topic Re: unknown outgoing texts in Get Support

unknown outgoing texts

serapub — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 13:01:10 GMT

Hi there,

This is my first time to use PM. When I've activated SIM, I got two unknown outgoing texts, destination to the United Kingdom. It did not charge.

Outgoing text United Kingdom 447786209730 SMS

Outgoing text United Kingdom 447491163442 SMS

Is that OK? Why is there these texts? Anyone has ever met these issues?

Thanks

BTW, I have activated the SIM in the store. They don't sell me the SIM if I just wanna buy a SIM. So they did the ACTIVATE things and charged me 10$ of setup fee and I alse found these two stranges texts.

Re: unknown outgoing texts

ChuckYeah — Sat, 16 Nov 2019 22:01:27 GMT

Is your phone a Xiomi? Google seems to indicate some cloud setup related to these numbers.

MiCloud?

Re: unknown outgoing texts

serapub — Sat, 16 Nov 2019 22:01:59 GMT

Yes. I have put the SIM to a cellular of Xiaomi.

Re: unknown outgoing texts

ChuckYeah — Sat, 16 Nov 2019 22:03:08 GMT

@ChuckYeah wrote:
Is your phone a Xiomi? Google seems to indicate some cloud setup related to these numbers.

MiCloud?

According to this forum, https://forum.xda-developers.com/poco-f1/help/micloud-sending-sms-to-447786209730-t3866253, it sends a text to start up, but it doesn't look menacing at least.

Re: unknown outgoing texts

serapub — Sat, 16 Nov 2019 22:04:43 GMT

Yes I think so and I've googled the phone no. but I don't know why.

@ChuckYeah wrote:
@ChuckYeah wrote:
Is your phone a Xiomi? Google seems to indicate some cloud setup related to these numbers.

MiCloud?
According to this forum, https://forum.xda-developers.com/poco-f1/help/micloud-sending-sms-to-447786209730-t3866253, it sends a text to start up, but it doesn't look menacing at least.

Re: unknown outgoing texts

AE_Collector — Sat, 16 Nov 2019 23:20:26 GMT

@serapub wrote: BTW, I have activated the SIM in the store. They don't sell me the SIM if I just wanna buy a SIM. So they did the ACTIVATE things and charged me 10$ of setup fee

@serapub

I am curious, where did you activate your service...what store/dealer? You say they charged you $10 twice, 1 for the SIM and 1 for setup fee? Or just one $10 + tax charge, likely for the sim. I have never heard of a set up fee.

AE_Collector

Re: unknown outgoing texts

ChuckYeah — Sat, 16 Nov 2019 22:23:12 GMT

@serapub I'm guessing they charged you for the sim as you would not be eligible for the setup if you did not purchase a sim from them.

Re: unknown outgoing texts

Korth — Sat, 16 Nov 2019 22:24:22 GMT

This phone/software "setup" is basically an involuntary 2FA... the manufacturer wants to track your phone number (and carrier, and region) each time a new SIM card activated or a factory reset done.

Re: unknown outgoing texts

AE_Collector — Sat, 16 Nov 2019 23:23:28 GMT

@Korth wrote:
This phone/software "setup" is basically an involuntary 2FA... the manufacturer wants to track your phone number (and carrier, and region) each time a new SIM card activated or a factory reset done.

Not certain what you are saying @Korth

@what is 2FA?

Are you saying that if there is a $10 setup fee seperate from purchasing a $10 sim, it is something to do with this phone model and/or the two text messages?

AE_Collector

Re: unknown outgoing texts

cellphoneuser1 — Sat, 16 Nov 2019 23:29:03 GMT

@AE_Collector wrote:
Not certain what you are saying @Korth
@what is 2FA?

It's a way to ensure you are the authroized person to use an account. Some websites send you a text message with a code that must be entered before you can see your account.

Re: unknown outgoing texts

AE_Collector — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 00:52:40 GMT

Oh...Two Factor Authentication .... I just didn't get the acronym.

Re: unknown outgoing texts

Korth — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 00:42:40 GMT

I meant to say it's another way to confirm user identity, to marry the device with the person. Because all the other data points which the software and the cloud collect become most "valuable" and "relevant" (to the data brokers, advertisers, etc) when they are linked to specific individuals.

There's really no other reason a device manufacturer or software dev should ever know your phone number. It's just none of their business. Except... it's worth money so it is part of their business.

Re: unknown outgoing texts

serapub — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 01:52:39 GMT

@ChuckYeah wrote:
@serapub I'm guessing they charged you for the sim as you would not be eligible for the setup if you did not purchase a sim from them.

I don't know what's the "eligible". From the PM website, I think I can do all these things online. Maybe I misunderstood.

