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Premium Rate mobile phone rip-off

category national | consumer issues | news report author Monday April 27, 2009 11:38author by Plato

Last year, Minister Ryan indicated that he would soon bring legislation forward so as to stop the rip-off by "subscription services" Alas.nothing has happened

The premiunm rate mobile phone rip-off is actually getting much, much worse, A report today indicates that the known problem has tripled. This is a quote from the report,

"Premium rate service complaints trebled in 2008
In this section »
McGuinness tells of his face-to-face showdownFive people die on roads over weekendPAUL CULLEN, Consumer Affairs CorrespondentCOMPLAINTS BY phone users about premium rate services more than trebled last year because of bad service and the “dubious” activities of some operators, according to the regulator for the sector.
RegTel received 6,062 complaints in 2007/08, compared to 1,704 the previous year, according to its latest annual report.
The biggest concern was the number of consumers who denied having subscribed to expensive premium rate services.
Another 22,000 people contacted RegTel seeking advice on how to unsubscribe from such service".

Can anyone out there give any explanation as to why this rip-off is being allowed to continue unchecked? Has Minister Ryan had a change of mind regarding his promise to stamp out the exploitation or has he been got to by those that are making a fortune out of these rackets?


http://www.indymedia.ie/article/92075

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