Code of Practice
2010
Ensuring the best Telecom service
Please choose the code
of practice you want to read:
Part
1
• Consumer Code of Practice on Complaint Handling and Dispute Resolution and our Code of Practice for Premium Rate Services and NTS calls.
Part
2
• Code of Practice - Sales and marketing of fixed-line telephone services.
Part
3
• Code of Practice - Sales and marketing of mobile services.
Consumer Code of Practice on Complaint Handling and Dispute
Resolution and our Code of Practice for Premium Rate Services and NTS calls .
Part
1: Code of Practice on Complaint Handling and Dispute Resolution for
Domestic and Small Business Customers
Introduction to
our company and services
Continental Telecom Ltd is an independent company that delivers communications
services to domestic and business customers. While we may not provide
all the component parts of our services ourselves, we do take responsibility
for the services delivered to you. So we will liaise with our suppliers
to ensure that any problems with their services are resolved promptly.
Purpose of this
Code of Practice
This Code informs you about our products, services, and customer care policies. This Code of Practice is published on our website www.Continentaltelecom.co.uk. Additional copies are available on request and free of charge to any domestic and small business customers. It is also available in larger print.
How to contact us
Please contact our customer Team.
From 9am until 5pm Monday-Friday
Our commitment to
you
We are committed to giving you the highest quality of customer service.
When we purchase our services from wholesale providers, we choose those
providers carefully to ensure that you get a high-quality service. We
make every reasonable effort to supply services that satisfy your requirements.
We work to all relevant laws and regulations
Our products and
services
- Landline calls
- CPS - Carrier Pre-Selection
- WLR - Wholesale Line Rental
- Broadband Access
For more details on any of our products
and services, or to place an order immediately, please contact our Customer
Service Team on 0800 849 8010.
For more information, please contact
the Customer Service Team on 0800 849 8010 or see our website www.continentaltelecom.co.uk
Marketing
We work to the principles in the British Code of Advertising, Sales
Promotion and Direct Marketing, which are set out on the website www.cap.org.uk
Terms and conditions
When you subscribe to a service from Continental Telecom Ltd, we will
send you our Standard Terms and Conditions and ask you to sign a contract,
if applicable. If you have any questions, please phone our Customer
Service Team on 0800 849 8010. We may carry out a credit check as part
of our assessment procedures.
Where applicable, the minimum contract
term for our services is 24 months. We aim to provide services within
fourteen working days of your original request, subject to the availability
and installation of any equipment and, where appropriate, lines to your
premises. If we need to carry out a survey of your premises or lay additional
cabling, we will inform you of the revised timescales as soon as we
can.
Cancellation
If you decide to cancel your order or agreement before we have provided
the services, you may do so without charge within seven working days after
your order is placed. Should you wish to terminate
your contract within the minimum term of 24 months we will charge a fee as
set out in your contract. After the minimum term you can cancel any service
by calling our Customer Service Helpdesk on 0800 849 8010 giving us 42 days notice.
Price Lists
Our pricing structure is available from our Customer Service Team on
0800 8498010 and via our website www.continentaltelecom.co.uk. We will write to you in advance if
we change the pricing structure on your products and services.
Billing
We will bill you monthly.
You can choose to pay us via a range of options including credit card, cheque and direct debit. These are agreed at the start of your contract. If you wish to change your method of payment at any time, please call our Customer Service Team on 0800 849 8010.
We provide itemised bills (Web billing) as part
of our service to you free of charge.
If you have difficulty paying your
bill, please contact us on 0800 849 8010 and we will try to arrange
a different method of payment. We will do all we can to help our residential
and small business customers to manage their bills and avoid disconnection.
Please refer to Continental Telecom Ltd's company terms and conditions.
If you are moving
home or office
Please call our Customer Service Team on 0800 849 8010 no later than
30 days before your move date. We will amend your account and billing
requirements as necessary. We will endeavour to offer you the same telephone
number to minimise disruption but please note that for geographic numbers
this is not always possible.
Number porting
CONTINENTAL TELECOM LTD recognises that keeping your existing telephone
numbers may be important to you. If you move your business to us and
wish to keep the number that you have with your old provider, we will
arrange it if you ask us. We will work with you to ensure that the services
are switched over at a convenient and appropriate time. For more information,
please call our Customer Service Team on 0800 849 8010.
Directory Enquiries
You are entitled to a Directory Enquiry listing (including an entry
in the Phone Book) for both your fixed and mobile numbers. If you do
want your details included, please contact our Customer Service Team
on 0800 849 8010.
Complaints
We make every effort to ensure that our customers are happy with the
level of service, and the products and service they receive from us.
