Enabling content counting for Megafon numbers - pc63 - LiveJournal. Content account in Tele2
Lately, I very often come across the fact that my friends suffer because of paid subscriptions to Megafon.
Here is one example:
Well, after pressing the “open” button, money should be debited. True, this doesn’t happen to me, I unsubscribed from all this and closed access to payments to short numbers. But other people suffer. Even my wife suffered; about 1,000 rubles were written off from her. Eldar Murtazin wrote a lot about these situations, and for some time I watched such stories from the sidelines.
But what happened over the weekend forced me to write this post. The fact is that my loved one is in the hospital. And so that he wouldn’t be bored there, I decided to bring him a 4G modem. I arrived at the Megafon salon, transferred one of my SIM cards to the “Internet only” tariff and decided to block access to short numbers. But it turned out that everything is not so simple. The manager said that recently they have been unable to do this themselves. I need to write an SMS with my own hand to a special number, and then I won’t have these unpleasant situations. True, only three months. Then access will be unblocked and you will need to send exactly the same SMS again. The manager could not explain why the company did this. This is inconvenient to say the least. And at most, it resembles the lifestyle of Ostap Bender. In my case, such manipulations are extremely difficult, because SMS must be sent from a modem.
And today a friend of mine found himself in a similar situation.
To be honest, I have a very warm relationship with the Megafon company and I sent them a link to this material immediately after publication, I want to receive a competent answer.. It’s really not clear to me why they make life so difficult for their clients.
Do you encounter this in MTS and Bi?
Received a response from Megafon
All content providers that provide access to subscriptions to various services on the Internet must necessarily publish information about the terms of provision, the cost of services, and the connection must be made only after clicking the consent button to subscribe. After this action, an SMS message is received with information about connecting to the service.
For the convenience of clients who do not want to use content services, it is possible to create a separate personal account (the so-called content account). It will be used to pay for reference and entertainment services, which are related to content services provided with the involvement of MegaFon partners. If there is a zero balance on the account, no payment for content services will be made. The operator’s own services (calls, SMS, Internet) will be paid from the main personal account. To create a content account (CA), you need to contact a Megafon communication salon to write an application or dial the USSD request *393*4#call. You can also connect the CS using the Service Guide
Almost every second cellular subscriber in Russia has recently encountered the problem of money disappearing from their mobile phone account. As a rule, this happens due to the “spontaneous” activation of additional services, SMS subscriptions or entertainment services via short numbers. Today we will talk about one of the most effective ways to protect money on your personal phone account, connecting a second (separate) account to pay for content services.
Since May 2014, amendments to the Law “On Communications” came into force in Russia, in accordance with which, when providing content services, cellular operators are required to first inform the subscriber about their cost and obtain explicit consent to provide services. In addition, the subscriber was able to create a separate account to pay for content services. In this case, money can be written off only from this “additional account”. The main account will remain untouchable. If the “additional account” has a zero balance, the content service simply will not be provided.
Subscribers who do not want to open a separate personal account to pay for content will continue to pay for these services in the usual manner - from their single account.
It must be said that the legislative initiative is very practical. It looks especially useful for users of the mobile Internet: USB modems, routers, tablets, when visiting a particular site automatically subscribes the subscriber to a paid service. Another thing is that all these possibilities are not very advertised by operators. According to data received from all mobile operators operating in the Urals, only 70 thousand subscribers out of almost 20 million use an additional personal account (data as of January 1, 2015). This is 0.35% of the entire subscriber base.
Contacts to sales and service offices only confirm this thesis. Thus, in six out of ten salons, consultants were taken by surprise by our request to connect a second personal account. Only after 5-7 minutes they were ready to discuss the connection diagram in detail. According to them, there are very, very few people with similar requests.
Beeline
id="sub0">The connection of a second personal account has been implemented in Beeline since May 1, 2014. The service is activated free of charge either when the subscriber contacts the operator’s office, or through activation in your personal account, or by calling 07226. There is no subscription fee.
Whenever you try to connect one or another paid service, Beeline sends the subscriber an SMS message about the cost of the service before activating it; requests additional confirmation of the service order; tells the subscriber about the content provider, indicating the cost and method of disconnection while using the service. In addition, the operator informs you monthly about what content provider services are connected to the number and how to disable them. After five months, the subscription must be renewed by explicit confirmation from the customer. If there is no confirmation, it turns off automatically.
Unlike other operators, Beeline has two types of personal accounts for content services. The first, with automatic replenishment of the balance - that is, if the subscriber runs out of money on the second account and needs to pay for some content service, the funds will be automatically transferred from your main account. In essence, this format devalues the entire scheme with an additional account. Be careful when connecting to the service. Choose the second account option - without automatic replenishment. In this case, if you run out of money on the second account and need to pay for some content service, the funds will need to be deposited manually from the main account. You can connect an account without auto-replenishment through your personal account, in your own Beeline office with the help of an office employee by calling a short number 07226 by sending a request to the number *110*5062# .
