What is a Call Connection Service? (Be aware, and then avoid)

Ian011

Nowadays, most organisations use inclusive 03 numbers or free-to-caller 080 numbers. These numbers will be published on their official website.

If you are searching the web for the contact details of any well-known organisation such as a retailer, trader, passenger transport company, bank, card company, insurer, government department or public service, be aware that many of the results will be for copycat or call connection service websites offering expensive 084, 087 or 09 telephone numbers and avoid them.

• What is a Call Connection Service?
• Why use a Call Connection Service?
• What does it cost to call a Call Connection Service number?
• Are Call Connection Services legal?
• Advice
• Where to complain
• Additional Information

What is a Call Connection Service?

A call connection service is a website that offers a selection of premium rate numbers starting 084, 087 or 09 supposedly for "connecting" callers to well-known organisations. These premium rate numbers are offered on the connection service website in place of the inclusive 01, 02 or 03 numbers or free-to-caller 080 numbers published on the organisation's official website.

Call Connection Services charge premium rates for calls that would otherwise be inclusive or free. Some people may consider this to be a scam.


Why use a Call Connection Service?

You would use a Call Connection Service and call their premium rate number if:

• you are in the habit of calling phone numbers found in web search results without checking if they are genuine or what they will cost,
• you failed to read the disclaimer on the call connection service website that says it's not the official number, or such declaration was hidden or missing,
• you didn't see the call costs that are required to be declared alongside all such premium rate numbers, or the call costs weren't stated,
• you missed seeing the mention of, and link to, the official cheaper number for contacting the organisation, or such information wasn't supplied,
• you read all of those things but simply didn't understand what was being offered,
• you are happy to pay up to £4.15 per minute for calls that would otherwise be inclusive or free had you got the correct contact number from the official website, or,
• you are in a hurry, or otherwise vulnerable or believe everything found on the web to be genuine.

What does it cost to call a Call Connection Service number?

Call Connection Services use premium rate numbers starting 084, 087 or 09. Callers pay an Access Charge and a Service Charge when using a Call Connection Service.

The Access Charge is set by the caller's phone provider. From landlines, this is usually around 10p to 13p per minute. From mobiles, this is usually around 44p to 55p per minute. The same rate applies irrespective of which 084, 087 or 09 number is called.

The Service Charge is set by the Call Connection Service itself. For 084 numbers, this can be up to 7p per minute. For 087 numbers, this can be up to 13p per minute. For 09 numbers, this can be up to £3.60 per minute. The Call Connection Service earns money from revenue share payouts derived from the Service Charge.


Are Call Connection Services legal?

Call Connection Services using 087 and 09 numbers with a Service Charge of more than 7p per call and/or per minute are regulated by the Phone-paid Services Authority. They are required to state they are a Call Connection Service and the premium rate number is not the official number for contacting the organisation, must declare the call costs immediately adjacent to the premium rate number and must also provide the official contact number or a link to it for each organisation they claim to connect callers to. At the start of any call, they must state the call charges and mention they are a connection service or that this is not the official number. These rules are designed such that no-one would ever call the premium rate number as doing so offers no value to callers, it merely parts callers from their money for failing to be completely aware of what they were doing.

Services using 084 numbers or using 087 and 09 numbers but with a Service Charge of 7p per minute or less are not subject to PSA regulation. It's no surprise that a vast number of call connection services operate using telephone numbers that have a Service Charge that is 1p per minute below the threshold for the PSA regulations to apply to them. Nevertheless, all such services must comply with Ofcom regulations requiring call costs to be stated immediately alongside such premium rate numbers, but many fail to do so.


Advice

Avoid websites offering premium rate numbers starting 084, 087 or 09. These numbers are unlikely to be genuine.

Look on official websites for numbers starting 01, 02, 03 or 080. Most reputable organisations now use these numbers.


Where to complain

If you feel you have been misled into using a Call Connection Service, or simply see a site that appears to be misleading, complaints about regulated services using 087 and 09 numbers should be directed to PSA. For complaints about services using 084 numbers, complaints should be directed to ASA.

Only when there are complaints is any action taken.


Additional Information

• https://www.asa.org.uk/news/compliance-update-call-forwarding-services.html
• https://psauthority.org.uk/blogs/2017/april/avoid-unexpected-charges-when-calling-customer-services-helplines
• https://psauthority.org.uk/blogs/2018/april/call-connection-services-what-are-they-and-how-to-spot-them
• http://www.fairtelecoms.org.uk/ICSS
• https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5360819

UPDATE

An updated version of this post can be found at
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6084948/what-is-a-call-connection-service-be-aware-and-then-avoid-updated-for-2020

Ian011

To illustrate the huge problem posed by these scam Call Connection Service websites, take a look at this example.

Searching on Google or other search engines for the telephone number for a particular and well-known government service yields many results. One is the official free-to-caller 080 number found on the official gov.uk website. Also listed are more than three hundred Call Connection Service websites offering a variety of premium rate 084, 087 or 09 numbers. The charges for these range from 7p per minute plus Access Charge to £3.60 per minute plus Access Charge.

