Re: SCREWFIX - unsolicited TEXT messages

David Hearn <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Steve Terry wrote:
"David Hearn" <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:66epk8F2j1k8kU2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Rob wrote:
<snip>
Reverse SMS billing is a large, legitimate market for providing services
on a mobile phone

Only a Pimp or reverse SMS seller would claim that,
which are you?

Neither. I just can see that being able to get a customer to pay for
ad-hoc services on your mobile phone is useful. Took me 15 minutes to
get through the "pay by mobile" service at the ICC in Birmingham to work
properly (please press the button which has the 3rd digit in your
registration number on it.. *beep*... please press 1 for 4, 2 for g, 3
for i..." only to find that one of them was wrong and had to re-start!
Following automated voice commands in a noisy car park isn't easy). In
many ways, being able to send a text message to park the car and pay for
the parking would have been much easier and quicker.

It's like saying that Direct Debit should be banned because sometimes
companies mis-bill people.

Whilst problems do sometimes occur with them, these are likely to be the
minority rather than the rule. I would suggest that better regulation and
fining of those companies is better than a flat ban.

I'd put them against a wall and shoot them.

Letting the customer opt in is the only solution, and one the pimps
and in collusion the networks won't do
£Millions would be lost by both

Again, going back to Direct Debits which are customer opt-ins - I'd
agree that opt-in is best (either a global on/off, or preferably a
per-service on/off). I wasn't advocating that the current system was
perfect, just that the OP's statement of "Mobile companies should stop
the recipient being charged for messages or calls. It is not the
recipient making those calls or sending messages." suggested that
reverse billing should not be possible full stop.

The problem is that the system is already meant to be opt-in for each
service. Unfortunately, there's no current check to enforce this. The
simplest would be that the networks (not the SMS provider) check that
you have sent a message to that number, with a START message first -
however that requires the operators to intercept all text messages -
something which I understand they're not allowed to do (they then become
more liable for the messages travelling through their networks, rather
than just acting as conduits - certainly that's what ISP claim to
protect them against users doing illegal activities).

It's the CHARGING for unsolicited text messages that is the main complaint, not
the messages themselves. When the customer sends a text to opt-in to such a
service, a copy should go to your telco's billing system to update your account
records that you have agreed to accept charges from the information provider.
Then the telco should simply reject any charges from the information provider
unless authorised by the customer. Simple.

.

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