Principle of operation:
Payments for all services and subscriptions that do not relate to Beeline’s own content and payments for social networking services are debited from the additional account. Beeline content and social networking services are paid from the main personal account.
The additional account is replenished in the same way as the main number. Instead of the first digit of the number being “9”, the first digit of the number will be “6”. For example, 8-905-875-01-15 is the main personal account, 8-605-875-01-15 is an additional one.
It is also possible to transfer funds from the main personal account to the additional one and vice versa.
Combination for transfer from the main account to the additional one:
*220*amount in rubles# dial
Combination for transfer from additional to main account:
*222*amount in rubles# dial
Megaphone
id="sub1">Each subscriber of MegaFon in the Urals can independently connect a separate content account in the following convenient ways: by dialing the USSD command on the phone *393*4*1# call key or using request *393# go to the second page by pressing “4” and then 1. Create an account, go to the “Service Guide” self-service system and there, in the “Content Services” section, create an account for additional services in a matter of seconds. Corporate clients with any payment system - advance or credit - can also connect to a content account by writing an application at any MegaFon office.
Principle of operation:
By sending a message to a short number or typing some USSD request for an entertainment service, the subscriber receives a message requesting confirmation of debits from the content account; after sending the confirmation, the availability of the required amount on the content account is checked; if the balance is insufficient, the subscriber will be denied the service, Accordingly, no write-offs will occur.
The cost of SMS, USSD requests for short numbers, partner subscriptions will be debited from the created content account. If the balance of this account is zero, activation of additional services and mobile subscriptions will not be available.
The operator’s own services are paid from the main personal account, including such content services as the MegaFon.TV Media Portal, Video Portal, Kaleidoscope. Other reference and entertainment services, which are related to content services provided with the involvement of MegaFon partners, are paid from the content account if the required amount is available on it.
You can comfortably top up your content account or transfer money from an additional account to the main one using the “Service Guide” self-service system in the “Content Services” section, then “Top up your content services account.” You can also find out the balance of your content account and quickly top it up by requesting *393*2#.
MOTIVE
id="sub2">To connect an additional personal account to pay for content services, you just need to come to any office of the company with your passport and write an application. The account will be opened on the same day. There is no fee for opening and further use of a second personal account from the subscriber.
If a short number is used to order communication services, for example, to activate a package of minutes or SMS, the money is debited from the main account. If the short number is used to order any content services - ringtones, pictures, postcards, horoscopes, etc. - money is debited from an additional account, of course, if you have one. If there are not enough funds on the additional personal account to pay for a particular content, the service will not be provided.
Principle of operation:
When ordering any content service, MOTIV must notify the subscriber about the cost and validity period, after which it is automatically disabled, as well as double confirmation of the order.
“An additional personal account cannot 100% protect subscribers from the actions of mobile scammers, but it will help control the costs of paying for content services. For example, to avoid unplanned expenses, you can open an additional personal account for your child, maintain an almost zero balance on it and be sure that the little subscriber will not spend the monthly budget on ringtones and pictures,” stated the MOTIV press service.
MOTIV subscribers can top up an additional personal account at any office of the company or at a payment terminal that supports this functionality. A service is currently under development that allows you to transfer money from your main account to a secondary account. It is promised to be launched during the first half of 2015.
MTS
id="sub3">To open a separate personal account to pay for content services, the subscriber must personally contact the MTS store and fill out an application for the provision of services. Upon successful processing of the application, the subscriber will receive an SMS message about the activation of a separate account with the following text: “A separate personal account for the number +79ХХХХХХХХХ has been successfully created, virtual phone number +71ХХХХХХХХХ. Use it to top up your funds and request your balance.” The application processing period is 10 days from the date of application.
Principle of operation:
When connecting to the service, payment for all content services provided by third-party content providers (with the exception of services provided through a single portal of state and municipal services) will be made from a second personal account. If the subscriber has not opened a separate personal account, the cost of these services will be debited from the subscriber's main account.
In order for a subscriber to order content services when using a separate personal account, the balance of this personal account must be above zero. If there are no funds in the additional personal account, payment and provision of content services will not be made.
The subscriber can top up an additional account through payment systems, through a bank, or using a bank card. In this case, you must indicate the virtual account number in the format +7-1XX-XXX-XX-XX or enter the number of a separate LAN directly. You can transfer funds from your main personal account to a secondary account in your personal account or using the command *112*[your virtual number]*[amount in rubles]. You can check the balance of your second personal account using the USSD command *100*103# or in the subscriber’s personal account.