However, despite our best efforts, things can go wrong. We take customer
complaints very seriously and aim to resolve them quickly and efficiently.
If you have a complaint about any part
of our service, please contact our Customer Service Team on 0800 849 8010. Our
advisors will ask you about your complaint and seek to resolve the problem
while you are on the line. During any discussions we will protect the
privacy of the information that we hold on you. To do this we may have
to ask you questions to confirm that we are speaking to the right person.
You may also send your complaint to
us in writing:
Continental Telecom Ltd, 1 Putney Bridge Approach, London, SW6 3JD .
We will try to resolve your complaint
quickly and efficiently, and to keep you informed at all times. If your
complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction, you can take it further
within our company, and ultimately to the Managing Director at the above
address. If we cannot resolve the problem, we will write to you and
say so.
If your complaint has been outstanding
for more than 3 months or you have received a letter from
us saying that your complaint has reached “deadlock”,
then you may ask for help from Otelo Tel:0845 050 1614 and Textphone:0845 051 1513
email: enquiries@otelo.org.uk
Nuisance calls
We take the problem of nuisance calls and malicious communications very
seriously. We tackle it by working closely with the police and others
in the communications industry. If you have been a victim of this activity,
please call the Customer Service Team on 0800 849 8010 to report the
incident and for information on how to deal with it.
We encourage parents to register the
mobile phones of their children, and take responsibility for all customer
care enquiries.
Services for people
with special needs
We are committed to helping all our customers to communicate easily.
We offer the following additional services for customer who are older
or who may have a disability, including:
- Priority access to the Customer
Service Team 0800 849 8010
- Priority fault repair and
assistance.
- Additional help and support
if you have difficulty paying your bill.
Copies of this Code are available in
larger print and other formats on request
Data protection
We comply fully with our obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998.
Part
2: Continental Telecom Ltd Code of Practice for Premium Rate Services and NTS calls
Purpose of this
Code of Practice
This code informs you about our policies on providing information about
Premium Rate Services (PRS) calls and on our charging policy for calls
to NTS and PRS numbers.
Premium rate services
Premium rate services (PRS) are telephone numbers that offer some form of information or entertainment that is charged to your phone bill. UK-based PRS numbers are normally prefixed by "09". 0871 is now also designated as a Premium rate number and subject to PRS regulation Typical services include TV vote-lines, mobile ring-tone downloads, technical help-lines, charity fund-raising and adult entertainment.
Charges for these services are added
to your telephone bill. Calling a PRS number generally costs between
10 pence and £1.50 per minute, per call or per text (incl. vat). Calling
these services from, for example, mobile phones, cable networks or public
payphones will generally cost more than the advertised rate. Our charges
for calling these services are shown in our price list, which is available
on request from our Customer Services Team 0800 849 8010 and via our
website. www.continentaltelecom.co.uk
If you have a problem with PRS, we
can help. We can provide advice on checking the telephone number of
any PRS charges that appear on your bill and will try to help you identify
the premium rate service provider. We can use call barring to restrict
access to “09” numbers. Please call our Customer Service Team on
0800 849 8010 for advice on this. We can give you a factsheet on PRS.
You can also ask for help from PhonepayPlus,
which is the industry-funded regulatory body for Premium Rate Services.
PhonepayPlus operates a code of practice that sets out standards for
the operation of PRS. You can use the PhonepayPlus website at www.phonepayplus.org.uk to check PRS numbers direct or to download
a complaint form. PhonepayPlus has legal powers to require a provider
of PRS to amend its service or promotional material (or both) and can
also impose penalties on content service providers. For other ways to
contact PhonepayPlus, see the “Useful addresses” section below.
Number translation
services
Number translation services (NTS) are based on numbers that are normally
pre-fixed “08”. For example, 0800 and 0808 are used to provide freephone
services (some freephone services are also provided on 0500 numbers).
0844 and 0845 numbers are used for dial-up pay-as-you-go Internet access
and customer service helplines. 0870 and 0871 numbers are used for information
services, technical helplines and telephone banking. They are also used
by organisations to help them provide call-management features such
as intelligent call routing and fax-to-email services.
Charges for calling services on NTS
numbers are added to your telephone bill and prices range from free
up to 10p per minute or per call (incl. vat). Calling these services
from, for example, mobile phones, cable networks or public payphones
will generally cost more than the advertised rate. Our charges for calling
these services are shown in our price list, which is available on request
from our Customer Services Team 0800 849 8010 and via our website www.continentaltelecom.co.uk We can also give you a factsheet on NTS.
