Complaint Review: Predicto Mobile

I luckily figured out I was getting scammed the day it happened. I started receiving text messages on my phone 10/22/08 from a company called Predicto and noticed at the end of one text it said 9.99/m2cxltxtstopT&C:predicto.com. Now when I first read this I didn't understand what it was saying, but i did notice the 9.99 and took a better look. I texted stop to the number which then texted a phone number for their customer service line which is 800-360-0518. When I called this number a person with a thick ascent picked up. I asked if they received my cancellation and she said yes and that no more charges will occur. I then asked if I was still going to be charged for the first month even though I canceled within five minutes of these random unauthorized texts, she said YES. I asked to speak to a manager. Another person with a thick ascent got on the phone and I stated my case. She said "to get a refund you need to file with our corporate office" she then explained that they will File the report for me and within 24-48 hrs I will receive a response and if the refund is approved 7-10 days after I will receive a check for the original 9.99, but they will not refund for any text message charges. I said file the report but I want the Corporate Office telephone number she refused and said she is not allowed to give out the Corporate Office contact information. I was persistent but gained no ground. the next day I received an email from Corporate stating the confirmation of my cancellation and also that I will not be getting a refund, It was unapproved. I called back the only number I had the original 1-800 number another thick accent lady answered, but she could tell I was angry because it did not take her long to get a supervisor. The supervisor this time some how had the power to issue a refund check it was a supernatural miracle or something, from one day to the next a supervisors power to refund changed. I have not received the cell phone bill to confirm how many text charges have occurred but i will be calling when i do see the bill. I do think a law suit is in order not because of the 9.99 or the .20 charges for the texts they send but to set an example for companies to not take advantage of consumers and start billing them for things they did not authorize this company needs to get hit so hard that they sink and sink fast, and hopefully hard enough that they think twice before they start their next ripoff company.

Joshua
aurora, Colorado
U.S.A.