How free is Vodacom News4u (spam)?

How free is Vodacom News4u (spam)?

20 Comments 30 October 2009

Your Web AddiCT has been a Vodacom subscriber for many years now but every couple of days I receive an MMS from Vodacom News4u. I have been inquiring about changing my contract, because International roaming never works on a Business TopUp contract package, which they have not allowed me to do. Why doesn’t Business TopUp international roaming never work? ‘Cos it pre-paid with a fancy name. Vodacom do not have the right agreements in place with nearly enough mobile service providers internationally that caters for pre-paid users. Every time I go overseas I have to purchase another sim card juts to be able to make a few calls and send text messages. Luckily there are many sites available in South Africa to send a free sms when away from home.

Back to Vodacom News4u. Is it really for me? Every few days an MMS appears in my mobile inbox: Free News4u. With Breaking News, Local news, World News, Sports news, Financial Indicators, Weather, ads on almost every page of news and a request to open your browser the the vcnews4u Mobi site.

Hey Vodacom, why don’t you pay me for the ads that get displayed in that MMS?

I never subscribed to Vodacom News4u
The ads displayed are add to your competition and other ‘value’ add services I have no interest in.
Opening that Vodacom News4u mobi URL will cost me data that is not free.

Then there is Vodacom23.

Make that Summer Connection & U could share in R27mil with Vodacom! Call ur boss, ur buddy or ur boet! the more calls u make- all at normal rates- the better ur chances to win R100 airtime a minute, R100000 a day or R1mil a week ’til20Dec! SMS OUT to 30699 (free) to stop Summer promo messages. T&C apply

All i got out of that was SMS OUT to 30699.

Have you read these yet?

Author

Rafiq Phillips

Rafiq Phillips - who has written 1261 posts on Web AddiCT(s);.

Founder of Web AddiCT(s); who tinkers with SEO while dreaming inside a technicolour conversational prism. Follow @rafiq on twitter or join other Web AddiCT(s); on Facebook.

Contact the author

« TEDx Cape Town – November

#m4change How to create MXit chat rooms »

http://walterpike.com Walter Pike
Its pure spam – i eventually managed to opt out – and saw an article in bizcommunity – the business who did it saying how they dont condone spam.
http://henrerossouw.co.za Henre Rossouw
Vodacom is getting more annoying by the day. It’s frustrating to know we are merely puppets to these companies. Changing service providers will surely not solve anything either.
Not to mention the amount of spam calls I receive for new contracts, from different vendors, even competing networks.
http://www.slingsby.za.net/ Mark
I tried to get WASPA to lodge a complaint against ‘VODACOM23′ – thats the originating number. Then I tried Vodacom, but ‘they arent a member of WASPA’
Its pathetic we are receiving this unsolicited spam, try and unsubscribe from it and it just keeps coming. Is this a vodacom spam or from a third party? Who can we lay a complaint against?
http://www.slingsby.za.net/ Mark
I tried to get WASPA to lodge a complaint against ‘VODACOM23′ – thats the originating number. Then I tried Vodacom, but ‘they arent a member of WASPA’
Its pathetic we are receiving this unsolicited spam, try and unsubscribe from it and it just keeps coming. Is this a vodacom spam or from a third party? Who can we lay a complaint against?
Brett
Really annoying. A breach of trust.
Piet Bezuidenhout
Disgusting how these big companies can bulley us!
Piet Bezuidenhout
How can we un-subscribe from Free News4U? I have never subscribed!
bern
will somebody PLEASE tell me how to unsubscribe??
Anonymous
To disable type *140# and dail. Option 5 will disable all promo ads. It’s crazy that you have to unsubscribe from something you did not want in the first place. I’m receiving more and more spam sms’s everyday. It’s becoming like my free email addy. Something must be done now otherwise it will grow out of control.
http://www.webaddict.co.za Rafiq Phillips
thanks
womanne
sooooo irritating. everyday I get that vodacom 4 u news mms, it ruins my day! I havent cancelled it, and that is even more irritating that I have to go to the trouble of cancelling something I never subscribed for!
http://markrussellphotography.webs.com/ Mark Russell
Thanks for that. I have finally disabled this stupid free news 4u ad. It’s been driving us nuts. Thanks for your great advice and thread!
http://www.webaddict.co.za Rafiq Phillips
I’d suggest unsubscribing from vodacom news4u then unless you find the info they spam you with useful, do you?
James
Soo irritating, stupid free news for you mms..
Thanks for the info on how to de-activate, lets hope it works..
http://blog.linaccess.com allan
sms stop to 36099 to stop news4you spamming you
Santisa
Hey Allan – I tried your advice but the darn messages are still coming regularly. Help!!
Damon
Just dial 111 customer care, hold for an operator and ask to be unsubscribed to Free News4u. They will remove it from your cell.
Costas
I don’t know but I am trying to unsubscribe as well and every time I sms 30699 it comes back with a reply “Your entry is incorrect, please sms the keyword first followed by the rest of the info required” Please tell me how can I stop these free sms’s
Alice
Sorry but this does not work
Alice
Free News 4U have stolen R3.00 every day for the last 7 years from me. It defnietly is not free. It is impossible to opt out. every time you try the bastards take another R25.00. Vodacom and Mtn refuse to help or supply U with any info. Free News 4U change telephone numbers and their address freequantly. Getting help from the SAP????maybe How do I get my money back…..