O2 in SMS contraception harassment rap

Take ur pill now

The perils of automated text services by which mobe operators send regular, user-defined set reminders are not something we'd particularly considered - until we heard the story of stereo_steve and his "Massive O2 problem". Read on:

Your gonna laugh when you hear my situation! but its causinng me alot of grief.

Sometime around January my girlfriend went on the pill. She asked me to remind her everyday at 7 to take it, so I used O2's automatic text service on the internet to do it everyday. This is a great service I thought!

In April I changed to Meteor (a far superior phone company). O2 continued sending out the messages. I was away all summer and when I returned I discovered that the messages are still being sent. This wouldn't be a problem except I am no longer with my girlfiend! As you can imagine she is quite angry and I can see her point as it's harrasament now. Both of us want this stopped.She is talking about reporting me to the guards [police].

I've been on to O2 numerous times and they haven't cancelled the messages yet. They can't figure out how to do it! Last Friday I made a complaint to Comreg. They have done nothing.

What options do I have? I was thinking of maybe using the data protection act angle? Write them a letter saying I want all my information removed from their system. Will that have any effect?

Or report them to the guards for sending abusive messages? Because at this stage they are.

Any help will be most appreciated. Thanks

Poor old Steve posted this plea for assistance on boards.ie. Advice to date includes "Can you not deactivate through the www.o2.ie login and into your misc text options there?", although another poster reckons that the fact that the lad is no longer an O2 subscriber might preclude this option.

We're sure that further ideas would be welcomed. In the meantime, Steve's ex can at least take comfort from the fact that she's unlikely to end up with a bun in the oven while the ever-vigilant O2 is on the case. ®

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