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Cago Turkey

Q: Billed for 65 SMS to +44 778620-**** in one day, at my trip to Japan! The same number called me like more than 20 times in one week.. This is definetely a problem related to iOs and Apple should find a solution...

My iphone is 4s, 16GB, white, using iOS version 7.1.2.

 

I've been billed for 65 international SMS to +44 778620-**** in one day at my trip to Japan. Me and my girlfriend has been called by the same number for several times and when I try to answer it, the line dropped. When I came back to Turkey, I saw that the operator charged 63 international SMS at 17th of March, 1 SMS at 11st of March (the day I flied to Japan) and 1 SMS 20th of March (the day I flied back to Turkey).

 

When I called my operator, they told me that it is about my phone. Then I called Apple service, they informed me that this might be because of FaceTime (that I even don't have the application) or iMessage. I payed for something that I didn't used or something that I was never warned! And why on the earth this iphone sent 63 messages in one day???

 

I believe that Apple should cover the amount related to this mistake because it is obviously a mistake of iOS...

iPhone 4S, iOS 7.1.2

Posted on Mar 13, 2015 8:02 AM

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Q: Billed for 65 SMS to +44 778620-**** in one day, at my trip to Japan! The same number called me like more than 20 times in one wee ... more

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  • by Templeton Peck,

    Templeton Peck Templeton Peck Mar 13, 2015 8:05 AM in response to Cago Turkey
    Level 9 (62,070 points)
    Mar 13, 2015 8:05 AM in response to Cago Turkey

    SMS is a carrier feature, so you'll have to deal with them.  Apple has nothing to do with it and therefore doesn't own you anything. 

  • by Cago Turkey,

    Cago Turkey Cago Turkey Mar 13, 2015 8:37 AM in response to Templeton Peck
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 13, 2015 8:37 AM in response to Templeton Peck

    So what was the reason of calling by the way??? Is it just normal to be called like 100 times? Is it normal that my phone sent 1 SMS when I leave Turkey and 1 when I came back and no more after I arrived Turkey? Is it normal at all that the iphone sent 63 SMS at the moment that I wasn't using my phone at all??? If it was because of the carrier, I could face the same problem in my home country but I faced the problem only abroad and OBVIOUSLY I cant check all the countries' carrier features that I travel. It was an easy solution to stop using iMessage when the phone works with a different carrier around the world to prevent this to happen! And obviously the operating system can understand that I'm abroad and I'm back (1 sms when I leave, 1 sms when I came back). I already saw lots of people complaining about this but all you say is "it is a carrier feature".. If it is like that, Apple coders was not clever enough to fix this, so people shouldn't use their 800 US$ iphones when they go abroad... Good way of supporting customer, really ...

  • by John Galt,

    John Galt John Galt Mar 13, 2015 8:54 AM in response to Cago Turkey
    Level 8 (49,110 points)
    Mac OS X
    Mar 13, 2015 8:54 AM in response to Cago Turkey

    Apple does not charge for SMS text messaging. Your carrier does that.

     

    If you do not have an international calling plan that includes SMS text messaging, then put your iPhone in "airplane mode", power it off, leave it behind, or negotiate an international calling plan that includes SMS text messaging at a rate acceptable to you.

  • by Cago Turkey,

    Cago Turkey Cago Turkey Mar 13, 2015 9:04 AM in response to John Galt
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 13, 2015 9:04 AM in response to John Galt

    It is not an SMS that I have send. It is an SMS that my iPhone sent without my knowledge!!??? If iOS sends messages like these without my knowledge, how come you can argue with me about my international SMS plan??? I know that I don't have one and I have send 1 SMS to my mom knowing that it will cost more than usual and I'm NOT complaining about it. I never imagined that my 800US$ iphone would send SMS like crazy to some number that I don't know. And at the same time, this number called me like 100 times.. If it is a fraud, how come they make my phone send 63 SMS in one day without my permission??? It is definitely a security gap!!  Is this really a support page or people are just randomly answering nonsense??

  • by Kilgore-Trout,

    Kilgore-Trout Kilgore-Trout Mar 13, 2015 9:10 AM in response to Cago Turkey
    Level 7 (32,633 points)
    iPad
    Mar 13, 2015 9:10 AM in response to Cago Turkey

    Your phone didn't send an SMS without your knowledge. It is far more likely your account with the carrier has been compromised or spoofed. It is your carrier that is responsible for this situation and the charges incurred. There is nothing anyone here can do to solve this, nor can Apple do anything about it.

