can't get out of flycell scam alltel won't help

About 7 months ago I found an axcess (flycell) charge of 6.99 on my alltel cell phone bill, didn't know what it was, apparently my son had downloaded a "free" ringtone (you all know the scam). I asked the local Alltel office to cancel the subscribtion, they gave me instructions how to text them and cancel "very easy" riiiiiiight, got a message back that alltel in not a flycell affiliate or some crap like that, have e-mailed flycell no responce, have gone to the flycell website and followed their cancel inst. same thing can't cancel. Called the Alltel customer service same inst. as local office. Have e-mailed Alltel customer service and requested canceling all text I don't care as long as l don't get these charges no dice. To add insult to injury the charge has gone up to 7.99 per month. If I can't find a way out I'll just pay it until my contract ends in 6 months and change carriers.
Thanks for any advice.

 

Your link is to unsubscribe from there "newsletter" it looks like. Sounds like this guy is twisting in the wind, Alltel says they cant do anything and flycell claims Alltel isnt and affiliate??? but the charge is on the Alltel bill?
Really call Alltel again, tell them to block it and if they wont start writing to the Attorney General, FCC and BBB.
If they're charging the money, they hold some accountability, you tried to cancel someone needs to step in and help. I love my Alltel service but this stuff should have been blocked after the 1st call.

 

tavenger5, it most certainly IS a scam. Flycell screwed me over too.

1. enter your phone number to get your "free" ringtones
2. click on the terms of use (charges buried in here must be illegal)
3. game over, you are spammed with text messages and phone charges for "free" ringtones you never ordered at all. I never even looked at a LIST of ringtones.

Pass the word, THERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS. Email jeanpaul30 at hotmail dot com. I will be contacting BBB (I think the Justice Dept. has other things on their mind right now) and whoever else I can.

Dan
Seattle

 

I allready have contacted bbb for the flycell scam!although i have verizon and also got refusal to get a refund,Ibelieve the phone co.may be a part of this scam.verizon denies ever hearing of flycell but I found a website called rip off reports where there are over 40 complaints some affiliated with verizon.And thus verizon still denies this ever coming up!?

 

e-mail flycell and ask them what your options short of lawsuit are

 

wow are you folks delusional. 1- someone (most likely your kid) signed up for it. 2- the BBB? do you have any idea what they actually do? they do nothing but mediate and ensure fair business practices are being upheld. they will take your complaint and add it to the stack of whining complainers they already have.
3- Rip Off Report? Umm folks, all that place does is give people another place to whine about stuff they did but wont admit to (kinda like this site) and try to get you to buy their book for $$$$$. Did you know Rip Off Report has complaints about the BBB? Check this out for the truth on Rip Off: Rip Off Reports - SCAM review sites

Here is what you should do:
1-txt the word STOP to their short code of 69999 to cancel the service.
2- call alltel and advise their reps arent giving you the straight story
3- TALK TO YOUR KIDS. do not give them a cellphone and give them internet access and wonder how you got charges on your bill.
PS: the phone is not in the child's name, it is in yours so you are responsible for the charges they incur. Do you call you carrier every month and complain they made phone calls? Nope. So then why are you complaining about this?

 

What a hassle. I'm with At&t and I ordered one of those so called "free" ringtones with the small print that you never see until you start getting charged. I texted the number to cancel (just like it said to), but I was still getting charged $9.99 a month for this service that I wasn't even using or knew I had. Three months went by and I called AT&T and told them about it and right there they put in the computer and they gave me a credit of almost $30. I had told them that I kept texting the company to cancel and I was still being charged. Sounds like Alltel has pretty bad customer service.

 

I have alltel too, I am on the prepaid plan and started receiving charges of 9.99 every month. I thought they were from alltel until I found out otherwise. I texted STOP to 699-99 and received a text back saying I opted out of the subscription (which I never signed up for anyway) and would not be charged anymore. I called Alltel the following morning and they refunded all the charges amounting to 80.00 and told me to call back if they kept charging me. I recently was charged again 9.99 and called Alltel and they refunded the 9.99 again. The customer service rep told me to send a text to 8888 and put B 6999 but to only do this if i received a text recently (which I did) this text message puts a block on the 699-99 number and they cannot charge your account. Alltel was very helpful and told me if I had any other problems to call them again.......Kudos to Alltel:smart:

 

ok dust, one you are wrong....regardless of who has the phone, no one is "whining and complaining" I am a grown man and I called about charges that I didnt authorize, does that make me a whiner and complainer? I work hard for my money and I am not in the spirit of giving money away to a foreign company (flycell is located in italy). And two, do me a favor and stop trying to sound like you have never been charged for something you did not sign up for......wow

Oh and BTW, when I was talking to Alltel, I was informed that Flycell is charging people who have not even went to their website nor texted anything to any number that is affiliated with them. Alltel receives close to 50 calls a day regarding this and they are well aware of the problem and are working to stop the charges completely. Every cell phone carrier is having this trouble and they are going to fix it. And yes I have 2 kids, so I assume you will tell me that they signed up for the service on a phone that is never around them due to me traveling alot, the only reason why I have this phone is to be able to call home when I am out of town. I am not going to pay a monthly fee for a cell that gets used only at night and on weekends, my work cell phone is for business only. This type of profiling of people is what I hate the most....there are some of us out in this world that dont do things like this but get charged for it regardless. I am just happy Alltel is willing to refund any charges to my prepaid account by Flycell.......

