Paid services can be deactivated by users and you can also request a refund. Here's how to do it
Have you ever received an SMS saying "Paid service activated: weekly subscription cost is 5.00 euro", without your consent? Don't worry, you are not the only ones. It's an experience that everyone has had at least once in their life: value added services are one of the main problems that plagues the world of telephony.
The technical term to identify them is VAS, Value Added Service. They were born as premium services to complement the basic subscription offered by your telephone operator, but soon turned into a nightmare for users who see unwanted costs and charges.
It is increasingly common to activate these paid services after accidentally clicking on a link or on a banner advertising fraudulent appeared for a few seconds on the screen. A simple tap is all it takes for the SMS to arrive with the activation of the value-added service, with the money being deducted from the remaining credit on the SIM.
The phenomenon is now so widespread that telephone operators have intervened by offering users various tools to protect themselves from the activation of VAS. In addition, users can also request a refund of their money in case the activation was done in a fraudulent manner. Here's everything you need to know about paid services.
How Paid Services Work
Value-added services originated in the telecommunications industry to offer users something more than the basic subscription. Now they have turned into premium services that require a weekly or monthly subscription on a variety of topics: horoscopes, astrology, online dating, video games, music.
In most cases, the activation of VAS services is done in a fraudulent way: you press on a link or an advertisement that appears on the screen of the phone and you receive the SMS that notifies the activation and payment for the first month or week. The money is taken from the remaining credit, without any possibility for the user to defend himself in any way. What to do to defend yourself against value-added services?
How to deactivate VAS
Usually, when you receive the SMS of activation of the paid service, instructions to deactivate it are also provided. Depending on the case, you have to send an SMS to the same number with the words NO or STOP. Alternatively, you have to click on a link that allows you to deactivate the VAS.
This, however, is only the first step to be taken. Few people are aware of this, but it is possible to either ask for a permanent block of all value-added services or a refund of the fraudulent activation. Each phone carrier has its own procedure to follow, but they are all very similar to each other. Here's how to do it.
How to deactivate TIM paid services
TIM provides users with several methods to deactivate value-added services. You can call the toll-free number 800.44.22.99, a service offered by AGCOM, which allows you to deactivate in a few minutes any activated subscription. This is an independent service that users of any operator can use.
Or you can call 119 and speak to an operator asking for the deactivation of the service, or send a free SMS to 119 writing "deactivation VAS services". Even accessing your private area on MyTIM you can deactivate value-added services,
How to deactivate paid services with Vodafone
Also Vodafone customers can call the number 800.44.22.99 of Agcom to deactivate subscription services. The operator, however, also provides proprietary tools: the MyVodafone app, customer support by calling 190 or through the Do-It-Yourself area of the website.
How to deactivate value-added services with WindTre
The new operator has also immediately made available to users the tools to deactivate VAS. First of all, you can refer to the AGCOM toll-free number: 800.44.22.99. Alternatively, you can call customer support at 159, or enter the application and deactivate the paid service.
How to deactivate paid services on Iliad
Iliad has active by default a tool that blocks the activation of any value-added service. But if you accidentally deactivated this tool and fell into the trap of additional services, you don't have to worry because you have the AGCOM or Iliad customer support number available to remove VAS from your phone number.
How to deactivate PosteMobile paid services
If you are a PosteMobile customer, you can call the AGCOM toll-free number 800.44.22.99 to deactivate value-added services. Alternatively, you can call the customer service of the telephone operator directly and follow the whole procedure.
How to block subscription services and ask for reimbursement
In addition to deactivating subscription services, users can also ask for the blocking of VAS. To do so, they need to call the customer support of their phone operator and ask for "SMS barring". In a few seconds the option will be activated and you will no longer have to be afraid of falling into the trap of scammers.
After blocking paid services, you can also ask for a refund, but you have to do it promptly, within 7-12 days (depending on the operator) from activation. The procedure is always the same: call customer service and ask for a refund. The operator will perform a check and then credit the money to the credit of the SIM card.