Ofcom's advice on your next step

Landline Phones -
If you need advice about privacy, security issues and unwanted calls

Premium rate services offer some form of information or entertainment that is charged to your phone bill. Services can be accessed by landline telephone; mobile phone; fax; personal computer (for example, in e-mails, or on the internet or bulletin boards).

Typical services include:

• TV voting lines (for example, Big Brother and The X Factor)
• competitions
• mobile ringtone and logo downloads
• technical helplines (for example, for computer or internet problems)
• competition scratchcards
• phone chat
• horoscopes
• charitable fund-raising
• sports results
• interactive TV games
• adult entertainment
• information (weather, traffic, etc.)
• directory enquiry services

Premium rate phone numbers start with '09. If you think you’ve been wrongly charged for calling a premium tate number, the first thing to check is whether anyone who uses the phone (for example, other people in your household) has dialled one of these numbers. You should also do the same with any international phone numbers on your bill.

PhonepayPlus, the industry-funded regulatory body is responsible for premium rate services in the UK. If you have a query about premium rate numbers please contact PhonepayPlus or vist the PhonepayPlus website.

To contact PhonepayPlus call 0800 500 212 or visit www.phonepayplus.org.uk

If there are unidentified premium rate numbers on your phone bill, see http://www.ofcom.org.uk/complain/landline/prs/.

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