Orange Internet code of practice

1. our code of practice

1. Our code of practice
2. Who we are
3. Approval and review
4. How to get a copy
5. Our offer – how to order our services
6. Minimum-term contracts for our products
7. Contract start dates
8. Our terms of use
9. Customer support
10. How to cancel your account and our refund policy
11. How to change your address or personal details
12. How to get help with technical problems
13. Cost of our services
14. Paying for our products and services
15. Ending your services if you haven't paid
16. Protecting your personal information
17. Communicating with you
18. Disability policy
19. What to do if your Livebox has been lost, stolen or damaged
20. Protecting customers
21. How to get help if you are being ‘spammed’
22. Access to premium-rate websites and ‘rogue dialers’
23. What to do if you are receiving nuisance calls
24. Additional information
25. What to do if you want to complain
26. How we will deal with your complaint
27. What to do if you are still not happy with us

Our customers are an important part of our business, and making sure you’re happy with our services is at the heart of everything we do. So we’ve put this code of practice together to make sure you have the latest information on our products, services and customer-care policies, including how to contact us if you have any questions.

We’ll follow this code of practice to make sure that we:
• act fairly and reasonably when in contact with you
• help you to understand how our products and services work
• deal with any complaints quickly and fairly
• make sure that all our products and services keep to relevant laws and regulations
• make copies of this code available on our website and in writing (including in large print, on audio tape and in Braille)
• train all our staff and contact centre agents to follow this code at all times

2. who we are

Our group of companies is made up of Orange Home UK plc, Orange Personal Communications Services Limited, OHCS II – Serviços de Internet Unipessoal LDA, and OHCS I – Serviços de Internet Unipessoal LDA. We are internet service providers and we’re all part of the France Telecom group.

Orange UK Home plc is a company registered in England and Wales (company number 3014367). The registered office is:
Verulam Point
Station Way
St Albans
AL1 5HE.

OHCS I – Serviços de Internet Unipessoal LDA is a company registered in Madeira, (company number 05431/2000.09.08).
The registered office is at:
Rua de São Francisco No 3, 2 Andar
9000-050 Funchal
Madeira
Portugal.

OHCS II – Serviços de Internet Unipessoal LDA is a company registered in Madeira (company number 07529/05/08.22).
The registered office is:
Rua de São Francisco No 3, 2 Andar
9000-050 Funchal
Madeira
Portugal.

You can pay for services by direct debit, credit card or debit card. OHCS I – Serviços de Internet Unipessoal LDA will handle payments. But you won’t notice any difference.

In this document, the term ‘we’ refers to either Orange Home UK plc, Orange Personal Communications Services Limited, OHCS II – Serviços de Internet Unipessoal LDA, or OHCS I – Serviços de Internet Unipessoal LDA, depending on who we’re talking about.

3. approval and review

This code has been approved by Ofcom for the purposes of section 52 of the Communications Act 2003. The Guidelines for producing codes of practice are on Ofcom's website at ofcom.org.uk

4. how to get a copy

You can also order a copy by calling 0844 873 8586 between 7am and 11pm, any day of the week. (Calls will cost 5p a minute from a BT landline, Orange Home phone or your second phone line if you have one. Charges from other networks may be different and calls might be recorded)

Our code is also available in large print, audio and Braille formats.

5. our offer - how to order our services

We offer a wide range of great value packages:

• Dial-up Pay As You Go: No monthly fee, you simply pay local call rates for your time online as charged by your existing phone supplier. Click here to find out more: orange.co.uk/time/dialup

Home packages
• broadband: We offer a choice of broadband packages - please see our website for further details. Click here to find out more: orange.co.uk/time/broadbandaccess
• home phone: Orange offers a home phone line service included in some of the broadband packages. One of these also includes a line rental option. Click here to find out more: orange.co.uk/time/talk
• second line: this phone service is only available on our packages that include the wireless router that we call the Livebox. By plugging an ordinary phone into the Livebox, you’ll get a second phone line to make and receive calls. Click here to find out more orange.co.uk/time/talk/secondline

More details of these services and charges are located at orange.co.uk

What is a broadband usage allowance?
A usage allowance is measured in Gigabytes (GB). Your monthly usage allowance lets you download things, such as receiving e-mails, looking at web sites and opening files people have sent you. It also allows you to upload things - for example sending e-mails and files, up to the GB allowance you choose. If you regularly go over your monthly allowance, we could suspend your service or reduce the speed at which your broadband works. Some of our packages will have a usage allowance, and some will have an unlimited usage allowance (which is subject to our Fair Use Policy). More information is available here: orange.co.uk/terms/7094.htm

