The Fixer: stopping spam texts
Have you been left out of pocket due to poor service or sharp practice? Do you have a money problem that won't go away?
It can seem impossible to get a fair result when you are battling a financial issue alone. But never fear! The AOL Money Fixer is here to help.
Dear Fixer,
I am fed up of receiving texts from companies about games and other services that I do not want.
I seem to receive at least one a day at the moment. How can I stop these annoying messages coming through?
B Patel, Leicester
Dear Mr Patel,
Spam texts can be very annoying, particularly if you receive a lot of them. How to deal with them depends on who is sending them and for what reason.
The message may be from a company that has signed you up to its marketing campaign because you failed to tick - or untick - a box, even if you did not realise you were agreeing to be contacted.
Messages of this kind will include the sender's details, which is how you can tell them apart from straightforward spam texts.
You can therefore text the word STOP back to get yourself removed from the mailing list. Firms are legally obliged to pay attention to this.
However, make sure it is definitely a marketing message from a legitimate company, as texting STOP to a spam sender will simply confirm the messages are getting through and may result in you receiving even more.
You can also complain to the Information Commissioner about messages of this kind if they fail to stop when you contact the company to tell it you no longer want to receive them.
If you are sure the message is spam, you can report it to your network provider for free by forwarding the message to 7726 (which spells SPAM on your keypad).
Alternatively, report it to the Information Commissioner's Office (0303 123 1113), which has the power to fine firms up to £500,000.
Another way to stop messages from a particular number is to block messages and calls from the number on your phone. The only problem is that many companies use multiple Sims to send spam, so blocking one number doesn't necessarily mean the messages will stop.
The Fixer
Whatever your financial problem, write to themoneyfixer@aim.com and The AOL Money Fixer will get on the case.
