Overcharged for text competitions on PAYG mobile

Supercell · 02-05-2007, 06:25

Right I am going to sound really sad here but anyway.... i thought it was worth a couple of pence to enter....

Bernard Matthews are currently running a competition on their cold meat at the moment to win a trip to New York in association with Spiderman 3. They have printed codes on the packets and you text them off with the answer to a question.

I followed the instructions and it said I would be charged 25p plus my network rate (10p per message on o2 PAYG). I sent off my text and got a text back saying that I hadn't entered the code properly, i thought OK and tried again this time using capitals. It didn't work again so i tried a couple of other codes I had.....then I ended up with a message from my phone saying I had no credit left....hang on a minute i thought I had £7 on there when I started!...... I topped up the credit and then got another text saying it still wasn't right through....my credit had dropped to £8.50!!

I phoned the Bernard Matthews help line and she was polite at first and took my details...but then kind of said well 1000's of other people have entered and had no problem (eg. you must be thick)..... I just don't get how they can charge you £1.50 for not entering a competition.... I have also contacted O2 but and yet to hear back.

Is it something to do with PAYG or is it just that contract people having noticed yet?

02-05-2007, 10:47

Hoe msant times did you text in? 3 texts alone would be £1.05

[]tter\/\/ard · 02-05-2007, 11:00

Well each time you text it's going to cost you 35p

prking · 02-05-2007, 13:38

What you need to do is look in your Outbox/Sent folder and count the number of messages sent.
Then divide the amount you were charged (£7 + £1.50) by the number of messages.
If this comes to more than 35p you have been overcharged and should complain to ICSTIS.
Next time don't buy processed rubbish food, and don't enter competitions more than once. If it doesn't work the first time phone the helpline.

Supercell · 02-05-2007, 21:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by prking

What you need to do is look in your Outbox/Sent folder and count the number of messages sent.
Then divide the amount you were charged (£7 + £1.50) by the number of messages.
If this comes to more than 35p you have been overcharged and should complain to ICSTIS.
Next time don't buy processed rubbish food, and don't enter competitions more than once. If it doesn't work the first time phone the helpline.

5 messages sent and 5 sorry you didn't send the text correctly messages back....should have cost me £1.75 which to be honest I don't mind....actually cost me £7.50... I just didn't notice how much it cost until my money actually ran out otherwise I would have obviously stopped!

It was sliced turkey which is relatively healthy!

EDN1 · 02-05-2007, 21:59

It's worth considering you were charged to receive those 5 texts back. I mean I havent worked out the math behind it but it has happened with other things involving mobiles and texting off to stuff. Again it's worth also noting that unless otherwise stated you should not be charged for receiving any of those texts so it is worth chasing it up and taking it further.

Sometimes i think these companies do this kind of thing deliberately because they know most people won't do anything about it and just give up, think of they money they could make just from doing that !

Supercell · 02-05-2007, 22:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by EDN1

It's worth considering you were charged to receive those 5 texts back. I mean I havent worked out the math behind it but it has happened with other things involving mobiles and texting off to stuff. Again it's worth also noting that unless otherwise stated you should not be charged for receiving any of those texts so it is worth chasing it up and taking it further.

Sometimes i think these companies do this kind of thing deliberately because they know most people won't do anything about it and just give up, think of they money they could make just from doing that !

Yeah thats what I am thinking that they charged me to receive the texts back as well as send them....although there is no mention of this on the packet of turkey or even on the webpage they gave a link to with terms and conditions....

I have contacted 02 and they are looking into it....Bernard Matthews haven't got back to me yet I will give them a bit longer though.

prking · 03-05-2007, 11:15

Premium texts work like this,

You send a text which is charged at the normal rate

They reply which is charged at the premium rate.

prking · 03-05-2007, 11:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Supercell

5 messages sent and 5 sorry you didn't send the text correctly messages back....should have cost me £1.75 which to be honest I don't mind....actually cost me £7.50... I just didn't notice how much it cost until my money actually ran out otherwise I would have obviously stopped!

It was sliced turkey which is relatively healthy!

You've been charged £1.50 for each message, I would put the number into the form on the ICSTIS website and report them.

Supercell · 03-05-2007, 23:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by prking

Premium texts work like this,

You send a text which is charged at the normal rate

They reply which is charged at the premium rate.

This is why i thought they state that the text costs 25p plus network rate...ie they charge 10p (my network rate) for me to send the message then 25p to send a message back....so something has gone wrong somewhere.

O2 told me i had subscribed to a premium rate text line....if i have then the product said nothing about this!
I have therefore filled in a complaint to Ictsis and will chase up Bernard Matthews next week.

