O 2 consumer code of practice

Transcription

1 O 2 consumer code of practice O2 Active and Pay & Go are registered trademarks of O2 Limited. O2 (UK) Limited, 260 Bath Road, Slough, Berkshire SL1 4DX Registered in England Number Registered Office as above. O2 (UK) Limited Correct at the time of going to press (January 2007). O2CN061N KGL 01/07

2 Contents O 2 consumer code of practice 1 We re here to help 1 About this O2 consumer code of practice 1 Range of services 2 Pay Monthly 2 Pay & Go 2 O2 Rewards 2 i-mode 3 O 2 Active 4 How to connect with O2 4 Keeping your mobile number 5 Changing your mind 5 What to do if you have a faulty phone 5 Using your phone safely 6 Nuisance calls 6 Theft 6 Safe Driving 8 Don t throw your old mobile away 8 Serving people with special needs 8 Age Verification 8 Parental control 9 Code of practice on location-based service 9 Your rights 11 Use of your data for marketing purposes 11 Directory listing 11 Unwanted sales calls and text messages 11 Calling Line identification 11 Premium rate services 13 Premium messaging services 13 How much do premium messaging services cost and where does the money go? 13 Subscription services 13 Unsubscribing from services 13 What can I do to try to get a refund? 14 Other premium rate services 14 Barring and unbarring access to Premium Rate Services 14 Directory enquiry services 14 Who regulates premium rate services and directory enquiry services? 14 How do I make a complaint to ICSTIS? 15 Can I find out more about the company running the premium rate line? 15 Special Services 16 What are non-geographic numbers? 16 How do I find out the cost of a call to a non-geographic number? 16 Who regulates non-geographic numbers? 16 What is the role and remit of Ofcom? 16 How do I make a complaint to Ofcom? 16 Further information 18 How to contact us 18 on-line customers 18 Other useful numbers 18 Ofcom 18 Distributing and reviewing this code 18 If things go wrong 12 Your first point of contact 12 Putting things right 12 An impartial review 12 What we need to know 12 An independent review 12 If you need advice 12 i

3 O 2 consumer code of practice We re here to help We re here to help you get the most from your mobile and are committed to giving you the best service in the market. Our clear, simple tariffs and range of Bolt Ons provide excellent value for money, while exciting services such as picture messaging help bring technology to life. About this O 2 consumer code of practice This O 2 consumer code of practice gives you useful information to help you make the most of the services we offer. If there s anything we haven t covered, please see our website ( or contact customer service (you ll find the numbers at the end of this booklet). Nothing in this O 2 consumer code of practice affects your legal rights, nor does anything in it form part of your contract with us (you can call us for a copy of your contract our contact details are at the end of this booklet). This O 2 consumer code of practice was correct at the time of going to press and the services it describes may change from time to time, depending on availability. 1

