Verizon premium text message scam

More than a year ago, my work gave me a mobile phone to carry, so I gave my Verizon phone to my wife's 91 year old grandma. She is sharp as a tack and we wanted her to have a mobile phone in case she has an emergency. She is shy about using the phone, and it took real work to get her to agree to even carry the thing. We programmed all the family numbers into it to make it easy to use.

In mid-May of 2008, my wife and I finally updated our Verizon phones, which were over 3 years old. We're the kind of people who want a mobile phone for one thing: making phone calls. We don't care about text messaging, music, driving directions, or any other wallet-emptying features. We just want to make calls.

So, I took Grandma's phone away and replaced it with one of the new phones. I drove it from the Verizon store over to Grandma's house, and then the mystery began.

Grandma and I sat for about an hour, talking while I programmed about 15 phone numbers into her speed-dial list. That way, she could just dial "2" to reach her daughter, and "3" to reach me, etc. (Note: my speed dial number was lower than my wife, her own granddaughter...not that I would mention that to my wife).

In the midst of that, the phone issued a little bell sound and indicated a new text message had come in from 614-11. It was from someone we'd never heard of, offering a daily Tarot card reading. I texted back "stop" since that is what the instructions said to do if I did not want to receive further messages.

As I said, Grandma is sharp and asked what had happened. I explained what text messages were, and she became apprehensive about having the phone. I told her I'd cut that off.

Fast forward to the next bill, July 22. I noticed $33 or so in "Data" charges. So I called Verizon to say "What gives?"

The Verizon lady was very nice, and informed me that these were Premium Text Message charges from 614-11. I said, I didn't authorized any such messages. She said someone must have accepted them. I said no, I specifically remember declining this offer (by the way, how the hell did this company get my number in the first place?) I had to explain the Grandma story above several times to really get across the notion that I personally saw the first text message and replied "stop" to it.

I asked her if they'd seen this before (ALWAYS a great question to ask in billing disputes). She said "unfortunately, yes, we've seen a lot of problems with these third party billing companies." She offered to give me the phone number and web site of the company, and that they might be able to send me a check. Riiiight.

By this time, every alarm bell in my tightwad head went off. I asked her to please remove the charges from my bill and prevent any future charges. She was very flustered about the whole situation, and I soon found out why. She told me that she could place a block on that particular company, but those companies tend to have other related companies who may try to continue the practice.

It was at that point I realized this was, in fact, a scam.

Let's review:

1) I never asked for the original Premium Text Message to be sent to my phone. All I did was buy a new phone from Verizon and activate it. Boom-a message appears in my inbox. How did that company get my number?

2) I replied "stop" to that original text message, and yet the messages continued, to the tune of $30 in less than a month's use. Each message was charging $0.99 per message (a Verizon person later told me I was "lucky" because some are charing $9.99 per message).

3) Verizon stated they could not delete the charges, but I could call that company and ask for a refund by check.

4) Verizon told me that they could, however, place a block on that particular company...but could not put a blanket block on all companies.

I checked with Grandma, and she said yes, the phone buzzes at 2:45 pm every day, but it's never a call, so she was irritated with the whole phone. She stopped using it, and I started having visions of a 91 year old laying helpless somewhere and unable to call because some persistent text messaging caused her to shut the phone off for good or leave it at home for good.

But it was the actions taken by Verizon next which clearly make them a willing accomplice and enabler of this scam, and some smart legal group out there is going to find out how many of us have been taken.

I said, I didn't authorized any such messages, take the charges off my bill, please. She said she could not, and I would have to contact the company for a refund. I told her that in no way was I going to pay for services I never requested, specifically declined, and clearly did not benefit from.

She said she could not issue a blanket credit, but after fooling around with the computer she said she saw a way to credit my account one text message charge at a time. I told her that I regret the workload on her, but it would have to be that way. She started doing it, then we both realized this would take a long time and she said she'd take care of it.

I left the call with the understanding that we'd have the full $30+ of bogus charges credited, and any further messages from that company blocked. Did that happen?

No. Next bill showed $162 in data charges, with a $144 credit. For those keeping score at home, that's $192 in data charges cumulative, and $144 credit, for a balance of $48. What happened?

After about an hour of painful inquiries on my part, where I was literally drawing one fact at a time out of a clearly defensive and highly coached customer service rep, I assembled this picture:

5) Verizon chose to indeed credit my account, but on a date convenient to them and not after determining all Premium text messages from that business had been stopped.