Usage allowance for home phone and second line
The second line Service is subject at all times to a limit of 1,000 minutes on outgoing international calls, for each billing period. The second line service has a maximum call duration of two hours per call.
The Orange home phone service is subject at all times to a limit of 1,000 minutes on the outgoing inclusive evening (6pm to 6am Monday to Friday) & weekend (midnight Friday to midnight Sunday) for each billing period. These call types have a maximum call duration of two hours per call. After that, these calls will be charged at standard rates.
If you go over any of the limits we’ve explained above, either for the broadband, home phone or second line service, then this will mean you’ve broken the Fair Use Policy. We might then keep a close eye on your usage, and if we feel it’s necessary, we may not allow you to continue using that service. You can view our Fair Use Policy here: orange.co.uk/terms/7094.htm

How to Order
To order any of our services and find information on prices please visit orange.co.uk, or call us on 0844 873 8586 between 7am and 11pm, any day of the week, (calls will cost 5p a minute from a BT landline, Orange Home phone or your second land line if you have one. Charges from other networks may be different and calls might be recorded). You can also visit any Orange shop.
For some of our packages, we’ll need to run a credit check before we can give you the service.
If you are an existing customer you can change your package on Member Centre. If you go on to our website and follow the instructions for an existing customer, it’ll take you to the right place, or click here: orange.co.uk/membercentre

6. Minimum-term contracts for our products

For some of our products the contract runs for a minimum term, which you would have been told about when you joined us or if you changed your package with us. The details of your terms of use can be found here: orange.co.uk/terms/internet

7. contract start dates

We’ll always aim to provide your internet access within a reasonable time of you applying for it. As there are a few different things we need to do to set you up with each different part of your package, the start date depends on which product you choose.

broadband
We’ll carry out checks to make sure you can get broadband, and your start date will begin when the service or any part of it, is first made available to you. We will normally get you up and running within 10 working days.

second line
Once your Home Broadband and Livebox has been set up, please call us on 0800 975 0585 to activate your second line service. This is a freephone number, although call rates from mobile operators may vary
home phone
If you have chosen a home package which includes home phone it may take up to 20 working days from the day you order, for your telephone service to be transferred to Orange.
If you have chosen a package without line rental, please remember that you will need to continue to pay your existing provider for line rental.

dial-up Pay As You Go
You’ll get access to the internet as soon as you download the correct settings.

8. our terms of use

You can view our Terms of Use here: orange.co.uk/terms/internet. Our terms of use describe the contract between you and us. The terms of use that apply to you depend on your package.

• If there’s anything you don’t understand in the terms of use relating to our Dial-up Packages, or if you’d like a printed copy of the terms of use, phone customer support on 0844 412 2202 between 8am and 10pm, any day of the week.

• If you have any questions about the terms of use for Home Broadband and our telephone services, then just call 0844 873 8586,(or 0844 871 0079 if you’re on a Starter package) between 7am and 11pm, any day of the week.

(Calls to 0844 numbers cost 5p a minute from a BT land line, Orange Home Phone or your second line, if you have one. Calls from mobiles and some other networks may cost more. Calls may be recorded for quality checking purposes.)

9. Customer support

Making sure that you are satisfied with our services is very important to us. The following sections describe our approach to customers and the kind of support we offer to them.

If you’d like more details, contact the relevant customer support line for your package, we describe this in points 11 and 12 below.

Remember that calls to 0844 numbers cost 5p a minute from a BT land line, Orange Home Phone or your second line, if you have one. Calls from mobiles and some other networks may cost more. Calls may be recorded for quality checking purposes). Customer support lines are open every day from 8am to 10pm for dial up customers and from 7am to 11pm for broadband customers.

10. How to cancel your account and our refund policy

We hope that you won't want to leave us. But if you do, then simply follow the steps below to cancel. Please also see section 15. If your payments are not up to date, we’ll suspend your account but we won’t cancel it, and you will still have to pay any outstanding charges.

Call our broadband support team on 0844 873 8586, (or 0844 871 0079 if you're on a Starter package). You can cancel at any time before your start date, but after that you are tied in to the contract for the minimum term.

