Mobile Premium Services Scheme

What is the Mobile Premium Services (MPSI) Scheme?
What is the TIO's role under the MPSI Scheme?
Where can I get more information about the MPSI Scheme?
How does the TIO handle Mobile Premium Services Complaints?

What is the Mobile Premium Services Scheme?

The Mobile Premium Services Scheme (MPSI) is an industry-based self-regulatory industry scheme that contains rules about providing mobile customers with clear and transparent information about the costs and terms and conditions on which mobile premium services are offered, and about the handling of complaints about mobile premium services.

The MPSI Scheme was approved by the Australian Communications & Media Authority (ACMA) on 28 September 2006. It was set up subsequent to the Telecommunications Service Provider (Mobile Premium Services) Determination 2005 (No. 1).

The objects of the Determination are:

1. to provide a framework within which appropriate community safeguards in relation to mobile premium services are established, by making rules:
   1. to promote the safety of children in relation to mobile premium services that might facilitate illegal contact between children and adults; and
   2. to ensure that customers of mobile premium services are provided with information to enable them to make informed decisions about the use of the services; and to ensure that an independent complaints handling mechanism is available to customers of mobile premium services; and
      
      
2. to provide a framework within which public interest considerations may be addressed without imposing undue financial and administrative burdens on participants in sections of the telecommunications industry, by making rules to promote the greatest practicable use of industry self-regulation in achieving the objects mentioned in paragraph (a).

NOTE: before 2008 the Determination also had the objective of probibiting and restricting certain mobile premium services in line with the principles under the Classification Act 1995 and in line with community expectations about the accessibility of those services. This function of the Determination was superseded by the Restricted Access Systems Declaration 2007.

What is the TIO's role under the MPSI Scheme?

Under the MPSI Scheme the TIO is the escalated complaints handling body. The TIO began handling complaints under the MPSI Scheme on 1 December 2006.

Many complaints the TIO receives in its capacity of escalated complaints handling body for the MPSI Scheme will be of the same or similar nature to those previously handled by the TIO Scheme in relation to mobile premium services, e.g. billing complaints. The TIO also has jurisdiction to handle complaints about breaches of the rules of the Scheme.

How does the TIO handle complaints about Mobile Premium Services?

The TIO deals with each complaint it receives about mobile premium services on a case by case basis.

Complaints are referred to senior levels of complaint, classified and escalated in much the same way as other complaints about telecommunications services.

Where can I get more information about the MPSI Scheme?

MPSI Scheme documentation is available on the website of the Communications Alliance (the custodian of the Scheme) at http://www.commsalliance.com.au/Activities/Mobile_Premium_Services/customer_information.

Page created: 30 March 2007
Page updated: 17 January 2008