If you are unhappy with the
help you have received from us on a problem with PRS or NTS, please
contact Mr.Jagveer Singh , Customer Service Manager,
Tel: 0800 849 8010 or Email service@continentaltelecom.co.uk
You may also complain using
the complaints procedure set out in this code
referring your complaint to Otelo 0845 050
1614 or email: enquiries@otelo.org.uk
Internet diallers
If you use the Internet, it is possible for software to be placed on
your computer without you knowing - using the same methods as for computer
viruses. This type of software (known as Internet or rogue diallers)
can then make calls to PRS and NTS numbers without your knowledge. Software
is available to detect this activity and we can help you to access this
- please contact our Customer Services Team for details 0800 849 8010.
PhonepayPlus has been given responsibility for policing this type of
activity and you can contact them via www.phonepayplus.org.uk to ask for help or to report examples of this
type of abuse. For other ways to contact PhonepayPlus, see the “Useful
addresses” section below. We can also help by barring calls to 09
numbers.
The Telephone Preference
Service
If you don’t want to get sales and marketing calls you have not requested,
you can add your details to a list run by the Telephone Preference Service
(TPS). If your number is on the list, it is illegal for a company to
call you for marketing purposes. You can contact the Telephone Preference
Service via www.tpsonline.org.uk or by telephoning 0845 070 0707.
Part
3: Code of Practice - Sales and marketing of fixed-line telephone services
Introduction and overview
The purpose of our Code of Practice is:
- to show that Continental
Telecom Ltd. ("our", "us", and "we" refer
to Continental Telecom Ltd.) adopts responsible selling techniques when
marketing our fixed line-telecommunications services ("services");
- to help our customers and
potential customers understand our services and the behaviour to be
expected from our representatives;
- to show that we provide
our customers with higher standards of protection than consumer law
requires; and
- to set out clearly what
is good practice in the sales and marketing of our services, as reassurance
to our customers.
The code applies to the sales and marketing
of our services to domestic and small business customers ("you"
and "your" refer to customers) and covers all aspects of the
sales process. We aim to avoid mis-selling and misrepresentation and
to ensure that you fully understand the services and the terms of the
contracts we offer you.
All our sales and marketing staff,
sub-contractors and agents are briefed on this code and we routinely
monitor compliance with it. If you feel that any representative of Continental
Telecom has breached the terms of the code, please report your concerns
to Toby Frame, who has responsibility for compliance with this code,
and for handling associated complaints.
Mr. Toby Frame
Compliance Manager
Continental Telecom Ltd, 1 Putney Bridge Approach,
London, SW6 3JD.
Tel - 0207 384 3993
Email:
tf@continentaltelecom.co.uk
For any queries about our Code of Practice
do not hesitate to contact
us
Sales, marketing,
advertising and promotional activity
We make customers aware of and promote
our services by various methods. In all cases, we act responsibly and
try to comply with relevant legislation.
We will respect your wishes if you
have registered with any relevant preference service, including the
Mailing Preference Service, the Telephone Preference Service, the Fax
Preference Service and the E-mail Preference Service.
All our advertising and promotion activity
keeps to the principles of the British Codes of Advertising and Sales
Promotion. In addition, we ensure that advertising and promotional literature
is clear, unambiguous, accurate and fair, does not contain false or
misleading information about price, value or service and does not denigrate
other companies.
Recruitment and
sales training
To ensure that our employees act responsibly
at all times, we follow strict procedures in the selection and training
of staff that have direct sales and marketing contact with customers.
We also ensure, to the best of our ability, that all our sub-contractors
and agencies use equivalent selection and training procedures.
When recruiting new sales staff we
consider whether applicants are suitable for this type of work, recognising
that our sales people will be seen as the 'public face' of our company
and the industry in general. We encourage our sub-contractors and agencies
to do the same.
We train our sales and marketing employees,
our sub-contractors and agencies to ensure they have a good understanding
of our services and of industry practice generally and do not give our
customers inaccurate or misleading advice.
We also ensure that our sales staff,
our sub-contractors and agencies are familiar with the relevant aspects
of consumer protection law, the content and interpretation of this code
and the benefits it provides to customers.
Our remuneration systems for all sales
and marketing personnel, sub-contractors and agencies are designed to
discourage misleading or exploitative sales practices.
Customer contact
Our sales staffs are given clear guidelines
on contacting residential customers at home, particularly during the
hours of darkness. They must not visit you before 8am or after 8pm,
and must not telephone before 8am or after 9pm, unless you ask them
to.
Representatives involved in face-to-face
sales and marketing have identity cards or badges that clearly display
our company name and the representative's own identification number.
