile phone number to [email protected] and we will be happy to unsubscribe you and issue a full refund.

We apologise for the inconvenience caused.

Rate'nDate

 

[OGroteKoning]

Hi There

Rate'nDate is a contact and dating service with a vast active user-base and is not a scam.

Unfortunately, from time to time, people do find themselves subscribed to services by accident or through a technical glitch which, despite on-going effort on our side, can still occur.

Please send you mobile phone number to [email protected] and we will be happy to unsubscribe you and issue a full refund.

We apologise for the inconvenience caused.

Rate'nDate

Thanks for the reply.

There are people complaining about this on hellopeter. If they have not been sorted out, perhaps you can help them too.

 

[grok]

Rate'nDate - please explain to me how the hell does one get subscribed 'accidentally' or through a 'technical glitch'? Aren't you guys required by law to have proof of all requests for subscription before you can legally deduct money from anyone's account?

Companies like yours have been running this kind of scam for a long time, illegally taking money from people who have never agreed to any kind of service from you. HOW IS THAT LEGAL?
Personally I think you are scum.

 

[xrapidx]

Rate'nDate - please explain to me how the hell does one get subscribed 'accidentally' or through a 'technical glitch'?

What he meant to say is we skilfully subscribe people and hope to make millions without them noticing... They're all the same

 

[Zuluzebra]

Hi There

Rate'nDate is a contact and dating service with a vast active user-base and is not a scam.

Unfortunately, from time to time, people do find themselves subscribed to services by accident or through a technical glitch which, despite on-going effort on our side, can still occur.

Please send you mobile phone number to [email protected] and we will be happy to unsubscribe you and issue a full refund.

We apologise for the inconvenience caused.

Rate'nDate

I agree with the previous statements - accidentally through a Glitch??? You try your luck and if they don't notice you continue to deduct the money. I say you give the full amount back of deductions you have done.

Please join the "ban late night on Etv" thread!

 

[xrapidx]

Thing is, they hope prepaid subscribers such as myself won't notice... you can only see the last 10 transactions on-line, and if you use data... that's not much.

Pure scam - and it should be illegal, but its pretty obvious how SA works.

 

[Thugscub]

Get their web site and trash it.That's what I do. Sometimes I warn them, if no action takes place they wonder what happened. Amazing how quickly they listen

 

[NeonNinja]

"Technical glitch." Haven't laughed so hard in a while!

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

Biggest problem is recycled sims and the fact that Vodacom is struggling to get their MESH integration done with the WASPS. This will eliminate new owners of recycled sims from "inheriting" the previous owners subscription services. It will also make it easier to identify and unsubscribe as one can send a "STOP" MO to Vodacom directly.

Now I'm not going to single out Rate 'n Date here, but this problem effects all WASPS, their clients, recycled sims and all networks - its the networks who actually need become proactive (they are not even reactive). Not applying to the OP, but owners of SIMS need to prevent others from accessing them and even with the new Vodacom MESH interaction that will enforce double opting in but on network level, if somebody has your SIM, they can still initiate the subscription service.

(PS I worked till yesterday for a leading WASP for 5yrs and investigated many subscription disputes. A lot of disputes where traced down to owners not monitoring access to their phones - eg Grandkids who play with their Grandparents phones, or like my maid, her daughter using her phone to subscribe to service like the on in the OP)