 

Premium Content is the bane of my existence. I work at the call center, and I do indeed get at least a dozen calls about this a week. It's definitely lessened in recent months as the "scam" has become more well known.

Despite what the OP states though, this is definitely a service he opted into. They're very tricky about it, so its entirely possible he did it without actually realizing what he did. Here's how the scam works :

You express interest to the company by providing them with your mobile number. This can be done by clicking a banner ad, texting a number you see on TV, or calling them directly.

Next, they send you a message reply indicating some sort of passcode you need to activate the service.

Once you respond with this password (which is sent directly to the cell phone that will be charged) the service begins and will continue on a weekly, monthly, or daily rate until you cancel.

So in order to setup the service, you've got to opt interest with the company on two different levels, and the handset must be in your possession at the point of activation. It's under this guise that these third party vendors operate legally... albeit as a bunch of weasels. Their tactics are shady, but in order to cover themselves from lawsuits, this is the structure they follow for them to justify the charges. The expense itself is not always clearly labeled on the site, but look closely - its definitely there.

Carriers hate it because it gives them a bad name, but just like the old 900 numbers and psychic hotlines in the 80s... there's little they can do about it until the public truly educates itself. Wireless carriers make nothing on these scams, its all charges being forwarded through them as a medium... that's why Alltel is hesitant to credit, because that vendor is just going to point out that double-opt in process and decline to repay us for the credit we gave you.

What can you do if the charges continue? Well, first step would be to reply to any of the messages with the word STOP. If that doesn't work, call your carrier and get more information about the vendor such as email address contact, website address, and contact number.

The contact number is in most cases a useless method as its only another means of opting out - you'll likely never reach a live person via this method. I always suggest emailing the company instead as it provides a paper trail you can use in the unlikely event that the issue persists and the charges continue.

Cancelling your text plan altogether will NOT fix this issue. the vendor will continue billing you because they are attempting to provide the service. Doesn't matter that you're not getting it, they'll still charge you for it.

If after attempting to opt out doesn't work, then speak with tech support directly - not customer service... tech support is what you want. They will send a cease and desist letter to the vendor.


Flycell is one of the major douchebags in the scam triangle, so if they're sending it to you unauthorized to begin with, I'd be extremely surprised. The only instance I can think of that happening is if you recently changed your number, or just started service. In very very very rare instances, you can sometimes accumulate the subscriptions of the previous owner. However Alltel holds MDNs (phone numbers) for up to 90 days to avoid issues like that.

 

flycell.com / learn-more / unsubscribe Ringtones, Cell phone wallpapers, Mobile games, MP3 Music & Videos For Your Cellular Phone - Flycell.com[/url]

check out this page and it has the numbers and the correct LANGUAGE (69999 STOP TONES) to add to your text to UN subscribe. It works, I just did it after speaking with AT&T who gladly gave me $19.99 credit which is the going rate for flycell.com nowadays. geez.
Thanks at&t.

 

I'm just saying, you shouldn't hold your cellular carrier responsible for the naivete of something you're supposed to be responsible for. The carrier gives you the phone and translates how its used into dollars and cents. Anything beyond that, is the responsibility of the user of the equipment - you.

The bill doesn't come in Alltel's name, it comes in yours. If you take it upon yourself to extend your credit to give someone else you know a phone, it is your responsibility to ensure how that equipment is being used. This is why Alltel offers parental controls.

Unfortunately, companies like Flycell can and will find ways to get around these parental controls - it still falls on the responsibility of the account holder, you, to ensure that the phones are not being used in a way such as this.

As I write this, Alltel has now initiated a new code that will hopefully block and deter third party programs from charging to your account. Previously, they had a code in place to block BREW subscriptions purchased via the Axcess Apps program built into the phone. But if it was purchased via Mobile Web or from a third party affiliate website - we had no jurisdiction. Thankfully that has changed with this new update.

Bare in mind this update is not added to your account automatically. I encourage any and all participants interested to call or visit Alltel and ask that this code BGEX be added to their account.

It is something you can add via Alltel's My Account.

If you are already subscribed with a third party company, adding this code does not automatically block their charges. It only blocks FUTURE access to things not already on your handset. It is on you to cancel the subscription to avoid incurring further losses.

Sometimes carriers will waive these charges, but it is not a practice encouraged since it is money that will not be repaid to us by the vendor that charged you to begin with. The equipment is your responsibility, and as such the charge is your responsibility.

