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MicroTalk Code of Practice

Microtalk’s Code of Practice on Handling Complaints and Resolving Disputes for Domestic and Small Business Customers

This code of practice does not remove any of your legal rights as a customer, nor does it form part of a contract between you and Microtalk. This Code of Practice is published by Microtalk UK Limited (referred to as Microtalk in this document).

1. About Microtalk

Microtalk is the consumer and business landline telephone business of The Microtalk UK Limited, leading independent communications retailer.

2. Purpose of the code

The code of practice aims to ensure best practice when we work with our customers.

The code provides:

• information on how to contact Microtalk;
• information on some of our main services;
• information on our sales and marketing activities;
• information on billing and pricing issues;
• information on premium-rate and number-translation services;
• information on how to make a complaint;
• contact details for related organizations such as Ofcom, the regulator.

3. How to contact us

You can contact us in any of the following ways:

By phone: 0800 814 4404 for landline and broadband services.

These numbers are free from your landline telephone and otherwise are charged at the telephone provider’s rates.

By e-mail: customerservices@microtalk.co.uk

In writing: Customer Services, Microtalk, Suite 2, Vista Business Centre, 50 Salisbury Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW4 6JQ

You can also visit us at: http://www.microtalk.co.uk

You will find contact details of useful organisations in section 24.

4. Background and services

Microtalk offers telephony services to residential consumers as well as to business users. These services include line rental, voice calls, internet access and mobile telephone services.

We use the telecoms network of our partner company, Telstra UK Limited, for our line rental, voice calls and broadband services. Telstra owns a UK national telecommunications network that is connected to BT and several other network operators.

4.1 Line rental

We provide line rental, which allows you to obtain from us the telephone line(s) on which you make your calls or access the internet. We may provide the line rental service to you using wholesale line rental (where we buy this product from BT). The local loop (also known as “the last mile”) is part of the BT telephone network and is the physical link – the copper wires – between your home and the local telephone exchange. In the past, this has meant that telephone and broadband users have needed a phone link with BT to make and receive telephone calls and/or use broadband services from other suppliers. LLU allows BT competitors to install their own equipment into BT’s telephone exchanges so that BT’s copper wires are physically switched to their equipment. If you take our line rental service, you must also take our voice call service.

4.2 Voice calls

We provide a service that allows you to make telephone calls via our network. We may provide the voice call services using LLU or carrier pre-selection (CPS). CPS enables you to pre-select an alternative carrier to BT for certain kinds of calls, and to be billed directly by that carrier without needing to dial codes before each call or have a router box plugged into the line.

4.3 Internet access

We provide a broadband service. Broadband is the high-speed ‘always on’ access to the internet supplied to your home through your landline using LLU or CPS.

5. Sales and marketing activities
5.1 Background

Microtalk is one of the leaders in providing telephone services to consumers and businesses in the UK. Customers join us through residential marketing, over the telephone, through the internet and by signing up through affiliates and associates. We are committed to giving outstanding service, which includes our sales and marketing activities. It is essential that our customers understand, at the point of sale, the services offered and the contract they are making. When dealing with our customers, we focus on following principles:

• If we don’t look after the customer, somebody else will.
• Nothing is gained by winning an argument but losing a customer.
• Always deliver what we promise. If in doubt, under-promise and over-deliver.
• Always treat customers as we ourselves would like to be treated.
• The reputation of the whole company is in the hands of every individual.

5.2 Sales, marketing, advertising and promotion

Microtalk keeps all official codes of practice, including advertising and consumer-protection regulations. This includes the Mailing Preference Service, the Telephone Preference Service, the Fax Preference Service and the E-Mail Preference Service.

Our advertising and promotions comply with the British Codes of Advertising and Sales Promotion. We always aim to ensure that our advertising and promotional literature is clear, unambiguous, accurate and fair and correct at the time of going to press or electronic media and that it does not contain any false or misleading information about price, value or service. We do not defame other providers of telecommunications or broadband internet services.

