800-861-7414

I just noticed that on my verizon bill that i have been charged at least 4 times for this, "PREM_SMS 81000 Bid4Prz3 8008617414". I tried calling VZN telling them that i never responded or iniated this company to send me ring tones, wall papers, jokes, or what ever it does. But they refused to give me a refund for all these unknown charges. I only relized now because for the past couple of months i have either changed plans, used the insurance on one of my lines, allowed someone on my account to buy a couple of ring tones, and this was the first month that i didn't really have any activity, at least i thought i did until my bill was $200+ Usually i'm in the 170's and that what i was expecting. So after doing some investgating and going back to Aug. in my statements i noticed that they have been charging me since. Anyone know how to get VZN to refund me?

Call 1-800-861-7414 and OPT OUT, also block all text messaging, so they can't bill you. Verizon will do nothing and neither will any other carrier... hummm makes you wonder? Maybe it dosen't pay them to stop it. I recommend NOT buying anything from GET IT NOW! They get your cell # and call & text you. Verizon says I OKed it twice, I DIDN'T! Thats how I got SCAMED! Get the word out, send emails about this scam & always check your bills.

How the HELL can Verizon not do anything about this? I got the charge on my bill this month. I called Verizon twice. Both CS reps I talked to knew what I was talking about. For the LOVE OF GOD, why won't Verizon just not accept 3rd party billing? I can get this blocked on my Verizon land line...why not my mobile line? How can Verizon support crooks like this? I said to the Verizon CS rep who insisted that I signed up for the service that I have seen hundreds of posts by people who are having the same experiencs...HELLO..I smell a RAT!

The message about the lottery numbers which is I do not need

I noticed a charge for 9.99 on my Dad's verizon bill and Verizon explained it was for a ringtone subcription with the short code 36726.  My dad is 83 years old and I can guarantee he didn't subscribe to this.  Verizon credited only 3 months.  It was billed 8 times.  I called the company 866-313-7150 and they cancelled the subscription.  They said it is a double opt in program.  They claim he went to the internet entered his cell phone number and then was given a PIN that he had to reenter in his phone or at the internet.  I'm doubt it happened but whats a person to do.  I've asked for a confirmation of that transaction to be faxed to me.  Any suggestions?  Has anyone gotten more than 3 months subscription credited from Verizon?

I received the same $9.99 charge on my cell phone bill, I have no idea how I ever got signed up for this. I canceled the service and called their 1-800 number, after a 20 min. argument with customer service rep. he finally decided he would send me a refund for the charges... "should arrive in 4 weeks" sounds shady but hopefully they come through on the refund.

I posted about my unhappiness with this situation one http://www.planetfeedback.com/

I got an email from a Verizon rep the next day. They are crediting my account and said that they can block premium text messages.

She did not say 3rd party billing though....

I had the same problem and i wanted to thank u cuz i read your post and i got the number to un subscibe to that bs

PREM_SMS 81000 Bid4Prz3 8008617414 this is definately a scam. Call Verizon as soon as you get your bill with that on it. Insist you did not sign up for this and have no knowledge of signing up for this service. They will refund your charge on your next bill IF you send a message ack to 81000 saying QUIT, STOP and/or CANCEL.
I have had to do this twice now, because they are not quitting, stopping or cancelling...but Verizon has been good with crediting my bill for it.
Just keep LOCKING the messages you get from them (usually same date every month, or the ones "confirming you have cancelled) and your reply or message sent telling them to stop.

I also have Sprint and my father has a family plan for my mother and I. I was just notified by him today that he received a charge from these people on 11/10/07 to my phone. He asked me about the charge, and I told him that I hadn't made a charge like that. When he mentioned the name of the company, I did remember getting a text message from them but I did not respond to it, yet he's getting charged! He's been arguing his point with the Sprint reps. to try and get this charge taken off. At this point, they aren't going to but hopefully with all the information that everyone is providing maybe something can be done now.

