Vodacom Festive Faces SPAM mms!

[Jonny Two Shoes]

Don't blame it on Telkom.

I blame everything on Telkom. Anything and everything!!!!!!!

 

[Skeptik]

The vast majority of MMS handset owners are not aware of this service. Fact.

Please send me the number on which you received this MMS.

Also, how did you opt out on all levels? I'd like to put the process you used in the FAQ for all forumites.

VODACOM have the resources to publish the biggest advertisements known to man in the daily newspapers saying how good they are. I would then safely assume they can make people aware of MMS in the same way. SPAM should be used carefully and in a controlled manner to those who have actively opted in. If VODACOM and the other networks cannot stop themselves sending their customers niggling SMSs and MMSs to market under-utilised services, then ICASA should regulate.

As far as what I did to opt out, I did exactly what VODACOM told us to do & more. As an extra measure, I think the word of a senior exec at the above company was more than enough reassurance or perhaps SOME would disagree.

It just takes numerous phone calls from people I know asking me whether I sent them an MMS or not to underline the effect this stupid VODACOM plan has on it's customers.
e.g.
"What's this message I've got, was it you? - it was a funny number ...." - or variations of that.

 

[vodacom3g]

As far as what I did to opt out, I did exactly what VODACOM told us to do & more. As an extra measure, I think the word of a senior exec at the above company was more than enough reassurance or perhaps SOME would disagree.

Sorry, you did not answer the question. As requested in my first post:

Please send me the number on which you received this MMS promotion. I can then investigate why your opt-out did not work.

Also, how did you opt out on all levels? I'd like to put the process you used in the FAQ for all forumites. Would be nice to share with the rest of the forum what exactly you did (and more), so everyone else, who also want to opt out, can do the same.

 

[diabolus]

So this opt-out , what do you actually opt-out of? ALL and EVERY Vodacom advert, or just "this campaign" ? What stops Vodacom from sending out new ads and everytime just putting the "opt-out" thing -after the fact- there just for good measure?

I personally think SMS/MMS adverts are the MOST intrusive ones you can get today. Email ads you can block/spamfilter or at least move into a less disturbing folder .

As for the MMS campaign, i think it's futile , even my mother know how to use
email/internet on her phone....>>type email, add attachment , send<< = costs you a data call which is actually billed per kb not per item.

..and then there's things like Mxit , but oh well...i think Vodacom is trying to milk a revenue point that never caught on and i doubt it will. The amount of hassles to go through just to get MMS working is the same amount of hassles to get Email working.....

 

[Skeptik]

Sorry, you did not answer the question. As requested in my first post:

Please send me the number on which you received this MMS promotion. I can then investigate why your opt-out did not work.

Also, how did you opt out on all levels? I'd like to put the process you used in the FAQ for all forumites. Would be nice to share with the rest of the forum what exactly you did (and more), so everyone else, who also want to opt out, can do the same.

I try not to dodge questions. If only we all were like that.

Why would you want to publish opt-out FAQ for VODACOM that clearly doesn't work? I suggest someone modify the info posted already. Maybe add the lines "You can opt out all you want but Vodacom has the right to ignore it".
LOL
[No offence, but it's policy not to send anonymous people my number .. send me a PM with your name, contact number and e-mail and I might reconsider.]

 

[vodacom3g]

I try not to dodge questions. If only we all were like that.

Really?

Why would you want to publish opt-out FAQ for VODACOM that clearly doesn't work? I suggest someone modify the info posted already. Maybe add the lines "You can opt out all you want but Vodacom has the right to ignore it".
LOL
[No offence, but it's policy not to send anonymous people my number .. send me a PM with your name, contact number and e-mail and I might reconsider.]

Sorry, you did not answer the question. As requested in my first post:

Please send me the number on which you received this MMS promotion. I can then investigate why your opt-out did not work.
[I'm pretty sure a PM is very secure]

Also, how did you opt out on all levels? I'd like to put the process you used in the FAQ for all forumites. Would be nice to share with the rest of the forum what exactly you did (and more), so everyone else, who also want to opt out, can do the same.

I did notice, in January this year, you posted you refuse to use the Vodacom opt-out options, so I'm not sure which process you used?

 

[bboy]

Just typed a long response and promptly lost it (bloody proxy servers) so here's the short version....

I believe it was the "Funny Face" MMS?

If so, they only go out in office hours but if your handset was not available for MMS (you could have been on a call, etc.), it could have been delayed.

There is also an opt-out option as part of the message. Did you see it?

Couple of points here!

1.Yes it is this funny face promo.

2. I received 3 of these MMS's
1st at 23/11/2006 5:18PM
2nd at 24/11/2006 1:18AM
3rd at 24/11/2006 9:18AM
so thats 3 in 15 hours!!!

