SMS & MMS premium services are exciting services available via SMS or MMS, including games and ringtones. They generally cost more than standard SMS and MMS messages.
what are value added SMS & MMS services?
These are services which allow you to receive information (weather, financial sport, news, etc.), ringtones, logos and games on your mobile phone via SMS & MMS as a one-off or on a regular basis (via subscription).
Many external SMS & MMS providers distribute their own products through the Orange mobile network using their own brand name. Working from a specific contract, Orange takes responsibility for distributing the products and for billing its own customers for them.
In this situation of third party added value, Orange intervenes only as an intermediary to take care of the connection on its network and for billing.
is your bill higher than usual?
Possible reasons:
- You have downloaded ringtones or logos via an SMS short number onto your mobile phone without being aware of the premium rate applicable or someone else has been using your mobile phone to sent an SMS to a short number.
- You have received an SMS inviting you to call back an 090x number (for example to listen to a so-called love declaration) and have dialled the 090x number given to listen to that message.
- You have taken part in an SMS chat or ordered an SMS service and have received dozens of SMS for which you have had to pay.
Possible reasons for an unusually high bill can be found in the detailed list of calls enclosed with your bill. Calls to premium rate numbers are listed under 'Other services'.
you are unable to receive SMS & MMS services
Your mobile phone is probably not configured correctly. Learn how to configure your mobile phone to access the SMS, MMS and WAP services simply and easily. Or your mobile phone number has been blocked from receiving SMS & MMS Premium services. To unblock it, please call Customer Care on 0800 700 700.
what responsibility does Orange hold?
Orange is not a provider of third-party premium rate services. Our only role is to set up the connection between the provider of the service and the Orange mobile subscriber. Orange is not responsible for the contents of SMS & MMS services provided by third parties.
Orange is responsible for billing the services that appear on the customer's monthly mobile phone bill. The sums invoiced to Orange customers are paid back to the provider of the service who then pays for the provision of the Orange infrastructure.
The relationship between the customer and the provider of the service could be compared to that of a contract. The customer must contact the provider of the service in the case of any dispute regarding the service provided. If the customer is unsure who has supplied the service, he can consult the list of content providers offering their services through Orange network or contact our Customer Care free on 0800 700 700.
what does Orange do about improper SMS & MMS services?
If improper use by the service provider has been proven, Orange may terminate the provider's contract or cut off access to the service. Possible cases of improper use include misleading advertising, provision of a non-existent service, prices advertised by the provider of the service different to those applied on the Orange bill, stop command not working, receipt of SMS & MMS without having requested the service. Details of any case under dispute should be described in writing to Orange by the customer, enclosing supporting documentation (e.g. copy of the advertisement).
what responsibility does the provider of the third-party service bear?
Service providers:
- bear sole responsibility for the services marketed by them and for their content;
- are responsible for defining the prices of the mobile services they offer;
- are responsible for advertising their own services - with respect for the law, particularly regarding price transparency.
The relationship between the Orange customer and the service provider could be described as a tacit contract. Orange cannot be held responsible for the content of the service advertised.
what course of action should be taken if there is a dispute?
If there is a dispute, we request that you get in touch with the provider of the services under dispute. You can find the list of providers who have a contractual relationship with Orange. If you are unsure who supplied the service, Orange can give you these details using the number of origin of the message ('From' field for SMS or MMS).
If you cannot reach the provider or if they are not willing to get involved, please address your complaint in writing to Orange Customer Care at Rue du Caudray 4, Case Postale, 1020 Renens 1 or by email to info@orange.ch giving a detailed description of the dispute and, if possible, including supporting documentation (e.g. copy of the advertisement, bill, etc.)
Cases will then be analysed by Orange experts and the service provider. If improper use is established, you will receive a refund. We will inform you by post of the outcome of our investigations.
how can you avoid problems linked with receiving SMS & MMS for which there is a charge?