If the opt-out codes, contact numbers, websites, or email addresses do not work - ask the carrier's rep to send a cease/desist letter to the vendor on your behalf. For Alltel, its done via the Premium Content Tool. Very simple to do. It takes 24 hours to go through, but is NOT a guarantee the service will discontinue billing you. If it continues past the 24 hours and you get more messages from the vendor, contact Alltel again and we should be able to escalate the matter for you. However ONLY contact your carrier if you continue to get the messages. One further charge may show on the bill if the vendor bills in arrears (like most do).

 

Flyscam,i mean Flycell,hasn't been caught doing anything illegal yet,but i would be more pissed at Alltel.It only took me one phone call,and the right attitude for AT&T to stop Flycell's BS.Alltel is giving you the run around.If it was me i would call Alltel 100 times a day until it was fixed,and still drop them.Buying your way out of Alltel's contract might be the cheapest way out.Also tell your kid he's getting a pay as you go phone, if he keeps it up.LOL:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:

 

Flycell, dada mobil and a lot of other are all scams, there should be a to cancel text number on the fly cell site, look in the fine print. And for future downloading, go to smaktones, no hidden fee's no subscription, and a lot cheaper.

 

Flycell is a scam. Somehow they get into your cell phone billing. Alltell is responsible for the scam...of course they will not help.
Those people need to be prosecuted.

I'm copying every complaint regarding them I can find on the internet and forwarding the entire package to the Justice department. I want those people prosecuted.

It is a scan and fraud.

The answer is to cancel your current cellphone provider if they will not delete the flycell billing.

The "Two years contracts" are now illegal and you can cancel your phone service at anytime.

Get a new cell phone company and write on the contract that they are responsible for any scams like flycell that may appear on your phone in the future. Write on the contract and initial it.

If they refuse to accept that...then buy a phone at a store and use cards.

If everyone calls the justice department and the FCC to complain about flycell....we can get action.

I am forwarding every copy of a complaint I can find regarding flycell to them and asking that they investigate.

At the very least I want flycell unable to do business in the USA.

 

I certainly agree that Flycell is a scam, but it has nothing to do with Alltel. This is a service available to all carriers - not just Alltel.

You express interest to the company via their website, mms, or calling them directly (usually the website)... they ask you for your phone number. You must physically type this in to proceed. They send a message to your handset with whatever their security prompt is (either a password, or just replying with a simple YES that you want the service) and then the charges begin from there. I agree in some cases, the charges are veiled or not appropriately spelled out on the page, and for that... some sort of legislation is certainly needed.

However you need to step off the grassy knoll and put down the granola. Maybe the tinfoil in that hat of yours is messing up signals on your cell phone, because this is certainly not Alltel's problem. As I stated in a previous reply, your cellular carrier is only responsible for sending a signal to and from your phone... and then communicating how its being used into dollars and cents. Beyond that, its entirely your responsibility how its being used. That might sound cold and harsh, but its the truth. This isn't something Alltel added to your bill. Scott Ford did not come to your house, hold a gun to your head and force you to opt into those services. You did.

Accept responsibility for your actions and move forward.

As for disabling the subscription, just call them and ask for the instructions if you don't know how to do it. They can tell you how to do it step by step, and if you're not a jerk about it while on the phone - I'm sure they can see if there are any pending charges for it either. These types of subscriptions don't bill a month in advance, they bill after the period ends. So chances are, by the time you see it on your bill - you're already into another cycle and another charge for it is pending to show on the next months invoice even if its canceled immediately.

As stated before, there are things to do to safeguard yourself from this. If you're a dolt or your kids are raving lunatics that will do any survey, accept any offer, or download anything they can get their hands on.... then call Alltel and ask them to add code BGEX immediately. The other thing is, for gods sakes... DON'T EVER EVER EVER provide your cell phone number to anything online.

 

Please send me email ,let be in tach,I am going sue this company.I was charge for 2 years and did not know that,I am not going let it go.
anekell#yahoo.com

 

Jees, two years? Not like they hide it. I mean they aren't very forthright about the charges usually - but there's no way to hide it once it shows on a bill. Good luck suing them. Personally, I'd try contacting their Customer Service directly... they will likely stonewall you or decline to adjust at all. This is pretty standard, but a necessary step you must take.

Then contact BBB for resolution. Again, I doubt this will resolve the matter - however it begins a paper trail that will help you with any case should you decide to contact an attorney. If after contacting them, then contacting a mediator (BBB) and still no resolution... then contact a lawyer.

Still, its not going to be worth it. Flycell is only $9.99 a month.... for 24 months, that's $240. I strongly doubt you're going to be able to fight this $240 and still come out financially better than you were before. Especially if a lawyer is involved... and it likely will.

All the same, good luck.

 

Our family got scammed ... probably one of kids. Hit me for 19.99/mo and didnt catch it on the ATandT bill from hell until 4 mos. later.

Why dosent the AG shut this down??