5 posts tagged “the inquirer”

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Curious iPhone glitch

Nov 18, 2008
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Very funny and very silly story found on L'Inq... Help! iPhone snapped my husbands genitals which then takes you to the source... Apple Support: Pictures automatically attach to e-mail

The Inq's on side

Sep 20, 2008
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Just been reading The Inquirer, and it's good to know they're equally peeved with the premium rate shenanigans...

The INQ particularly likes the bit about an "apparent lack of non-premium rate contact information within the promotion of the service."

This is exactly what the INQ has campaigned against for years. Just you try getting your £1.50 premium rate text refund without spending more than that on calls to complain about the mis-selling.

It's also nice to see that luminaries working in the mobile content industry itself have been gradually phased out from Phonepayplus' board and committees. The last to go was Mblox's Andrew Bud who resigned at the beginning of September.

One INQ reader took fright when PPP's CEO, George Kidd, recently declared a potential conflict of interest. But it turns out he was just playing ultra-safe following criticism from the likes of the INQ and the conflict is purely academic.

Head. Nail. Hitting. The.

It is a long arduous task to get your money back and there's no guarantee you will. If you don't, you're on your own. PhonepayPlus can't help you. OFCOM can't. Trading Standards can't. The police can't. The service provider can't. Your phone network can't.

You can kick up a fuss though and after hours, days, weeks of creating negative publicity you get a few quid more than the numerous unsolicited messages and 0871 support calls cost you. You then have the inconvenience of having to get to the bank to cash the cheque. Shame they can't put the money back where they got it from, straight back to one's phone account! Don't forget, the scammer then has your home address, full name and your phone number.

My Dad's been scammed as well, quite a while back though...

Sep 4, 2008
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Regulate this!

The trouble with these premium rate reverse SMS messages is that so many of us have had them in the past and just deleted them. We had no idea they were coming out of our credit, we just thought they were a nuisance, cleared them, then carried on.

Whilst discussing this widespread* fraud with my dad we remembered he got them a while back on one phone or other. He has two mobiles and they're both PAYG, there's no paper trail, no billing details he can check and it was a while back so he wouldn't be able to recall what he received on which phone. Maybe he just got them on one, or just on the other. There's no way he can be expected to remember the exact content or the shortcode. Were these just regular spam or did he get scammed? We have no way of knowing.

That's the issue with premium rate services that are run by companies such as the world's largest mobile transaction network, mBlox. Do those companies, the ones that claim to be on the up and up, care? What do you reckon? Does it show that PhonepayPlus (aka ICSTIS) are a completely pathetic organisation that has no wish or will to put scammers out of action? Does it show a Government that doesn't give a crap about a serious major fraud that affects the poorest members in society the most?

There is at least one MP willing to make a stand and once I've had a chance to talk to him (and make double sure he still takes this stance) I'll be posting his thoughts on this scandal and what he thinks can be done about it.

*I'm beginning to think anyone with a mobile phone in the UK will have been a victim at some stage

Trucking A! The wheels in motion...

Sep 4, 2008
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Regulate this!

Sorry, I'm still in ExciteTruck mode! Just found out about The Inquirer's story over Voda's premium text blocking service. The Inq have done a great write up as (almost) always! Hopefully The Register will be doing the same (if they're not doing so already).

The thing is, normally I check both regularly - as well as a bunch of other important sites. You have to, simple as. Not that I don't enjoy reading the stories. The comments can be pretty damn good too. Who'd have though they'd be so many clever, witty, hilarious people out there and instead of being in comedy they're in IT?

Anyway, back to the news...

Vodafone, although they're still dragging their feet, are getting around to providing options that will enable their customers to keep control of their credit. So, once people have these bars in place it'll be by by mBlox et al - neither you or your clients can't steal my money ever again.

One thing that troubles me is that to activate the premium SMS bar, a customer has to pay 25p (according to L'Inq)

Apple's sour grapes?

Jul 10, 2008
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According to The Inquirer, Apple are playing it very safe when it comes to reviews for their new and slightly improved iPhone MkII. It would seem only those who have given raving reviews of Apple's products in the past (and are likely to play ball in future) are getting their hands on the much anticipated handset.

When it comes to reviewing stuff I've been sent I, perhaps naively, say exactly what I'm thinking. If that cuts me out in the future, so be it. But then, so far, I haven't had to worry about advertisers (this is a VOX blog so I don't get any of the revenue) and so far I've had the good fortune of getting products I mostly like, supplied by folk that don't mind me speaking my mind.

I never liked the original iPhone and, in all honesty, wouldn't go out of my way to check out the new one. However I do love the genuine enthusiasm of their staff under the cube on 5th. Even when they knew they wouldn't get a sale out of me (I was upfront about my "window shopping") they continued to enthuse about the products they were selling.