Refunds for consumers now in Premium Rate Services Bill
Minister Eamon Ryan appeared today at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to discuss amendments to the Premium Rate Services Bill.
The Communications Regulation (Premium Rate Services) Bill was introduced by Minister Ryan earlier this year. The legislation gives ComReg the power to regulate premium rate services in Ireland.
Premium rate content offered by operators includes ring tones, traffic news, sports results, competitions, entertainment and chat lines.
Under the terms of the Bill, operators will now require a licence to provide a premium rate service. The terms and conditions of the licence will be set out in regulations to be made by ComReg. Failure to comply with the terms and conditions of a licence will result in sanctions including the amendment, suspension or revocation of a licence. The Bill also provides for offences for overcharging for a service and for operating an unlicensed service. If a person is convicted for overcharging, the Court can impose a fine and revoke a licence and prohibit that person from applying for a new licence. A conviction for operating a service without a licence could result in a fine of up to €250,000.
Now, under amendments introduced by Minister Ryan today, there will be explicit provision for refunds for the affected consumer.
Minister Ryan said, “This was an important addition to the Bill as monetary amends must be made to the affected consumer as well as ComReg dealing with the operator in question. People were inadvertently running up huge bills on their phones on these lines with no effective deterrent for the rogue operator.
This will change when this Bill becomes law.
ENDS
View the Bill at http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/bills28/bills/2009/5109/b5109d.pdf