4 Range of services Pay Monthly Stay in control and get great value for money with Pay Monthly tariffs. Designed to suit the way you use your phone, our tariffs work with loads of funky phones and some even come with a mobile included. Setting up an O2 Pay Monthly tariff is simple, and there are lots of different ways to pay. Direct debit is the most convenient and there s no administration charge. And if you want to keep an eye on things, we can show details of every call on your bill for a little bit extra. You ll be signing a contract for at least 12 months, so connection depends on your status and a credit check. If you re late paying your bill, we ll contact you to talk about how you can pay. Remember, in most circumstances, if you or O2 cancels your agreement, you ll still need to pay any amount that you still owe on your account, including subscriptions until the end of the contractual period. Please give customer service a call if you want to find out more. Pay & Go Whether you talk mostly during the day or like to catch up at weekends, choosing your tariff is easy. Just pick the tariff that suits you the best from the following: Pay & Go Talkalot: ideal if you make a lot of calls during the day Pay & Go Talkalotmore: perfect for those who like to natter to people on other UK networks during evenings and weekends Choose from our range of text, picture messaging and voice Bolt Ons, including O2 Home for cheaper calls from home. There are many O2 Bolt Ons packages to choose, so it couldn t be easier to get the service you need. And you can pay directly from your calltime balance. Terms and conditions apply please see for more information. O2 Rewards We think it's about time our existing customers were rewarded for their loyalty. So we're giving every Pay & Go customer 10 percent back on all Top-Ups every three months. If you top-up 50, you'll get 5 free calltime at the end of the quarter. Every time you top-up, you'll be earning 10 percent back and we'll text you to tell you how much free calltime you've built up and how to claim it at the end of the quarter. If you simply can't wait to find out how much you're earning, text BALANCE to anytime and we'll let you know. The more you top-up, the more you get back. There's no minimum top-up or time limits and the maximum you can get back is 150 a quarter, so that's up to 600 a year. Just text REWARD to and make loyalty more rewarding Terms and conditions apply please see for more information. i-mode i-mode is the new mobile Internet service, exclusively from O2, that gives you access to a huge range of websites and allows you to exchange at the touch of a button. From going on holiday, booking hotel rooms and searching for cheap flights, to checking out the latest movies or listening to the hottest music. You'll also be able to find a new property, get a new job or download your favourite ringtones, play the latest games or find out the latest news. We'll constantly be adding new sites for you to view but to keep in touch you can checkout our website on o2.co.uk/content_whats_new.html 2 3

5 O 2 Active Whether you're a sports fanatic, music enthusiast, gaming guru or just want entertainment or information, O2 Active has something for everyone. These are just some of the things you can do on O2 Active: Turn your mobile phone into an arcade with colour games from the best in the business Make your mobile phone a fashion statement with the latest and greatest tones and pics Missing the match: with live scores, team news and video clips Arrange that weekend away with lastminute.com or ebookers Plan your nights out with films, gigs and Ticketmaster Or if you fancy a night in, check out the TV guide Chat with mates or make new ones with O2 Active Chat Turn your hand to creating your own WAPsite Enter exclusive competitions and win fantastic prizes with O2 And if you have an O2 , or BT Yahoo! account, you can keep tabs on your s too without having to find a PC Plus there's loads more, from FHM and Blogging to NME and the MTV all you have to do is explore. How to connect with O2 It s simple to connect to O2. Here s how. Visit an O2 store there are more than 300 nationwide. See and look at the Store Locator. Go to our on-line shop on Call us on Go to an independent mobile phone retailer. And it s simple to upgrade your existing O2 phone too. Call customer service or visit a store. Upgrades depend on how long you ve been connected to O2 and your average monthly bill. Keeping your mobile number This service lets you change networks and keep your mobile number (as long as it has not been disconnected). Here s how simple it is to keep your number when you move onto our network. Tell your current service provider that you want to leave and join O2. You ll be sent a Porting Authorisation Code (PAC) within two working days, which is valid for 30 days. Choose your O2 calling plan. When you connect, tell us you want to keep your existing mobile number and give us the PAC. Your number will move over within five working days. If you re moving more than 25 numbers, it ll take a bit longer usually between 10 and 14 working days. Changing your mind So what happens if you change your mind? Generally, if you want to cancel your agreement just return your Pay Monthly or Pay & Go mobile phone and accessories to us within 14 days of purchase for a full refund. (This does not apply to upgrading pay monthly customers in O2 stores) Remember, if you connected through another retailer, like Phones 4 U or Carphone Warehouse, you should return the mobile phone and accessories to them. What to do if you have a faulty phone If you bought your phone directly from us by phone, on our website or in an O2 store please contact customer service who will be able to help. What we do then depends on the type of fault and its cause. If you didn t buy your phone directly from us, but from another seller such as The Carphone Warehouse or Phones 4 U, you ll need to return it to the place you bought it to report the fault. As the phone didn t come directly from us, we wouldn t be able to offer an exchange. If any other faults occur, please contact customer service who will be happy to help. Contact details are provided at the back of this leaflet. You can get O2 Active on most mobile phones. You can see if yours is compatible at handsets. Check out o2active for more information. O2 Active is handset and network dependent. The phone and accessories must be undamaged, complete, in the original packaging and include your receipt. You only have to pay for the calls you have made. This does not affect your legal rights. 4 5