3. The message contains 3 "objects"
Audio1.amr, the sound clip
Text2.text, blank
Image0.txt, An error ocurred during the retrieval of the mulit media message please report this error to vodacom customer care.

So no... there is NO OPT OUT!

4. Myself and i'm pretty sure 99% of your subscribers DO NOT WANT advertising sent to our cellphones EVER! We expect to receive calls/mms's/sms's from friends family and business, not any other ****!

5.The vodacom lady that phoned me about this incident said she would sort it out and sms me a reference number which I never received!

IF I EVER WANT **** SENT TO MY PHONE FROM VODCOM I WILL GO OPT IN FOR IT OK, ELSE LEAVE ME THE **** ALONE

 

[bboy]

maybe vodacom can tell me where i stupidly signed my name and OPTED IN for this spam?

 

[vodacom3g]

The text attachment contained the opt-out details. Murphy dictate this would be where it failed. Did the download fail all three times?

Don't you want to PM me the number it was sent to, I'd like to trace if it was sent 3 times or if it was 3 retries due to the failure.

 

[vodacom3g]

So this opt-out , what do you actually opt-out of? ALL and EVERY Vodacom advert, or just "this campaign" ? What stops Vodacom from sending out new ads and everytime just putting the "opt-out" thing -after the fact- there just for good measure?

I personally think SMS/MMS adverts are the MOST intrusive ones you can get today. Email ads you can block/spamfilter or at least move into a less disturbing folder .

As for the MMS campaign, i think it's futile , even my mother know how to use
email/internet on her phone....>>type email, add attachment , send<< = costs you a data call which is actually billed per kb not per item.

..and then there's things like Mxit , but oh well...i think Vodacom is trying to milk a revenue point that never caught on and i doubt it will. The amount of hassles to go through just to get MMS working is the same amount of hassles to get Email working.....

It should be per legal entity (i.e. Vodacom, not a specific campaign), but let me check on this.

As forumites we often make the mistake to think things (such as sending MMS's) are easy. There's a very large % of the SA population for whom these services are not obvious but would love to use them. I'm sure my gardener would love to see photos of his kids instead of jut getting a SMS, and it's the same cost.

Not sure on your MXiT point?

 

[diabolus]

Not sure on your MXiT point?

I was referring to this:

For example, how many of you still send 160 character SMS messages or pay for two SMS's to get 320 characters, when you can have a text message (of a few Kb) sent via MMS for the same price as a single SMS?

....Mxit [and any other messenger type client on your phone] can probably give a better "text" experience. Of course in offline mode SMS/MMS is handy.... I'd say, for someone who doesn't have access to PC+email , MMS is an option...for the rest i'm not so sure, i'd think email becomes more an option for long text messages...

As forumites we often make the mistake to think things (such as sending MMS's) are easy.

Actually of all the things i had to set up on my phone in the past, i struggled with MMS the most! There was always some sort of problem either sending or receiving or viewing...now i don't even bother [probably why i'm so negative about MMS].


PS : On the email vs. MMS note: Free Ms Exchange mailbox [with push service enabled]:
http://services.mail2web.com/FreeServices/

 

[redarrow]

Hmm, I also received this MMS today... funny thing is I've just ported the number to Virgin Mobile ...

Annoying thing is that Virgin's MMS doesn't seem to want to work (big surprise )
so it's already come through twice due to failing...

 

[vodacom3g]

I was referring to this:



....Mxit [and any other messenger type client on your phone] can probably give a better "text" experience. Of course in offline mode SMS/MMS is handy.... I'd say, for someone who doesn't have access to PC+email , MMS is an option...for the rest i'm not so sure, i'd think email becomes more an option for long text messages...



Actually of all the things i had to set up on my phone in the past, i struggled with MMS the most! There was always some sort of problem either sending or receiving or viewing...now i don't even bother [probably why i'm so negative about MMS].


PS : On the email vs. MMS note: Free Ms Exchange mailbox [with push service enabled]:
http://services.mail2web.com/FreeServices/

Ah, got it! Agree for interactive text services, something like MXiT will work better (and the cred factor will be higher.)

Getting MMS's set up seems to be an inverse of the complexity of the phone you have. Take WM5 phones, not the easiest to set up MMS. On my 6600/6680, it was a simple OTA.

But in general, and especially taking the SMS/MMS pricing similarity into account, we could use MMS's better.

Spoke to a guy last week who use his phone as a dictaphone while he drive and then send it to his secretary as a MMS->e-mail clip. Obviously dependant on the specific handset, it works better for him.

 

[Skeptik]

Really?



