Noseweek expose Vodacom and their WASP scammers

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Frankie

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Vodacom, until you make it possible ( by default) to block all WASP activity, then you are just as guilty of theft as your proxy WASP companies.


WARNING! Your cellphone is a pickpocket

Vodacom Cellphone subscribers are being charged for unsolicited “content services” – despite the network provider’s claim that it adheres to the “industry norm” that new content services must be solicited by the subscriber. Vodacom, like other network providers, is making a fortune from content providers, or WASPs (Wireless Application Service Providers), which piggyback on the networks.




Which is perhaps why, for weeks, Vodacom ducked noseweek’s questions about how they came to collect R165 from subscriber Marie Ensink (66), for an internet connection to a porn site, that she didn’t ask for.

Mrs Ensink signed a Vodacom contract on 8 September last year. Six months later, on 8 May 2009 (at 2.57pm), she received an unsolicited text message, which read: “Ur Adult video here!” Wondering how the sender had got hold of her number, Mrs Ensink deleted the message. A couple of hours later another SMS arrived: “Welcome 2 African Gsm.VC! Content on its way! Click on it 2 download! [...] sms STOP to 37425 unsub. Subscription service R15/3day. 16+.”

As she had not subscribed to any services, Ensink deleted this SMS too. As she told noseweek: “You only unsubscribe from something you have subscribed to. There was no way I was going to request such a service – I don’t even know how to send a text message.” Over the next few weeks, Ensink received several more such messages, each containing a link to an internet porn site. She deleted them and complained to her local Vodacom shop. Staff there were unable to stop the SMSs from coming in, but finally assured her that the “content service” would be discontinued at the end of May. It was. But when the monthly bill arrived it showed that Ensink had to pay R165 for content services.
Click to expand...

Follow the link for a lot more interesting info on this VC scam.
 
they should fine VC R165000000..... Captilist pig-Dogs!
 
Obviously Vodacom allowed this in the first place! Another way to scam money for themselves and screw the unsuspecting public!

Vodacom! You are disgusting greedy pigs!
 
Not happy to read this about Vodacom.

Always thought it's good people working at Vodacom. :(
 
kingrob said:
Not happy to read this about Vodacom.

Always thought it's good people working at Vodacom. :(
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She should have said her 8 year old granddaughter saw the links, followed them and now Vodacom can be charged with distributing porn to minors, ie they'll all be labeled as 'child sex offenders'.
 
PeterCH said:
She should have said her 8 year old granddaughter saw the links, followed them and now Vodacom can be charged with distributing porn to minors, ie they'll all be labeled as 'child sex offenders'.
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Good plan. Nothing like throwing a kid into the complaint to get some action!
 
PeterCH said:
She should have said her 8 year old granddaughter saw the links, followed them and now Vodacom can be charged with distributing porn to minors, ie they'll all be labeled as 'child sex offenders'.
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Actually they have earned that label because they have nothing in place to ensure that children cannot access their scam.


I wonder if this thread will fade into obscurity faster in this section of the forum?
 
I've just checked my 082 number that I use for data and these scum bags have been billing me R4.99 per day food goodness knows what since July this year!

Complain lodged with WASPA just now.

Mira Networks were fined R400000 last July with R300000 suspended subject to no further breach of WASPA code within 3 months! Oh it'll be worth R4.99 a day to see these dirt bags hit in the pocket for R300000... :D

You can find them at there squeaky clean web****e:

http://www.miranetworks.net/
 
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JimM said:
I've just checked my 082 number that I use for data and these scum bags have been billing me R4.99 per day food goodness knows what since July this year!

Complain lodged with WASPA just now.

Mira Networks were fined R400000 last July with R300000 suspended subject to no further breach of WASPA code within 3 months! Oh it'll be worth R4.99 a day to see these dirt bags hit in the pocket for R300000... :D

You can find them at there squeaky clean web****e:

http://www.miranetworks.net/
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WASPA is a hoax - don't expect anything from them.

Viamedia ( http://www.viamedia.co.za/ ) is another one of many of the VC WASP proxies robbing subscribers.
 
Can't believe Vodacom can act so irresponsible.

It seems they're more keen on making a buck on the side, than focusing on their core business. I'm really cheesed off.
 
they do have child protection *111#
 
This is where prepaid SIM's should save the day.

Should a leecher fasten itself on your SIM, simply discard it, and get another SIM.

Problem is, should that number be recycled, somebody else will be stuck with a leecher.
 
I don't see why VC have to make this so complicated, if I don't authorise them to debit my account for these services then they shouldn't or if I revoke that authorisation or seek to reverse it they should do it, the way credit card companies do.
 
The_Librarian said:
This is where prepaid SIM's should save the day.

Should a leecher fasten itself on your SIM, simply discard it, and get another SIM.

Problem is, should that number be recycled, somebody else will be stuck with a leecher.
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That's not much use if you want a contract or actually value your number.
 
Tpex said:
they do have child protection *111#
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When I discussed the WASP abuse on my child's pre-paid account with VC, they said the only option to stop further WASP/VC abuse was to disable internet access, which as you know was not an option because that meant no MXit etc.
I don't see how that would work anyway, seeing that it's triggered by unsolicited SMS's.

VC also implied that they cannot be held responsible because they had a small print disclaimer posted in some obscure place.

Until they make the option available to block all WASP activity on handsets, I'll continue to believe that they are active participants in these scams.
 
Frankie said:
When I discussed the WASP abuse on my child's pre-paid account with VC, they said the only option to stop further WASP/VC abuse was to disable internet access, which as you know was not an option because that meant no MXit etc.
I don't see how that would work anyway, seeing that it's triggered by unsolicited SMS's.

VC also implied that they cannot be held responsible because they had a small print disclaimer posted in some obscure place.

Until they make the option available to block all WASP activity on handsets, I'll continue to believe that they are active participants in these scams.
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At the very least I should be able to log on to V4ME, see what I'm currently subscribed to and unsubscribe from whatever I choose.
 
Syndyre said:
At the very least I should be able to log on to V4ME, see what I'm currently subscribed to and unsubscribe from whatever I choose.
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Tried that with my child's prepaid account, and all that appears is "Online Content" and no way of unsubscribing, and only after a battle of many hours on the phone with VC did they reveal that it was Viamedia.

It took a call to Viamedia to get it stopped, but I gave up on getting the money refunded.

Take a look on HelloPeter and you'll see loads of complaints with the same feeble blanket response from VC - another of these WASPS is a gambling setup that has fleeced big bucks from subscribers.
 
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