6 Using your phone safely Nuisance calls If you get a malicious or nuisance call, text or picture message, and would like advice, contact customer service on the number listed at the end of this O 2 consumer code of practice. You may be referred to the O2 Nuisance Call Bureau, where we have a specially trained team ready to help you. As well as advice, they may apply a tracing facility to your mobile phone number. Almost all malicious calls can be traced and we ll work closely with the police to investigate your case. Theft The theft of mobiles is becoming a major problem in the UK. Every month, 10,000 mobiles are stolen in the London area alone, and young people are more at risk. These are ways you can help protect yourself: Mark your mobile with your postcode. Use your mobile security PIN. Be aware of the area you are in and the people around you. Make a note of your IMEI number. This is a 15-digit serial number that is unique to each phone. It can be found on a label, usually behind the battery, or key in #06# and it ll be displayed on the screen. If your mobile phone is lost or stolen, it s vital that you tell us straight away you will be liable for all calls made on a lost or stolen phone until you tell us about it. After you inform us, we ll place a call bar on your mobile to stop any unauthorised calls being made. If you need to do this outside customer service working hours, please call the out-of-hours barring facility on You should also contact the local police in your area. And if you go abroad with your O2 mobile, don t forget to take the appropriate O2 Customer Service number with you, so that you can tell us if your mobile is lost or stolen. If you want more information on property marking please contact your local Crime Prevention Office. Insuring your mobile phone with O2 Insure means you will be protected against the high cost of replacing your mobile phone if anything does go wrong. We ll also help reduce the time spent without your mobile or access to your O2 products and services. Our claims service will either repair or replace your mobile with as little fuss as possible. Conditions and exclusions apply to O2 Insure policies, so please read your policy carefully. Things to avoid: Don t give your mobile to strangers who want to use it. Don t leave your mobile unattended. Don t carry your mobile in full view. 6

7 Safe driving At O2, we re great believers in the benefits of fast, efficient communication but we really don t want you to talk yourself into trouble. It is an offence to hold, or cradle in your neck, a mobile phone when driving. This includes: making or taking a phone call; reading or writing a text message; and using any other data-related function. Instead, you must use a fully-installed car kit or other hands-free accessory. Never use a hand-held mobile phone or communications device when driving. Never send or read text messages while driving. We recommend you use Voic when driving, and park safely before listening to your messages; keep hands-free calls short and use a hands-free cradle for your mobile; and end hands-free calls that become difficult, distracting or stressful immediately. When in doubt switch it off. Don t throw your old mobile away If you re thinking about getting a new handset, please do not throw your old one away let us have it and we will put it to good use. Your old mobile phone could be helping communications in developing countries, where many people cannot afford a new phone, because they could use your unwanted mobile. And you ll be helping to raise money for charity because we ll donate 5 to charity for every mobile phone that can be reused. If your old phone can t be reused or recycled, we ll make sure that we get rid of it in a safe and environmentally responsible way. You can return your unwanted mobile phone (don t forget to remove your SIM card first), chargers and accessories by doing one of the following. Get a freepost envelope from your local O2 store Pop in to an O2 store and recycle your unwanted mobile. Serving people with special needs We want everyone to be able to use our services, so we have a number of ways that we can help. Would you like your bills in Braille, or a network guide on audio tape? Perhaps you find the phone book too large to handle and would find it helpful to have free Directory Enquiries. Would you like advice on voice-activated handsets or those with larger screens? For more information, see our website at Age verification Non internet access to 18 classified services is barred until you have verified that you are 18 or over. You can verify your age by dialling from your O2 phone, calling O2 Customer Service or by presenting identification at any O2 retail store. For internet access, see Parental Control, below. Parental Control Parental Control restricts mobile Internet access to a limited number of sites that are suitable for all ages. Parental Control can be activated by dialling from your O2 phone or in any O2 retail store. Code of practice on location-based service Location based services allow the location of mobile phones to be identified. The providers of these services must comply with a code of practice that sets out a series of safeguards to offer protection to the users of the services and other owners of mobile phones. For more information see: co.uk/documents/ls_cop_locationservices_ outline_ pdf 8 9

