08432893092

THREE MOBILE AND FRAUDULENT COMPANIES I recently received my monthly bill from Three, only to be met with a surprise charge of £9.10 added to my usual plan. Naturally, I reached out to Three for clarification, and the representative confirmed that I’d been sent text messages on certain dates from a firm called IMI MOBILE EUROPE LTD - though they cleverly disguise themselves as 'From 3' in my messages. The advisor then provided me with their premium rate contact number, 08443722331, and made it clear that they were powerless to assist further. The only option I had was to shell out more of my hard-earned cash just to engage these swindlers. When I called the said number, I was stuck listening to an automated message for a solid 3-4 minutes, only to receive a cryptic 5-digit code: '85222'. I jotted it down, but frankly, I was clueless about its significance or why I was being charged for messages I hadn’t solicited. Determined not to ring Three through my phone - since that directly connects to their Indian call centre, which is utterly ineffectual - I managed to track down a landline number for Three’s headquarters in Glasgow: Three [3] - (Hutchison 3G UK Ltd): 01628 765000. I specifically asked to be transferred to their Executive Office. Fortunately, I spoke to a very accommodating chap who was well-versed in these fraudulent activities. He explained that the offender in my case was indeed IMI MOBILE EUROPE LTD. This time, he supplied me with a landline number to reach them: IMI MOBILE EUROPE LTD: 01494 750500. Additionally, he suggested I file a report with Phonepayplus at: http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/, claiming it would halt any further unsolicited messages from being sent. I rang up IMI MOBILE EUROPE LTD using the landline number he provided. A man answered almost straight away, but there was something unsettling about the whole operation. It felt less like a large corporation and more like a one-man band. After providing him my mobile number, he promptly recited the 5-digit code, '85222', and insisted it had nothing to do with IMI MOBILE EUROPE LTD but rather with a firm called I-Games Competition Service. When I pressed him on how he had access to that code, he bypassed the question, suggesting they provide them with 'some assistance' (as if!). Clearly, they are all part of the same dodgy network. He assured me that someone from I-Games Competition Service would ring me back within the next 24 hours. Nevertheless, I took down their number just in case my phone remained silent: I-Games Competition Service: 0843 2893092. Surprisingly, my phone rang just 15 minutes later, and they attempted to convince me that I’d replied to a message they’d sent via '85222'. I knew for a fact that I hadn’t, as I maintain a complete log of all my messages dating back to November 2013, and there were only two from them. The details of those messages were as follows: Date: Sat 14 Dec @ 8.22 'From 3: You have utilised your monthly internet data allowance. You can continue using the internet but will incur charges. Your next monthly allowance starts on 26/12.' Date: Sun 15 Dec @ 21.37 'From 3: You have utilised your monthly internet data allowance. You can continue using the internet but will incur charges. Your next monthly allowance starts on 26/12.' Thankfully, since I hardly delete any messages, I was able to verify my records against what Three had logged from that fraudulent company, which claimed I’d received extra texts beyond the two mentioned above: They supposedly recorded messages from IMI MOBILE EUROPE LTD as follows: Date: 15 Dec @ 9.04am - premium message costing £1.50 each. Date: 22 Dec @ 22.33pm - premium message costing £1.50 each. Date: 22 Dec three additional messages - premium message costing £1.50 each. This left me fuming! 1: I have a limit on my account to prevent exceeding my data usage - so how could I be charged for it? 2: I’ve never authorised any services from these companies nor do I have the faintest idea who they are or how on earth they’re allowed to get away with this blatant theft. After much back and forth, the gentleman who called me agreed to refund £8.00, stating it would come in the form of a code sent to my phone within the next 28 days as they can’t provide a full refund owing to administrative costs. To claim the refund, I must visit a post office with the code in hand. So, I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for that code and the refund. I'm not exactly holding my breath, but I felt it crucial to share my experience with everyone. It’s utterly shocking that our network providers permit this sort of exploitation, and I sincerely hope measures are swiftly taken to curb such fraudulent behaviour!

I wouldn't place my trust in this company, to be honest.