UK phone paid services watchdog outlines plan for improved industry standards.
The paper, which is based on a four-point action plan, takes into account recommendations made by Ofcom in its recent PRS Scope Review.
PPP says the review will be the most significant in the organisation’s 23-year history, encompassing everything from content downloads to competitions and TV voting. It proposes that:
1. That the new Code is based on identifying desirable outcomes, and supporting them with rules where appropriate, rather than prescribing a step-by-step guide to compliance.
2. That every business in the phone-paid services value chain will assume an appropriate degree of responsibility for the provision of compliant services and the delivery of consumer protection measures.
3. The creation of a database on which all Service Providers (SPs) and Information Providers (IPs) will be registered for due diligence and risk management purposes.
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4. That providers must have in place adequate customer care facilities to ensure consumers are able to register a complaint and seek redress as quickly as possible.
PhonepayPlus is inviting response from industry, consumers and all other stakeholders in order to properly inform thinking as it develops its full Code consultation for later in 2009.
To read the discussion paper click here.
PhonepayPlus Chief Executive Paul Whiteing said: We want to ensure the Code protects consumers in the ways it should do, while enabling reputable providers to offer innovative, compliant services. This is why we have published this discussion paper ahead of a draft of the Code; in order that we might canvass a wide cross section of views from industry, consumers and our peer regulators as early in the process as possible.”