6) After crediting my account, another batch of messages had been sent. Verizon refused to credit my account for those, even though it had failed to stop the messages after my request to do so. Instead, they repeatedly told me I needed to reply "stop" to the message (which obviously did not work the first time) and/or call the company, and they gave me a phone number and web site for that company.

7) Why didn't I call the company? I did: 866-207-8936 was the number Verizon gave me. Guess what: "The number you dialed has been disconnected or is no longer in service."

8) Why didn't I check the website of the company? I did. www.mvision.com is what Verizon told me to check. Click on it, and if you find anything about text messaging support, let me know.

Clearly, companies are feeding Verizon blatantly bogus company information, and Verizon is simply passing that onto consumers without even having an intern chained to a desk in the corner of the basement checking whether these companies are legit. Oh, but Verizon is damn sure that I will have to pay these charges?

9) Have the messages stopped? Yes, amazingly there are no charges after 8/19. Now, that's funny, when you think about it. I didn't ask for the original message. That company found me, somehow, right after I activated a new phone (yes, the previous phone had text capability). I declined the very first message, but that didn't stop the next 200 messages from coming. Then, they stopped, without my direct request to the company...so much for Verizon's argument that I, as the consumer, am in complete control over what happens.

When you call Verizon about these bogus Premium text message charges, they try to tell you that this is third-party billing and any issues have to go to that third party. Yet, when you press them, they start doling out credits...but just one time as a courtesy...and they can set up a block...but you should really contact the company to stop the messages....

Well, come now, I'm being very one-sided. Surely Verizon was considerate of my situation?

Well, yes, then no, then hell no, but finally (sort of) yes. Please to explain:

Yes, the first lady on the call 7/22 was clearly helpful, apologetic, sympathetic, and found a way to eliminate some of the charges. She didn't get a block on successfully though, so the charges continued.

Second lady on 8/29 call was initially helpful, but read the party line that only one credit could be given and I'd had mine. Now, remember, we're $48 apart, and she did indicate that the messages appeared to have stopped. So, I pressed, and finally got a supervisor, as I was refusing to pay the $48.

Supervisor came on and dug her heels in. In fact, she interrupted my calm explanations (I work in phone support myself, I know how to stay cool to help my case out) several times, trying to bully me about "the policy." When I told her that, in the past, Verizon has been very gracious about billing disputes on my home phone service and Fios service, to wit they have given me $50 courtesy credits to make me a satisfied customer. She told me Verizon doesn't do that. We ended the call amicably, as I agreed to go call the third party company.

That's when I discovered that number was disconnected. Side note: I wonder how many other third party numbers in Verizon's database are similarly bogus. Funny, they manage to get the bank account numbers to those companies entered into their systems accurately, but not these phone numbers which they dole out on behalf of those companies as a "service" to customers.

So, obviously, I rang back Verizon ready to chew on that supervisor...and instead, I got Alice (not the name she gave me. Alice was empathetic, said she hated Premium text messages, and I was lucky these weren't the $9.99 variety. She said she could apply a $50 courtesy credit right away and apologized for the whole ordeal.

That night, I went over to grandma's to check the phone. There were no recent text messages, but one came in while there (uncanny timing, again!). I quote it here:
"8/31 From 614-11
Premium Messaging to this mobile number has been blocked. Only the account owner may request a change to this setting with his/her wireless service provider."

Uh, ok, so are they lecturing me, warning me, informing me? Why didn't I get a message like that on 7/22 when Verizon allegedly blocked this company?

Because they didn't and they are liars bogged down in a scam that some VP of Jackassedness dreamed up and will never be punished for.

While my sense of adventure can't wait for the 9/22 billing, here are my take-aways about Premium text messages and Verizon:

1) this is a scam, and each third party company participating is a potential lawsuit target
2) Verizon is a willing participant in this scam. Their actions are at best negligent.
3) Review your phone bills carefully. Call up and question things. Only Verizon knows how many consumers are calling with the same question, and they are clearly not motivated to tell you.
4) Review your grandma's phone bills carefully. How many millions are being scammed from our seniors in scenarios like this?
5) If you don't like the answer you are getting from Verizon, call back later and try another rep.
6) Ask for courtesy credits to your account when you have a demonstrated billing issue. Verizon will dole them out. I've had about $250 in credits within the past two years. They know they are a mess, obviously someone up top believes in making things right when "the systems" fail the customer.
7) Report activity like this to the FCC. I'm blogging this out of a mix of stupidity and hope, but mainly as practice for the documentation I sent to the FCC (and the FBI).