I have to admit I have reached the end of my tether with Safaricom.

I just realized I have been losing 20/= every day since last month for an alleged subscription to a service. I happened to chance on that realisation when I didn't have credit on my line. Safaricom promptly alerted me "You have insufficient funds to use this service". WHAT service????

Turns out I had been hemorrhaging 20/- every day to some third party. Integrate PRS! Short CODE 3767. Customer care line 0712212600

The customer care rep seemed to think I had subscribed by accident. So they unsubscribe me same day. At this point I am livid since I cant get the money back. I got no service, I even don't know what the damn INTEGRARE PRS deal in. Ferking twats!

Story gets cornier. The following day I am re-subscribed AGAIN! How did I know? I didn't top up and Safaricom alerts me (around Midday) that I have insufficient funds to use THIS service. WHAT Service???

It's been two weeks now since I last topped up that line, but everyday, without fail, Safaricom alerts me by SMS "You have insufficient funds to use this service". Several calls to INtegrate PRS customer care (Yes they do have a customer care line) and no unsubscription. Yet they cant explain how I subscribed in the first place. The lady is RUDE and she tries to give the impression that she works for Safaricom.

Is there legal recourse for this?
Is this a well known fraud. My quick math tells me if they can get 10,000 users @ 20/- day = 200K per day. They only need to make sure the 10,000 are high spenders and they would never realize they are losing money. (Possible insider collusion?)

Anyone had this experience?

@Qognito emotions aside, these Premium Rate Service Providers are licensed and protected by CCK and not Operators. In fact the law is that CCK does not allow Operators to charge premium rates.

When you send a message once maybe for a tune, news, quote, you may miss some invisible small print and be unknowingly subscribed to an MT service that charges an amount whenever you receive a text from them.

I understand Safaricom is garnering to get some of the hoaxes. So if you report officially to Safaricom and the PRS can't adduce evidence of your subscription, not only do they have to give refund they can be cutoff from stressing others.

@KenyanLyrics
Isn't that just plain sad?

@muganda
I was initially suspicious that I had subscribed without knowing. Or someone did that on my phone while I wasn't watching. I was almost apologetic and had made up my mind not to follow up on it further when they claimed to have unsubscribed me. Sounds like I had been fooled and I think I should now demand my money back.
Consider these facts as stated:

1. During the alleged period of subscription, I got no alerts that I am subscribed to a service. I only lost the 20/ per day. There was simply no way of knowing I was losing money had I not happened to chance on it as stated in my original post. If I had made sure to keep some balance and never bothered to check my balance, it's almost certain I would never have found out.

2. During the said period of subscription as well, I got no "service" for that alleged subscription. No SMS, no lucky draw entries, nothing... I later found out from the safcom c.c that this is a chat wap service. CHAT WAP??? I barely send sms, why would I want to chat like a teenager at 20/ a day? And who was I chatting with?

3. After my first visit to Safaricom customer care, they promised to unsubscribe me. This is also the period I got the information about the code 3767 that I was losing money to and their c.c line. I was livid and asked the customer care rep to raise this as an official complaint to their fraud unit.

4. After the alleged unsubscription (see 3 above), it didn't seem to stop. From the sms's that I have insufficient funds to use the service. SO I call the Integrate PRS c.c. Like the safaricom one, they all thought I was doing it by accident. I ask her to check my logs on her system, she doesnt. A little chat and she says, I might have clicked on a link while browsing. The nerve!Apparently I may not be old enough to know what I click on? She promises to unsubscribe me for the second time.

5. The sms alerts have not stopped since, and I am too pissed to be calling their c.c line everyday.

6. I have checked my logs (Nokia phones do keep good logs that cannot be edited) and there is no log of me sending an sms to 3767 or some funny number.

From my own judgement, this must be a well organised scam. Shouldn't there be a code of conduct that compels these third party people to send alerts when they deduct your money. I would have been able to catch that in the first place, from the first sms. Or at least an initial sms that alerts someone that you are now subscribed to this service? Like they do with their data service.

Or even an automatic unsubscription if you dont have funds in that line. 2 weeks without topping up that line and they are still sending me their stupid sms. Even the nerve to suggest that I "Okoa Jahazi". If it wasn't so "tragic", it would be funny as hell.

You are not alone friend.Av been there n out though bruised. Objectively,send an sms( STOP) to that 4 digit number,THE CATCH though,you will be charged 20 bob for the sms. I too did nt subscribe though i lost enough of my credit. On other issues,safcm is robbin kenyans whenever they use there phones to access the internet. Mordern day robbery. Watch out!

Qognito... Were you complaining to customer rep from the PRS or from Safaricom.. Like Muganda said, operators are not allowed to charge Premium rates.

@KenyanLyrics.. what's with the bile? Ever since Wazuans contradicted your contention that NMG is the most popular brand in Kenya, voting for Safaricom instead... you've just been pouring vitriol against the company.. what's the deal?

I don't think that's something I would want to do. There are no guarantees it would stop. Two unsubscriptions from the customer care agents and they are yet to stop.

Regardless, I never sent START to the short code. They have already thieved money from me, no need to add to that!

Care to share the safaricom customer care e-mail address? I have not gotten through 100 line. Unless I visit the customer care centre again.

Might raise the issue to get to the bottom of it. I was a bit complacent since it's not money I would go fighting over, but it's my money after all!

@Qognito pole, haven't been back here in ages. I'm not an expert or affiliated with Safaricom but here's what I gather:

Customer care email: customercare@safaricom.co.ke
Since it requires some investigation, you could also just call Fraud 0722 003137 and discuss.

Oh the memories. Still remember this topic
I managed to port out my number to a different network, gladly.
The irony is, barely a day after that, I get the Safaricom Spam/Promotion SMS that prepay subscribers can now unsubscribe from PRS services by *100#

Haha the irony... these guys can be funny too.

Please dont spam me Safaricom, I left your network already.

Dear wazuans,

I thought I was the omly one. Sometime in april last year I got such a message "Insufficient funds" while the phone is in the bag but on going to customer care, they told me lots of nonsense. Ati I must have subscribed. Forgetting I had a phone I could barely use. I was so mad I threw away that line.

Today I have got that sort of message on my modem. Enyewe these guys are thieves. Forget about third party coz my modem line has never seen the inside of a phone!!!