Monitor access to your mobile by third parties so as to avoid anyone ordering services without your knowledge.
Do not add your name to mailing lists or forms without reading the conditions you are agreeing to.
Closely examine the conditions of the service you wish to subscribe to before sending your SMS & MMS command to the short number given.
Keep information on how to deactivate the service in a safe place so you can cancel the service quickly at any time.
how do you deactivate a chargeable SMS & MMS service to which you have subscribed?
The deactivation command is given in the general information on the service. Keep this information in a safe place when you activate the service. Send the command to the short number given for the relevant service. Or, send the keyword STOP to the service provider's short number. This will stop all the subscriptions you have with the service provider. E.g: STOP to 520. Failing this, contact the service provider directly.
You can find the list of providers who have a contractual relationship with Orange here. If you experience any problem, please call Orange Customer Care free on 0800 700 700.
all you need to know on a specific SMS & MMS service or service provider
Simply send the below keywords to the short number that interests you:
| Keyword | Description |
|---|---|
| START | a subscription for starting the relevant push or club service |
| STOP or STOPP | to cancel the relevant push, chat, or club service |
| STOP or STOPP | to cancel all the end customer's push, club, or chat services to a specific short code |
| VIEW | overview of all active subscriptions to a particular short code |
| INFO | contact information of the Mobile Service Provider (as a minimum the name and Swiss hotline number (either geographical number or 0800/0840)) |
| HELP | support for service users (e.g. hotline number, website address) |
| INDEX | the end customer receives information from the Mobile Service Provider in the form of a description of how to use the service and the indication of where or how a detailed service description and price list may be obtained (e.g. on the Internet, by fax, on request, etc.) |
how to identify adult mobile entertainement services?
SMS & MMS services offering adult entertainment can only be provided using short codes of the type 6xxx. 6xxx numbers may only be used for adult entertainment services. The Service Provider is responsible for compliance with the provisions of the penal code with respect to the protection of minors, in particular by implementing legally acceptable controls on access.
what should you do if you receive unwanted SMS & MMS messages on your mobile phone?
First of all check that it is not an SMS & MMS value added service to which you have subscribed. If this is the case, you are billed for each SMS & MMS you receive according to the conditions you signed up for.
You should send the deactivation command as soon as possible. For more details, see 'How do you deactivate a chargeable SMS & MMS service to which you have subscribed?'
Please note that some Orange customers subscribe to 'chat' services via SMS. Later they identify the SMS received as improper, unwanted messages. Unfortunately they are very often subscribed to a service without being aware of how it operates or its conditions.
- If you are unsure and if you do not wish to pursue it, delete the SMS/MMS.
- If you receive this kind of SMS/MMS repeatedly, it may be that you are included on a list which authorises advertising via SMS & MMS (competitions, etc.) If you can identify the source of the message, contact the sender and have your details removed from their mailing list. Beware calling back 0900, 0901 or 0906 numbers as these are billed at a premium rate and the call could be expensive!
- It is also possible that it is unsolicited advertising sent en masse to our customers by third parties (spam). If this is the case, unfortunately it is not always possible to take action because the messages may originate from abroad and it will therefore be difficult to stop them. For more information on what you can do, see the section on spamming.
SMS and MMS premium rate blocking
This service enables you to better control your costs by blocking the purchase of Orange World & Kiosk - SMS and MMS premium rate services. You can either block adult content only or you can block all premium rate services.
To activate the block send an SMS with
BLOCK ADULT
(for adult content) or
BLOCK ALL
(for all types of content) to the short number 5155 or call our Customer Care on 0800 700 700.
To deactivate the block just call Customer Care by indicating your password that you received upon your Orange subscription (written on the contract).
Please note that adult SMS and MMS premium services are blocked by default for customers and known users below 18 years old.
family guide
As a parent, you want the best for your child. Also when it comes to mobile phones. That's why we've created our family guide (.PDF).
