Media Breakaway, LLC Mobile Content Class Action Settlement Announced
Media Breakaway, LLC (providing mobile content under the business name “Ringaza”), following similar settlements reached with AT&T Mobility, LLC, and Mobile Messenger Americas, Inc. regarding similar issues, has entered into a settlement of a class action lawsuit on behalf of itself and its business partners including third-party advertisers who also market and provide “mobile content” services, involving claims of alleged unauthorized mobile content charges on cell phone bills of consumers in the U.S. While Media Breakaway disputed these allegations, the parties settled the class action lawsuit and asked the court to preliminarily approve the settlement. The settlement, which received preliminary approval by the U.S. District Court in Miami last week, entitles wireless customers in the U.S. to receive refunds for claimed unauthorized mobile content charges.
Mobile content refers to products such as ringtones, games, graphics, news, and other alerts that are provided through mobile phones and are charged directly to consumers’ mobile phone bills. Although a relatively new form of commerce, mobile content has evolved to form a large and increasingly important industry. Media Breakaway acts as a provider of mobile content and a marketer of third-party mobile content that consumers purchase to use with their cellular telephones.
Attorneys Jay Edelson, Myles McGuire and Rafey S. Balabanian of KamberEdelson, LLC, were appointed by the Court to serve as the attorneys for the class. Class members may visit www.MBClassAction.com to learn more details about the settlement and how to apply for a refund. Class members may also call the claims administrator directly at 1-800-936-5093 or class counsel at 1-866-354-3015.
Dear Madam/Sir,
On July 3, 2009, I was browsing the internet when I found some information about jobs opportunities in the Bay Area. When I clicked the link I was then asked if I wanted to open an account to access the list. I was then asked to provide my cell phone as a way to check my identity.
The so-called job search engine sends me back a PIN number that was displayed on my cell-phone that displayed:
424-2
Your PIN is 2782. …
When I open the message here is the content I got:
*DUPLICATE*
From: 424-42
Your PIN is 2782. Enter it at myiqbooster.net for your quiz results. TXT help 4help or 800-291-8575-$9.99/mth-5msgs+STD rates.txt stop2end.
Until now no problem, I didn’t enter the pin at myiqbooster.net. I was not interested by any quiz charged $9.99 per month. ‘*Duplicate*’ was misleading, I received another message later on without the myiqbooster.net mention.
I only enter the pin to get the job listing. Then I was presented another page where they asked me to enter my cell-phone number for another job related service. I skip this request and I just got redirected to Indeed.com which a well known job listing web-site.
According to what I first saw PredictoMobile or affiliate used a kind of phishing technique that enabled PredictoMobile or affiliate to get my cell-phone number.
As I started to receive messages from 654-654 on my cell, I decided to use my Verizon spam filter to block this message. I was not able to stop further messages from 654-654. As I got some time available today, I did a search on google and discovered similar complaints about people receiving message from 654-654 from a service called PredictoMobile.
I also noticed that I got charged $9.99/month on my cell-phone bill for the PredictoMobile premium text service that I never wanted.
Hence I ask PredictoMobile to repay me all the amount they charged on my Verizon Account since July 3, 2009 as there was never clearly identified contract establishing PredictoMobile to be paid for a service I never requested.
September 26th, 2009 at 1:50 am
My 10 year old got a hold of our cell phones and racked up a lot of charges from Bango (20.97), Thumbplay (20.98), and gameloft (206.99). None of these were authorized charges and none of the games were loaded onto the phones. He told us that all it said was get more games and he clicked on it not knowing that by just clicking on that would charge us. I am not sure if this deals with this issue or not but I am now out a lot of money and do not even have the games to play.
December 28th, 2009 at 11:37 pm
I got charged 19.99 for a so called premium txt service I never authorized, they said it was a third party provider and they were not responsible, This is crap and dirty!
January 15th, 2010 at 3:19 am