5.3 Recruitment

We follow strict procedures when we hire and train sales agents who will market and sell our services in face-to-face sales, telephone sales or residential sales. We do not discriminate based on age or gender or race. While employing someone, we always look for references.

5.4 Sales training

After recruitment, all our sales agents are trained to ensure they have sufficient understanding of the relevant sections of this code. We also put our sales agents to go through a continuous training programme to update their knowledge as and skills.

5.5 Customer contact

We want to ensure that you have a pleasant and reassuring experience whenever you come into contact with any of our sales agents. We keep to the following principles when we contact new customers:

• We do not visit homes or offices before 9am or after 8pm, unless you ask us to.
• We will not call you before 8am or after 9pm, unless you ask us to.
• If one of our representatives visits your home or office, they must wear an identity badge that clearly displays the name of Microtalk and identification number for that representative. The identity badge also displays the representative’s full name and a recent photograph and an expiry date on the identity badge.
• On contacting you by phone, our representatives will immediately identify themselves, giving their name, and say that they work for Microtalk. They will also explain that Microtalk is a residential telecoms provider, why they are calling. If visiting or meeting in person, they should show you their identity card immediately.
• When our representatives visit your home, you must be able to verify that they are genuine. The name badge gives details of the customer services phone number to call. Also, when you sign up, our representative will give you a leaflet stating the company’s name and address, a contact telephone number and email address.
• Our representatives will be courteous, use appropriate language and offer clear and straightforward explanations. They will use only the material that we have approved to explain the service to you, including how our service may cover network services provided by other companies.
• Our representatives will never misrepresent the services of Microtalk or any other company and will always provide factual and accurate information.
• Our representatives will check that you understand that you are making a contract with us to arrange an alternative provider for your telephone service or broadband service (or both).
• Our representatives will cease contact if you indicate that the contact is inconvenient, unwelcome, inappropriate or too long. If you request it, the representative will end the discussion immediately.
• Our representatives will never abuse the trust of vulnerable customers e.g. those who are elderly or whose first language is not English, or who have special needs. Our representatives will never pursue a sales conversation if they have reason to believe that the customer is vulnerable.
• Our representatives will never enter sheltered housing, nursing homes or residential care homes without the prior permission of the warden or other person in authority.
• The representative will confirm that the sale is being made to a customer who is a decision-maker for the household
• We will not conduct any sales and marketing activities specifically aimed at people who are under the legal age for making contracts.
• We will keep marketing campaign records for six months, including the date and approximate time of the contact with you. These records will enable us to identify the salesperson(s) involved and help us deal with any complaint or query.

5.6 How you make a contract with Microtalk

You may make a contract for Microtalk services in three separate ways:

• in writing (when our representative visits your home or when you visit our campaign stalls); or
• verbally (when you agree over the phone to take the Microtalk service); or
• by signing up on the Microtalk websites (http://www.microtalk.co.uk).

Whichever way you join us, we have safeguards to ensure that you understand the service and know you are making a legally binding contract.

When we ask you to make a contract for Microtalk services, our representative will provide the following information:

• essential information including the name of Microtalk, its telephone and e-mail contact details;
• a description of our telephone service to enable you to understand the service you have chosen and how it works;
• information about the major elements of the service, including the costs of any standing charges, the payment terms, line rental and key call types;
• the arrangements for providing the service, including how we deal with the order and, as accurately as possible, when the service is likely to start – if the start date may be significantly delayed, we will let you know;
• your right of cancellation and how to exercise it; and
• how long the Microtalk charges will remain valid.

We have designed our order forms and contracts to make the contractual nature of these documents clear to you.