8 Your rights Use of your data for marketing purposes We like to keep you up to date with our latest products, services and promotions which we think will interest you. Soon after activating your mobile you ll start to receive relevant marketing communications from us. We do this in various ways by text message, media message, mail, or phone call and we ll always identify ourselves clearly as O2. However, we know that some people want to be left alone. Let us know if you don t want to receive O2 marketing communications by writing to: c/o The Data Controller O2 (UK) Limited 260 Bath Road Slough Berkshire SL1 4DX Pay & Go customers can choose not to be contacted by calling 2220 free from their O2 mobile. Directory listing You may ask us to include your mobile phone number in a telephone directory and or a directory enquiry service. However, you should be aware that, if you opt for this service, your number will be made accessible to companies that compile information for marketing purposes (teleappenders) this is outside the control of O2. If you are worried about this, you can prevent it from happening by registering your mobile phone number with the Telephone Preference Service on org.uk. See below for more information. If you want your mobile phone number to be included in a directory and or a directory enquiry service, please contact customer service. We may charge a fee for this service. Unwanted sales calls and text messages If you don t want marketing calls from other organisations, you can register free of charge with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS). Their contact details are listed at the end of this O 2 consumer code of practice. Once you register, the TPS stops companies and other organisations from making uninvited phone calls to you to market or promote their goods or services. And as an individual consumer, you shouldn t get uninvited marketing text messages without your agreement beforehand. If you do receive one, we can look into. Simply forward the message to our spam text reporting service. You can also make a complaint to the Information Commissioner s Office. The contact details are at the end of this O 2 consumer code of practice. Calling Line Identification A service called Calling Line Identification (CLI) lets you find out the number of the caller from a display screen or by dialling 1471 after getting a call. However, CLI doesn t show a caller s phone number if they have chosen to withhold it. Normally, anyone you phone can find out the number you re calling from. You can prevent this by dialling 141 in front of the number you want. (Please note that you cannot withhold your details if you are calling the emergency services.) 11

9 If things go wrong Premium rate services At O2 we always try to make sure things run as smoothly as possible for our customers. If you re unhappy with any part of our service, tell us. It gives us a chance to put things right and also means we can improve our service to you and our customers in future. Your first point of contact Our customer service teams are in the best position to deal with your complaint and should be the first people you contact. You can contact them by phone or by letter or . Contact details can be found at the end of this code of practice. Putting things right We ll look into your complaint immediately and try to sort the issue out as fully as we can. If you re unhappy with our decision, ask for one of our Customer Service Team Leaders to investigate further. An impartial review We hope that we will have been able to sort out any problems by this stage. However, if you are still not satisfied after speaking to one of our managers and would like an impartial review, please write to: O2 Complaint Review Service, PO Box 116, Leeds LS11 5DS complaintreviewservice@o2.com Fax: What we need to know In your letter, please include the following information: Your name and address Your mobile number A daytime phone number Details of your complaint A suggestion of what you d like us to do to put things right If you ve had any previous correspondence relating to your complaint, please send copies of these as well as any names of managers you ve spoken to. An independent review The telecommunications ombudsman, Otelo, can review your complaint if we haven t been able to sort the situation out using the steps above. Unless there is a deadlock situation, Otelo won t look at cases that are less than 12 weeks old. Otelo, PO Box 730, Warrington WA4 6WU enquiries@otelo.org Phone: Textphone: If you need advice For information on your consumer rights, get free advice from your local citizens advice bureau (CAB), consumer advice centre, local-authority trading standards or consumer protection department. You ll find their contact details in the local telephone directory or ask at your town hall or local-authority offices. If you ever need to make a complaint, we re always here. Should you have any feedback about our service, let us know so we can make improvements. We are committed to providing you with readily accessible and accurate information on premium rate services available from your O2 mobile. Premium messaging services These are services that cost more than the standard text rate, where you receive some form of content or service, for instance, TV voting (on programmes like Big Brother), radio interaction services, information services, games, pictures, videos, ringtones, logos and chat services. These services are normally advertised in newspapers and magazines, or on websites. It is important that you always read the small print before you decide to sign up, as not all these services are provided by O2 and you may have signed up to an agreement with a third party to provide the service. This means that you will have to contact them directly if you wish to cancel. If you have any problems, O2 can provide you with contact details. How much do premium messaging services cost and where does the money go? Costs vary from 10p per message to 5 per message. Prices should always be clear in promotional material. Premium messaging services are charged on a different basis to ordinary text messages. The money paid by users for services is shared between O2 (for carrying the service) and the organisation providing the content. This arrangement is known as revenue sharing. You pay for premium messaging services via your mobile phone bill or Pay & Go account in the normal way. We will then share that money with the company providing the content or service. Subscription services Often, services are provided on a subscription basis. You start them by sending a keyword in a text message, normally to a five-digit short code number. This message will be charged at normal rates. You should then receive, free of charge, a text message confirming your registration to the service and describing the cost of the service. After this, the premium rate subscription service will start and you will receive a series of premium rate text messages (at whatever interval is stipulated in the advertising material), with typical costs ranging from 25p to 1.50 per message. Unsubscribing from services If you wish to unsubscribe from premium messages that you are receiving, then please refer to the content of the message, which may contain information on how to cancel any further messages being received on your handset. If this information is not available, then please reply to the message by texting STOP. This is an industry agreed command and should work on all subscription based premium messaging services. It is possible to receive more than one service from a particular short code. If you send STOP to the shortcode, the last subscription service you have used will be stopped. If you want to stop all the subscription services operating on an individual shortcode, you should text STOP ALL. If these commands do not work, then please contact Customer Services

