Battle over premium-rate texts rages

THE INQ trotted off to the offices of ICSTIS, the UK premium rate services enforcer, the other day expecting a serious wrist slapping. But the organisation was very forthcoming.

One of the current battles is over the issuing of premium rate text charges to users of 0871 services. The whole point about 0871 is that you should have a rough idea of the costs. If you join a 'chat' service on an 0871 number and then get bombarded with £1.50 premium rate texts, it's hardly obvious what the whole call actually costs.

ICSTIS has been approached by a body called the Mobile Broadband Group (MBG) which had proposals to make the whole process of receiving such premium rate texts more transparent. The group doesn't seem to have swayed ICSTIS yet so the ban is still in place.

ICSTIS also confessed that its remit from Ofcom (the UK watchdog) to supervise the operation of all adult content over telecoms services won't come into place until 2008. Pity. Some mobile content suppliers are getting around the restrictions by making the content free initially.

A useful service which ICSTIS does provide, however, is a leaflet which contains seven tips for protecting yourself from common scams (be they Internet, mobile or whatever).

For example, to stop receiving many unwanted calls and texts, register your phone numbers with the Telephone Preference Service (0845 0700707).

Plus, if you're signed up to a subscription service on your mobile but want to quit, simply send the word 'Stop' to the shortcode number which is sending out the text messages.

One very amusing anecdote which ICSTIS provided concerned a woman who'd called a premium rate service because she'd scratched off three cherries on a promotional card. The prize she'd won was a necklace. However, she called back 346 times in the hope of winning a different prize - the car.

She racked up an enormous bill, obviously. But the promoter dutifully sent her 347 necklaces. µ

L'INQ
ICSTIS anti-scam advice