When you sign a contract for our landline telephony or broadband service at home or campaign stalls

You will be asked to initial each of the following statements listed on the contract:

• I understand that Microtalk is an independent company and not part of British Telecommunications plc (“BT”).
• I understand that if I am not the BT account holder, I must inform the BT account holder of this change. I am a decision-maker in the household; i.e. I have authorisation to make this request.
• The representative has explained to me the benefits of Microtalk and advised me of my estimated go-live date. I will receive a welcome letter from Microtalk and a letter from BT or my previous supplier.
• I can confirm that the representative was polite and courteous and the photographic identity badge was clearly visible.
• I am not an existing customer of Microtalk.
• I understand that I am signing a contract to change my telephone line and call provider to Microtalk, not making a request for information.
• I understand that line rental is required on all tariff plans and a minimum term of 12 months applies to line rental when transferring from another service provider. I also understand that a disconnection fee may apply if I terminate before expiry of any minimum term applicable to my contract.
• I understand that I can change my mind and cancel the request within 14 days.
• A copy of our full terms and conditions is available on our website at http://www.microtalk.co.uk.
• The contract will ask you to confirm that you are over 18 and have the authority to change telecommunications provider for the telephone number concerned.
• The contract will also state the business name and address for Microtalk.

When you make a contract for our landline telephony service over the phone (by being called by Microtalk or by calling Microtalk or by partners of Microtalk)

• During the phone call, the Microtalk representative will tell you or confirm with you the following points:
• Microtalk is an independent company and a direct competitor to British Telecommunications plc (“BT”).
• You are the BT telephone account holder or you have confirmed that you have the authority from the BT telephone account holder to make decisions on the telephone account.
• Your Microtalk voice calls service will become active in about two to three weeks. You will receive confirmation of your order. This will include your date of transfer and a welcome pack, including a summary of our terms and conditions.
• You will also receive a letter from your previous supplier
• You are not requesting information only and you are aware that you are entering into a contract that has a minimum period.
• You have a 14-day cooling-off period, which starts today.
• We record all calls for training and quality-assessment purposes.
• Our representative will ask you to confirm that you are over 18 and have the authority to change telecommunications provider for the telephone number concerned. We will send you a welcome pack, including a summary of our terms and conditions, by post. A copy of our full terms and conditions is available on our website at http://www.microtalk.co.uk.
• The Microtalk representative will read to you the full direct debit guarantee, if you choose direct debit as the means of payment for the Microtalk service.

When you make a contract for our landline telephony service by visiting the Microtalk website.

You will be prompted to read and agree to the full terms and conditions before completing the transaction of signing up for Microtalk. The final page will confirm your personal details. We will send you a welcome pack, including a summary of our terms and conditions, by post. A copy of our full terms and conditions is available on our website at http://www.microtalk.co.uk.

5.7 Order processing

After you have agreed to take the Microtalk landline telephony service.

You will receive a Microtalk welcome pack either when you sign the contract or, if you agree to it on the phone, at your home address within seven working days.

You will receive at your home address a letter that contains the following information:

• date of notification;
• telephone number(s) (CLI)(s) affected;
• list of services affected/unaffected;
• probable date of switchover;
• Microtalk’s contact details for any queries;
• reference to the code of practice and how to get a copy.

If the sale was not made face to face with a Microtalk representative, the welcome pack will include a summary of the terms and conditions (these will have been provided at the point of sale for a face-to-face sale).

We aim to complete the process from agreement to the service going live within 20 working days.

We reserve the right not to make agreements. Cancelling Microtalk after you have gone live takes 10 working days from the date we receive a request to cease the service, as we are obliged to follow the procedures that the industry (including BT) has agreed to.

During this period, you remain liable for the costs of any services we provide.

5.8 Cancellation and refunds

If you wish to cancel any of your Microtalk services, you can do so in writing, by phone or by e-mail (contact details are set out in section 3). If you cancel the Microtalk line rental, voice calls or internet access service within 10 working days from your order, we will not charge you for doing so. A minimum contract period applies to the services (12 or 18 months depending on the services you take). We will make a termination charge if you cancel within your minimum contract period (but not if you cancel your broadband service during any agreed trial period). This charge is the lower of the amount we have to pay for disconnecting you or the total monthly fees you would have had to pay under your contract up to the end of the minimum contract period.

If you want to cancel the voice calls service, you must give us 15 days’ notice. If you want to cancel the line rental, internet access, you must give us 30 days’ notice.

If there is a fault with your service, you should contact customer services (contact details are set out in section 3). We will try to repair a service failure in line with the repair service you have chosen. You may also claim compensation if we fail to repair your service when we said we would.

