How to block Vodafone's text spam

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neb

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#217798 12-Jul-2017 18:01

This is spam from Vodafone itself, not spam sent through Vodafone#s network. So Vodafone really like to text you about special offers, how your account is doing, their Freaky Friday deals, the fact that your account is about to do its monthly roll-over, and what a spammy network Vodafone seems to have become recently. The problem is that these texts come in from "Vodafone" with no associated number, so there's no way to block them when they pop up at stupid o'clock in the morning after you've been working late the night before.

Does anyone know how to block this spam? Is there some associated number, not displayed with the message, that I can blacklist?

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#1821448 12-Jul-2017 18:25

It'll be tied to one of the service numbers stashed away on sim

Likely 756, which is the one that controls addons and such

http://help.vodafone.co.nz/app/answers/detail/a_id/11813/~/check-your-balance-and-manage-your-mobile-by-txt

richms

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#1821449 12-Jul-2017 18:26

cant even reply stop with the fake sender that they use so i'm not sure how compatible that is with the requirement that SMS services have an optout by replying stop to them. Perhaps you could report them to antispam.govt.nz?

Richard rich.ms

neb

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#1821450 12-Jul-2017 18:29

Oblivian:
It'll be tied to one of the service numbers stashed away on sim

Likely 756, which is the one that controls addons and such

http://help.vodafone.co.nz/app/answers/detail/a_id/11813/~/check-your-balance-and-manage-your-mobile-by-txt

Ah, thanks, I'll give 756 a go. I'd thought of blocking 777 but that's their umbrella contact number for everything so I wasn't too keen on that.

Goosey

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#1821479 12-Jul-2017 19:29

Could you just call them?

dylanp

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#1821532 12-Jul-2017 21:07

Afaik call and ask to opt out.

ANglEAUT

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#1821534 12-Jul-2017 21:11

Goosey: Could you just call them?

Ha ha ha. And subject yourself to 40 minutes of muzak on hold, explain yourself to 3 helpdesk staff 5 times over before speaking to somebody who knows how to achieve your goal. Spam blocking option gets my vote.

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Linux

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#1821562 12-Jul-2017 22:58

You need to call and request to opt out of the VodafoneNZ marketing SMS

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neb

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#1821564 12-Jul-2017 23:04

Linux: You need to call and request to opt out of the VodafoneNZ marketing SMS

Linux

From Vodafone's Terms of Service:

(d) You agree that we and our Agents may send you marketing messages, electronic or otherwise, about our special offers, products and Services, and those of our selected Agents and third parties which may be of interest to you (unless you have advised us in writing that you do not want to receive this information). You agree too that the electronic marketing message we, our Agents and third parties send need not include an unsubscribe facility.

There's also this thread on the Vodafone site where they point out that you can only opt out of some of the spam, not all of it.

So it's a case of block it at the receiver, looks like there's no recourse via Vodafone since they consider themselves bigger than the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act.

Linux

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#1821565 12-Jul-2017 23:06

As above you can call and request to OPT out trust me,

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#1821566 12-Jul-2017 23:11

IcI:
Goosey: Could you just call them?

Ha ha ha. And subject yourself to 40 minutes of muzak on hold, explain yourself to 3 helpdesk staff 5 times over before speaking to somebody who knows how to achieve your goal. Spam blocking option gets my vote.

The OP can tell us how long it takes to get thru and speak to a staff member and I bet it's not 40 minutes

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#1821568 12-Jul-2017 23:13

I used to be with Vodafone. I just called them and asked to be opted out of all marketing messages. After that I got no further. Did the same for the rest of the family that were also at that time with Vodafone and they also stopped getting the same spam.

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alasta

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#1821598 13-Jul-2017 07:23

Is this sort of thing common practice for telcos? If I am paying for a service then I do not expect to also have to endure invasive advertising, and even if you have the option to unsubscribe it is still really cheeky of them to expect you to have to do so.

geek4me

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#1821632 13-Jul-2017 09:10

It would be great if Vodafone provide an UNSUBSCRIBE link on their messages like email is meant to do. That way it woud be easy to stop and avoid clogging up the Help Desk with calls.

Ge0rge

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#1821810 13-Jul-2017 13:05

I would find the messages a little more tolerable if it wasn't for the hour that they are sent - SWMBO is with VF, they like to let her know that her top-ups etc have gone through. This I don't have a problem with, but it always seems to be around 0200! WTF VF? Seriously! The only reason I expect a message/call at that hour is to discover that I am about to get my inheritance - which is the very reason I don't put my phone on silent at night. How hard would it be for them to delay the message until "business hours"?

MikeAqua

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#1821823 13-Jul-2017 13:14

Ge0rge:

I would find the messages a little more tolerable if it wasn't for the hour that they are sent - SWMBO is with VF, they like to let her know that her top-ups etc have gone through. This I don't have a problem with, but it always seems to be around 0200! WTF VF? Seriously! The only reason I expect a message/call at that hour is to discover that I am about to get my inheritance - which is the very reason I don't put my phone on silent at night. How hard would it be for them to delay the message until "business hours"?

Maybe they send at those times because network activity is low.

"Best time for us. the customer!"

Mike

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