Premium SMS Services

Premium SMS services or 19 SMS services are information and entertainment services that deliver various forms of content to your mobile phone. They can be purchased by making a phone call, sending a text message, or requesting them via the internet or data connection from your mobile phone.

You can purchase these services from a third party provider at the premium price they set, and receive or use them on your Telstra mobile. Telstra pays the provider on your behalf then recovers the charge from you via your Telstra bill or your Pre-Paid mobile account.

NOTE: Premium SMS services are more likely than not to be subscription services. When you buy content using a 19 number (such as a ringtone) you may be signing up to receive and pay for content on a regular basis that attracts a charge each time it is sent to your phone. You should read the terms and conditions carefully before signing up to determine if it is a once off charge or a subscription service.

Examples of some fun, useful and informative Premium SMS services provided by third parties include:

• psychic and horoscope lines
• weather services
• voting lines for television shows or competition lines
• dating and chat services
• ringtones
• exam result hotlines.

Premium SMS services provided by third parties other than Telstra are offered via numbers starting with '19'.

Premium services offered directly by Telstra can be accessed online or via BigPond® Mobile Services with various content services available through your mobile by dialling #100# or sending an SMS request to '176'.

Consider the following tips before responding to a Premium SMS service offer:

1. Think before you respond to an offer

Providing personal information to a third party may leave you open to fraud. Before responding to an unsolicited offer, ask yourself whether any requests for personal information are reasonable and seem legitimate. If you receive an unusual message from a number or name you don't know, or an unreasonable request for information, do not respond.

2. Know who the provider is before you sign up

Make sure you can identify the company providing a Premium SMS service before you sign up. The 19 Service Finder tool available online via the 19sms.com.au consumer information website can help you identify a service provider. Visit 19SMS to access the tool.

3. Confirm the costs before you commit

Ensure you read the terms and conditions of the service, including ongoing costs, before accepting an offer. For example you should check whether the service has a one-off charge or is an ongoing subscription. Premium SMS providers are required to provide service terms and pricing up-front so that you can make an informed purchase. Don't sign up to a service if this information is not clearly communicated.

4. Text 'STOP'

If you want to discontinue an ongoing Premium SMS subscription simply send an SMS text message to the Premium SMS number with the word 'STOP'.

 

Questions:


1. I sent a text message requesting one ringtone/wallpaper/joke. Now I am:
   • receiving a ringtone/wallpaper/joke each month - and getting charged for it.
   • getting charged each month although I only requested and received one ringtone/wallpaper/joke.
   • getting charged monthly and I did not receive a ringtone/wallpaper/joke.
2. I have sent several text messages to 'STOP' but I continue to get charged.
3. I never requested a ringtone/wallpaper/joke and am being charged.

Answers:

The first step to stop further messages is to reply to the received ringtone/wallpaper/joke and type in the text 'STOP'.

If this attempt to unsubscribe has been successful you should receive a confirmation text message.

If you are receiving Premium SMS services from multiple providers, you will need to send a 'STOP' message to each provider.

If after sending 'STOP' messages, you continue to receive the messages, contact the provider directly. The provider’s contact number is in the SMS you sent the 'STOP' reply to and can also be found on your Telstra mobile bill or by visiting 19SMS and entering the provider's 19 number into the 19 Service Finder tool.

If you have a Pre-Paid service and you are unsure of how your credit is being spent, you can call 125 8888 (a free call from your Telstra Pre-Paid service) and ask for a list of your charges. This list will contain the provider's contact information.

Some providers can supply a copy of requests received and items they have sent to customers (via fax or email). This can be useful in comparing subscriptions that have been requested and the 'STOP' messages sent, confirming whether the correct cancellation codes have been sent through.

Complaints

For enquiries or complaints not resolved to your satisfaction by the content provider, please call us:

• Telstra Consumer Post-paid customer - 13 2200
• Telstra Consumer Pre-paid customer - 125 8880
• Telstra Business customer - 13 2000
• Telstra Enterprise & Government customer - 1800 730 053

If we are not able to resolve a complaint to your satisfaction, you can contact the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.

 

Telstra provides a number of service options such as barring and monthly call charge caps to help you manage your Premium SMS services usage.

You can bar all Premium SMS services on your mobile, so that you won’t receive, be charged for, or be able to use these services after barring is activated. There is no charge to activate barring and it will not restrict your access to other services. To arrange barring, call us on the following numbers or submit a barring request using the online form:

• Telstra Consumer Post-Paid - Call us on 13 2200 and say “Premium SMS” or complete the online form.
• Telstra Consumer Pre-Paid - Call us on 125 8880, then press 5 and 1 or complete the online form.
• Telstra Business - Call us on 13 2000 and say “Premium SMS” or complete the online form.
• Telstra Enterprise & Government - call us on 1800 730 053 or complete the online Service Request Form in Your Telstra Tools/Managing Services at www.telstraenterprise.com.

Please allow up to one business day for barring to be activated. Barring does not apply to Premium MMS as Telstra does not currently offer Premium MMS services.

A spend limit for Premium SMS services can also be placed on your account to help you manage your costs. Please call the above numbers to arrange for your spending limit to be applied or changed.

Here are some helpful tips to remember before you opt-in to any service:

• CHECK what you are actually purchasing
• CHECK the cost of the service
• CHECK if it is a subscription or one-off
• CHECK if your phone is compatible
• CHECK the terms and conditions
• ASK questions if you are unsure
• Keep RECORDS of what you opt-in / opt-out for
• Text 'STOP' at any time to cancel
• Consider BARRING and SPEND LIMITS to manage your Premium SMS costs.  

For more information about mobile Premium SMS services or to access the 19 Service Finder please visit 19SMS.