Please contact customer services or visit our website for details.

If you are a previous Microtalk customer and wish to come back to Microtalk, please call us on 0800 814 4404. We will aim to get you reconnected as soon as possible, subject to our normal debt-collection procedures.

5.9 Consumer protection and other legal requirements

We comply with all applicable consumer protection law and other legal requirements.

5.10 Audit

We will make regular audits of our systems, procedures and documents to ensure we comply with our code of practice.

5.11 Customer service

Our customer service representatives can help with all your queries, including products, billing and tariffs, at the following times:
Monday–Friday 9am–5pm
Saturday 9am–5pm
Except Sundays and bank holidays

If you have any service enquiries, please call us on 0800 814 4404for landline and broadband. Alternatively, you may write to our customer service centre at:
Customer Services, Microtalk, Suite 2, Vista Business Centre, 50 Salisbury Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW4 6JQ
Or e-mail us through: customerservices@microtalk.co.uk

5.12 Responsibility for complying with the sales and marketing code

Microtalk is responsible for making sure all Microtalk representatives comply with the code. Our Compliance Manager is accountable for ensuring that we and our agents observe the code, and is also responsible for handling complaints relevant to the code. You can contact our Sales Compliance Manager in the following ways:
Address: Sales Compliance Manager, Microtalk, Suite 2, Vista Business Centre, 50 Salisbury Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW4 6JQ
Web: http://www.microtalk.co.uk
Telephone: 0800 814 4404

6. Ordering, minimum period and cancellation
6.1 How you order Microtalk Services

You may order Microtalk services in three different ways:

• when our representative visits marketing campaign stalls; or
• by telephone; or
• through the Microtalk websites (http://www.microtalk.co.uk)

You will receive a welcome pack including a summary of the terms and conditions at your home address within seven working days. For Microtalk landline, we aim to complete the process from agreement to the service going live within 20 working days.

6.2 Minimum contract period

A minimum contract period applies to the services (12 or 18 months depending on the services you take).

6.3 Cancellation and refunds

If you wish to cancel any of your Microtalk services, you can do so in writing, by phone or by e-mail (contact details are set out in section 3). If you cancel the Microtalk line rental, voice calls or internet access service within 10 working days from your order, we will not charge you for doing so. If you want to cancel the voice calls service, you must give us 15 days’ notice. If you want to cancel the line rental or internet access, you must give us 30 days’ notice. During these periods, you remain liable for the costs of any services we provide. We will make a termination charge if you cancel within your minimum contract period (but not if you cancel your broadband service during any agreed trial period). This is the lower of the amount we have to pay for disconnecting you or the total monthly fees you would have had to pay under your contract up to the end of the minimum contract period. If there is a fault with your service, you should contact customer services (contact details are set out in section 3). We will try to repair a service failure in line with the repair service you have chosen. You may also be able to claim compensation if we fail to repair your service when we said we would. Please contact customer services or visit our website for details.

7. Fault repair

You can report faults to our customer services centre on 0800 814 4404 at the following times:
Monday–Friday 9am–5pm
Saturday 9am–5pm
Except Sundays and bank holidays

Faults can occur on the Microtalk network, another operator’s network, or on the phone used by you or the person you are trying to call. If the fault is reported during normal working hours, we will try to establish its location. We may ask you to carry out some simple checks to help us find the cause. If you have a Microtalk line, repairing faults on our network is part of the maintenance cover we provide with our service. If you have a BT line and the fault is not on our network, we may not be responsible for repairing it. If the fault is on the BT network, you may need to report this fault to BT directly. To report a BT fault, call BT Residential on 0800 800 151.

8. Pricing

We will be pleased to give you our prices on request. For pricing information please visit http://www.microtalk.co.uk or call us on 0800 814 4404 for landline or broadband services.

9. Billing

We will send you a monthly bill. Your first bill will be issued about two weeks from the time that your Microtalk service begins and then at about the same time of the month in subsequent months. Payment is by direct debit or periodic credit/debit card payment.

