The Future Regulation of phone-paid services

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Ofcom consultation on the future regulation of phone-paid services.

We support the proposals for the transfer of the regulatory functions of phone-paid services to Ofcom from the Phone Services Authority (PSA).

We also support the overall approach of retaining the key principles and outcomes of the current regulatory framework including consumer protection, transparency, fairness, customer care, vulnerable consumers and prevention of harm.

As the nature of the phone-paid services market seems to be evolving quicker than most, we believe it’s important to review how it’s working for consumers today and how it might develop in line with consumer demand. A review of the consumer journey is likely to be of benefit, considering some of the larger players in the market, where central to any review would be ensuring a clear route to consumer protection and redress if things go wrong.