- Report: #365850
Complaint Review: Predicto - PredictoMobile - Internet
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Predicto - PredictoMobile
www.predicto.com Internet, U.S.A.
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Predicto - PredictoMobile How to stop these scam artists New Jersey Internet
Saw my cell phone bill today and there was a $9.99 charge for "Premium Services" I didn't know what that was, so I clicked on it and it said "PredictoMobile" I still didn't know what it was, so I called my cell phone carrier, T-Mobile and asked. The agent said,"Oh I know what this is coz I got stuck for $20 myself with these people!" She then told me that if you respond to some website for a free laptop, or ringtones, or wallpaper, or something, and you enter your cell phone number, you get stuck with these bogus monthly charges. She told me to text the word, "STOP" to 654654.
Now, I don't enter things for free anything because I'm a firm believer that nothing is free, but I will, on occassion, answer surveys. In this case, I don't remember what website I was on but I do recall entering my cell phone number somewhere. Then I backed out of whatever the site was coz I started to think it was scam-y. On May 3, 2008, I got a text from 4655 giving me a confirmation code to enter on my computer. I did NOT do so. After that, I got a few texts from this same number, usually saying something about predicting results for this or that -- I deleted them, never expecting I was being charged for this crap!
Anyway, I was resigned to having to pay this because it didn't appear to be T-Mobile's fault, but then I thought about it and called T-Mobile back and asked if I had to pay this charge or not since I was disputing the authorization. The rep checked my bill and told me that not only was there a charge for $9.99 this month, but also one for next month. She also told me she'd put in for a credit on both of the charges and they're always approved. So just pay it this month and my next bill will reflect the credit of $19.98.
I'm writing to suggest to anyone affected by this scam that they deal directly with their cell carrier and dispute that you authorized this charge. If the carrier won't help you, I suggest you tell them - and then do - report them to the FCC for permitting unauthorized 3rd party charges. If you're trying to deal with Predicto direct, I don't think you're gonna get anywhere. I also suggest filing a complaint with the FCC against Predicto -- I will be doing so myself, but want to call them because the online forms don't seem to fit this particular problem. The phone number for the FCC is 1-888-225-5322
People, please do not let this sleazy company continue to rip consumers off! If we all insist on credits from our carriers, maybe they will have some impetus to stop this scam. If we all report to the FCC, maybe it will do something. If we tell the media - perhaps though our local newspapers' op-ed pages, we may be able to get the powers that be to investigate (and hopefully shut down) these losers, and others like them. But if we simply gripe among ourselves and/or pay the charges without putting up a huge battle with our carriers, this will just go on and on (much like this rip-off report of mine!)
Sandra
orlando, Florida
U.S.A.
Now, I don't enter things for free anything because I'm a firm believer that nothing is free, but I will, on occassion, answer surveys. In this case, I don't remember what website I was on but I do recall entering my cell phone number somewhere. Then I backed out of whatever the site was coz I started to think it was scam-y. On May 3, 2008, I got a text from 4655 giving me a confirmation code to enter on my computer. I did NOT do so. After that, I got a few texts from this same number, usually saying something about predicting results for this or that -- I deleted them, never expecting I was being charged for this crap!
Anyway, I was resigned to having to pay this because it didn't appear to be T-Mobile's fault, but then I thought about it and called T-Mobile back and asked if I had to pay this charge or not since I was disputing the authorization. The rep checked my bill and told me that not only was there a charge for $9.99 this month, but also one for next month. She also told me she'd put in for a credit on both of the charges and they're always approved. So just pay it this month and my next bill will reflect the credit of $19.98.
I'm writing to suggest to anyone affected by this scam that they deal directly with their cell carrier and dispute that you authorized this charge. If the carrier won't help you, I suggest you tell them - and then do - report them to the FCC for permitting unauthorized 3rd party charges. If you're trying to deal with Predicto direct, I don't think you're gonna get anywhere. I also suggest filing a complaint with the FCC against Predicto -- I will be doing so myself, but want to call them because the online forms don't seem to fit this particular problem. The phone number for the FCC is 1-888-225-5322
People, please do not let this sleazy company continue to rip consumers off! If we all insist on credits from our carriers, maybe they will have some impetus to stop this scam. If we all report to the FCC, maybe it will do something. If we tell the media - perhaps though our local newspapers' op-ed pages, we may be able to get the powers that be to investigate (and hopefully shut down) these losers, and others like them. But if we simply gripe among ourselves and/or pay the charges without putting up a huge battle with our carriers, this will just go on and on (much like this rip-off report of mine!)
Sandra
orlando, Florida
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
john_SanFrancisco
SANTA CLARA,California,
USA
Once they get a cell phone, they charge
#2Consumer Comment
Sat, October 03, 2009
My provider is Verizon and they didn't refund me the $9.99 and asked me to call Predicto.
Predicto Mobile and Residential Email are simply Nationwide scams: please, check your cell phone bills. Once they get a cell phone they charge it, they may charge health monitoring device cell-numbers by subscribing their joke of the day message.
NextWeb Media (nextWebMedia.com) owns Predicto and Predicto Mobile.
By some unfortunate coincidence the name of NextWeb Media top management seems to be related to previous unauthorized cell phones charges and scam cases filed across the country in the last 4 years.
After I recouped with other lawsuits, Eyal Yechezkell, NextWeb Media CEO and Itai Kathein, President helped to found another company called Email Discount Network (EDN).
Eyal Yechezkell is quite famous in the cell phone and entertainment industries as nobody knows the dirty business. He even teaches how to market in the cell phone industry.
EDN was sued in Florida, Washington State, and Georgia for the same type of scam Predicto is spreading today.
See Washington State Office settlement agreement (EDN) http://www.atg.wa.gov/pressrelease.aspx?id=14424
See Georgia Settlements (EDN) http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/settlements/07712/unauthorized-cramming.html#
See Georgia Subscriber Refunds http://www.georgia.gov/00/article/0,2086,5426814_5684686_80061913,00.html
See State of Florida complaint: http://myfloridalegal.com/webfiles.nsf/WF/JFAO-6U3MJB/$file/EDNComplaint.pdf
In June 2006 200,000 subscribers were enrolled in Florida base on $1000 Worth Online Coupons!... displayed on their webpage. The delay for cancellation to the subscription was 30 days (30 days risk free), it was 3 days in reality: see section 29 page 4 of State of Florida Complaint above.
According to consumers contacted by the Attorney General, EDN, KATHEIN and YEZCHEKELL charged many consumers who had never visited EDN web pages and who, in some instances, did not even own computers. (page 9 section 65 of State of Florida complaint).
A new class action was filed 09/18/2009 in Eastern District of Michigan: Predicto used expired cell-phone contracts to bill new cell phone subscribers see court document at: http://www.courthousenews.com/2009/09/18/Alltel2.pdf
Another scam is actually running called Residential Email/ESBI (residentialemail.com) see blog http://tiredcynic.blogspot.com/2007/08/watch-out-for-residential-email-fraud.html
My guess is that NextWeb Media, Predicto, Predicto Mobile, PredictoMobile, or whatever is using kind of pyramid scheme to pay back previous subscribers and make huge profits with new subscribers just like Madoff in the financial arena.
My question now is: do Cell phone companies ever check customers complains, I just send a letter with a photocopy of the above documents to Verizon and ask them how they can authorize Predicto Mobile as a 3rd party.
Dear readers, if you have some time, please send these documents to your cell-phone companies (Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, Alltell, etc). Hope this document will help get some refund from cell phone providers.
Please report to FBI cyber crime division at https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx and to Attorney General office.