The official number is a free-to-caller 080 number, but there is only a one in more than three hundred chance of finding it. There is no reason for these other sites and their premium rate numbers to exist other than to trick people into calling them. They do not offer a genuine service.

Ian011

Despite the introduction in 2013 of stricter rules specifically covering these services, PhonepayPlus issued zero penalties.

Since their change of name in November 2016, PSA has issued just two penalties. See
http://psauthority.org.uk/for-business/tribunal-adjudications?type=ICSS#searchresults

From the figures given in the adjudication reports for the estimated number of calls made and the number of complaints received, it is becoming clear that far fewer than one in a thousand victims makes a complaint.

If you feel you have been misled into using a Call Connection Service, or simply see a site that appears to be misleading, complaints about regulated services using 087 and 09 numbers should be directed to PSA. For complaints about services using 084 numbers, complaints should be directed to ASA.

Ian011

ActionFraud has issued a bulletin about fake premium rate 084 phone numbers for contacting the RSPCA:
- https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/news/fake-rspca-websites-advertising-premium-rate-numbers-nov17
- https://www.rspca.org.uk/whatwedo/latest/details/-/articleName/2017_11_07_PhoneScam

They have missed the fact that the same scam affects various government departments and agencies as well as a number of banks, card companies and insurers along with various phone, gas, water and electric utility companies and a large number of well-known retailers, hotel chains and travel companies:
- http://www.fairtelecoms.org.uk/uploads/1/1/4/5/11456053/icss_br.pdf

Ian011

ActionFraud issued a bulletin about fake premium rate 084 phone numbers for contacting the Insolvency Service:
- https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/news/premium-rate-insolvency-service-telephony-scam-apr18
- https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dont-be-a-victim-of-insolvency-service-telephony-scam

They continue to miss the fact that the same scam affects various government departments and agencies as well as a number of banks, card companies and insurers along with various phone, gas, water and electric utility companies and a large number of well-known retailers, hotel chains and travel companies.

Ian011

The Phone-paid Services Authority (PSA) has published research by the University of Nottingham showing just how easily people are fooled by the Call Connection Service scam:
https://psauthority.org.uk/blogs/2018/april/call-connection-services-what-are-they-and-how-to-spot-them

The research also hints at stricter regulation to come.

Ian011

Ofcom has published proposals to define all ICSS as Controlled Premium Rate Services (CPRS) irrespective of call price or prefix used. This will bring all such services under Phone-paid Services Authority (PSA) regulation, including those operating on 084 numbers. This will match the regulation of "adult" entertainment services, chatlines and internet dialler operated services which are already subject to identical provisions.

See https://www.ofcom.org.uk/consultations-and-statements/category-2/review-premium-rate-services-condition
The consultation is open for eight weeks.

Ian011

Ofcom has published their Statement on changes to the regulations surrounding ICSS.

In summary, all ICSS irrespective of prefix or price will be defined as Controlled Premium Rate Services from 16 January 2019. This means that all such services must comply with PSA regulations.

See https://www.ofcom.org.uk/consultations-and-statements/category-2/review-premium-rate-services-condition?showall=1
and https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/131046/Statement-Review-of-the-premium-rate-services-condition.pdf


In parallel, PSA has published a news release and a compliance update.

These documents remind existing and newly covered ICSS operators of their obligations under the general PSA Code as well as ICSS operating on 087 and 09 numbers of their need to comply with the additional Special Conditions for ICSS. PSA has also signalled their intention to consult on adding further Special Conditions for ICSS as well as extending those Special Conditions to cover services operating on 084 numbers.

See https://psauthority.org.uk/news/news/2018/december/all-icss-to-be-subject-to-psa-regulation-from-16-january-2019
and https://psauthority.org.uk/news/compliance-updates/2018/december/information-connection-and-signposting-services


All complaints about ICSS, irrespective of prefix or price, should be directed to PSA.

Ian011

PSA has published proposals to update their ICSS regulations and extend them to cover all ICSS irrespective of number range used.

https://psauthority.org.uk/news/news/2019/april/psa-proposes-extension-of-regulatory-requirements-to-all-call-connection-services

https://psauthority.org.uk/research-and-consultations/consultations/2019/april/consultation-on-changes-to-regulatory-framework-for-icss

Ian011

PSA has published their consultation statement and the revised and updated Special Conditions for ICSS which will take effect on 20 December 2019.

https://psauthority.org.uk/news/news/2019/october/iccs-statement

https://psauthority.org.uk/research-and-consultations/consultations/2019/april/consultation-on-changes-to-regulatory-framework-for-icss

The document also includes a further consultation on one specific point, with a closing date of 26 November 2019 for responses.

System

We do need the regulators to end this.
I came across this recently, but it was made clear that the call cost was £1.50 connection fee and £1.50 per minute. I didn't use the number of course but I do understand that people need to be protected from their own stupidity or vulnerability.
The genuine telephone directories services which are advertised on TV are just as much a rip-off but are left alone! 118-118 were charging £11.23 for a 90 second call but the regulators have since capped this to £3.65 which is still excessive imo.