value added services

what are value added services?

On the customer bill, there are 3 types of value added services that can appear: Voice services (generally known as 090x numbers), SMS/MMS value added services and wap/Internet value added services.

Voice value added services are phone numbers that start with 0900, 0901, 0906 (collectively known as 090x numbers). (They may include the country code prefix for Switzerland (+41): e.g. 0900 123 456 is the same number as +41 900 123 456 and 0041 900 123 456).

Calls to a value added number often cost more than a standard conversation. In addition to a simple phone conversation, a specific service is being provided, which is charged to your phone bill. A wide range of services is available via value added numbers. Value added services answer specific needs and offer a convenient way to pay that is particularly suitable for smaller sums. Although the vast majority of value added services respect the regulations in force, there is a serious financial risk attached to some expensive value added numbers. Orange does not provide the services itself and simply collects the fee on behalf of the content provider in question. In return for its billing service, Orange receives a small proportion of the fee. Orange has no contractual relationship with the Service Provider but is obliged to provide access to these numbers (interoperability obligation).

Examples of value added services: CFF customer service, theatre tickets, competitions, computer hotlines, adult entertainment.

There are three service categories :
- 0900: Business, Marketing
- 0901: Entertainment (no adult content)
- 0906: Adult entertainment (note that it is possible to block access to these services)
SMS/MMS Value added services are services which allow you to order and receive information (weather, financial sport, news, etc.), ring tones, logos and games on your mobile phone via SMS/MMS as a one-off or on a regular basis via subscription (these latter are called 'push SMS'). A special category of value added services provided under short codes starting with 6 concern adult entertainment (note that it is possible to block these services).

Many external SMS & MMS providers distribute their own products & services through the Orange mobile network using their own brand name. They have however a contract with Orange, in which are detailed the specific rules they must follow for the product & services provision and Orange on its side takes the responsibility for the distribution and the billing of the products & services to its own customers.
Value added services ordered via Wap/Internet can also be charged on your Orange bill. In this case, Orange has a special agreement with the Service Provider, in which specific rules to be followed are detailed.

is your bill higher than usual?

Possible reasons:

You have dialled a value added number (090x) without realising that a higher tariff is charged for this service.
You might have received an SMS inviting you to call back a 090x number and have dialled the 090x number given to listen to that message.
You have downloaded ringtones or logos via a 090x number or via an Internet site or via an SMS short number onto your mobile phone without being aware of the value added tariff applicable.
You might have taken part in an SMS chat or ordered an SMS service and have received dozens of SMS for which you have had to pay. Note that the principle of chat is that you are charged for incoming messages.
You have called or received calls to your mobile while abroad (international roaming). Note that also calls to your Mailbox are charged at the higher tariff.
Directory services are also charged at a higher tariff (18xy numbers*)
Without you knowing, someone else has been using your mobile phone and has dialled a value added number or sent an SMS to a short number.

Possible reasons for an unusually high bill can be found in the detailed list of calls enclosed with your bill. Calls to value added numbers and directory numbers are listed under a special category 'Value Added Service', while roaming calls are listed under 'Comm. While abroad'.

how can you protect yourself against high bills?

Monitor access to your mobile by third parties so as to avoid anyone ordering services without your knowledge.
Do not add your name to mailing lists or forms without reading the conditions you are agreeing to.
For SMS/MMS services and services accessible via wap/Internet, closely examine the conditions of the service you wish to subscribe to before validating your command.
For voice value added services, hang up after the price announcement in case you realize that the price of the service is higher than you had expected.
You can order the blocking of all calls, SMS/MMS and wap/Internet access to value added services.
You can subscribe to Orange Travel
You can subscribe to the subscription Orange Comfort

what responsibility does Orange hold?

Orange is not the provider of the value added services. Our only role is to set up the connection between the provider of the service and the Orange mobile subscriber. Orange is not responsible for the content of the SMS & MMS services supplied by third parties.

Orange is responsible for billing services which appear on the customer's monthly mobile phone bill. The sums invoiced to Orange customers are paid back to the provider of the service who then pays for the provision of the Orange infrastructure.

The relationship between the customer and the provider of the service could be compared to that of a contract. The customer must contact the provider of the service in the case of any dispute regarding the service provided. If the customer is unsure who has supplied the service, Orange can give them the provider's name.

what responsibility does the provider of the Value added service bear?

Service providers:

bear sole responsibility for the services marketed by them and for their content;
are responsible for defining the prices of the services they offer (within the legal maximum allowed prices);
are responsible for advertising their own services - with respect for the law, particularly regarding price transparency.

