20 Mar 2009
Mobile retailer Carphone Warehouse is preparing to launch a mobile payment service offering, which will include applications to pay bills and send money overseas.
In its initial stages, the retailer’s partnership with mobile payment specialist Monitise will see the both businesses promoting the service range, dubbed “Mobile Money” to consumers via stores, web sites, customer service agents and other channels.
The retailer’s plan is to offer customers a "remote control" to their money and take advantage of the increase in uptake of mobile transactions.
“The mobile phone is at the centre of our social and working lives,” said founder and chief executive of Carphone Warehouse Charles Dunstone.
“Whether you are staying in touch with family and friends, accessing your favourite web site or taking a photo of that moment you want to share with everyone, your mobile is simply the one thing you won't leave home without," he said.
Advances in technology will drive a 12-fold increase in mobile transaction values to more than £600bn by 2013, according to research carried out by Informa Telecoms & Media.
According to the study, almost 300 billion transactions will have been conducted by that time.
This sounds great to those who regularly take their mobile out shopping rather than a handful of cash, BUT there is no legislation existing that will enable you to resolve incorrect billing when it occurs (It will occur as it already is frequently with pesky ringtone downloads companies) When you find you have an incorrect amount charged - or an unsolicited amount charged, you will find that there is very little you can do about it other than ask nicely for your operator to give you the details of the perpetrator, which inevitably will be a premium rate phone number to a faceless company with no address.
This technology all sounds great, but I for one will be making sure my network provider understands that I will not be using my phone for this purpose and that they should either block all possibility to charge my account - or understand that I will expect them to repay any money taken without my consent. How many people actually get a bill - rather than on line, which most people then don't bother to check.
If there was a cast iron guarantee that disputes were resolved by the networks, this simply is going to be open to abuse by unscrupulous companies out to make a quick buck!
Please sign here in an attempt to get the legislation in first.
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Paymentbymobile/
Posted by: Sally H 26 Mar 2009
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