Additional Premium SMS charges from Third Party in DTAC BILLS

[Moonmoon]

I am not sure if this is the right place to post but I thought I would post a warning msg to all my fellow expats here in LOS.

 

Today I check my DTAC bills and saw that it was usually high again. Me and my wife have altogether 5 numbers with DTAC.

1 is me. my wife has 2. my parents in law has 2.

previously my wife's and Parents in law bills were being charged Premium SMS services from DTAC. After checking with DTAC they said it belongs to a Third Party and they r just collecting on their behalf and all charges will be paid to them. As the charges were not much and thinking that my wife and my parents in law might have accidentally fell to the trap of these SMSes by replying hence incurring the charges, we paid up and told the staff to block such future SMSes from coming into our mobile services.

 

Come this month, the Premium SMS charges came again and even in my mobile service bill too.

I called in and ask for an explanation how did this came to be? I was offered this explanation. While surfing online or downloading apps, we might have accidentally brush against a commercial or hidden app attached to whatever we were surfing or downloading hence activating the PREMIUM SMS services from the Third Party thus incurring the charges.

The Customer Service Officer told me we have to call the Third Party to dispute the charges as they r collecting on their behalf and no money is paid to DTAC.

 

This was my reply to the DTAC CSO.

I refused to pay the PREMIUM SMS charges as DTAC is unable to offer me a detailed proper explanation when n where did I agree to these PREMIUM SMS services.

At no time was there any SMSes or any websites or anything in my Message History coming in or going out asking me for permission or agreement to send me these PREMIUM SMS and

at no time did I ever agree to use these Premium Services and hence I will be disputing these charges with the Third Party as Fraud. 

Since DTAC is collecting on the Third Parties behalf and DTAC does not make any money ( BS, I work as a STARHUB CSO in Singapore in my younger days b4, they collect a certain percentage too for using their services ) , I relieve DTAC of any responsibilities for these charges and I will only pay in full what I used with DTAC mobile services.

If after I paid in full all of DTAC bills and their services but my services r disrupted as a result of these PREMIUM charges, then I will be handling these charges by DTAC and their Third Parties as FRAUD as well and I will terminate all my mobile services with them and report this case to the RTP.

 

After which the DTAC CSO replied me that he is willing to waive off half of the charges of the PREMIUM SMSes but I still have to pay the bill in full only minus half the PREMIUM SMS charges.

I refused of cos, and replied him that how come now he has the authority to waive off half? I told him no. I will only pay what is due and I will be going down to DTAC Customer Service Center to check and dispute on these charges in detail and they better show me in detail when, where and how did I or my wife or my parents in law ever agree to use these PREMIUM services when no request for permission was ever send or agreed with us.

 

To which he gave in and agreed till unless the disputed charges can be cleared up, no disruptions will ever happen to our mobile services as a result or the unpaid PREMIUM SMS services.

 

I hope my long message can help some of you guys out there save some money from these fraudulent practices. Always Check your bills in detail. As the bills are in Thai. ask a friend or someone close to you who can understand Thai to read and go through everything in detail. You can also take a picture and send it to me in PM too if u think your bill is not right as I worked in STARHUB Billing Department before and their bills are not that different what was before, only in a different language.

 

Some Additional Help and info here.

Fed up with SMS spam?  Send SMS spam packing: Call *137

Just pick up your mobile and press *137 and phone out. The service is free.

Don’t worry about Thai language voice message. Just press 1 to confirm you want to end spam from your own handset network. Seconds later press 1 again to confirm. Then hang up.

Now, repeat the process. Dial *137. This time, when you hear Thai language message select 2. Wait a few seconds and then press 1 to confirm.

Option ‘2’ will prevent all other networks sending you spam sms messages.

So, option 1 for your own network and option 2 for all other networks.

Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission recommend you repeat the operation if problems persist.

If you have any further difficulties you can call 1200 press 1. This is also free.

The *137 call will work on all networks except TOT3G. In this case you must type your name – space – b then press 137 and call out. This is also free.

Repeat this everyday to make sure u don't ever received these PREMIUM BS SMS THIRD PARTY FRAUD CHARGES AGAIN

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

Edited November 10, 2016 by Moonmoon

[BrainLife]

That phone SPAM SMS is irritating, but with me it comes in waves. A few weeks daily 1 or 2 and then it just stops for months.

I just delete anything that comes in. Most are in Thai anyway.

 

More irritating are the SPAM phone calls. Usually show numbers like 333 or 999 or whatever non valid phone number. I just answer and close immidiately, otherwise they keep trying. Sometimes real valid phone numbers are SPAM which of course most of us answer and find a Thai (lady) voice yepping tape on the other end.

[MrBanks]

I have also had this problem. My wife's bill last month was approx. 6,500 baht which is double the normal. I telephoned DTAC for an explanation they told me exactly the same as the O.P. has described.

I asked how much extra I had been charged and the Customer Service lady told me it was 3,400.

I said that I did not want to pay, the lady said that she had no authority to cancel the charge but would refer the matter to her seniors, I said yes please and I would check my bill later (I pay using the "MyDTAC" internet payment service).

I had called DTAC originally at 10.00 am, I checked my bill again at 5.30pm, it had been reduced by the full amount of "unauthorised" charges, obviously I paid and am very happy with the service that I received.

I will now wait unilI next month to see if they have taken care of the problem or if I have to repeat the process.

[JaseTheBass]

AIS tried that scam on with us a few years ago, so I set the missus loose on them. Haven't had a fraudulent bill since.

Sent from my R2D2 using my C3P0 manservant

[Moonmoon]

6 hours ago, MrBanks said:

I have also had this problem. My wife's bill last month was approx. 6,500 baht which is double the normal. I telephoned DTAC for an explanation they told me exactly the same as the O.P. has described.

I asked how much extra I had been charged and the Customer Service lady told me it was 3,400.

I said that I did not want to pay, the lady said that she had no authority to cancel the charge but would refer the matter to her seniors, I said yes please and I would check my bill later (I pay using the "MyDTAC" internet payment service).

I had called DTAC originally at 10.00 am, I checked my bill again at 5.30pm, it had been reduced by the full amount of "unauthorised" charges, obviously I paid and am very happy with the service that I received.

I will now wait unilI next month to see if they have taken care of the problem or if I have to repeat the process.

They have no authority n yet they can waived off the charges. that in itself is questionable. 

 

Everyday i wake up i press *137 now to cancel all premium sms that might be coming in. rmb to do that for yourself.

[orientalist]

Very useful info. On my own phone, I called DTAC once to delete the spam and it never came back. On the granddaughter's phone, however, it keeps coming back and costs me about 60 baht a month. Let's see how *137 goes.

[2008bangkok]

Very informative post, thank you sir. I dont get spam messges myself but I will now know what to do if it happens.