Advertising Code for Telephone Information Services (RTI)

Advertising Code for Telephone Information Services (RTI)

Article 1      Definitions

In this Advertising Code the following definitions apply:

Information services: Services which are accessible through an information number.

Information number: A number (or numbers and letters) with a prefix of 0800, 0900, 0906 or 0909 pursuant to Article 3c of the Number Plan for (ISDN) telephone services based on Article of the Telecommunications Act.

Number plan: The Number plan for (ISDN) telephone services as it is established by the minister of Transport and Public Works on the basis of Article 4.1 of the Telecommunications Act and published in the Dutch Government Gazette.

Service code: The first four digits of the information number by which a category of information services of the Number plan is determined.

Paid number: An information number for which a fee is charged to the number caller by the telecommunication service or by the information service as the case may be.

Free number: An information number for which no fee is charged by the telecommunications service or by the information service as the case may be.

Telephone charge: The rate that the providers of telecommunications facilities charge to number users for obtaining access to information services.

Number caller: The party who obtains access to an information service by dialling an information number.

Number user: The party who provides information service through an information number.

Number holder: The party to whom the body, as referred to in article 2 of the Law on the Independent Post and Telephone Authority (OPTA) has assigned an information number.

 

Article 2      Aim and Reach

This Advertising Code is intended to promote the identification and reliability of advertising messages in which telephone information services are included.

 

Article 3      Demarcation of 0800 Information Services
It is not permitted to mention a rate or charge a fee in an advertisement for providing information services under the 0800 service code.

 

Article 4      Demarcation of 0900 Information Services
It is not permitted to offer information services under the 0900 service code in an advertisement if such services may be considered as:
a.  information services of an erotic or pornographic nature;
b.  information services that refer directly or indirectly to services of an erotic or pornographic nature;
c.  information services clearly intended to extend the duration of the call;
d.  information services that provide amusement;
e.  information services for which no fee is charged by the telecommunications service, nor by the information service.

 

Article 5      Demarcation of 0909 Information Services
It is not permitted to offer information services under the 0909 service code in an advertisement if such services may be considered as:
a.  information services of an erotic or pornographic nature;
b.  information services that refer directly or indirectly to services of an erotic or pornographic nature;
c.  information services not primarily intended to provide or exchange socially relevant information, but to extend the duration of the call;
d.  information services for which no fee is charged by the telecommunications service, nor by the information service.

 

Article 6      Demarcation of 0906 Information Services
Taking into account the other articles of this Advertising Code, it is permitted to offer information services under the 0906 service code in an advertisement as long as paid numbers are used.

 

Article 7      Rules Applicable to all Information Services

7.1      In an advertisement the information number shall be clearly and unambiguously indicated.

a.   In the case of a visual message (including TV) unambiguity means that the service code and the rest of the information number under which the service is provided are clearly separated by a sign;

b.   The provisions of a) shall not apply if, in addition to a self-chosen mention, the service code is in any case clearly specified in the same message, followed by a hyphen and the word ‘number’;

c.   For exclusively audio messages, unambiguity means that a clear pause is made between the service code and the rest of the information number under which a service is provided.

Explanation of Articles 7.1.b. and 7.1.c.
Identification of an information service as such is threatened when the service code in the advertising message is not expressed unambiguously. The deviation in b) is intended for number users because a deviating notation benefits the capacity to remember the number. The harm done to the recognisability of the service in this way is compensated by separate mention of the constituent parts of the number, such as ’09 06 59 56 (0906 number). When the message is audio, as on the radio or telephone, the service codes shall, pursuant to c), be communicated as one word, hence ‘O-eight hundred,’ ‘O-eight-O-O,’ ‘O-nine hundred,’ or ‘O- nine-O-O,’ ‘O-nine-O-six,’ or ‘O-nine-O-nine,’ after which the rest of the information number may be spoken after a short pause.

 

7.2      On 1 January 2006 this article was included in the Children’s and Young People’s Advertising Code.

 

7.3      A number holder shall provide on request the name and address and place of residence of a number user, for which, if desired the number holder may charge the requester a reasonable fee.

 

7.4      Should various services be offered through an information number in an advertising message, the provisions of the service code of this information number shall apply to all such services.

 

Article 8      Rules for paid numbers

8.1   In all advertising messages and preceding the start of an information service provided through paid numbers, the rate charged per minute or per call shall be given for the information service and the transmission hereof, should the transmission rate not be included in the rate for the information service.

 

8.2   Mention of the rate shall be free and unambiguous and clearly legible and/or comprehensible.

 

8.3   Terms such as ‘free’ and ‘free of charge’ or words of similar import shall not be used in advertising messages concerning the paid information number.

 

8.4   The information service shall comply with the claims of the advertising message.

Explanation of Article 8.1
It should be clear for the number caller which rate or rates are charged for the use of the information services. This can be made clear through quotation of a total rate per minute or per call in which the telephone rate is included (such as ‘this information number costs 45 euro cents per minute). Another possibility is to quote the rate of the information service per minute or per call with a separate referral to (part of) the telephone rate (such as ‘plus the charge for use of the mobile phone). It is prohibited to quote a rate for the information service without mentioning that there is in addition a full or partial telephone charge, when this is in fact the case.

 

Article 9     Coming into Force
This Code became operative on 1 January 2004.