Ofcom PASS Code

HomePhoneChoices complies with the Ofcom Pass Code.

There are 10 things that we must do to comply with the Ofcom code:

1) Prices and price comparisons must be accurate and up-to-date. They must be updated at least every eight weeks and the site must indicate when they were last updated.

2) The Website must be independent of telecoms suppliers. If a Website earns commission or some other remuneration from suppliers of telecoms services, it must disclose this clearly to users.

3) The Website must not charge users for prices and price comparisons of residential telecoms services.

4) The Website must be interactive and able to provide the user with price information of suppliers appropriate to his or her needs, eg fixed line services in the user's geographical area.

5) The Website must make it clear to users by means of a prominently displayed privacy notice that it complies with relevant data protection legislation.

6) If the Website facilitates ‘switching’ on-line, ie changing from one supplier to another, it must make it clear to the user what he or she is doing.

7) The layout and design of the Website must take into account the needs of disabled users.

8) Users must be able to browse the Website using Microsoft Explorer 4 or above and Netscape Navigator 4 or above.

9) If the Website provides price information on fixed telecoms services, it must include prices of at least ten different suppliers in total, including BT and, preferably, Kingston Communications. A Website providing price information on mobile telecoms services should include at least the four main mobile network operators, ie O2, Orange, T-mobile and Vodafone. For other types of telecoms services, the Website must provide prices of a reasonable number of suppliers.

10) The Website must advise users that they may want to take other issues beside price, such as service quality, into account before making any decision.

Have look in our home telephone faq section for more information on any of the above points.