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Executive summary

1.1 Active consumer behaviour is a key condition for healthy competition to exist in a market. By searching out offers in terms of price and quality, comparing them, switching between providers or negotiating a better deal with an existing communications provider, consumers can influence the market in many ways. Furthermore, some consumers play an important role in giving advice about services, providers, prices and quality to other consumers, enabling them to make better informed choices.

1.2 This document sets out the operational details of a new accreditation scheme for price comparison calculators providing consumers with information and advice on communications services.

1.3 The reasons behind our decision to launch a new accreditation scheme are described in Ofcom’s Consumer Policy statement, published alongside this document and following consultation with stakeholders. We believe that a new scheme, offering consumers quality-assured price comparison services for both individual and bundled communications services - which is widely promoted by Ofcom and which consumers are advised to use - is the most effective means of ensuring wide availability of independent price comparison information, one of the key elements of consumer empowerment.

1.4 We will continue to keep the operation of the accreditation scheme under review and consider whether to revise it in light of our experiences and any comments we receive.

1.5 The new scheme goes live today. Accreditation is open to organisations providing price comparison information on a wide variety of communications services including fixed telephone, mobile, international roaming, Internet, broadband, Voice over IP, digital TV and bundled services.

1.6 The objectives of the new scheme are to:

• accredit calculators offering price comparisons on a wide range of communications services;
• ensure the application process for accreditation is fair and transparent;
• ensure the approval criteria on which applicants are judged leads to accurate and easy to use information for consumers; and
• promote consumer awareness of accredited calculators and boost the value of accreditation.

1.7 The application process and approval criteria for accreditation are set out in this document. Accredited price comparison calculators are required to be accessible, accurate, transparent and comprehensive. We are keen that accredited services are available to all consumers – in particular disabled users and consumers without Internet access.

1.8 Potential applicants should contact Ofcom at price.accreditation@ofcom.org.uk.

The full document is available below:

• Accreditation scheme for price comparison calculators - Launch of new scheme and invitation for applications [pdf]
  Full Print Version
• Ofcom Price Comparison Accreditation
  Consumer FAQ

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