The identity badge also displays the representative's name and photograph
and a date showing the validity of the card. Information on the card
is clear and easy to read without close examination.
On making contact, our representatives
will immediately identify themselves, state our company name, the purpose
of the call and how long it should take. If visiting or meeting in person,
they will show you their identity card.
Our representatives are trained to
be courteous, to use appropriate language and to offer clear and straightforward
explanations. They must offer only factual and accurate information
about our services and contracts and must not misrepresent our services
or those of other companies. They must check that if you enter into
a contract you fully understand the terms and are sure that this is
what you want to do.
Our representatives will cease contact
with anyone who indicates that the contact is inconvenient, unwelcome,
inappropriate or too long. At your request, the discussion will be ended
immediately and, if making a doorstep call, the representative will
leave your premises immediately.
Our representatives will not abuse
the trust of vulnerable customers, for example people who are elderly
or who have special needs, or whose first language is not English.
When visiting sheltered housing, nursing
homes or residential care facilities, our representatives will make
contact with the warden or other person in authority before approaching
a customer.
We will not aim sales or marketing
activity at people who are under the legal age for entering into contracts.
To ensure we maintain these standards,
we keep the records of our sales and marketing activity for at least
six months. Records include the date of the contact with you. To help
us deal with any complaints or queries, all such records clearly identify
the salesperson(s) that made the call or visit.
Entering into a
contract
We will give you the following information:
- confirmation of our company's
identity and full contact details;
- a description of the service
you have chosen, the cost and payment terms;
- arrangements for providing
the service, including how we deal with the order and, as accurately
as possible, when it is likely to start;
- your right to cancel and
how to use it;
- how long the charges will
remain valid; and
- the minimum period of contract,
and minimum contract charges, if any.
Our representatives have a full summary of
our tariffs, which you can ask to see.
Where our representative meets you in person, they will give you the information in writing. When you sign an order form, or enter into a written contract, you will also get a copy of the order form or contract, as well as information about any after-sales services or guarantees and arrangements for ending the contract.
You will get this information at the same time as you sign, or within 5 working days, unless you received it in writing before signing the contract.
Orders placed with us by distance-selling methods (such as phone, fax or internet) comply with distance-selling regulations. As with order forms, our telephone scripts are designed to ensure that you understand that you are entering into a contract and will be sent the information detailed above.
In the case of internet orders, a well signposted and easy-to-see hyperlink to this information is prominently displayed and the information is readily available for downloading and printing.
Regardless of our method of selling,
you may cancel orders and end contracts by telephone, in writing, by
fax or by e-mail to:
Contract review
Our standard procedures minimise the
risk of errors or mis-selling on our part when taking orders or making
contracts during face-to-face or telephone selling.
We confirm orders by sending a notification
of transfer letter to the customer in accordance with the industry-agreed
process. The letter, which is clearly dated, gives details of the transfer,
including the date of transfer, and information on any services and
features which may be affected by the transfer. The letter also provides
contact details for any questions.
We contact all customers entering into a new contract to confirm that you understand that you have entered into a contract, are happy to proceed with the contract and are content with the way in which we conducted the sales and marketing.
This check is generally incorporated
into the order confirmation letter but is always completed no more than
5 working days after a contract is agreed.Where we contact you directly, this is done by a person not involved with our sales and marketing activities, who will tell you who they are.
The letter may be sent electronically
if you have applied online and have confirmed online that you wish future
correspondence to be sent electronically.
We will terminate the contract without charge or other penalty to you if we find that you did not understand the contract or it was not what you intended or if it was finalised before the expiry of the switchover period, and you wish to cancel.
We keep our contract procedures under
review and take steps to prevent the recurrence of any problem identified
through audit (see below).
Audit
We carry out regular audits of the
systems, procedures and documents we use in all our sales and marketing
activities.
Customer complaints
procedure
Complaints about sales and marketing
are dealt with under the procedures set out in our Consumer Code of
Practice.
Our complaints procedure sets out how
you may complain, and this includes complaints about Continental Telecom's
sales and marketing activities. It specifies what to do next if you
believe the complaint has not been dealt with satisfactorily.
You should first direct your complaint
to Continental Telecom. If we cannot resolve the complaint to your satisfaction,
you may contact Otelo. You can also ask for advice from your
local Trading Standards Department or Citizens Advice Bureau.
Status of this code
By law, all companies marketing services
to customers must issue a code of practice for sales and marketing.
Compliance with this code does not
guarantee that it complies with any other legal requirement.
Non-compliance with this code does
not affect the validity of any contract between the company and the
consumer, unless the law states otherwise.