  • by John Galt,

    John Galt John Galt Mar 13, 2015 9:15 AM in response to Cago Turkey
    Level 8 (49,110 points)
    Mac OS X
    Mar 13, 2015 9:15 AM in response to Cago Turkey

    The answer remains the same no matter how many extraneous question marks or exclamation points you type. If you don't want to be charged confiscatory fees for international SMS usage, then put your iPhone in "airplane mode", power it off, leave it behind, or negotiate an international calling plan that includes SMS text messaging at a rate acceptable to you.

  • by dilbert41,

    dilbert41 dilbert41 Mar 13, 2015 9:25 AM in response to Cago Turkey
    Level 4 (3,565 points)
    iTunes
    Mar 13, 2015 9:25 AM in response to Cago Turkey

    Found this on the web.  After reading it you might want to talk to your carrier.

     

     

    The many Google results on this subject suggest that iPhone users based in many other countries have similarly been billed for an international text message to this UK mobile number (belonging apparently to Vodafone). It seems that all iPhones globally use this same UK number for FaceTime activation. Because UK iPhone tariffs typically provide inclusive text messages within the UK, very few UK iPhone users have noticed this problem; however, it is always apparent when roaming. Other networks around the world have apparently configured their billing systems not to charge for text messages to +447786205094 to avoid their customers being charged unexpectedly for international text messages.

     

    When I spoke to Orange about this, they immediately refunded the charges and told me they will configure their billing systems not to charge in future for text messages to 07786 205094.

  • by Cago Turkey,

    Cago Turkey Cago Turkey Mar 13, 2015 9:37 AM in response to Kilgore-Trout
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 13, 2015 9:37 AM in response to Kilgore-Trout

    I totally agree that this is the "blame the customer" page because all three of you gave me different copy/paste solutions and all of them are different than the other... Because you don't even know what is the real reason of these 65 SMS but you just acquit Apple and create imaginary reasons other than Apple. Here, the guy at the Apple support center mentioned that this SMS sending might be because of FaceTime or iMessage applications and I can find these solutions in other supoort pages on internet about similar problems but you just try to get rid of me with nonsense rather than trying to find a solution... No more Apple for me, for sure... The price of the bill related to this mistake was just about 30 US$ by the way. But you are too cheap to solve this but blame customer like: (if you don't have an international sms package, it is your problem.. Thanks John Galt the best Solution Maker Ever!!! I never thought of that before!!!!)... Anyway.. I'm ashamed in behalf of you guys..

  • by wegras,

    wegras wegras Mar 13, 2015 9:39 AM in response to dilbert41
    Level 6 (15,184 points)
    Wireless
    Mar 13, 2015 9:39 AM in response to dilbert41

    It also covers iMessage  activation  more than likely the OP's issue

  • by wegras,

    wegras wegras Mar 13, 2015 9:41 AM in response to Cago Turkey
    Level 6 (15,184 points)
    Wireless
    Mar 13, 2015 9:41 AM in response to Cago Turkey

    Who EXACTLY do you think you are snarling at ???

  • by Kilgore-Trout,

    Kilgore-Trout Kilgore-Trout Mar 13, 2015 9:50 AM in response to Cago Turkey
    Level 7 (32,633 points)
    iPad
    Mar 13, 2015 9:50 AM in response to Cago Turkey

    I didn't blame you (in fact the only poster here who came remotely close to that was John Galt, and even he was simply giving sound advice), nor is anyone "acquitting Apple". It is simple reality that your phone wasn't responsible for someone sending SMS texts using your account. And this could very well have happened no matter what brand of device you had. Please read and comprehend the posts before you respond (and possibly avoid embarrassing yourself).  SMS is a carrier service, and ultimately the carrier you were using is responsible for it use and issues. Your carrier rep is shooting you a line to get rid of you. Don't let them get away with that.

     

    You do realize that this is a user-to-user forum. None of the participants on this thread work for Apple, nor can anyone here reimburse you for those charges.

  • by Kilgore-Trout,

    Kilgore-Trout Kilgore-Trout Mar 13, 2015 9:57 AM in response to dilbert41
    Level 7 (32,633 points)
    iPad
    Mar 13, 2015 9:57 AM in response to dilbert41

    It appears that the majority of carriers globally that supports iOS devices do not charge for texts from that number (and haven't for quite some time).