Premium rate abuse

A few months ago there were several news articles about people whose phone lines had been redirected to premium rate numbers whilst they connected to the Internet. What happened to that then????

Have you noticed how this subject has gone very quiet recently? I’m sure this activity continues (in fact I’m absolutely bloody certain of it) yet its not news worthy now.

To remind everyone of what happened here… Several people made the news when they were presented with huge phone bills after dialler software redirected their dial up Internet connection to a premium rate number. The first these people knew about it was when they got their phone bill.

Unfortunately, in all the cases highlighted, BT did nothing about the abnormally high phone charges other than to bill the people for them. They then demanded payment on the pretence that the calls had been made and so the customer was responsible. If the activity had been fraudulent they were to take it up with the company concerned or they could complaint to the premium rate number watchdog, ICSTIS.

In a few cases people did get some or even all of the phone charges refunded but buy and large you are screwed if this happens to you (as has happened to me a few times now).

I have actually had my ISP dialler software redirected like this on a couple of occasions as well as finding myself on the mailing list for a premium rate text message service a couple of times. As with the people mentioned above, when the activity was reported to the phone company I was told that the calls had been made so I had to pay for them. And that was it.

I reported the numbers to ICSTIS but got no response at all from them. Apparently they do not mediate in specific cases and tell you to take it up with the company that carries out the redirection.

Two problems there, the first is actually tracking the company down. Secondly is getting the company to talk to you. If they are happy to fraudulently redirect your phone line to a premium rate number, what are the odds of them caring enough to actually talk to you when you complain??? Answers on the back of a fiver to my address please!

So why is nothing being done about it?

Unfortunately the slightly jaded person that I am believes that it is simply because the only person to lose out is the consumer. The person carrying out the fraudulent activity makes a fortune out of the calls, BT gets a cut of these call charges and ICSTIS stay employed under the pretence that they are actually doing something about it! Everyone wins… apart from you and me as consumers!

Unfortunately it is of little consolation to log onto the ICSTIS site months after reporting some of this activity to find out that the phone line has been closed down. It still doesn’t get us our money back, does it?