For parents
As a parent, it's natural that you want to do all you can to ensure your child is safe. You also want your child to be well informed so they can make educated decisions for themselves. This section will tell you how to prevent premium rate related problems, teach your child about these issues and trouble shoot.
You have witnessed the dramatic development of premium rate services in the UK. They have gone from being niche and 'top shelf'' to something that is mainstream, mass media and worth millions every year.
At all times of the day and night, across all media platforms, premium rate is now a popular way for consumers to buy products, enter competitions, cast votes or donate to charity. There are now over 45,000 premium rate services in the UK and the industry is worth a staggering £1.2 billion every year!
As a result of this evolution, children have more exposure to premium rate services than ever before. In addition, a staggering 65% of children aged 8-15 own a mobile phone, 72% have access to digital TV at home and 65% can log on at home, giving more young people direct and personal access to these services.
Prevent problems...
www.phonebrain.org.uk is brought to you by the premium rate services regulator, PhonepayPlus, which believes that all consumers should be able to use premium rate services with trust and confidence. The vast majority of premium rate services are run responsibly and don't cause problems. However, problems can occur when the service or technology is misunderstood by the consumer and it is also possible to be the victim of a scam.
The best way to prevent problems is through education. Through www.phonebrain.org.uk we want to teach children:
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to recognise premium rate services
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to appreciate the costs involved
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to understand the issues and potential pitfalls
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to be in control and make educated decisions
Often you will see a number on your bill and not remember what is was or why you called it. PhonepayPlus keeps records of all the premium rate numbers that consumers have asked questions about so others can see the information too.
To find out what the service is, look it up on the PhonepayPlus number checker by following this link: http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/consumers/ncd/default.asp
Type in a premium rate number or mobile shortcode into the number checker and it will tell you the name of the service, and the name, telephone number and address of the company running it. You may realise that you wanted to call the number. However, if you check the number and realise that you did not want to call it, you can use the details provided to contact the service provider directly or make a complaint.
Got a problem with a premium rate service - report it...
Problems with the content, promotion or operation of premium rate services can be reported by calling PhonepayPlus on 0800 500 212 between the hours of 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (but not Bank Holidays).
For further details about PhonepayPlus, please follow this link to the PhonepayPlus website: www.phonepayplus.org.uk.
For specific consumer advice, please follow this link to the section for the public: http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/consumers/how_to_complain/default.asp
Trouble shooting...
Documents:
Premium rate calls cost between 10p - £1.50 from a BT landline (plus surcharges). Other network costs vary but by how much? Find out from this table.
Please remember that new phone packages with different prices are introduced regularly and as a result costs may change. To get the exact price for a specific service, visit the website link or call the customer service number provided. This information was correct 02.04.07
premiumrate_callcosts.pdf
(155
kb)
(Information correct 19/03/07)
Find out how to bar premium rate calls and block 18+ content on mobiles. To increase word size, click on the % button and select a higher number.
mobile bars and blocks.xls.pdf
(92
kb)
This PDF contains frequently asked questions which are useful to parents or guardians.
ParentsFAQs.pdf
(90
kb)
A checklist for parents who are buying a mobile phone for their child created by the charity Childnet International
ChildnetParentChecklist.pdf
(485
kb)
clear and accurate pricing information
follow our
7 simple tips to stop you becoming a victim of a PRS scam.
7TopTips.pdf
(317
kb)