10 What can I do to try to get a refund? This may not always be possible, but you should speak to us in the first instance to discuss any problems with your bill. Other premium rate services Services are advertised on phone numbers beginning with 09. Directory enquiry services are advertised on six-digit numbers beginning 118. Premium rate services currently vary in cost from 50p per call to 2 per minute. You can find out the O2 pricing of Premium Rate 09 numbers on the O2 website, at alertsinformation/premiumvoice. These prices are subject to change and changes will be posted on this website. If you make calls to 09 Premium Rate numbers, you are advised to check the O2 website regularly for the latest pricing information. Premium rate services are charged on a different basis to ordinary telephone calls. The money paid by users for services is shared between the telephone company carrying the service and the organisation providing the content. This arrangement is known as revenue sharing. You pay for premium rate calls via your mobile phone bill or Pay & Go account in the normal way. We pay another telephone company to carry and deliver the call to its destination. That money is shared between the telephone company and the provider of the service. Barring and unbarring access to Premium Rate Services If you are unable to call a Premium Rate number, it may be because your account has been set up with barring access to 09 numbers. Premium Rate call barring is automatically in place at the start of your contract with O2. However, the bar can be removed, after three months of clear billing history. To request this, please call the customer service contact number as shown in your airtime bill. Directory enquiry services You can also access a number of directory enquiry services operating on 118 xxx numbers, from your O2 mobile. You can find out the pricing of these services on the O2 website, at services/alertsinformation/directory enquiries. Who regulates premium rate services and directory enquiry services? ICSTIS (the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services) is the regulator for premium rate services and directory enquiry services in the UK. ICSTIS regulates the content, promotion and overall operation of all premium rate services. It does this using its Code of Practice, which sets out the rules with which all providers of premium rate services must comply. ICSTIS role is to prevent consumer harm. Among other things, it requires: clear and accurate pricing information honest advertising and service content appropriate and targeted promotions It investigates all complaints received about premium rate services. Where it decides that its rules have been broken, it can fine the companies responsible, bar access to their services, and bar the individual behind a company from running other services under a different company name. Lesser problems can be dealt with by the use of formal reprimands or ordering companies obtain approval from ICSTIS before operating a service. Its service is independent and free to consumers. How do I make a complaint to ICSTIS? You can make a formal complaint by: completing the online form on the website at calling its free helpline on writing to ICSTIS at FREEPOST WC5468, London SE1 2BR It helps ICSTIS investigations if you are able to provide the promotional material for the service, together with any other relevant details. Can I find out more about the company running the premium rate line? If you want to check a premium rate 09 number on your bill, you can use ICSTIS number checking facility on its website at As well as identifying the premium rate service, the facility will let you know whether it is under investigation for any reason and of any action ICSTIS is taking. If you believe that you have been the victim of a premium rate scam, you should contact ICSTIS. In certain circumstances, ICSTIS will instruct the company running the premium rate service to offer a refund. You should contact the company providing the service directly to ask for the refund. ICSTIS informs all those who complain to it of the outcome of its investigations, and if a refund is instructed, it will inform you of the company s contact details