10. Online billing

This free, efficient service offers a fast and simple way to view and access your Microtalk telephone account. The online billing system gives you instant access to your Microtalk invoices. If you would like to discuss online billing, please call Customer Services on 0800 814 4404 or register via Microtalk’s website at http://www.microtalk.co.uk. The information provided online is the same as on our paper bills.

11. Disconnection for non-payment

Prompt payment of bills helps us keep our costs down so that we can continue to offer a highly competitive service. Please call us as soon as possible if you think you may have difficulty paying your bill. If there are special circumstances, we may be able to agree special arrangements with you to prevent disruption of your telephone service. If a bill is not paid, we will make reasonable attempts to resolve the matter with you. However, if we cannot get a satisfactory explanation for the non-payment, we may suspend or disconnect your service in accordance with our terms and conditions.

12. Billing queries

We take billing accuracy very seriously. If you disagree with or do not understand your bill, please call us on the number quoted on your bill. You are liable for the costs of any calls that you make over our network. If you query the charge for calls you made, we will re-check the bill. If we find a mistake, you will be credited accordingly.

13. Difficulties in making or receiving calls

If you have difficulty in making a call, you should try re-dialling. If you still have difficulty, please call us on 0800 814 4404. Problems can occur on the Microtalk network, another operator’s network, or on the phone used by you or the person you are trying to call. If the problem is reported during normal working hours, we will try to establish the location of the problem. We may ask you to carry out some simple checks to help us find the cause of the problem.

14. If you are dissatisfied with Microtalk’s service
14.1 How to make a complaint

If you are not happy about any aspect of our products, our services or our sales and marketing activities, then we want to hear from you. To make a complaint, please call us on 0800 814 4404 to speak to a customer advisor or email us through We usually find that any issues can be dealt with at this stage, but if you are not totally satisfied, you may ask for the matter to be referred to a team leader or manager for more help. You can also contact us in writing at:
Customer Services, Microtalk, Suite 2, Vista Business Centre, 50 Salisbury Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW4 6JQ

14.2 Still not happy?

If you have made a complaint to us and you are not totally satisfied with our response, you can refer your complaint to a customer liaison manager by writing to us at:
Director - Customer Services, Microtalk, Suite 2, Vista Business Centre, 50 Salisbury Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW4 6JQ

15. Resolving disputes

If you have concerns, you should always contact us first, and we will do our best to sort out any problems. However, if we can’t resolve your complaint satisfactorily, we will write to say so. When you receive this letter or if more than 3 months has passed since you first raised the complaint with us, you have the right to refer your case to the Office of the Telecommunications Ombudsman (Otelo) who will asses your case and make an independent decision, to which Microtalk is bound. Contact details are as follows:
Office of Telecommunications Ombudsman, Wilderspool Park, Greenall’s Park, Warrington, WA4 6HL
Website: www.otelo.org.uk

16. Your rights and obligations
16.1 Data protection

We may collect personal information about you from various sources. These may include:

• the customer agreement, i.e. the agreement that you sign when you take a service from Microtalk – this may include your name, address, other contact details and banking details;
• details you give if you contact us with an enquiry;
• direct marketing organisations;
• other publicly available sources such as the electoral roll.
• Microtalk is registered under the Data Protection Act and takes all reasonable steps to ensure there is no unauthorized access to your personal data.

We may use the personal data we hold to promote our products and services but we will not pass them to any other organisations for marketing purposes unless you have authorised us to do so. In some circumstances we may supply information to organisations such as the police and other governmental agencies where the law permits us to do this.

We may record phone conversations for training purposes or to provide evidence of a transaction. If you wish to know what personal information we hold on you, you can get this by writing to: Customer Services, Microtalk, Suite 2, Vista Business Centre, 50 Salisbury Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW4 6JQ

You may wish to stop unsolicited telemarketing calls and faxes from other organisations. If you register with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) and the Fax Preference Service (FPS), this may prevent some of these calls and faxes. The contact details for the TPS and FPS are given in sections 20 and 21. You should note that if you have previously told us that you are happy for us to contact you by phone, registering with the TPS will not change that consent. So you would also need to contact us directly to let us know that you have changed your mind.