Sorry, you did not answer the question. As requested in my first post:

Please send me the number on which you received this MMS promotion. I can then investigate why your opt-out did not work.
[I'm pretty sure a PM is very secure]

Also, how did you opt out on all levels? I'd like to put the process you used in the FAQ for all forumites. Would be nice to share with the rest of the forum what exactly you did (and more), so everyone else, who also want to opt out, can do the same.

I did notice, in January this year, you posted you refuse to use the Vodacom opt-out options, so I'm not sure which process you used?

Your argument seems to have taken a downward trend. Not sending you my private number is not an example of "not answering a question". It is a demand to which I do not have to accede.

If you really think I said what you claim, then place the quote here or PM me with it. You have in the past misquoted me and then refused to discuss it. If you want to avoid an argument then I suggest you refrain from doing so.
===========
My point (and those of others here) are clear. Vodacom should not feel free to SPAM us willy-nilly. If we wanted SPAM we would opt-in. Sending an MMS with an opt-out added (and even that claim is in doubt) is simply non-sense. The damage is done.

Now answer please a few questions for me:

How does Vodacom know I have an MMS phone?

How does Vodacom know my SIM is in that phone and not in another handset at the time they sent me an unwanted MMS?

Why doesn't the opt-out system you previously described work?

 

[ic]

...
How does Vodacom know I have an MMS phone?

How does Vodacom know my SIM is in that phone and not in another handset at the time they sent me an unwanted MMS?

Why doesn't the opt-out system you previously described work?

Every cellular network operator in the world knows the following info:

• MSISDNs or cell numbers routed through their own network, including roaming;
• Sim card id [serial number] associated with MSISDN of own customers;
• IMEI number of the device registered on the network operator's network, which yeilds info like the make and model and hence capabilities of the device itself.

 

[vodacom3g]

No downward trend. As per usual you make claims and then when asked to substantiate it, you can't.

As to misquoting you: You posted this on the 29th December 2005:

:3G I dont feel obliged to register on your site in order to opt out of YOUR spam. It should be enough for me to identify rogue sms for someone to take action in reasonable time! If you cant or wont then dont promise to do so or you will look foolish. I have enough recordings of useless voda employees spouting equally useless drivel to start a library!

As to your other questions:

How does Vodacom know I have an MMS phone?

We can ID the model when you log onto the network

How does Vodacom know my SIM is in that phone and not in another handset at the time they sent me an unwanted MMS?

Same

Why doesn't the opt-out system you previously described work?

Which one did I describe? Can't remember that I did, but I might have forgotten. Please enlighten us which process this was?

Now please answer my questions:

1) Did you receive this promotion, and if so, please PM me the number so I can determine why your opt-out request did not work.

2) How did you opt out on all levels? I'd like to put the process you used in the FAQ for all forumites. Would be nice to share with the rest of the forum what exactly you did (and more), so everyone else, who also want to opt out, can do the same.

 

[Skeptik]

Every cellular network operator in the world knows the following info:

• MSISDNs or cell numbers routed through their own network, including roaming;
• Sim card id [serial number] associated with MSISDN of own customers;
• IMEI number of the device registered on the network operator's network, which yeilds info like the make and model and hence capabilities of the device itself.

So they would have known I haven't used my Vodacom SIM in an MMS phone for about 2-3 months then. So why send me the MMS? I then had to phone the most likely people to find out whether this little 'surprise' was from them. So who gains from that?
Is Vodacom going to refund me? I doubt it ...

 

[vodacom3g]

[V3g on ignore list until he grows up]

Funny, how you run when confronted (or is that cornered?) with facts....and then refuse to back your own statements.

My point (and those of others here) are clear. Vodacom should not feel free to SPAM us willy-nilly. If we wanted SPAM we would opt-in.

On your passionate dislike for unsolicited commercial messages:

I distinctly remember you asking me for Vodacom's MD's e-mail as you wanted to "sell him a few things".

Surely you would never consider sending another person a commercial mail, he or she did not ask for, after all, if they did not specifically requested your mail, it's SPAM??

Or is it a case of double standards?

(I can find the exact quote for you on the forum, if you can't remember.)

 

[ic]

...
[V3g on ignore list until he grows up]

LOL, for the sanity of the forum, kindly leave v3g on your ignore list .

Should you be overcome with benevolence, please post the opt-out at all levels procedure for the rest of us [myself included] that really would like to take the OOAAL for a test drive...

 

[vodacom3g]

So they would have known I haven't used my Vodacom SIM in an MMS phone for about 2-3 months then. So why send me the MMS? I then had to phone the most likely people to find out whether this little 'surprise' was from them. So who gains from that?
Is Vodacom going to refund me? I doubt it ...

So you're saying you're NOT using a MMS phone, but got the MMS? I'd really like to trace this. But if you don't want to send me your number, I understand.

For what do you require a refund?