Industry seminars series on Code 13 now finished
On 1 July PhonepayPlus launched its 13th Code of Practice, and published a range of Notices of special conditions and a new collection of guidance.
Here’s a recap of our most recent and final seminar for anyone who couldn’t make it.
The final seminar looked at consumer vulnerability and rule 2.3.10 that seeks to protect affected consumers; complaint handling processes and a discussion on sanctions and the new approach to imposing refund sanctions.
Information on all the seminars including the slide packs is available here.
Consumer vulnerability
Consumer vulnerability is a topic of academic study as well as being an issue affecting a range of markets with several regulators developing their thoughts and guidance on the matter. The seminar gave industry an opportunity to plan and prepare for launching new services or promotional campaigns in a way that takes seriously such risks associated with consumers in vulnerable circumstances.
PhonepayPlus also recently published a discussion document on consumer vulnerability. More information on the paper and how to get involved in the conversation about consumer vulnerability can be found here.
Complaint handling
One piece of guidance published on 1 July 2015 dealt with complaint handling. The seminar considered the new provisions in the Code and went through the key elements of accessibility and effectiveness. A commercially aware audience engaged with the findings of the Annual Market Review 2014, and reflected on giving consumers the best experience when queries or complaints arise.
Refund sanctions
The final discussion on sanctions gave an insight into the Investigations and Sanctions Procedure. We looked at the Code changes for sanctioning powers and the ability for refunds to be targeted when Tribunal panels have clear evidence with which to impose such tailored sanctions.
The seminars generated positive discussion on some key subjects, and we will continue to engage with industry members in this way. If you have any thoughts or observations on these issues please leave a comment or get in touch with us directly.