OFCOM review into premium rate services welcomed by Norman Lamb

12.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 3rd Aug 2004

Communications watchdog OFCOM's announcement today of a review into the regulation of premium rate phone services has been welcomed by Norman Lamb MP.

"This review into the regulation of premium rate phone services is long over-due," said Mr Lamb. "However, I must warmly welcome the announcement by OFCOM today that a review will take place."

Norman Lamb has been pursuing the issue of rogue diallers which replace existing service providers without the customer's knowledge and charge premium rates each time the customer goes online. He has written to BT, ICSTIS and the Department of Trade and Industry and feels more must be done.

"Too many people have lost money through rogue premium rate dialler scams," Mr Lamb said today. "I will continue pressing BT, ICSTIS and the DTI over compensation claims for customers who have been landed with large bills out of the blue for premium rate services they didn't know they were using."

Norman Lamb is also calling on the industry to tighten the regulations for foreign operators entering the premium rate services market in the UK.

"Foreign operators wishing to enter the UK market and offer premium rate services should have to put down a bond of money as a guarantee of good practice," said Mr Lamb. "This would encourage operators to ensure that customers were protected from scams such as those using rogue diallers."