10 March 2006
The number of complaints made by UK residents about premium rate call services has seen a significant drop.
Icstis, the premium rate services regulator, said that it received just under 27,000 complaints in 2005, which was a 66% fall on the 2004 figure.
It says that the fall comes as a result of stricter licensing that has eliminated many underhand operations that use internet diallers to phone UK households on premium rate numbers.
The body also said that marketing calls had been reduced, especially ones using automatic calling equipment.
New rules preventing firms from receiving ill-gotten revenues from premium rate phone scams are also said to have had an impact on reducing the number of complaints.
The director of Icstis George Kidd said: "This news is positive for consumers and positive for the industry.
"We know there's still work to be done to tackle those who deliberately set out to rip off the public. However, we're confident that our continued robust enforcement action, together with our greater collaboration with industry players and fellow regulators, will allow us to prevent consumer harm more effectively, better educate and inform the public, and enable market growth and diversity."
It is thought that spending on premium rate phone services is now around £1.5 billion in the UK, making it the world's largest premium rate services market.
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