PhonepayPlus registrations pass 3,000 mark

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You might recall that new Premium Rate Services regulations came into force on 1^st September 2011. The new regulations included an industry-wide Registration Scheme so that anyone wishing to operate a premium rate service in the UK to register with PhonepayPlus. The idea was to focus on pricing transparency, good customer service and to protect consumers’ privacy.

Seven weeks on and PhonepayPlus has announced that the new Registration Scheme now has more than 3,000 premium rate telephone services (PRS) providers signed up.

The Registration Scheme will provide details of all PRS providers in the UK, with benefits for both consumers and industry – helping PRS companies with their due diligence, while giving consumers better information about premium rate numbers and customer care lines. Importantly, the Registration Scheme will help the regulator to better target enforcement at the providers causing consumer harm.

Paul Whiteing, PhonepayPlus’ Chief Executive, commented: “We are delighted to have over 3,000 providers registered with us. This is good news for the PRS industry, good news for consumers and good news for PhonepayPlus.  As we look forward to working with industry to embed and enforce the new Code of Practice, it is reassuring to know that thousands of PRS providers are registered with us. This helps us to target enforcement which, in turn, helps build consumer confidence in PRS and prevent damage to the PRS market.

“We will pursue non-registered PRS providers, who will be in breach of the new Code. Any providers contracted with non-registered providers will also be in breach of the new Code, even if they are registered themselves. So we urge any stragglers – who are now very much in the minority – to register as soon as possible. All providers should check that their clients are registered.

“From the very start – when the Registration Scheme was only an idea – we have worked hard to consult with the PRS industry and to carefully consider and act on its input. That does not stop here. We continue to work with industry to improve the Registration Scheme and build consumer confidence. We will shortly undertake an evaluation of the Registration Scheme and we look forward to wide-ranging input, from all PRS providers in an increasingly diverse market.”

If you are operating a Premium Rate Service on Core Telecom’s network and have not yet registered, please check out all of the materials available online and register with PhonepayPlus as soon as possible.