Regulator suspends parcel phoneline

THE regulator of premium rate phone services has suspended a service operated by a Dublin parcel delivery business following complaints from the public.

RegTel shut down a 1580 number operated by Parcel Plus for an alleged breach of the regulator’s code of conduct governing such services.

Members of the public complained to RegTel and the Consumers’ Association of Ireland (CAI) after they received postcards inviting them to call Parcel Plus to arrange delivery of a parcel. The calls were charged at €1.90 per minute and lasted more than five minutes.

At the end of each call, callers were given a code to put on a claim form that was necessary to get their parcels delivered. The parcels were unsolicited and contained DVDs and marketing information that are believed to be of negligible value.

Regulator Pat Breen said he would investigate Parcel Plus’s operations and called on people who were out of pocket to contact his office. Attempts to contact Parcel Plus failed last night. Calls to the 1580 number detailed on the postcards were not connected.

CAI chairman Michael Kilcoyne called on the regulator to investigate all operators of premium rate services to ensure consumers were adequately protected. He criticised Mr Breen for allowing a business to mislead consumers and said he should resign if he was unwilling to carry out an investigation into all premium rate operators.

RegTel acted after a number of radio programmes broadcast calls from angry consumers who had received the postcards from Parcel Plus and subsequently called the 1580 number. An Post said it had no connection to the Parcel Plus operators but it had delivered the postcards sent out by the company.

RegTel is the independent agency responsible for regulating phone-based information services, which include weather forecasts, horseracing commentaries, horoscopes and adult chat services.