THE UK'S enforcer for phone-paid services, Phonepayplus, has created a new pack of hounds to set on all those responsible for conning the members of the public through their phone bills.

Most welcome is the fact that the connexion between the Board – which runs Phonepayplus (an artiste formerly known as ICSTIS) – and the Adjudication panel has been removed.

It's all well and good having the technical and business experts from this industry strongly represented but it was beginning to look a bit silly when the companies from whom these 'experts' were drawn regularly had their knuckles rapped.

Phonepayplus blithered about greater transparency but it also said, "It is important that an effective enforcement regime is in place to help protect consumers from scams and bad practice." Hoorah!

As the enforcer admits, "Premium rate services are enjoyed by millions of consumers without any problems." But, "Many users have been inconvenienced or left out of pocket." Too right they have.

The virtue of packing the new Code Compliance Panel with lawyers, however, will give cold comfort to some. Since when has the legal profession helped to settle disputes faster?

Anyway, the INQ has some very simple suggestions for avoiding the woe. First, any service or content provider that offers paid-for services shouldn't be allowed to operate a premium rate helpline. Even if it is 'only' 10 pence per minute.

Otherwise you just end up paying a crap service provider to tell them their service is crap.

Secondly, there should be an 'opt out' facility. If your phone number ends up on the wrong end of unwanted premium rate services, then you should be able to go onto the net and/or phone up and get them all stopped.

Let's see how effective the new regime – which takes up the job on May 8^th – proves to be. µ

See Also
Watchdog employs puppy to monitor 0871 numbers
Richard and Judy premium rate phone scam firm fined