Issue Date:  -  Wednesday, 14 June 2006

Stopping annoying marketing calls to mobiles

The Consumer Protection Commissioner, who named Eastern states-based company DC Marketing in January this year, has some updated advice for consumers who are receiving supposedly ‘missed calls’ on their mobile phones from a variety of telephone numbers with 02 and 03 prefixes.

“Following a wave of people contacting us with concerns about this company’s tactics of calling mobile phones with ‘missed calls’ which are designed to get the receiver to call the missed number back, I believe it is in the interests of the community to know what numbers to look out for,” Patrick Walker said.

“Once they have called the 02 or 03 number back, consumers are being told by either someone called ‘Simon’, or an unnamed female, that they are a winner and are then encouraged to call a premium charging 190 telephone service to find out what they have won.

“This company has provided details of how to have mobile numbers taken off their hit lists, and our advice to consumers is to either email or write and insist that they be taken off the lists if they do not want these types of sales calls,” Mr Walker said.

The main incoming numbers are as follows, although there could also be others:

(02) 8303 8321  (02) 8404 2215 (02) 8404 2296 (03) 8102 9565
(03) 8558 0556 (02) 8303 8320

Anyone receiving supposed missed calls from any DC Marketing telephone promotion can have their details removed by emailing refund@vrpan.com** and stating they do not want their mobile number used in their promotions. Consumers can also do this by writing to DC Marketing, PO Box 994, Spit Junction NSW 2088.

If consumers find they are still receiving calls, after being asked to be taken off the company’s call lists, they should contact Consumer Protection for assistance on telephone 1300 30 40 54 or email consumer@docep.wa.gov.au.

** Amendment to this media statement (26 June 2006)

On 25 June 2006, DC Marketing advised that it had changed its email address following a spam attack on its email hotlines. People wanting to have their details removed from the lists should email customer@vrpan.com.