Ambavox AG (Case reference: 01753)
| Case Number | 01753 |
| Published date | 01 January 2009 |
| Adjudicated Party | Ambavox AG |
| Procedure Type | Emergency Procedure (Phone-Paid Services Authority) |
THE CODE COMPLIANCE PANEL OF PHONEPAYPLUS
TRIBUNAL DECISION
Thursday 18 December 2008 TRIBUNAL SITTING No. 17 / CASE 3
CASE REFERENCE: 784915/GL
Service provider & area: Ambavox AG, Austria
Information provider & area: Keyzone Company Ltd,Cyprus
Type of service: Parcel Delivery Service
Service title: N/A
Service number: 09066371319
Cost: £1.50 per minute
Network operator: Atlas Interactive Group Limited
Number of complainants: 8
BACKGROUND
The PhonepayPlus Executive (“the Executive”) received eight complaints from
consumers with South East London postal addresses, regarding a parcel delivery
service from ‘JP Couriers’. The complainants had received a parcel delivery mailing to
their home, which asked them to call a premium rate number in order to rearrange what
the promotion claimed was a ‘missed delivery’. The message on the card stated:
‘For re-delivery please call 09066371319 between the hours of 07:00-23:00’
‘There was no reply when I called to deliver your parcel today. You will now need to
re-arrange re-delivery of your item. If you do not collect your parcel within 7 working
days it will be returned to sender’
Complainants raised concerns that this was not a genuine delivery service and that the
company was not a genuine courier company. When complainants called the premium
rate number, they were put on hold, played a repeated call queuing message, and their
call was not answered. Complainants were not given any pricing information and
subsequently had concerns about the cost of the call.
The Executive called the premium rate number and heard the same continuously
repeated call queuing message, as reported by complainants, which stated:
‘Thank you for calling JP Couriers, all of our operators are currently busy, your
call is important to us, please hold and one of our operators will assist you as
soon as possible, thank you’
Although the service purported to connect callers with a live operator, the Executive was
unable to establish whether or not this was the case, as it was been unable to speak to
anyone when calling the premium rate number. The Executive’s call was automatically
cut off after approximately 3 minutes 24 seconds. The cost of the call was charged at
£1.50 per minute.
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