Unwanted Subscriptions

I have a huge problem with my account with Vodacom - and it seems MTN suffers from the same problem --> my own experience.

My challenge is that Vodacom allows e-******* to ***** from their client’s accounts by not offering a safety mechanism to allow their clients to select if they approve a subscription, or not!

I cannot believe that Vodacom (or any other service provider) allows people / organisations to manipulate their systems (Vodacom's systems) against their client’s accounts - without the clients permission for the purpose of siphoning off funds!!! It is not just ludicrous but it is actually happening to us DAILY!!!!

After using the 31050 option we have cleared all subscriptions – which was not wanted in the first place – I purchased another R110 Air Time for my daughter. She made NO calls and on day 2 her balance is R18-50! We have been given an option to send "STOP" to 31050, but alas, this does not work. You have to use another USSD option as well (*111# select Fun and Rewards, Select Fun stuff, select Next, Select Unsubscribe) The CLIENT are forced to run these two options - multiple times a day!!! - to try and protect themselves against e-*******. How come a CLIENT must - unsuccessfully - try and protect their accounts on a Service Providers system which is the responsibility of the Service Provider? I do appreciate that when on the internet unwanted add’s/marketing etc. may appear. Apparently unseen webpages are spawned and it then *****s info from the phone, and generates these subscriptions. I do understand and appreciate that Vodacom cannot stop the activity of unwanted add’s / marketing or the unseen web pages when visiting perfectly good web pages.

What is astonishing to me is that Vodacom chooses to ride the wave of they are helpless but cannot change their system to ASK their CLIENTS if they approve to a Subscription before allowing the actions / deduction from their Air Time balance!!!!!!!! Preposterous!!!!

(Another question: Where does the money go? Surely someone else must be paid? How does Vodacom pay / transfer the money? *** Where does the money go??? ****

I cannot believe that Vodacom is helpless against these ******* who figured out a way to ***** from your clients. Worse even is that Vodacom merely just passes the problem onto their Clients without the ability to protect their own clients. (or even their clients being able to protect themselves – therefore 2 options which is ineffective)

I would like a senior manager to call me and explain to me 2 things: 1) How they will refund my lost money to subscriptions for the past 12 months – Credit on my Air Time balance will be sufficient 2) When can we as the clients expect a permanent fix to the problem?  Until such time all monies lost must be refunded by Vodacom to their clients as it is THEIR responsibility to protect their clients on their system! Not the Clients responsibility!!!

(I am taking the moral ground in that Vodacom is not party to this, and believe these ‘attacks’ are from external sources into their systems.)

For now remaining respectful - Kind Regards Braam