I have the family plan with Verizon and my dad's phone was recently charged 9.99 for the premium text message from the Bid4Prz3 from phone number 800-861-7414.  I called Verizon and they graciously removed the charge and told me to have my dad send a text message to 81000 that says "STOP ALL" I'm not sure how my dad got signed up for these charges because he is 60 years old and doesn't even know what text messaging is.  The Verizon operator said he could have entered his phone number on the internet to play some "free games" or something goofy like that, but it doesn't sound like him.  They said also somebody else could have falsely used his number for some free internet stuff.

My wife was also charged $9.99, she never signed up for one.. When I called the number a lady answered and said that she had signed up for an on line survey... Who the hell pays for on line surveys. I think these guys have got smarter to pinch $ 9.99 from at least a million verizon subscribers. Not bad they have been smart ... Can you imagine how much of money they would have made by now. ...I wonder if the legal system can bring these crooks to justice. Also it is time for Verizon to start acting up to safeguard their customers not allowing 3rd parties to rip off their valued customers.

A subscription for some kind of service appeared on my bill as a $9.99 charge.  This was never ordered by me.  Verizon was most helpful and quickly provided credit for the full amount - my call on this was obviously not the first they had received. It is not right that a third part can simply place a charge on your bill without your permission or even knowledge.

Matt - don't wait for a refund from Bid4Prz3 - it most likely will never come.  Go to phone company and ask for a credit.

i recieved for texts from this number at 10:00 at night how nice the company is closed they areonly open from 7am 10 12pm. i have never signed up for anything nor did i put a pin number in anything...what is this number for and i will get my money back

I received the 9.99 fee as well.  Looking at this site I know remember how it happened.  I signed up for a photobucket account.  When I was asked for my cell # I thought I was registering it so I could post from my cell phone.  Now I know it's a way to get $9.99 out me.  Verizon was nice enough to credit my account.

Write you Senitor to allow cell phone companies to allow you to block premium text messaging from your phone.  As of now, you cannot even sign up to block such charges!

I entered this into multiple emails at photobucket

Photobucket is the abuser, working with bid4prizes is a sly way to make some cash.  I guess I didn't read between your lines enough to know I was not registering my cell # so I could upload photos to my photobucket account but I was actually agreeing to give bid4prizes $9.99 until I called Verizon to stop it.

I will not use photobucket and I will tell everyone not to as well.

Reply from Photobucket:

We are very sorry that you are unhappy with our advertiser's offer.

Photobucket does not require nor store any cell phone numbers on our site.  If
you entered your cell phone number during the Photobucket registration
process, you have signed up for one of our advertiser's offers and the text
messages you are receiving are directly from them.  

Any charges that you may receive are directly from the advertiser as well.  We
unfortunately cannot resend the PIN number that was sent to your phone either.


To stop the text messages you can do any of the following:
Reply to their text message on your mobile device with 'stop'.  
 

Go to the advertisers website and cancel your subscription or call and speak
to one of their customer service agents.  The URLs and phone numbers are
below.

Ringtone Channel http://www.ringtonechannel.com/Content/Contact.aspx
or their Customer Service at (800)387-0290.

Bid4Prizes
http://www.bid4prizes.com
or their Customer Service at (800) 861-7414

Sincerely,

Your Photobucket Support Team

this just happened to me at midnight tonight... This is a crock... I call the 800# and tx stop but they where closed for the night and my tx would not go thru to let me cancel... Now what???? I am so sick of people and fraud... I have a online business and this makes me not even want to do busniess online anymore... People are messed up if that is the only way for them to get $9.99 out of someone... Like the US aint already in debit. ASS&*%#S like this just make it bad on everyone that is honest.

I just called my cell phone company and I was charged last month for this CRAP also... They are cancelling it for me and giving me a refund for it... I am so glad that I looked up this 800# online and found all this info... THX a million to everyone...