WIH is a 'Pocket Purchase?'

[viking777]

I went on holiday for a week, in the UK, and as with many parts of this country it had no internet access (at least not from where I was staying). I took my phone with me, not my laptop, and I only used that to take photographs and read books. When I came home I was horrified to find that whilst I was away, my phone had been signed up to a premium subscription for an antivirus program (I already had the free subscription) and that payment had already been authorised by 'Google Play' - with whom I do have an account, but certainly had not authorised to buy this service.

I immediately complained in no uncertain terms to the company concerned and within 30 minutes got an email apologising for the mistake and saying that a refund was being given. They blamed the error on a 'Pocket Purchase'. I googled this but didn't find anything relevant. I guess it is some form of street slang that I am not familiar with, so perhaps somebody here can educate me.

I also complained to 'Google Play' about their seemingly non-existent security procedures that allow any sundry company to charge my credit card for services that I haven't asked for, didn't want and seemingly couldn't have installed anyway because I didn't have an internet connection (although the upgrade was installed and I have no idea how because I didn't/couldn't do it). I have yet to hear from them. It is also interesting that whilst it was very easy to complain by email to the company providing the antivirus service, the only way I could find to complain to Google was via a web form (of course you have no record of the complaint if you use these - design or accident?)

Totally and completely off topic (but still interesting I hope), whilst I was a way I saw my first ever wild Chinese Water Deer I had the opportunity to watch it for about 5 minutes before it disappeared, I believe these are pretty rare in England certainly I have never seen one before. If you have never seen one here is a link to a pic (not mine I am sad to say).

http://talliscountry.co.uk/uploads/chin ... 20deer.jpg

[dagon]

Could it be an instance of Pocket Dialing?

Cool vampire deer!

[viking777]

Ah - thanks for that Dagon, that could be something to do with it, though how that translates to buying premium upgrades for existing services I am not certain, but it looks like a possible candidate, and it wasn't the only strange thing that happened to my phone that day, so it could well be the answer.

[DrHu]

It is also interesting that whilst it was very easy to complain by email to the company providing the antivirus service, the only way I could find to complain to Google was via a web form (of course you have no record of the complaint if you use these - design or accident?)

Could be, but if the company pays attention to customer service, they will have the data as a reference, or how would they know to respond with a refund..

You could also simply save the data before sending on a usb drive for example..

And the pocket purchase is possibly Google slang for pocket dialing, which is a problem for emergency services..
--the standard suggestion is to keylock your cell phone, so that there are is no accidental dialout..
http://www.phonescoop.com/glossary/term.php?gid=442
--it doesn't have to be an app, usually the cell phone provides this, and describes how in their manual

[GeneC]

.......................... I saw my first ever wild Chinese Water Deer I had the opportunity to watch it for about 5 minutes before it disappeared, I believe these are pretty rare in England certainly I have never seen one before. If you have never seen one here is a link to a pic (not mine I am sad to say)..............

http://talliscountry.co.uk/uploads/chin ... 20deer.jpg

Ah yes,

A distant cousin of the Northern Maine Flying 'jack-a-lope' ..




Viking...

I guess I am just old.. How can I take a picture with MY phone?

[viking777]

Ahhh! Bakelite

[GeneC]

Glad you had a nice vacation, old friend....er... I mean 'holiday'

[xenopeek]

At least the customer service was swift about correcting it; that could have been a real nightmare Hope it didn't spoil post-holiday mood.

[sunewbie]

Apart from glitches in security and general tendency to defend company (i.e. to blame on someone / something else), they did refunded the money back.

These things do happen in high tech world. The problem is hackers / geeks, very few in number, can outsmart common people. They are 2 step ahead. Everyone cannot be a geek. So with technology advancement, e-threats will be there.

@Genec, in older times, people either used to keep in memory or make / have made the portrait or even carve on walls

[Oscar799]

Very impressed that the Chinese Water Deer can retract those vampire teeth whilst eating.....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_deer

[sunewbie]

deer running on water

http://graphics1.snopes.com/photos/anim ... rwater.jpg

http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=59862

EdIt:

I found another url

http://www.breezemagic.net/forum/index.php?topic=9842.0

it says

Have you ever seen a Deer running over water?
It requires a speed of 85 kmph with a foot placing of 1 inch to walk on water.
So what ?? See the photograph to believe it!!

[viking777]

Very impressed that the Chinese Water Deer can retract those vampire teeth whilst eating.....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_deer

And all that without dental insurance??

It was a fascinating sight though, when I first saw it (at a distance) I thought it was a fox, they are quite small creatures, though not as small as a fox as I quickly realised when it got a bit closer. I wish I could have taken my own picture of it, but I was watching from inside the house, and therefore it couldn't smell me (I do wash, but you know what I mean ). If I had gone outside with my camera it would have run a mile.