topic Re: Stolen Phone - Google Play/Tiktok Coin Charges in Account and services

Stolen Phone - Google Play/Tiktok Coin Charges

LauraJade1995 — Thu, 16 May 2024 14:09:08 GMT

My pay monthly phone was unfortunately stolen on the evening of the 3rd of March. The next day, I did all the usual things you would do in this scenario. However, it came to light a month later when I came to pay my phone bill, that the thief had purchased numerous Tiktok Coins, via Google Play, totalling around £110. I have never purchased anything via Google Play nor have I ever purchased Tiktok Coins. Upon speaking to Three on this, they are unable to assist with this as this is a 'third party' charge. At this point I have done everything I can possibly could do, I even had to change my mobile number.

I thought after this, that would be the last of it. However, despite securing my accounts, cancelling cards, the lot, I have received another charge this month, which suggests this has been sent on some sort of 're-occurring' charge.

I just need to ensure this doesn't happen again, can you please offer any advice on this?

Re: Stolen Phone - Google Play/Tiktok Coin Charges

Anonymous — Thu, 16 May 2024 14:35:12 GMT

Such a pain in the wotsit isn’t it. Three are quite right but that doesn’t help. If it were me I’d report it to action fraud (and possibly the police if only to get a crime number). If all else fails and you have explored every possible option and still draw a blank you can get Three to give you a new number. That’ll stop it once and for all. I realise that’s a drastic step but keep it in reserve as a fallback.

First port of call though is action fraud.

Good luck.

Re: Stolen Phone - Google Play/Tiktok Coin Charges

JonathanB — Fri, 17 May 2024 11:23:50 GMT

Hi @LauraJade1995,

I'm so sorry to hear this, having your phone stolen is bad enough without being defrauded on top of this. I'm sorry that I can't amend your bills, but happy to try and give some more advice. Apologies if this repeats any steps, but I can only give general advice on the Community, so I don't know what has already been discussed other than what you've shared on the post.

If you check your itemised bill on My3, usually Three Pay charges will have a customer services number for the third party listed alongside the transaction. Hopefully if you explain the situation they'll consider a refund back to your Three number, and at the very least stop any recurring subscription.

Generally the change of mobile number should have stopped a recurring charge regardless, but bear in mind that your bill covers the 30/31 days before it was produced, and the due date isn't immediate, depending on your contract we take payment 10 or 19 days later. So it's also worth checking that itemised section of your bill to find out when Google Play actually charged you. Due to the delay between the transaction with Google, and the actual bill payment this may have just lagged onto a 2nd bill.

I hope this helps,
Jonathan

Re: Stolen Phone - Google Play/Tiktok Coin Charges

andreicr — Fri, 17 May 2024 13:46:17 GMT

I am in the same situation here, charged for the second month for £130. Three is refusing to provide a "correlationID" which is required by Google to log a complaint. I have moved now to pay-as-you-go to another provider in the hope that Three will stop charging me. I am also looking into legal ways to complain against Three as it is unacceptable as this can't be stopped even after the theft was reported, sim blocked/replaced and all

Re: Stolen Phone - Google Play/Tiktok Coin Charges

andreicr — Fri, 17 May 2024 13:47:05 GMT

Action fraud said to contact the financial ombudsman and ofgem..

Re: Stolen Phone - Google Play/Tiktok Coin Charges

ashtonbb — Fri, 31 May 2024 14:48:09 GMT

Hi Laura, this happening to me. My phone was stolen in london. And ive done the exact same thing you have done. But again this month they are somehow still buying coins through my mobile number. did you manage to stop it?

and did you get any money back?

Re: Stolen Phone - Google Play/Tiktok Coin Charges

rky — Sun, 02 Jun 2024 07:46:59 GMT

Sad to hear all this.

Three pay is default active service? Can it not be default deactivated and the customers who actually wants can activate it by calling customer care and passing security questions?

Also does three pay by passes spend cap?

Re: Stolen Phone - Google Play/Tiktok Coin Charges

PeteyP — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 14:17:51 GMT

Three Pay isn't impacted by the Spend Cap as those are active purchases, not usage. The credit limit can instead be used to limit or stop Three Pay charges.

Pete.

Re: Stolen Phone - Google Play/Tiktok Coin Charges

rky — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 15:49:18 GMT

Okay

is this default active or inactive service?

Re: Stolen Phone - Google Play/Tiktok Coin Charges

Lthurston13 — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 18:27:21 GMT

Exactly the same has happened to me. they have purchase TikTok coins via google play apparently. I’ve been going around in circles with three and google. Google insists on having a correlation ID and that it must be provided by three to deal with it, three insist it’s a third party provider and they don’t know what a correlation ID is and I need to take it up with google. And so we go around in circles. At this stage the only course of action I can see to take is pay to cancel my whole contract with three and move my number to provider like sky that doesn’t offer additional pay services and that you can cap. Otherwise im just continuing to get £200 a month charge I can’t stop. At the moment it’s the same price to end my contact.

Re: Stolen Phone - Google Play/Tiktok Coin Charges

andreicr — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 18:35:28 GMT

I've done the same. Three won't stop the ThreePay service, so I had to cancel the contract, now moved to O2 PAYG. After eight weeks of three not sorting it, I have the right to escalate it to comms ombudsman, after that - if no result - it will go to court

Re: Stolen Phone - Google Play/Tiktok Coin Charges

Lthurston13 — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 18:55:34 GMT

Ok I’m going to do the same, I don’t see them fixing this at all but it seems there is a big loophole here with mobile operators opening your phone bill to be used like a credit card but having absolutely no precautions or fraud measures in place! You can’t even opt out of it. I’m getting out of it I’ll never trust them again if it’s this easy to abuse but impossible to stop fraud

Re: Stolen Phone - Google Play/Tiktok Coin Charges

andreicr — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 07:01:41 GMT

three pay is default active, with no limit and no way of disabling it

Re: Stolen Phone - Google Play/Tiktok Coin Charges

Thyyyyyyy — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 12:41:47 GMT

Hello Laura, How is it going now

Re: Stolen Phone - Google Play/Tiktok Coin Charges

Lthurston13 — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 10:20:13 GMT

Currently submitted my ombudsman claim and had to cancel everything to stop it as they refused to help. No longer with three now, after ten years!

Re: Stolen Phone - Google Play/Tiktok Coin Charges

kayyang — Sun, 28 Jul 2024 10:06:21 GMT

Hi dear, hope your good, can I ask when you changed your mobile provider, r u still keeping the same number.?

Re: Stolen Phone - Google Play/Tiktok Coin Charges

kayyang — Sun, 28 Jul 2024 10:09:23 GMT

dear, I have the same issue and now have been charged more than £200 , I called Three and they keep asked me to contact google play, which google play does not provide client service number. When you changed to o2, did you keep the same number ?

Re: Stolen Phone - Google Play/Tiktok Coin Charges

kayyang — Sun, 28 Jul 2024 10:12:28 GMT

Hi dear , I had the same issue and I have done whatever I can . But three keeps ask me to contact google play and they did not even help me to unsubscribed anything . Did you change your number as well?

Re: Stolen Phone - Google Play/Tiktok Coin Charges

Dee3 — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 18:53:13 GMT

The fact that this is happening to so many people and Three are just allowing it is absolutely astonishing. Some legal action has to be taken against Three.

Re: Stolen Phone - Google Play/Tiktok Coin Charges

Lthurston13 — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 12:09:28 GMT

I moved my number to another provider that has caps: I’m currently in taking my case further to the ombudsman