Premium-rate SMS complaints still high

Premium-rate SMS complaints still high

SINGAPORE - Many consumers are still complaining about receiving unwanted billing from mobile content providers, due mainly to the lack of awareness of a free service to bar unsolicited premium-rate text messages.

Telecommunications regulator Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) said it has received 228 complaints in the first 10 months of this year against such companies that offer quizzes, ringtones and games through local telcos.

While it appears to be a drop from an all-time high of 379 complaints last year, the number is still much higher than the 156 complaints that IDA received in 2010.

These companies typically charge anything from $1 to $5 per ringtone, game download or SMS sent to a user.

Since February last year, consumers have been able to block premium-rate text messages - which typically contain links to download games or ringtones, for example - provided they sign up for the free opt-in barring service.

This means they would not be billed even if they had accidentally subscribed to a premium-rate service.

The service managed by the three local telcos is made possible by assigning codes to these messages, which signal to users just what they are and make it easier for the telcos to bar them.

To sign up, users simply send a text message to the telcos or call their hotline numbers.

SingTel and StarHub declined to reveal the sign-up rates. M1 said more than 60,000 customers - or 6 per cent of its one million-plus post-paid subscribers - have registered.

Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) executive director Seah Seng Choon said that many consumers are still not aware they could block such costly messages.

He urged telcos to market the service more aggressively.

Information technology systems developer Frank Missel, 52, said he was not even aware of such premium text services, much less the barring service - that is, until he saw a $100 charge in his wife's November phone bill for 20 "Dwlds", or downloads, from ATLC Broomstick.

Her September and October bills had similar charges of $50 and $75, respectively, from the same company. They have filed complaints to the relevant telco and IDA.

Retiree Wong Len Poh, 67, was also unaware of the free barring service.

He said his telco should have informed him about the service when he renewed his contract in February.

"It should be a standard procedure," Mr Wong said.

But lawyer Bryan Tan said that he is not sure how much more IDA can do.

"Clearly there are opposing interests involved - consumers' against telcos'."

itham@sph.com.sg


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