Tele2 (Rostelecom)
id="sub4">To obtain a content-based personal account, a subscriber just needs to contact any Tele2 communication store with a passport and fill out a written application. The content account will be created within a few days, of which the subscriber will be notified via SMS.
Subscriber expenses for basic communication services (calls, SMS, Internet) will be debited from the main personal account, and expenses for content - from the content personal account. Content services include services provided by third parties (content providers) on short numbers, as well as operator services such as dating, one-time and subscription services issued on entertainment portals, etc. All popular Tele2 content services are collected on the operator’s website , where subscribers can independently and safely subscribe to content of interest.
If the balance is zero, funds are not debited from the account, i.e. the subscriber will not be able to use the service until there are insufficient funds in the account to provide it. Thus, Tele2 subscribers are protected from unwanted costs.
Principle of operation:
When requesting a new content service, the subscriber receives an SMS message indicating the service, its cost, and the name of the content provider that provides it. To activate the service, the subscriber must send a confirmation in response.
A subscriber can top up a content personal account by transferring funds from his main personal account using USSD commands. For the convenience of subscribers, commands have also been created to check the balance and return funds from the content personal account to the main one. All operations on opening, closing, and managing a content personal account are free.
*160# - certificate of content personal account balance
*160*SUM# - transfer of funds from the subscriber’s main personal account to his content account.
*160*AMOUNT*0# - return of funds from the subscriber’s content personal account to his main account.
How to connect a separate personal account for content services and mobile subscriptions?
id="sub5">Creating a separate personal account for content services on your SIM card is one of the most effective ways to protect against theft. However, it is impossible to talk about 100% protection against fraudulent charges, since branded services of operators are excluded from the scope of these rules.
However, subscribers who open a second account with a zero balance can be sure that they will not pay for air.
What is it for?
In short - to exclude the possibility of the appearance of paid subscriptions, the appearance of “Access to infotainment services” when clicking on URL links with daily debiting of funds, etc. etc. in general, to pay only for calls and SMS to long numbers (if the short number belongs to Megafon, then additional debiting is also possible)
Briefly on the Megafon website - http://samara.megafon.ru/services/content/uslugi_operatora_s_kontent-prova/uslugi_na_korotkih_nomerah.html
TERMS OF SERVICE USING SHORT NUMBERS (pdf) - http://moscow.megafon.ru/ai/html/3171/files/oferta_short_numbers.pdf
For the impatient, you can create a Content Account as follows:
By sending the USSD command *393*4*1#;
Or by entering *393# go to the second page by pressing “4” and then 1. Create an account;
Fill out an Application for creating a content account at MegaFon sales and service offices.
Mikhail (10:04:20): Services
System (10:04:23): Welcome to MegaFon online consultant!
System (10:04:26): Please wait for the consultant's response.
System (10:04:26): Connecting... Please wait for a response from the consultant.
Consultant (10:04:26): Your question is being processed.
Mikhail (10:04:28): Content account
Mikhail (10:04:37): Hello!
Lyudmila (10:04:48): Hello!
Mikhail (10:04:57): I want to enable a content account on all my numbers
Lyudmila (10:05:07): Connecting a content account is done when contacting the MegaFon office.
Lyudmila (10:05:10): As part of the service, a subscriber notification is introduced - a request to confirm the Client’s desire to order a content service. Before purchasing content from the Content Provider, you will be familiarized with the cost of the service, the name of the provider providing the service, and must agree to the purchase. Confirmation comes in the form of an SMS or voice message before the content is charged.
Lyudmila (10:05:13): More information about the services of content providers here: http://volga.megafon.ru/services/content/uslugi_operatora_s_kontent-prova/uslugi_na_korotkih_nomerah.html
Lyudmila (10:06:00): Independent creation of a content account *393*4# (hereinafter - 1 create)
Mikhail (10:06:13): I don’t want to go to the office, please enable the service remotely
Lyudmila (10:06:59): Mikhail, with our help this service is not activated!
Mikhail (10:07:06): Why?
Lyudmila (10:07:15): Because there is no such possibility.
Mikhail (10:10:54): Service “Access to infotainment services” when following URL links. refers to content services?
Lyudmila (10:11:15): Appropriate.
Mikhail (10:11:34): Thank you!
Lyudmila (10:11:59): If you have any additional questions, please contact us! We will be happy to advise! All the best!
Upd When creating an account, Megafon asks you to read the terms and conditions on the page http://www.megafon.ru/ad/ks, don’t bother opening it, it has been moved to another place, probably here
Content in the broad sense of the word is any information material. Many operators provide this very content, and not for free. Many Megafon subscribers are interested in the question: access to content - what is it and what is it for?