The start date for your package is the date that your broadband service is activated (which we will have confirmed by e-mail) or when you first start to use the home broadband service, whichever is first.
If you want to end your contract during your minimum term, you will have to pay all the charges due for the rest of the period. This does not affect your legal rights.

We also offer a cooling-off period that is 7 days from the date of registration or the time it takes for the broadband service to be activated (whichever comes first).

Leaving our Home package to go to another service provider

If, during the minimum term of the contract, you want to leave and go to another broadband provider, you will have to pay the charges for the remaining period of the contract. To move you need to phone us on the number above. If you don’t, and you’re no longer in your minimum term, your account will still be open and we will continue to charge you for the service.

If you are on our Home Phone packages, before leaving us you need to ensure you are aware you will lose your inclusive call minutes. Once this is closed, your calls will be charged by your line rental provider, at their rates.

If you’re on our Home Phone package which includes line rental, before leaving us you need to ensure you have also arranged for your telephone service to be switched to a new provider, including your line rental.

broadband
To go to another service provider you need a migration authorisation code (MAC).
Receiving a MAC code doesn’t immediately cancel your account. Our broadband service will continue until your new provider is ready to start your new service. The time it takes for this to happen depends on your new provider. When this happens, your account with us will end.

You may also want to cancel your direct debit with the bank. However, please make sure you let us know at the same time.

second line
You can end your second line phone service at any time. To cancel this service, call customer support on 0844 8738586. When you end the contract you need to return the Livebox to us, along with any other equipment we loaned to you. If you don’t return the equipment in good working order within 30 days, we can charge you for them.

dial-up Any Time
(only for existing customers – package no longer available for new customers to join)

You can close your Dial-Up Any Time account at any time. Simply call customer support on 0844 412 2202. Remember that you pay for the service in advance, so it may be worth waiting until just before your next payment is due before calling to close your account. Also see sections 6 and 14 of this Code.

You may also want to cancel your direct debit with the bank. However, please make sure you let us know at the same time.

dial-up Pay As You Go

There is no need to call us, you can just stop using your account.
You will not be able to use your e-mail after you have not used the account for 219 days. If you cancel and then change your mind within 259 days, you can always come back to us by opening your account up again online or with a CD.

When you end your account, we may delete all the information we are storing for you. This also means that we may delete all the e-mails in your e-mail account.

11. How to change your address or personal details

This depends on what package you have. We want to help you sort things out as smoothly as possible, so please follow the steps below for your particular package.

broadband, home phone
You need to call customer support on 0844 873 8586 (or 0844 871 0079 if you’re on a Starter package). If you’re changing your phone number or are moving house, remember to have your new number handy so we can check you are moving to an area that has broadband available. If you are on a package that includes line rental, your phone line will be transferred first in the event that you move house. Your home broadband will be set up after your phone line is in place. This may take up to 25 working days.

If the area you are moving to does not have broadband, or your new home does not have a pre-existing BT phone line, we will not be able to provide you with a broadband service any longer.

If we have to cancel the account because your new house doesn’t support broadband, you will need to pay any amounts that would have been due for the remaining part of the contract.

second line
This will be done when you update your home broadband details.

dial-up packages
You need to call customer support on 0844 412 2202 with your new details and we'll update your account details on the same day. If you are changing your phone number, remember to have your new number handy.

We can only talk about account details with the person who signed up for the account unless we have the account holder’s permission for someone else to call. It is much easier if the account holder calls in about any account issues.

12. How to get help with technical problems

It‘s very important that you have all the help you need so you can get the most out of our products and services. Here’s how you can get help with technical problems.

First click on the ‘help and support’ tab on our homepage or click help.orange.co.uk. The information there is always updated and you may find your question has already been answered.

For broadband, home phone and second line
Orange broadband support advisers are happy to talk through your problem (including second line and Livebox issues). Phone 0844 873 8586 (calls to 0844 numbers cost 5 pence a minute from a BT land line, Orange home phone or your second phone line (if you have one).Calls from mobiles and some other networks may cost more. Calls may be recorded for quality checking purposes. The lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week).

If you are on a Starter package, call 090 5050 5151. (The lines for this number are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The call costs 50p a minute from BT landlines. Calls from mobiles and some other networks may cost more. Calls may be recorded and will last for no more than 60 minutes including the address information.)