Re: unknown outgoing texts

serapub — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 01:57:23 GMT

get help and chat with SIMon told me:

set up fee

Great question. 👍 Guess what? At Public Mobile there's:

🚫 No activation fee

🚫 No porting fee

🚫 No unlocking fee

Just buy a SIM card, then a plan, and you're good to go!

Re: unknown outgoing texts

ChuckYeah — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 02:05:04 GMT

@serapub , you said:

**************************

Therefore I assumed that the store associate activated your account. You can do it online yourself for sure, but generally in order to have the store do it for you, you need to purchase the sim from them. I hope I did not misunderstand your post.

Re: unknown outgoing texts

serapub — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 03:46:20 GMT

@ChuckYeah wrote:
@serapub , you said:

BTW, I have activated the SIM in the store. They don't sell me the SIM if I just wanna buy a SIM. So they did the ACTIVATE things and charged me 10$ of setup fee and I alse found these two stranges texts.
**************************
Therefore I assumed that the store associate activated your account. You can do it online yourself for sure, but generally in order to have the store do it for you, you need to purchase the sim from them. I hope I did not misunderstand your post.

let's say, in order to get this $10 setup fee, they requested me do the ACTIVATE. I just need to buy a SIM, ACTIVATE is not my need. They don't sell me the SIM card if I refuse ACTIVATE in the store. But do the ACTIVATE, they charge me the setup fee which make me mad. Simply 2 points:

1, I don't wanna activate the SIM in the store because of the private info

2, They charge me for this ACTIVATE which I don't want to do.

This issue pissed off too many peoples after my inquirie. I hope PM can do something and as for my first suggestion to the PM.

So if possible, I think I should complain to the PM but I don't know how.

Re: unknown outgoing texts

Korth — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 04:10:37 GMT

PM charges no fees for activation, number port, number change, plan changes, account changes, service suspension, service un-suspension, account termination.

PM's official vendors (should) also charge no fees for any of that stuff.

PM's unofficial vendors make their own rules.

But of course vendors do whatever they do to make a buck. They do all the same stuff any customer could do for themselves. And it takes time, labour, effort, attention, which could arguably be spent towards other profitable things. So they feel entitled to add a surcharge. Or they just do it so customers won't automatically come in with every trivial issue.

Ask about what you're buying before you pay. And check your receipts afterwards. And if you don't want to put the effort into figuring out how to do it yourself, you want to just throw money at someone else instead, then you shouldn't be surprised if it costs extra or it's done wrong (that is, not exactly the way you like) or you're setting yourself up as an easy target for opportunistic crime.

Re: unknown outgoing texts

serapub — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 04:28:42 GMT

@Korth wrote:
PM charges no fees for activation, number port, number change, plan changes, account changes, service suspension, service un-suspension, account termination.

PM's official vendors (should) also charge no fees for any of that stuff.
PM's unofficial vendors make their own rules.

But of course vendors do whatever they do to make a buck. They do all the same stuff any customer could do for themselves. And it takes time, labour, effort, attention, which could arguably be spent towards other profitable things. So they feel entitled to add a surcharge. Or they just do it so customers won't automatically come in with every trivial issue.

Ask about what you're buying before you pay. And check your receipts afterwards. And if you don't want to put the effort into figuring out how to do it yourself, you want to just throw money at someone else instead, then you shouldn't be surprised if it costs extra or it's done wrong (that is, not exactly the way you like) or you're setting yourself up as an easy target for opportunistic crime.

I totally disagree with you. Post a replay just for a mark! I even don't wanna argue

Re: unknown outgoing texts

darlicious — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 08:17:09 GMT

@serapub I'm sorry to hear you were charged extra to activate. It's been mentioned once or twice before...im trying to remember correctly but I think it was London drugs which was shocking because usually they offer great service When it comes to pm. You can leave a review for the retailer here at the public mobile site. Easiest would be to go to the promo announcement and click on find a participating retailer link and then look up who you dealt with. We're they a small business or a larger retailer? If you tell the community it will at least warn others of your negative experience with this shady dealer.

Re: unknown outgoing texts

serapub — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 21:11:00 GMT

@darlicious wrote:
@serapub I'm sorry to hear you were charged extra to activate. It's been mentioned once or twice before...im trying to remember correctly but I think it was London drugs which was shocking because usually they offer great service When it comes to pm. You can leave a review for the retailer here at the public mobile site. Easiest would be to go to the promo announcement and click on find a participating retailer link and then look up who you dealt with. We're they a small business or a larger retailer? If you tell the community it will at least warn others of your negative experience with this shady dealer.

Yes and thanks for the ways to handle. in fact what I wanna do is to do some contribution to the PM as a newbie. I chose to complain also for this reason. I'll do my best but as a result it depends on the PM themselves. I am positive now so I do that, someday I feel boring, I can leave. not a big deal for me.