Will 2degrees be mobile scammer friendly?

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292 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#233671 10-Jul-2009 14:13

I'm with rubygirl on this issue. The TXT scammers are scum, as is Facebook and any other commercial entity that enables them.
Their entire business model is based on deception. They should be shut down.

2D could elect to not enable them (to bring this conversation back on topic) - so far as I am aware, there is no legal compunction for any mobile operator to facilitate the access of the scammers. Admittedly there would probably be operational difficulties in accurately ascertaining just who the scammers were.

Perhaps 2D can tell us here whether they would at least try to bar the scammers from their network?

kind regards Andrew TD

rubygirl

67 posts

Master Geek

#233672 10-Jul-2009 14:13

I have no issues with legitimate premium text services - in fact I have used them. They're great. I think you and the mobile companies are being disingenuous in claiming that these are all the same. You are perfectly aware of how these scams work and that there cannot be any legitimate users of such services. To claim otherwise and be expected to be believed an insult to my intelligence.

rubygirl

67 posts

Master Geek

#233693 10-Jul-2009 14:44

Madmax - you don't work for one of these companies do you?

Of course I'm not advocating for the abolition of TXT services. You are very much aware of the practices I am referring to. If mobile companies are depending on this sort of income (which they funnel out of NZ) to stay viable then this is a very sorry state of affairs. Especially as mobile services in this country are some of the most expensive in the world. If they can't remain viable without scamming their customers then this would be indicative of a high-level of incompetency by those operating those companies. It is more likely a case of laissez-faire avarice. If you can get away with it why not?
Its not hard to identify the scam TXT services - they are the ones being heavily fined in the UK and elsewhere. The fact that they still try it on shows how much money they are making.

Here's the three main culprits:
1) IQ Quiz (The 10 Minute IQ Quiz)
2) Crush Calculator
3) IQ Quiz (Brain Power)

Now try and tell me that these are legit.

bazzer

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#233695 10-Jul-2009 14:51

How did you get scammed?

Madmax77

152 posts

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#233697 10-Jul-2009 14:52

No, I don't work for a TXT scamming company, just playing devils advocate...the solution to shutting these players is probably not as easy as we think. Just a quick point re-this quote above, "If mobile companies are depending on this sort of income (which they funnel out of NZ) to stay viable then this is a very sorry state of affairs." Both Telecom and Vodafone I believe are in the top 10 contributors to the governments tax coffers so although they do send some profit offshore...they both employ well over 10000 people, who all pay tax etc etc... so you need to be careful when you discount the amount of investment the big telcos bring into the country.

jords12

144 posts

Master Geek

#233700 10-Jul-2009 14:59

Yeah, the ads with a little small print on the bottom are a scam, plain and simple.

It's very obvious that vodafone/telecom get a cut from it, and since there is no transparent billing/statements on their prepay, it goes on for a while before people realise what's happening to their credit!

I really hope 2degrees takes a stand on this.

rubygirl

67 posts

Master Geek

#233701 10-Jul-2009 14:59

Ok, I feel a little better now that I know some of this scam money is being paid as taxes and is paying the salaries of Kiwis. So its not so bad really ... Maybe other NZ companies should try to be as innovative and sneaky - it all helps in building up the economy doesn't it?

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

rubygirl

67 posts

Master Geek

#233704 10-Jul-2009 15:08

When I see how many people there are around willing to justify and support the telecoms in this appalling practice I realise why others don't do more about trying to stop this. I cannot understand the motives behind this active support unless these people are, in fact, telco stooges. However, I am also bewildered as to why there is so little support to have the scams abolished. Schadenfreude perhaps?

rubygirl

67 posts

Master Geek

#233709 10-Jul-2009 15:16

bazzer: How did you get scammed?

Through Facebook - I no longer have my mobile number listed there.

Decimate

120 posts

Master Geek

#233733 10-Jul-2009 15:46

rubygirl: When I see how many people there are around willing to justify and support the telecoms in this appalling practice I realise why others don't do more about trying to stop this. I cannot understand the motives behind this active support unless these people are, in fact, telco stooges. However, I am also bewildered as to why there is so little support to have the scams abolished. Schadenfreude perhaps?

Nobody is supporting TXT scamming, or saying that the Telcos are letting it keep happening just because they make a small slice of the profits.
You appear to have come into the forums with guns blazings and you haven't let up, so we can all see that you have 'vented' which is what you apparently joined just to do, so how about you wait for 2degrees to respond instead of going on an endless tirade about these scammers and without suspecting everyone who makes a reasonable point that doesn't nesicarily agree with you as being an employee of these scamming companies.

Oops, I've just given my job away

tonyhughes

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#233742 10-Jul-2009 15:59

rubygirl: I cannot understand the motives behind this active support unless these people are, in fact, telco stooges

Hmmm, you come and plug your agenda in multiple threads, break several forum rules, and because YOUR point of view is not wholeheartedly agreed on by EVERYONE, you accuse people of being telco stooges (sitting here having constructive discussions for the last several years whilst waiting for you to arrive no less).

New users should consider their approach to a community very carefully.

rubygirl

67 posts

Master Geek

#233743 10-Jul-2009 15:59

Decimate: OK, fair enough. I will wait until 2degrees has had an opportunity to reply. But I was just pointing out that it is surprising how many people there are that are willing to defend this practice. Its just curious is all. I don't know about guns blazing, but I am not very happy about this and I do appreciate having this forum to air my views. Especially in light of the fact that there are a lot of telco employees on here and it may have some impact. Also, I did feel a need to see if there were others that felt the same way. And also to see if I could get some response from 2degrees on this as to their policy on such practices. If they ban this practice then I am signing with them. I am not knocking Telcos, just their support for scammers - oh, and their over-pricing but that is another issue which others have tacked in other threads.

freitasm

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#233747 10-Jul-2009 16:03

rubygirl: I cannot understand the motives behind this active support unless these people are, in fact, telco stooges.

Goodbye.

freitasm

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Geekzone

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#233785 10-Jul-2009 17:06

freitasm:
rubygirl: I cannot understand the motives behind this active support unless these people are, in fact, telco stooges.

Goodbye.

On request of another user I am restoring her account. But she was completely out of line.

ZollyMonsta

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#233793 10-Jul-2009 17:12

rubygirl:

Here's the three main culprits:

1) IQ Quiz (The 10 Minute IQ Quiz)

2) Crush Calculator

3) IQ Quiz (Brain Power)

Yup.. and from what I can tell they are all run by an outfit called 'Mobile Finger' who's 0800 number is answered by another outfit in OZ called 'Mobile Desktop Support' who in turn the 0800 number you call is registered to Sybase 365 based in South Africa.

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