11 Special services We are committed to providing you with readily accessible and accurate information on services available on non-geographic numbers from your O2 mobile. These are numbers, which start 08, are also known as special services or chargeable services. What are non-geographic numbers? Non-geographic numbers start with 08 and include the number ranges 0800, 0844, 0845, 0870 and They do not relate to a specific geographic location, but, instead, relate to a particular service. Services offered using non-geographic numbers are similar to premium rate services, but do not cost as much. Types of services include information services, some technical helplines, access to telephone banking, sales and customer service lines and dial-up pay-as-you-go Internet services. How do I find out the cost of a call to a non-geographic number? O2 is committed to publishing the usage charges of non-geographic numbers on our website and in our price lists in a way that gives non-geographic numbers the same prominence as we give calls to geographic numbers or calls to other mobile networks. We further commit to give prominence to: whether or not any special offers, discount schemes or call bundling arrangements apply to non geographic calls, including details of which of those arrangements apply to which number range If you would like any more advice on nongeographic numbers please call us or visit pecialnumbers Who regulates non-geographic numbers? The Office of Communications Ofcom What is the role and remit of Ofcom? It is the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless communications services. How do I make a complaint to Ofcom? Phone: Fax: Textphone: (this number is only for those people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired) Website any usage charges that apply for calls to 0800 numbers including details of when those charges will apply usage charges for non geographic calls which include variations by time of day 16 17

12 Further information How to contact us Pay Monthly Customer Service Pay & Go Customer Service or 4445 (Hot Key 9) from your O2 mobile (25p a call including VAT). Pay & Go top-up line 4444 from your O2 mobile (free of charge). Network services: 100 on-line customers by mycare@o2mail.co.uk Pay Monthly 5151 from your O2 mobile (50p a minute including VAT). Pay & Go 4445 from your O2 mobile (50p a minute including VAT). Note: The minimum call charge is 3p. Other useful numbers Office of the Telecommunications Ombudsman (Otelo) Wilderspool Park Warrington WA4 6HL. Phone: Fax: enquiries@otelo.org.uk Website: Textphone: The Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services (ICSTIS) Phone: lines are open Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm Fax: Website: Telephone Preference Service Register on-line at or call Fax Preference Service Register on-line at or call Information Commissioner s Office Wycliffe House Water Lane Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF. Phone: Fax: mail@ico.gsi.gov.uk Website: Ofcom Ofcom is the regulator for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless communications services. Its address is Ofcom Contact Centre Riverside House 2a Southwark Bridge Road London SE1 9HA. Phone: Fax: contact@ofcom.org.uk Website: Distributing and reviewing this code This document is available as a PDF download from or it can be posted to you if you call customer services see the numbers above. It is also available in different formats. We will review regularly and republish the code. Please feel free to send us any comments you have about this code, including compliance, to: codeofpractice@o2.com i-mode & the i-mode logo are trade marks or registered trade marks of NTT DoCoMo. Inc in Japan & other countries. O2 and the O2 logo are registered trade marks of the O2 group of companies. The information in this leaflet is correct at the time of going to print (January 2007). However, all our products and services may change at any time. Please see our website at for current information