If you are using an Apple Macintosh computer and need technical support, please call 09050 500 300. (Lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Calls are charged at 50p per minute from BT land lines; calls from mobiles and some other networks may cost more. Calls may be recorded and will last a maximum of 60 minutes.)

Please try to be next to your computer when you call and make sure it’s turned on.

For dial-up packages
If you would like to talk your problem through with someone, phone our technical support team on 0906 251 7517 to help with Outlook Express, Internet Explorer or connecting to the internet.

If you have an Apple Mac, ring our support line on 09067 234 000.
Try to be next to your computer when you call and make sure it is turned on. Make sure you contact us from a separate line, as you may need to connect to the internet to solve any problem you may be having.

(The lines for this number are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The call costs 50p a minute from BT landlines. Calls from mobiles and some other networks may cost more. Calls may be recorded and will last for no more than 60 minutes including the address information)

13. Cost of our services

See full details of prices of the Home packages, home phone calls and second line calls by:
• visiting our website
• visiting any of the Orange Stores
• calling customer support on 0844 873 8586, (or 0844 871 0079 if you’re on a Starter package)

Calls to 0844 numbers cost 5 pence a minute from a BT land line, Orange Home Phone or your second phone line (if you have one).Calls from mobiles and some other networks may cost more. Calls may be recorded for quality checking purposes

14. Paying for our products and services

Our products are very different from one another, so how you can pay will depend on which package you choose.

broadband, second Line, home phone
You can pay for Home Broadband, second Line and Home phone by Direct Debit, Mastercard, Visa, Delta or American Express. You will get one single statement per month including all the services you have registered for.

Please note that if you pay your bill by credit or debit card, you’ll pay an additional monthly surcharge, so we recommend Direct Debit instead.

We’ll take the first monthly fee as soon as your account is active and we’ll then take a payment on or around the same date each month.
For example, if your service became available on 11 April, we will take your payments on the 11th of each month (or as near as possible to it) from then on.

If you pay by direct debit, the payment will be taken from your account up to 10 working days after it’s due. We won't be responsible for any bank charges you have to pay as a result of you not having enough money in your bank or building society account.

If you have difficulties paying your bill, please call customer support on 0844 412 2202 for Dial-Up Any Time, 0844 873 8586 for Home Broadband, or 0870 871 0079 if you're on a Starter package.
(calls to 0844 numbers cost 5 pence a minute from a BT land line, Orange Home Phone or your second phone line (if you have one).Calls from mobiles and some other networks may cost more. Calls may be recorded for quality checking purposes)

Your second line call charges will be added to the monthly broadband bill that you can see. You can find this by logging on to: orange.co.uk/membercentre

The statement in your account will show details of all your calls, including those that are free of charge.

Dial-up Any Time
(for existing customers only – package no longer available for new customers to join)

We will collect your monthly fee in advance using the payment method you chose when you signed up. You can choose to pay by direct debit, Visa, Mastercard or Delta. Please note that if you pay your bill by credit or debit card, you’ll pay an additional monthly surcharge, so we recommend Direct Debit instead.

We’ll take your first payment within 28 working days of when you register. We’ll continue to use the payment details you gave us when you registered until you give us new instructions.

If you pay by a credit card, make sure you remember to give us your new credit card details when your existing one stops being valid, you can do this online

Dial-up Pay As You Go
The charges for using the internet will appear on your phone bill, whichever telephone provider you use.

15. Ending your services if you haven't paid

We want to help you pay our charges and have tried to make the process as easy as possible.

• We will e-mail you straight away if we have not managed to collect a payment. We will send this message to the e-mail address you supplied when you registered.
• If we still can't get payment, we may write to you to let you know what to do to stop us closing your account.
• If we still don’t hear from you, we will suspend or close your account.
• If you are not sure what to do, phone customer support on on 0844 873 8586, (or 0844 871 0079 if you’re on a Starter package) or 0844 412 2202 for dial-up packages.

(calls to 0844 numbers cost 5 pence a minute from a BT land line, Orange Home Phone or your second phone line (if you have one).Calls from mobiles and some other networks may cost more. Calls may be recorded for quality checking purposes)

16. Protecting your personal information

We take your privacy seriously. If you would like more information on how we use your information, see our privacy policy.
We keep to the Data Protection Act and other relevant data-protection laws.