16.2 Terms and conditions

Our full terms and conditions are available on request from our customer service advisers on 0800 321 3023 or on our website at http://www.microtalk.co.uk.

16.3 Protection and support of vulnerable groups

Microtalk supplies telecommunications services to residential customers. We understand that some of our customers may have special needs and so require particular attention. Under our policy we help any customers who may have difficulty using telephony services, whether they have a disability or are from other vulnerable groups.

17. Phonebook entry

If you have a BT line, then using Microtalk’s CPS (carrier pre-select) services will not affect your phonebook entry. With a BT line, you have a right to be included in the BT phonebook and directory enquiries, free of charge. You may also choose to be ex-directory.

18. Premium-rate and number translation services

You may find the following information useful in case you are unsure about premium-rate (09 numbers) and number translation services (08 numbers).

18.1 Premium-rate services

ICSTIS – the premium-rate services regulator
ICSTIS is the industry-funded regulatory body for all premium-rate charged telecommunications services. It regulates premium-rate services in their entirety – their content, promotion and overall operation – through the ICSTIS code of practice. ICSTIS’s role is to prevent harm to consumers. ICSTIS investigates complaints about the promotion and operation of services that involve the use of a telephone connection via a premium-rate number. This includes services available through various mediums such as voice (telephone), fax, Internet, mobile phone SMS and interactive TV. ICSTIS regulates any service/promotion that is operating on one of the following number ranges:

• numbers beginning with 090 or 091;
• directory enquiry (DQ) services operating on numbers beginning with 118; and
• reverse-billed SMS (you are charged for receiving messages) containing content operating on shortcodes. Shortcodes have 4 or 5 digits and start with 8, 6 or 2. (SMS stands for short message service.)

ICSTIS can fine companies and bar access to services if its code of practice is breached. ICSTIS can also bar the individual(s) behind a company from running any other premium rate services under any company name on any telephone network for a defined period. Their service is free to consumers and fully independent.

How to complain to ICSTIS
If you think a particular service falls within ICSTIS’s remit, you can submit a complaint to them. There are various ways of submitting your complaint but before you do, we recommend that you visit their online number-checking facility for instant information about the number in question. After that, please use one of the following methods:

• if you have a hard copy of the promotion in question (i.e. a page from a magazine), please supply your complaint in writing with a copy of the promotion to: ICSTIS, FREEPOST WC5468, London, SE1 2BR
• by using their online complaint form
• www.icstis.org.uk
• by calling their free helpline on 0800 500 212 from 8am–8pm, Monday–Friday.

Finding information about our premium rate service (PRS) tariffs

You will find up-to-date information about the tariffs for calling PRS numbers from our network on our website (http://www.microtalk.co.uk).

How PRS works

Calls to PRS numbers are typically more expensive than calls to other telephone numbers. Most PRS numbers operate on the basis of a revenue-sharing arrangement. This means that the bulk of the revenue from calls to such services goes to the service providers who are responsible for the content, product or services provided or who act as resellers or “aggregators” on behalf of a number of such providers.

The service providers are responsible for complying with most of the obligations imposed by the ICSTIS code of practice mentioned above. The rest of the revenue is shared by:

• the consumer’s “originating” telephone company (for instance Microtalk, which receives a small fee for origination of the phone call); and
• the telephone company that contracts with the service provider and, on its behalf, “terminates” the call (i.e. finally brings the parties together) by providing network facilities.

How to bar access to PRS numbers

We offer the facility to bar calls to premium rate numbers, which will stop any dialing on your line to all UK-based premium numbers. If you want to place a premium bar on your line or need to check whether you already have an active bar in place, please call our Customer Service Team on 0800 321 3023.

Rogue Internet or trojan diallers

There is currently a scam that infects computers with a dial-up Internet connection. It changes the way your computer connects to the Internet and is difficult to detect.

