December 2009
22 December 2009
PhonepayPlus has launched an emergency procedure investigation under paragraph 8.6.1 of its Code, following in-house monitoring of a virtual chat service called ‘Sms Chat With Just Legal Babes’.
17 December 2009
PhonepayPlus has launched an emergency procedure investigation following complaints from members of the public and users of the website Gumtree.com about a £10 reverse-billed text message that was sent to them.
10 December 2009
PhonepayPlus today published a further guidance on virtual chat services in the form of a new Help Note. The Help Note is designed to provide Service Providers and Information Providers with a greater degree of clarity with regard to the interpretation of the PhonepayPlus Code of Practice (11th Edition, amended 28 April 2008). It gives specific information on: wording and promotion; cost reminders; and the use of mobile long numbers.
04 December 2009
PhonepayPlus, the phone-paid services regulator, has appointed Howard Webber and Hugh Griffiths to its Board to add to both its consumer and industry expertise. The two new members will join effective of 1 January 2010.
02 December 2009
PhonepayPlus, the phone-paid services regulator, has released its 2010/11 business plan and budget for consultation. The plan outlines new initiatives to create a more robust, targeted and efficient regulatory regime for premium rate services (PRS) whilst, at the same time, reducing its costs by 3.0% - a real-term decrease of 8.7% over two years.
November 2009
23 November 2009
PhonepayPlus has launched an emergency procedure investigation under paragraph 8.6.1 of its Code of Practice, following complaints from members of the public about a Virtual Chat Service called ‘Local Sex Buddies’.
19 November 2009
PhonepayPlus today published its operations report for the months of July to September 2009.
17 November 2009
PhonepayPlus announces 62% decrease in complaints, on the same day that the EU publishes an update on the success of its 2008 Europe-wide clampdown on misleading websites.
October 2009
28 October 2009
PhonepayPlus today welcomed the publication of Ofcom’s statement on the regulation of premium rate services (PRS).
23 October 2009
PhonepayPlus has launched an emergency procedure investigation following complaints from members of the public about a Virtual Chat Service called ‘Adult Sex Exchange’.
22 October 2009
PhonepayPlus, the phone-paid services regulator, is aware that a chain e-mail about an alleged postal scam is being circulated on the internet. The email refers to the Royal Mail, Trading Standards and ICSTIS (PhonepayPlus' former name).
September 2009
30 September 2009
PhonepayPlus has launched an investigation following six complaints from members of the public about a service called ‘SMSWinner’.
16 September 2009
Industry notice about Public Information Services.
01 September 2009
One month to the day since PhonepayPlus took over regulation of 0871/2/3 numbers, it is reminding 087 network operators to remain vigilant about the threat of consumer harm from services operating on their 087 number ranges.
August 2009
25 August 2009
PhonepayPlus is giving notice that with immediate effect it will direct network operators to withhold specified sums payable by them to a service provider using powers available to it under paragraphs 8.5f and 2.5.2d of the PhonepayPlus Code of Practice (11th Edition, Amended April 2008) at the start of a Standard Procedure investigation and, where appropriate, following adjudication, in the certain circumstances.
20 August 2009
PhonepayPlus today published its operations report for the months of April to June 2009.
06 August 2009
PhonepayPlus has fined Abstract Games Limited (trading as Mediaprom) £100,000 and barred it from providing or operating any scratchcard services for six months, except those for which compliance advice has been sought and implemented to PhonepayPlus’ satisfaction.
03 August 2009
Research undertaken by PhonepayPlus shows that millions of consumers are happily using services on the 087 number range (which includes numbers beginning 0871, 2, and 3 but excludes 0870). However, it also highlights some significant concerns around price transparency and the time some consumers are having to wait on the line before being connected to a service.
July 2009
21 July 2009
PhonepayPlus has today announced that Bradley Brady has been appointed Director of Strategy & Stakeholder Relations following an extensive recruitment process.
01 July 2009
PhonepayPlus, the phone-paid services regulator, today announces that complaint figures concerning mobile services are down by half one year on from the introduction of new rules that came about following its 2008 Mobile Review. The new regulation was introduced in response to a worrying rise in consumer complaints regarding mobile services which, on average, account for some 90% of all calls to PhonepayPlus’ Contact Centre.
June 2009
23 June 2009
PhonepayPlus, the regulator for the phone-paid services industry, has today launched a wide-ranging discussion paper on the development of its 12th Code of Practice. 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.