The Data Protection Act
The Data Protection Act 1998 gives people a number of rights over how their personal information is processed. One of these rights entitles you to get almost any organisation to:
• tell you whether they are processing your personal information
• tell you why they are processing your personal information
• tell you who will receive or process the personal information they hold on you
• give you a copy of any personal information we hold, in a way you can understand
• respond to your request within 40 days

Asking us about information we hold
To deal with your request, we can ask for certain things from you. If you decide you want to ask us about the information we hold about you, we will send you an application form to fill in, along with a letter explaining how to make the request. The application form will ask you to:
• provide details about your account
• provide details about you (for example, your date of birth and contact details)
• tell us what information you want to see or ask about
• give us any information that will allow us to identify the information you want
• provide proof of your identity
• send a cheque for £10 to cover our administration costs

We often find that people want access to their information under the Data Protection Act to help them with matters not connected with our service. To help us identify what information you want, it’s helpful if you can give us any background information relevant to your request. But you don’t have to.

If you would like an application form or more information on how to ask for information, please fill in the form on our website.

We will need your contact details to respond to your enquiry. However, we will not use this information for any other purposes.

Your enquiry will be processed by one of our authorised agents.

We also keep to the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing, which you can see on our website.

If you want to know what personal information we hold about you please request a Subject Access Request from here: orange.co.uk/communicate/13409.htm

17. Communicating with you

Some of the information we send you is to help you get more out of your service. Here’s an idea of the kind of things you’ll get.

• Special announcements – we will give you details of any relevant special offers that might apply to you
• Service announcements – we will communicate with you to let you know about any changes in our policies, this code of practice or any relevant terms of use.
• Marketing communications – we keep to direct marketing best practices so will only send you marketing information you agreed to when you registered with us. If you agreed to receive marketing information but have registered with either the mailing or phone preference services you will be removed from any communication and special offers we send.

If you would like to change your choice of information you receive by e-mail, contact the address provided in each message or phone us on 0844 873 8586.

(calls to 0844 numbers cost 5 pence a minute from a BT land line, Orange Home Phone or your second phone line (if you have one).Calls from mobiles and some other networks may cost more. Calls may be recorded for quality checking purposes)

If you would like to stop receiving marketing calls from us and other companies, contact the Telephone Preference Service: mpsonline.org.uk/tps. Calls should stop after 28 days.

If you would like to stop receiving marketing direct mail from us and other companies, please contact the Mail Preference Service: mpsonline.org.uk

18. Disability policy

We currently provide our terms of use, code of practice and bills in large print, on audio tape or in Braille. If you need a copy, phone customer support on 0870 872 0099 or you can see them on our website.

Our second line service does not currently support text relay. Disability text relay services are compatible with the Orange Home phone service.

Orange also offers a number of DQ services. For more information about pricing for DQ services please click here: orange.co.uk/time/talk/homephone

Our complaint handling teams are committed to meeting your needs. Our policy is to welcome customers with disabilities and we are committed to taking positive steps to provide any support they need.

19. What to do if your Livebox has been lost, stolen or damaged

You must tell us immediately by calling customer support on 0844 873 8586. You will be responsible for paying our charges for it until you do. We will replace the Livebox, if appropriate, as soon as we can, but we can charge you for this.

(calls to 0844 numbers cost 5 pence a minute from a BT land line, Orange Home Phone or your second phone line (if you have one).Calls from mobiles and some other networks may cost more. Calls may be recorded for quality checking purposes)

20. Protecting customers

We aim to provide a service that is safe for all our customers.
To report anyone abusing our services in any way, click here: orange.co.uk/communicate/safety/abuse.

The internet gives people access to a lot of adult material, which will concern many parents. We have published some guidelines on how parents can help protect their children. To read our advice on protecting children on the internet, click here: help.orange.co.uk/sessionBegin.do?solutionId=kb4345

Orange offers a wide range of technical safeguards to its Internet and mobile customers and has a dedicated safety team to ensure any concerns are addressed. These safeguards include:
• A free privacy service with parental controls to protect minors from harmful or inappropriate material. The parental controls function lets parents or carers choose what children can do and see online and offers a facility to manually block or allow websites which gives you greater control over the standard service.
• Free anti-virus and spam filters are available on our email service
• We offer users of our Internet search service a ‘safe search’ function to control results
• Orange operates a ‘notice and take down’ procedure for reported inappropriate content on our web portal and provides clear links from various services to enable users to report abuse of any sort.
• Orange uses the IWF list of illegal child abuse websites to prevent inadvertent access to such images on both our fixed and mobile platforms.