The scam can occur when you are browsing a compliant and proper Internet services website, often with premium-rate content. Examples of websites that have available premium-rate content to download to your computer include music, films and adult material. When you access one of these sites a message should appear asking you to install software to download material from the website at an explained additional cost.

What is a trojan?

A trojan is a programme that infects your computer and allows a hacker to run hidden tasks without your knowledge or consent. The latest trojans can re-configure your dial-up connection and charge you at a premium or international call rate when you access the Internet and click on a seemingly harmless pop-up or link. The next time you dial up to connect to the Internet you will be charged at a premium rate or international call rate. That’s the scam.

How to prevent infection

The best way of preventing infection is to install the latest software to protect your computer, and always to get the latest upgrades and patches from your supplier. Using anti-virus and firewall protection programs will help reduce the risk. We strongly recommend that you use extra safety measures as well as the standard anti-virus programs. Please speak to your PC supplier for further guidance. We also recommend that you keep your operating system patched with the latest upgrades from your software’s manufacturer. Microsoft Windows users: please visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com to ensure your PC settings are up to date.

Disputes about PRS numbers on your phone bill

Otelo can investigate if you have a complaint that we cannot resolve about calls to PRS numbers appearing on your phone bill.

Furthermore, ICSTIS may order a PRS service provider to pay you a refund if they have completed an investigation and the outcome requires this. If it can be shown that your phone has been used without your permission to call certain types of premium rate service, ICSTIS may also be able to help you get compensation from the PRS provider. ICSTIS will also be able to help you identify the service provider who provides the service behind the PRS number on your phone bill. Please visit its website at http://www.icstis.org.uk.

18.2 Number-translation services

We publish our charges for calls to number translation services (numbers starting with 05 or 08) on our website (http://www.microtalk. co.uk) and in our price list with the same prominence as our charges for calls to other numbers (including geographic, mobile and international numbers).

Our published charges for calls to number translation services will include variations by time of day, for example, whether the call is made during the day, evening or weekend.

We also make it clear whether any of our special offers, discount schemes or call bundles includes calls to number-translation services.

Whenever we refer to call pricing in our marketing material, we include our maximum number-translation services call prices as well as a clear reference to where on our website and in our published price list you can find a complete set of our charges for calling number-translation services.

If you are a new customer who signs up for the Microtalk service, we include on the relevant correspondence, our maximum number-translation services call prices. We also state a clear reference to where on our website and in our published price list you can find a complete set of our charges for calling number-translation services.

19. Malicious calls

Malicious calls can cause annoyance and distress and we take this problem very seriously. If you are receiving malicious calls, we would like to help in every way we can to try to resolve the problem.

This may involve working with BT, the police and other network operators where appropriate. You should be prepared to give evidence if the caller is traced and brought to court. We may also recommend that you change your phone number and ask for it to become ex-directory if you continue to receive such calls.

If you have a CPS (carrier pre-select) only service with us, we recommend that you call BT’s Nuisance Call Advice line on 0800 661441 to report any malicious calls.

20. Telephone Preference Service

If you do not wish to receive unsolicited telemarketing calls, register online at http://www.tpsonline.org.uk or call 020 7766 4420.

21. Fax Preference Service

If you do not wish to receive unsolicited telemarketing faxes, register online at: http://www.fpsonline.org.uk or call 020 7766 4422.

22. Where to get a copy of the code

We refer to the code in the welcome letter sent to all customers signing up for the telephone service, and tell them how to get a free, full copy of the code. The code is available in pdf format through a link on the front page of our website, http://www.microtalk.co.uk. You can also call us to ask us to send a paper copy to your home address.

23. Responsibility for complying with the code

Microtalk is responsible for making sure all Microtalk representatives comply with the code. Our Compliance Manager is accountable for ensuring that we and our agents observe the code, and is also responsible for handling complaints relevant to the code. You can contact our Director of Customer Operations in the following ways:
Address: Director - Customer Services, Microtalk, Suite 2, Vista Business Centre, 50 Salisbury Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW4 6JQ
Web: http://www.microtalk.co.uk Telephone: 0800 814 4404