Mae'r cynnwys hwn ar gael yn Saesneg yn unig.

Approval of the PhonepayPlus Code of Practice (fourteenth edition)

Dechrau: 14 Mawrth 2016
Statws: Datganiad a gyhoeddwyd
Diwedd: 25 Ebrill 2016

About this document

There are a whole range of interactive services that consumers can access via their landline and mobile phones, computers and digital TV. Where these services are charged for via the customer’s telephone bill or pre-pay account, they are known as premium rate services. They can range from receiving a daily horoscope, following football scores, voting in television programmes, making charity text donations or downloading the latest ringtone. While these services are valued by those that use them, they can sometimes give rise to consumer harm.

Ofcom has overall responsibility to make sure that consumers are protected by ensuring appropriate rules are in place and enforced. To achieve this, we have designated PhonepayPlus to carry out the day-to-day regulation of premium rate services.

PhonepayPlus does this through a Code of Practice that establishes certain standards for the operation of premium rate services in the UK. From time to time, PhonepayPlus revises the Code to ensure it continues to operate in consumers’ best interests and provides a fair and proportionate regulatory regime for industry. We have powers to approve the Code provided it meets certain legal tests.

Following implementation of the current 13th Code of Practice on 1 July 2015, PhonepayPlus has carried out and completed a separate review of the enforcement procedures set out in Part 4 of that Code. It has consulted on various changes to Part 4 which it has proposed should be introduced as part of a new 14th Code of Practice. Having taken account of consultation responses, PhonepayPlus published a decision document and final version of the draft 14th Code of Practice on 10 March 2016, which it has submitted to Ofcom for approval.

We are minded to approve the new Code, having assessed it against the relevant legal tests, and we invite stakeholders to comment on this provisional decision. This is a six-week consultation and the closing date for responses is 25 April 2016. At the same time as publishing this consultation, we will notify the European Commission of our intention to approve the draft Code which will initiate a three-month standstill period. Subject to responses to our consultation and/or from the European Commission or other Member States, we aim to publish a final decision by the end of June 2016.