Orange offers also great security packages: you can find more information here orange.co.uk/membercentre/security

You can find more information about how Orange deals with Security here: orange.co.uk/safety

21. How to get help if you are being "spammed"

Our e-mail service scans all your incoming e-mails for potential spam and viruses. However, we do also suggest that you have an anti-spam or virus software package installed. Orange offers great security packages. You can find more information here: orange.co.uk/membercentre/security

We can take action against other Orange customers who have been sending spam. To allow us to investigate a complaint of spam, please read our instructions on reporting abusive e-mails. Otherwise, you can contact the internet service provider of the person sending you the spam.

22. Access to premium-rate websites and "rogue diallers"

The charge you pay us for access to the internet does not include charges to premium-rate services on the internet. Any call charges run up by you visiting premium-rate websites will be added to your phone bill and will not appear in your Dial-up Any Time or Home Broadband statements. We are not responsible for charges arising from using premium-rate services though the internet, and you are responsible for making sure you have the right connection settings. You should take the measures we’ve explained in this document to protect you against unexpected charges.

Some companies ask you to download diallers in order to get to premium-rate or restricted content, such as sports highlights, music downloads or adult content. After you have downloaded and run the dialler, it will disconnect your dial-up connection and connect your computer to a premium-rate number.

Sometimes, diallers can connect your computer to the internet without you knowing. In some cases, you may not know that the number you are connecting on has changed. These are generally called ‘rogue diallers’.

Rogue diallers can affect you if you accept a download or installation, or can be delivered by a virus. You should always be suspicious of new download or installation requests if they are not expected (for example, if you are just browsing web pages when a request to download appears). In most cases the rogue dialler will connect you to the internet on premium- or international-rate numbers with very high call charges.

If you think you have fallen victim to a rogue dialler which has lead to you running up high call charges, PhonepayPlus (phonepayplus.org.uk) offers information and advice on its website.

The PhonepayPlus site also features a search facility which will help to trace the premium-rate phone number you have dialled. PhonepayPlus also gives more details on how to make a complaint.

For more information you can also visit our help article on protecting your PC against rogue diallers: help.orange.co.uk/sessionBegin.do?solutionId=kb145

23. What to do if you are receiving nuisance calls

Malicious calls can be offensive, threatening, or just very annoying. They may also be a criminal offence under the Communications Act 2003 (Misuse of telecommunications).

If you are getting nuisance calls, call our customer support line on 0844 873 8586 for advice.

(calls to 0844 numbers cost 5 pence a minute from a BT land line, Orange Home Phone or your second phone line (if you have one).Calls from mobiles and some other networks may cost more. Calls may be recorded for quality checking purposes)

24. Number Translation Services (NTS) and Premium rate services (PRS)

Number Translation Services (NTS) - 08 numbers

Number translation services are types of non-geographic numbers where the number dialled does not relate to a specific geographic location, but instead relates to a particular service or organisation. This allows the organisations using these numbers to change physical location without having to change their telephone number and to have a national presence.

Some NTS numbers also enable organisations to share the revenues generated by the telephone calls made to the numbers. These are shared between the organisation offering the service (the Service Provider – or SP), the Originating Communications Provider (OCP) from whose network the call is originally made, and the communications provider who manages (terminates) the calls to the Service Provider (the Terminating CP – or TCP).

The majority of the money is shared between the TCP and the SP. The OCP who collects the money from the customer on behalf of themselves, the TCP and SP via the customer’s telephone bill, receives only a small proportion of the overall revenues generated.

Tariffs for accessing NTS numbers are shown in our tariff guides – available on our website or calling customer support on 0844 873 8586.

Premium Rate Services (PRS)

What are Premium Rate Services?
Premium rate services offer some form of information service or entertainment that is charged to your phone biller deducted from your pre-paid credit. They include TV vote lines, competitions, mobile ringtones and logos, as well as text or voice information and
entertainment services and directory enquiry services. They cover voice and text, as well as photo, video and mobile internet services.

