Regularly scan your messaging inbox for messages saying you are subscribed to mobile services, monitor your contract cellphone statements or prepaid airtime balance, and proactively check your mobile subscription status with your cellular network.
Do these three simple mobile tasks at least once a month and cellular users will only always be subscribed to the mobile value-added services they want.
“It’s in everyone’s best interest that mobile users only receive what they want to receive,” says Anthony Ekerold, chair of South Africa’s self-regulating mobile content and applications industry body, the Wireless Application Service Providers’ Association (WASPA).
WASPA is promoting the simple ‘scan, monitor, check’ mobile mantra as an effective way for keeping tabs on what mobile value-added services have been requested by users.
South Africans can be justly proud of our mobile content and applications sector which is a world leader in responsible self-regulation and boasts an enforceable industry Code of Conduct that’s the result of a decade and a half of hard work.
WASPA first introduced a Code of Conduct to regulate the then emerging mobile content and applications industry in 2004. From a collection of like-minded firms wanting to offer increased protection to the local mobile consumer in line with developments globally, the sector is today an important and responsible contributor to South Africa’s vibrant cellular industry.
South African mobile users are well protected. This can be seen in the fact that the country’s over 95-million mobile connections generate a mere handful of mobile subscription-related complaints to WASPA monthly.
To check your mobile value-added subscription status:
* Vodacom: Send “Stop All” to 31050 (If you receive a message saying it was unsuccessful, you weren’t subscribed to anything).
* MTN: Dial/Call *136*5#: Select “Content Services”.
* Cell C: Dial/Call *133*1#.
* Telkom Mobile: Via the Telkom app: Login > My product > Subscriptions > Content Services.