Subscription Scam

[darrenp63]

I was awaken at 5.30 this morning by a text message saying I had subscribed to something and it was £4.50 per week. I have never subscribed to anything on my phone and even have a bar to stop this.

Just checked my account and £4.50 has been added to my bill.

I don't want to send 'Stop' only to end up being charged even more or on some kind of scammer list and this happen again.

So, will the amount be removed from my bill seeing as I have a bar and this shouldn't happen.

[hrym]

The other thing is that, if this is a subscription, it's probably not a one-off and will repeat unless it's stamped on.

[Gemma]

@darrenp63 - Thanks for following the steps in the private message. ☺️

I’ve searched for your email via the address you’ve registered to the Community with and nothing’s showing.

Please let us know the reference number from the auto reply email (it looks like #123456).

[darrenp63]

I only have the one email address and it's used here and on all my Vodafone settings.

What reference number from which auto reply email? I haven't received a reference number.

[ToniCa]

If you still haven't received an auto reply and it isn't lurking in your spam filter, your form submission almost certainly didn't "take", and you'll have to try again.

Did you receive an on-screen acknowledgement? That won't have included the reference number, but, if you didn't get that far, it would tend to confirm my suspicion that your message didn't "take"

[darrenp63]

Yes I did receive an on screen acknowledgement but no email.

[Colleen]

@darrenp63 When you followed the steps in the private message, an email would have been generated and sent to us. This would then send an automatic reply to your email inbox, with the reference number in the subject line. 

If you've not received this email, it's possible your message hasn't reached us. Could you please using try an alternative email address, web browser or device and see if this works?

[darrenp63]

I've now done it two more times on 2 different browsers, had acknowledgement pages but have received no emails.

I cannot use a different email as I don't have an alternative one to use.

My email is valid as I'm receiving all the notification emails when people reply here.

I also get vodafone offers all the time on the same email.

So...There's nothing further I can do.

[ToniCa]

Is your email account with yahoo? I have a memory of their addresses getting blocked by some part of the Vodafone system in the past.

It would be "nice" if Vodafone introduced some less cumbersome procedure for making contact with its customers - I know that the theory is that it makes things more secure to go through all this rigmarole, but I have an uncomfortable feeling that it achieves the exact opposite.

The last time I used it, the automatic acknowledgement, as well as giving me a reference number, recited back to me all the details (including personal information) I had supplied in the form - and came to me by email! Admittedly that was before GDPR, but I felt that it breached privacy guidelines even then.

[Adam]

@darrenp63 Has a anything come through to your junk / spam mail folder at all? If it hasn't we'd ask you to try this again. It's also worth clearing your cache and cookies before attempting this. 

[darrenp63]

Already done all you suggest Adam.

And there is nothing in my spam/junk folders.

Got the notification email that you had replied so there's nothing wrong with the email address.

The email address is also fine when vodafone send me crap every other day about broadband deals.

I personally cant understand why the need to go through all the filling in of the web form when I could just as easily put the required info in a private message.