How are Premium Rate Services charged?
If you’re calling a voice service on a number beginning 09, the charge will appear on your bill or be deducted from your pre-paid credit in the same way as another type of call. The amount that you are charged will vary according to the number which you are calling, although it will be higher than calling a “geographic number” beginning 01, 02 or 03.

As the charges differ from those for calling geographic numbers, calls to PRS numbers will be excluded from any inclusive bundles of minutes. Calls are charged at up to £1.70 per minute or per call depending on the kind of service that you are calling. Some calls may be subject to a minimum charge.

The revenue-sharing arrangements that apply to NTS numbers – described above – also apply to charges for calls to premium rate services.

PHONEPAYPLUS is the industry-funded regulatory body for all premium rate services. Its remit covers three areas:-
■ numbers beginning with 09
■ directory enquiry services on numbers beginning 118
■ reverse billed short codes, where you are charged for receiving the content/messages, which will be 4 or 5 digits, beginning with either 8, 6 or 2

PHONEPAYPLUS regulates premium rate services in their entirety - their content, promotion and overall operation. Its role is to prevent consumer harm. Amongst other things, it requires: clear and accurate pricing information; honest advertising and service content; appropriate and targeted promotions.

PHONEPAYPLUS’ powers come from its Code of Practice which must be complied with by any service provider that is providing a premium rate service. As explained above, where those services are provided via SMS, Orange will have a commercial relationship with that service provider. That means, if the service provider is not complying with the Code of Practice, PHONEPAYPLUS can direct Orange to suspend the service or not to transfer/share the revenue generated to the service provider. There are various ways in which you may choose to limit your access to premium rate services.

Barring
As explained above, Orange groups 09 numbers into five separate pricing bands. By default, all customers (except business customers) will be able to call numbers only in bands 1-3. However, you may choose to bar your access or obtain access to all of those bands, which you can do simply by calling customer services.

Unsubscribing
Rather than being one-off transactions i.e requesting and paying for a single ringtone or logo, some premium rate services operating on SMS shortcodes are subscription services. This means that you agree to be charged on an ongoing basis e.g. for regular horoscopes or football scores until you decide to unsubscribe. Unsubscribing should be achieved by texting STOP to the shortcode which is sending you the messages, but if you experience any difficulties you should call Orange customer services who will be able to give you the contact details of the service provider sending you the messages, so you can get in touch with them directly.

Contact Orange
If you have any general query or complaint about voice or text premium rate services, you should firstly contact Orange customer services. If you believe that you have been charged for a service which you have not requested or to which you have not subscribed, they will be able to provide information on obtaining a refund. If you are experiencing problems with a particular shortcode, they will be able to give you details of the service provider operating the service, how to contact them and how to stop the service, usually by texting STOP to the shortcode.

(Alternatively, you can visit PhonePayPlus.org.uk/consumers to check the number yourself to get the same information. The PHONEPAYPLUS website will also enable you to get information about 11 digit numbers beginning 09, which is not available from Orange customer services.)

If you are unhappy with the response which you have received from Orange customer services, you may request that your complaint be escalated. Ultimately (after you have completed Orange’s internal complaints procedure), you may be able to refer your complaint to Orange’s external dispute resolution scheme known as CISAS (see Section above for details).

However, if your complaint relates to premium rate services, it may well be more appropriate for you to contact the service provider or PHONEPAYPLUS (see below) as the next step.

Contact the service provider
Orange is not responsible for the actions of independent service providers, so you need to contact them directly
if you want further information about the service being provided, if you are unable to stop the service or have any
further complaint. All service providers should have customer service facilities

Contact PHONEPAYPLUS
If you do not get a satisfactory response from the service provider, you may wish to make a formal complaint to PHONEPAYPLUS. It investigates complaints and has the power to fine companies and bar access to services if its Code of Practice is breached. It can also bar the individual(s) behind a company from running any other premium rate services under any company name on any telephone network for a defined period. Lesser problems can be dealt with by issuing formal reprimands or ordering companies to come to PHONEPAYPLUS for prior approval.

PHONEPAYPLUS’ service is free to consumers and fully independent. Its contact details are:

PHONEPAYPLUS
FREEPOST WC5468
London SE1 2BR
Telephone 0800 500 212 between the hours of 8.00am and 6.00pm, Monday to Friday
PhonePayPlus.org.uk

But before making a formal complaint, you should first check that your complaint falls within one of the three areas of its remit and that it is not already investigating the service/promotion about which you wish to complain.

