I think it's a very poor action by the company. Obviously they don't know who is holding the phone but for the spending of money out of the registered credit card without authorization is all kinds of bad. We're forced to register a card and the only way to sign up is using a card and we can't remove the card so they send this simple convenient purchase option offer and whoever is holding the phone can spend that money without a pin, without a password, without verification, without authorization. Just bad.
I remember reading a story of push back in the 611 service where anybody could dial in and make payments into the account without a pin or any verification...just like this. They did change 611 to require a pin for making payments from the credit card. This automatic purchase should stop. There has to be an extra layer of verification to pay from a credit card. The only standing authorization in our "contract" with the company is for autopay. We otherwise have to go through hoops of verification and authorization to make payments for top ups or add-ons. This purchase must require similar verifications and authorizations.
Adding - Here is the part in our "contract":
How does Public Mobile prepaid service work?
When you are subscribed, you have authorized Public Mobile to charge the payment method that you have registered, which will automatically renew your rate plan at the end of its subscription.
And:
How does billing work if I sign up for pre-authorized payments?
If you choose pre-authorized payments, we will renew your subscription automatically, by charging you the base plan amount on your subscription renewal date to the payment method you have registered on your account.
It does not say that we the customer authorize them to take money from the card to buy add-ons or upgrade a plan merely by saying yes to a text without additional authorization.
So once again the company is merrily going about breaching the "contract" that THEY impose on their customers to which they are also bound but seem to have no care in the world to abide by.
This also goes for automatic plan changes via the same kind of text offers. And this has been happening for the last little while for a few people who discover their kids have quietly bought data add-ons unbeknownst to their parents. Like, what?, more data?, say yes and that's it?...yes, send. Whoohoo.
And upgraded plans. Like, what?, a larger data bucket?, sign me up. Whoohoo.
@J_PM
