ICSTIS chairman finds year of "worrying upsurge" in tv premium rate services complaints intolerable

The Chairman of ICSTIS, the premium rate services regulator, today reiterated the regulator’s commitment to proactively protecting consumers following the recent high-profile issues surrounding premium rate TV phone-in competitions and quiz shows.

Following the record £150,000 fine imposed by ICSTIS on telephony service provider Eckoh UK Ltd for Richard and Judy’s You Say, We Pay competition, Sir Alistair Graham – speaking at the launch of ICSTIS’ final annual report – outlined a worrying trend in TV-specific complaints over the past year and priorities for the year ahead.

In 2006/07 a quarter of all our complaints were related to TV competitions and broadcast quiz shows – despite the total number of industry-wide consumer complaints decreasing by 43%. The most significant complaints related to Big Brother.

Ahead of the findings of the Ofcom enquiry into the use of premium rate services led by Richard Ayre, Sir Alistair explored what went wrong and what the industry is currently doing to improve its own conduct and public perception.

Sir Alistair Graham said: “Viewers become consumers when they pay to participate in radio and television phone-in competitions, text voting and TV quizzes. Those consumers then have specific rights and these were not respected by the industry. No one can doubt the seriousness of the issue that we, along with Ofcom, attach to this issue and our adjudications. There has been a worrying upsurge in complaints about TV phone-ins and competitions over the last year. Never again must viewers and consumers be treated like this. It will not be tolerated.

“As for other services, in 2006/07 we used our Emergency powers nine times to shut down services. We also barred two individuals from operating premium rate services for between 18-24 months. As an independent regulator, we want to set out clear expectations and work with all parties within the industry to ensure Code compliance. This is why we have created an industry support team and compliance unit to develop best practice and ‘design-in’ consumer safeguards from the outset. The public should be able to use premium rate services with absolute confidence and should never feel cheated.”

ICSTIS is committed to protecting consumers and working with the premium rate industry to avoid such issues arising in the first place and proactively monitors output.

Key consumer information:

• From October, ICSTIS will change its name to the more consumer focused name PhonePayPlus – the regulator of information and entertainment charged to your phone.
• The new website will be www.phonepayplus.org.uk and consumers can use ICSTIS’ freephone contact number 0800 500 212 to seek consumer advice regarding premium rate services.
• An online number checking facility is also available for consumers to double check which services are running on premium rate numbers. They can check a number they have already dialled and also ascertain if a premium rate number is currently under investigation the number checker can be found at www.icstis.org.uk/numberchecker

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