You should also compile all of the necessary information. More detailed information about how to do all of this and how to submit your complaint (together with access to the online complaint form) is available on the consumer section of the PHONEPAYPLUS website under ‘How to Complain’. For queries solely in relation to Orange’s compliance with this code, contact Simon Grossman.

25. What to do if you want to complain

We want to give all our customers an excellent service. But sometimes we might get it wrong. When we do, we want to know how we can fix it.

We’ve developed the complaints procedure below, which gives you three ways to contact us if you have a problem with our services.

If you want to talk to us about the problem you can phone us and we will try to sort your complaint out while you are on the phone. If this is not possible, the adviser will agree a course of action with you.
• For Dial-up Packages you can call us on 0844 412 2202
• For Home Broadband and second line you can call us on 0844 873 8586 (or 0844 871 0079 if you’re on a Starter package.)

(calls to 0844 numbers cost 5 pence a minute from a BT land line, Orange Home Phone or your second phone line (if you have one). Calls from mobiles and some other networks may cost more. Calls may be recorded for quality checking purposes). Customer support lines are open every day from 8am to 10pm for dial up customers and from 7am to 11pm for broadband customers

• If you would like to e-mail us, simply go to our help channel and follow the instructions. We aim to reply to all emails within 48 hours. However, remember that email is not a secure way to exchange personal or sensitive information.
• If you prefer to send a letter, then you can send your complaint to:
Orange Customer Care
PO Box 486
Rotherham
S63 5ZX

26. How we will deal with your complaint

This will depend on how you make your complaint. However, when you contact us we will need to ask for:
* your e-mail address
* the phone number you use for connecting to the internet
* your date of birth
* your full postal address
* your password

If you can have this information to hand or include it in your original complaint, it will speed things up.

Once we receive your complaint we will record it. If you write to us we will give you a reference number, which we will let you know and will ask you to quote whenever you contact us about the complaint.

We do try to settle all complaints immediately, but sometimes we may have to investigate the matter before we can get back to you. We aim to reply to complaints made by e-mail within 48 hours, and complaints made in writing within 5 working days of us receiving the letter.

If you’re not satisfied with the way we deal with your complaint, you should ask for it to be considered again by someone with more authority. You can do this immediately if you are on the phone or we will arrange for someone to contact you. If you have asked for this by e-mail or letter, you will receive a response within 48 hours for e-mails and for complaints in writing, within 5 working days of us receiving the letter.

If you are still not satisfied, ask for it to be considered again. If you still do not agree with what we have said or done, our Complaint Review Service will look into the matter. We’ll then give you details of where to send your complaint. See also Section 27 Useful addresses.

After asking us to refer your complaint to someone with more independence, you may also find it useful to speak to the Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) whose contact details are in section 27 below. However please note that this does not affect your rights (as set out in section 26 below) to refer your complaint to an alternative dispute resolution service.

27. What to do if you are still not happy with us

If we reach a deadlock situation with your complaint, we will confirm that there is nothing more we can do and give you a reference number. You can then refer the dispute to the Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (CISAS).

Or, if we have not given you a satisfactory response to your complaint after 3 months, you can refer the complaint to CISAS.
CISAS is an independent scheme, run by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, that deals with disputes.

When your dispute goes through the scheme, a person called an independent adjudicator decides how to settle it. Once the dispute has been referred to CISAS, any offers we have previously made to solve the problem will be withdrawn.

To get more details on how to refer a dispute to CISAS please contact them:

CISAS
24 Angel Gate
City Road
London
EC1V 2PT
Telephone 020 7520 3827
Fax 020 7520 3829
cisas.org.uk

If you are unhappy about the way we or CISAS have handled your complaint you can contact Ofcom at the address below.

28. Useful addresses

ISPA
Internet Services Providers' Association
28 Broadway
London
SW1H 9JX
Phone: 0870 050 0710
Fax: 0870 033 7205
ispa.org.uk

Ofcom
Office of Communications
Riverside House
2A Southwark Bridge Road
London
SE1 9HA
Phone: 020 7981 3040
Fax: 020 7981 3334
ofcom.org.uk

PhonepayPlus
Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services
Clove Building
4 Maguire Street
London
SE1 2NQ
Phone: 0800 500 212 (between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays)
Fax: 020 7940 7456
phonepayplus.org.uk