02-05-2007, 06:25	#1
Supercell Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 4,501	Overcharged for text competitions on PAYG mobile Right I am going to sound really sad here but anyway.... i thought it was worth a couple of pence to enter.... Bernard Matthews are currently running a competition on their cold meat at the moment to win a trip to New York in association with Spiderman 3. They have printed codes on the packets and you text them off with the answer to a question. I followed the instructions and it said I would be charged 25p plus my network rate (10p per message on o2 PAYG). I sent off my text and got a text back saying that I hadn't entered the code properly, i thought OK and tried again this time using capitals. It didn't work again so i tried a couple of other codes I had.....then I ended up with a message from my phone saying I had no credit left....hang on a minute i thought I had £7 on there when I started!...... I topped up the credit and then got another text saying it still wasn't right through....my credit had dropped to £8.50!! I phoned the Bernard Matthews help line and she was polite at first and took my details...but then kind of said well 1000's of other people have entered and had no problem (eg. you must be thick)..... I just don't get how they can charge you £1.50 for not entering a competition.... I have also contacted O2 but and yet to hear back. Is it something to do with PAYG or is it just that contract people having noticed yet?

02-05-2007, 11:00	#3
[]tter\/\/ard Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,422	Well each time you text it's going to cost you 35p
$[]tter\/\/ard is offline$

02-05-2007, 10:47	#2
RYPW Posts: n/a	Hoe msant times did you text in? 3 texts alone would be £1.05

02-05-2007, 13:38	#4
prking Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Weston-super-Mare Posts: 9,167	What you need to do is look in your Outbox/Sent folder and count the number of messages sent. Then divide the amount you were charged (£7 + £1.50) by the number of messages. If this comes to more than 35p you have been overcharged and should complain to ICSTIS. Next time don't buy processed rubbish food, and don't enter competitions more than once. If it doesn't work the first time phone the helpline.

02-05-2007, 21:47	#5
Supercell Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 4,501	Quote: Originally Posted by prking What you need to do is look in your Outbox/Sent folder and count the number of messages sent. Then divide the amount you were charged (£7 + £1.50) by the number of messages. If this comes to more than 35p you have been overcharged and should complain to ICSTIS. Next time don't buy processed rubbish food, and don't enter competitions more than once. If it doesn't work the first time phone the helpline. 5 messages sent and 5 sorry you didn't send the text correctly messages back....should have cost me £1.75 which to be honest I don't mind....actually cost me £7.50... I just didn't notice how much it cost until my money actually ran out otherwise I would have obviously stopped! It was sliced turkey which is relatively healthy!

02-05-2007, 21:59	#6
EDN1 Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Scotland Posts: 1,646	It's worth considering you were charged to receive those 5 texts back. I mean I havent worked out the math behind it but it has happened with other things involving mobiles and texting off to stuff. Again it's worth also noting that unless otherwise stated you should not be charged for receiving any of those texts so it is worth chasing it up and taking it further. Sometimes i think these companies do this kind of thing deliberately because they know most people won't do anything about it and just give up, think of they money they could make just from doing that !

02-05-2007, 22:38	#7
Supercell Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 4,501	Quote: Originally Posted by EDN1 It's worth considering you were charged to receive those 5 texts back. I mean I havent worked out the math behind it but it has happened with other things involving mobiles and texting off to stuff. Again it's worth also noting that unless otherwise stated you should not be charged for receiving any of those texts so it is worth chasing it up and taking it further. Sometimes i think these companies do this kind of thing deliberately because they know most people won't do anything about it and just give up, think of they money they could make just from doing that ! Yeah thats what I am thinking that they charged me to receive the texts back as well as send them....although there is no mention of this on the packet of turkey or even on the webpage they gave a link to with terms and conditions.... I have contacted 02 and they are looking into it....Bernard Matthews haven't got back to me yet I will give them a bit longer though.

03-05-2007, 11:15	#8
prking Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Weston-super-Mare Posts: 9,167	Premium texts work like this, You send a text which is charged at the normal rate They reply which is charged at the premium rate.

03-05-2007, 11:17	#9
prking Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Weston-super-Mare Posts: 9,167	Quote: Originally Posted by Supercell 5 messages sent and 5 sorry you didn't send the text correctly messages back....should have cost me £1.75 which to be honest I don't mind....actually cost me £7.50... I just didn't notice how much it cost until my money actually ran out otherwise I would have obviously stopped! It was sliced turkey which is relatively healthy! You've been charged £1.50 for each message, I would put the number into the form on the ICSTIS website and report them.

03-05-2007, 23:05	#10
Supercell Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 4,501	Quote: Originally Posted by prking Premium texts work like this, You send a text which is charged at the normal rate They reply which is charged at the premium rate. This is why i thought they state that the text costs 25p plus network rate...ie they charge 10p (my network rate) for me to send the message then 25p to send a message back....so something has gone wrong somewhere. O2 told me i had subscribed to a premium rate text line....if i have then the product said nothing about this! I have therefore filled in a complaint to Ictsis and will chase up Bernard Matthews next week.

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Overcharged for text competitions on PAYG mobile