Everything works on the principle that if a Megafon subscriber has gained access to content, he must pay a certain amount. Of course, this can be a convenient service for timely receipt of any news from Russia and the world or entertainment materials. But what if the user did not connect such a service at all or connected it unconsciously, as a result of which he simply loses a certain amount of money? In this case, paid content is of no use at all, and it would be better not to enable its use.
Not only the operator provides similar services throughout Russia, but also other users who can connect you to paid mailings using a short number. Adolescents are most at risk due to curiosity and older people due to their inexperience in using such devices. Some scammers in Russia also withdraw funds from accounts using short codes, which results in several hundred rubles missing from the account. A logical question arises about how to disable access to content, but Megafon gives a simple answer - use a specialized operator service that operates throughout Russia.
"Stop content" service
This service is considered a specialized way of the Megafon operator to block communications with paid numbers. This applies to all types of communication, including:
- SMS messages;
- USSD codes;
- regular outgoing voice calls.
As a result, this service is a protective barrier for the Megafon user from all kinds of scammers in Russia. Any tariff presented by the operator allows you to use the service in your home region for free.
Now we have figured out what a Megafon subscriber is dealing with, what access to content is and how to block it in order to avoid losing money from the account of a subscriber who is a resident of Russia.
Connecting and disconnecting the service
To activate the Stop Content service, just use one of the USSD codes:
- *526# and call;
- *105*801# and call.
After the activation procedure has been successfully completed, your smartphone should receive an SMS message stating that the service has been successfully activated and access to paid content is prohibited. This is the easiest way to disable content on Megafon using a function that, moreover, does not require any subscription fee from the user. The peculiarity of the service is that Megafon’s official services remain available for use, and it also remains possible to pay for parking throughout Russia using various specialized codes and SMS messages to short numbers.
Disabling the service is as simple as connecting it: just dial *526# again or immediately enter 0 in the code, which will look like *526*0#.
Results
For Megafon users, content from dubious paid numbers can be blocked using a convenient service that does not block official materials from the operator. This is convenient for Russian users, who, by connecting to the service, become maximally protected from the actions of scammers, as well as for Megafon itself, which leaves its own offers unblocked. As a result, it is still advisable for Megafon subscribers to limit access to content, since this function remains free and has an extremely positive effect on the use of mobile communications, as well as its security in general.
Many of us have come across so-called “content services” and various paid “subscriptions”. Basically, these are completely useless and very expensive entertainment services that no one will ever buy of their own free will. These services are provided by special companies - content providers; mobile operators act as intermediaries and take a percentage for this.
It turns out to be a very interesting scheme: the content provider fraudulently obtains subscribers’ money, and the mobile operator receives its percentage from this and, as it were, is not to blame, since it was not he who provided the service.
Deceiving subscribers using content services is beneficial for mobile operators. Of course, they pretend that they are protecting their subscribers and fighting scammers, but things don’t go beyond statements and outright window dressing.
In 2014, a law was passed that allows any subscriber of any operator to open a special content account, after this, fees for any content services will be debited only from such an account, the main account remains out of reach of fraudsters. Of course, telecom operators comply with the law, but they do it without much enthusiasm, because they lose income.
I tried to connect content account with all major operators and I will share my experience below.
Content account at Megafon
Theory
It was not possible to find any information about opening a content account on the Megafon website, this is not surprising. Of course, this information is there, but it is buried so deep that you can’t just find it. On the Internet we managed to find something we were interested in - a content account can be connected using USSD command *393*4*1#. To top up or To check the content account balance, use the USSD command *393*2#.
Practice
When sending the USSD command *393*4*1# I received the following error:
Next, I visited one of the Megafon salons in Podolsk near Moscow, where I was asked to present my passport and write a statement by hand. About a week later, I received an SMS about creating a content account, I was able to top it up via the command *393*2# and tried to buy a content service - everything works as it should.
Conclusions: Connecting a content account is especially difficult, but possible.
Content account in Tele2
Theory
To connect a content account in Tele2, you need to contact any Tele2 communication store with a passport; connection takes up to 10 working days. To work with a content account, you can use the following commands:
*160# - check the balance of the content account;
*160*200# - replenishment of the content balance by 200 rubles (you can specify any amount);
*160*200*0# - refund of 200 rubles from the content account to the regular one (you can specify any amount);
Practice
After 30 minutes of waiting in line (Tele2 saves on everything), I was asked to write a free-form application by hand; they don’t have any sample. After 2 weeks the account was connected, all USSD commands above work.
Conclusions: If you don’t take into account the terrible service and queues in Tele2 stores, everything works great.