Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations

Mobile operators including Orange and T-Mobile are taking significant cuts of charitable donations made by text message.

Figures from the Vir2, which provides mobile fundraising services to charities, shows the full array of charges from Britain’s six mobile networks. Only O2 and Vodafone pass on the full donation to charities with T-Mobile taking 20% from a £1 donation. Virgin Mobile takes 11% of all donations, Orange takes 10% while Three takes 5%. According to Vir2, operators also charge the cost of the text message.

The Observer and Mail on Sunday cover the story today. Orin Lewis, head of ACLT, a charity helping people with leukaemia told the paper:

“We appreciate that they have to cover costs, but the perception is that the costs are excessive.”

Mandy Pursey of the Charities Aid Foundation told the Mail:

“Fees have come down, but we’d like them to come down even more. Otherwise it’s a barrier to it really taking off as a way to donate.”

http://twitter.com/paulstpancras/status/51974093511200768 paulstpancras

RT @leftfootfwd: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/eWb8N5
http://twitter.com/koplegend/status/51974209206882304 koplegend

RT @leftfootfwd: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/eWb8N5
http://twitter.com/nashienet/status/51974233609338880 Steven Nash

RT @leftfootfwd: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/eWb8N5
http://twitter.com/digitalraven/status/51974239384899585 Stew Wilson

RT @leftfootfwd: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/eWb8N5
http://twitter.com/njgard/status/51974276588388352 Nigel Gardner

RT @leftfootfwd: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/eWb8N5
http://twitter.com/samuelpalin/status/51975014584565760 Samuel Palin

I had no idea about this. It's pretty darn low. RT @leftfootfwd Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/eWb8N5
http://twitter.com/adodridge/status/51975495520223232 Anna Dodridge

RT @leftfootfwd: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/eWb8N5
http://twitter.com/finolak/status/51975542391574528 Finola Kerrigan

RT @leftfootfwd: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/eWb8N5
http://twitter.com/geovanni218/status/51976736002420736 john peter ingamells

RT @leftfootfwd: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/eWb8N5
http://twitter.com/scrumpymoet/status/51979365680021504 Andrew Breading

RT @leftfootfwd: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/gljACp
http://twitter.com/joleski1/status/51979729644961792 Sam Jole

RT @leftfootfwd: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/eWb8N5
http://twitter.com/timsandle/status/51980208567357441 Tim Sandle

RT @leftfootfwd: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/gljACp
http://twitter.com/markreckons/status/51981042403393536 Mark Thompson

RT @leftfootfwd: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/gljACp
http://twitter.com/westmonsterblog/status/51982668786696192 WestMonster

RT @leftfootfwd: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/eWb8N5
http://twitter.com/kunglu/status/51983801433329664 Kunglu

RT @leftfootfwd: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/eWb8N5
http://twitter.com/cutemeenu/status/51990096769073152 Meenu

Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations: Mobile operators including Orange and T-Mobile are taking… http://bit.ly/e3fCVN
http://twitter.com/ukcuts/status/51995175681138688 cutsandgrazes dotcom

RT @leftfootfwd: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/eWb8N5
http://twitter.com/dollymixture/status/51998011676573696 dolly daydream

RT @leftfootfwd: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/eWb8N5
http://twitter.com/dannycgray/status/51999360820584448 Danny Gray

RT @leftfootfwd: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/eWb8N5
http://twitter.com/mobile_hack_/status/52011205065314304 mobilehack

News: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations: Only O2 and Vodafone pass on the full don… http://bit.ly/dTn5PM #vodafone
http://twitter.com/npomobile/status/52037363764965376 NPO Mobile

#mobile #sms Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations | Left Foot …: Figures … http://bit.ly/ejPjh8 #charity #nonprofit
http://twitter.com/kinell88/status/52039124550557696 Ell Aitch

RT @leftfootfwd: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/eWb8N5
http://twitter.com/roger_bannister/status/52060822477869056 Roger Bannister

Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations | Left Foot Forward http://t.co/KNDS0ei
http://twitter.com/alexcole71/status/52065324673138688 Alex Cole

For anyone who works in or cares about charity. RT @leftfootfwd: Orange & T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/gljACp
Mr. Sensible

I think it is disgraceful that mobile networks can do that.

What’s that going to do to peoples’ trust in the system?
http://twitter.com/brandpurpose/status/52298036923203584 PeterSarah&Friends

RT @AlexCole71: Care about charity? Orange & T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://t.co/LxzafvJ
http://twitter.com/fossbox/status/52312118233546752 Paula | Fossbox

RT @scnnr: RT @leftfootfwd Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/eWb8N5
http://twitter.com/sophyridge/status/52408798857539584 sophyridge

Cheeky, just noticed in the small print that orange and t-mobile don't pass on all text donations to the charities http://bit.ly/eL1w5W
http://twitter.com/myinfamy/status/52502857332686848 Daniel Pitt

RT @leftfootfwd: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/eWb8N5
http://twitter.com/judeinlondon/status/52502913729302528 Jude

RT @leftfootfwd: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/eWb8N5
http://twitter.com/newantt/status/52505017944522752 Anthony Rodriguez

RT @leftfootfwd: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/eWb8N5
http://twitter.com/fyrdraca67/status/52753416052670465 m shawcross

RT @leftfootfwd: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/eWb8N5
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/04/orange-tmobile-text-donations/ Orange and T-Mobile alone in top slicing charitable text donations | Left Foot Forward

[...] of Orange and T-Mobile which continue to cream off charitable donations made by text message, as highlighted by Left Foot Forward last month. A campaign is now underway to get Minister for Civil Society Nick [...]