16 June 2009
Recent PhonepayPlus investigations into web promoted subscription services have resulted in breaches of the Phonepayplus Code of Practice (11th Edition, amended April 2008) being upheld by its Tribunals for several reasons. This Notice aims to clarify, in light of PhonepayPlus’ investigations and decisions, what activities or actions may constitute a breach of the Code. The areas of concern are divided into a number of subject areas, as set out in this release.
04 June 2009
Research released today by PhonepayPlus reveals a lack of understanding around charges for 087 numbers amongst consumers, and supports the need for introduction of new regulation to boost consumer confidence. From 1 August, providers of 087 services (numbers beginning 0871, 2, and 3, but excluding 0870) must comply with new rules set out by PhonepayPlus.
03 June 2009
PhonepayPlus, the phone-paid services regulator, has launched an investigation following correspondence received from Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council regarding nine complaints it has received from members of the public. Having contacted the Network Operator through whose network the service operates, PhonepayPlus considers the Service Provider responsible under the PhonepayPlus Code of Practice to be ‘Digital Select Limited.'
02 June 2009
PhonepayPlus, the phone-paid services regulator, has launched an investigation following complaints from members of the public regarding a mobile virtual chat service operating on a number of text shortcodes. PhonepayPlus considers the Information Providers responsible under the PhonepayPlus Code of Practice to be MYTXT.CO.UK LIMITED, MOBVISTA LTD and K2Media Limited.
May 2009
27 May 2009
PhonepayPlus today published its operations report for the months of January to March 2009
22 May 2009
The Trustees are pleased to announce that they have resolved to commence the winding up of the Fund and that the effective date of such commencement is Friday 22 May 2009 (the “Cut-Off Date”).
15 May 2009
Ofcom has today published the PRS Scope Review
14 May 2009
PhonepayPlus has issued a Help Note for companies affected by its forthcoming regulation of numbers in the 087 number range (0871, 0872 and 0873 but not 0870), which it will take over from Ofcom on 1st August 2009.
April 2009
24 April 2009
PhonepayPlus has launched a new website that will better protect consumers from harm while lowering the cost of regulation for reputable businesses.
09 April 2009
PhonepayPlus today issued a Supplementary Prior Permissions Notice in respect of Notice issued on 22 January 2009 regarding Subscription Services.
02 April 2009
Simon Bates appointed Director of Standards and Communications at PhonepayPlus.
01 April 2009
Annual Business Plan, Budget and Administrative Charges
01 April 2009
Administrative charges from 1 April 2009.
March 2009
11 March 2009
Following consultation with industry, PhonepayPlus reduced its proposed 2009/10 budget to 0.0% on 2008/9 and announced that its levy for 2009/10 will be 0.48%.
03 March 2009
The Board of PhonepayPlus, the phone-paid services regulator, today announced the appointment of Paul Whiteing as Chief Executive, effective immediately. Paul, who has been performing the role on an acting basis since the resignation of George Kidd in December 2008, will also assume a seat on the PhonepayPlus Board.
February 2009
25 February 2009
PhonepayPlus would like to remind all service providers that 4 March 2009 is the deadline for submitting prior permission applications.
05 February 2009
Following today's Ofcom announcement that PhonepayPlus will take over day-to-day regulation of 0871 numbers on 1 August 2009, PhonepayPlus has outlined its transition strategy and implementation plan.
05 February 2009
PhonepayPlus today published a revised Help Note which is designed to provide service providers (such as mobile aggregators) and their information providers with a greater degree of clarity with regard to the criteria, procedure and factors considered by PhonepayPlus when dealing with a request under paragraph 8.7 of the PhonepayPlus Code of Practice (11th Edition, amended 28 April 2008) to deal directly with an information provider.
January 2009
30 January 2009
PhonepayPlus today issued a Notice to Industry, clarifying that Virtual Chat and Date Services (regardless of delivery platform or number range) should not imply that users are exchanging messages with other members of the public, or that users will be able to meet others by using the service, unless that is in fact the case.
22 January 2009
Find out about PhonepayPlus' new rules to protect you!
22 January 2009
PhonepayPlus has today issued a final statement on mobile phone-paid services and their marketing setting out new measures to protect the public from a range of practices in the mobile premium content market which are causing complaints and undermining consumers' trust.
14 January 2009
PhonepayPlus, the phone-paid services regulator, has prohibited Nick Cracknell, of Burston, Staffordshire, from involvement in or contracting for the provision of any phone-paid services for a period of two years, effective from 4 December 2008.
12 January 2009
PhonepayPlus today announced a second set of companies to be granted permission to provide phone-paid interactive broadcast services.
PhonepayPlus