What is mHub ?..
I have no idea what it is, but I suddenly lost $17.85 from my prepaid mobile phone balance, and on checking with my provider, it turns out that it was taken by mHub.
It seems that I accidentally subscribed to something called mHub, maybe via an APP or clicking on an advert via an app, or even just a reply to a text message.
I checked the terms for mHub, as this is the company that my phone provider told me had taken the payment, and this was the information I got:
3.2.2 For Optus customers subscribed after 4 September 2014:
Direct Carrier Billing
OPTUS Customers –
- Sign-up fee for $5.95
- Ongoing subscription fees– 2x$5.95 – Every 7 days (Minimum Subscription Period) from your subscription date.
Apparently Mobile phoneproviders have Premium SMS service turned on by default, and some companies make use of this by sending you a message, and if you click to look you are automatically subscribed, and you pay immediately from your mobile phone balance.
I was able to confirm that I never SENT any premium SMS, and I was refunded the $17.85 that had been taken.
5 minutes after I left the Optus office i received a text from mHub, saying I had unsubscribed, and they were sorry to see me go.
At $11.90 per week income for them, I guess they don’t like losing me.
I still have no idea what they actually provide though. Maybe someone younger than an aged pensioner would know ?
mHub is a trading name of 8Z Pty Ltd (a registered company in New South Wales, Australia under ABN 34 131 873 151).
It appears that by clicking almost anything: You authorize your mobile carrier to charge appropriate fees directly to your mobile service bill (meaning if you are on a post-paid service the charges are billed to your mobile phone statement or if you are on a prepaid service the charges are deducted from your prepaid balance)
An APP that I downloaded must have given mHub my mobile phone number automatically!!
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