The relationship between the Orange customer and the service provider could be described as a tacit contract. Orange cannot be held responsible for the content of the service advertised.

what course of action should be taken if there is a dispute?

If there is a dispute, we request that you get in touch with the provider of the services under dispute. For 090x numbers, you can find the list of number holders under the OFCOM list. For SMS/MMS and wap/Internet services, you will find the list of providers who have a contractual relationship with Orange. If you are unsure who supplied the service, Orange can give you these details using the number of origin of the message ('From' field for SMS or MMS).

If you cannot reach the provider or if they are not willing to get involved, please address your complaint in writing to Orange Customer Care at Rue du Caudray 4, Case Postale, 1020 Renens 1, or by email to info@orange.ch giving a detailed description of the dispute and, if possible, including supporting documentation (e.g. copy of the advertisement, bill, etc.). Your complaint should be sent to Orange within the payment deadline !

Cases will then be analysed by Orange experts and the service provider. If improper use is established, you will receive a refund. We will inform you by post of the outcome of our investigations.

In the meantime, you must settle your outstanding bill, otherwise Orange may be compelled under the circumstances to suspend certain services on expiry of the notice period. In certain cases, the notice period can be extended.

Grounds for complaint can include:

The wrong price is indicated or not advertised with the value added number (supporting documentation required, e.g. copy of advertisement with date)
Wrong number (state the number you actually wanted to call, together with the type of service and price, requests must be plausible)
Unsollicited SMS with invitation to call back an 090x number (details of SMS required, such as date, time, sender's number, text of SMS message. Save the SMS wherever possible so that you can send it as proof to the Orange Customer Care)
No price announcement at the beginning of the call costing more than CHF 2.– per minute.
The STOP command for cancelling an SMS/MMS service does not work.

how do you deactivate a chargeable SMS/MMS value added service to which you have subscribed?

The deactivation command for any service is STOP. Send this command to the number given for the relevant service to stop all services under this number. In case you only want to deactivate the service of a specific keyword, send STOP keyword to the number.

List of useful commands are:

Keyword	Description
START	a subscription for starting the relevant push or club service
STOP or STOPP	to cancel the relevant push, chat, or club service
STOP or STOPP	to cancel all the end customer's push, club, or chat services to a specific short code
VIEW	overview of all active subscriptions to a particular short code
INFO	contact information of the Mobile Service Provider (as a minimum the name and Swiss hotline number (either geographical number or 0800/0840))
HELP	support for service users (e.g. hotline number, website address)
INDEX	the end customer receives information from the Mobile Service Provider in the form of a description of how to use the service and the indication of where or how a detailed service description and price list may be obtained (e.g. on the Internet, by fax, on request, etc.)

what should you do if you receive unwanted SMS/MMS messages on your mobile phone?

First of all check that it is not an SMS/MMS value added service to which you have subscribed. If this is the case, you are billed for each SMS/MMS you receive according to the conditions you signed up for.
You should send the deactivation command (STOP) as soon as possible. For more details, see 'How do you deactivate a chargeable SMS/MMS service to which you have subscribed?'
If it is a commercial SMS/MMS (advertising) for which there is no charge, read the message carefully to find out who is the Sender as you might have opted-in to receive such messages. If you are unsure and if you do not wish to pursue it, delete the SMS/MMS.
If you receive this kind of SMS/MMS repeatedly, it may be that you are included on a list which authorises advertising via SMS/MMS. If you can identify the source of the message, contact the sender and have your details removed from their mailing list.
Beware calling back 0900, 0901 or 0906 numbers as these are billed at a value added tariff and the call could be expensive!
It is also possible that it is unsolicited advertising sent en masse to our customers by third parties (spam). If this is the case, unfortunately it is not always possible to take action because the messages may originate from abroad and it will therefore be difficult to stop them. For more information on what you can do, see the section on spamming.

who is behind a value added number?

For 090x numbers , you can find out who holds a number by visiting the OFCOM website. It may be that the number holder and the content provider are not one and the same. In this case, only the number holder knows the identity of the actual content provider. It is the number holder who is responsible for the value added number and the service content.

Value added numbers are allocated by OFCOM to number holders on request. In order to put a value added number into operation, the number holder must enter into a contract with a telecom operator, who is responsible for the technical implementation of the number. Orange does not offer such contracts.

For SMS/MMS value added services and for value added services ordered via wap/Internet , you can find out who holds a number by looking at the Service Provider list. Orange is responsible for allocating the number to the Service Provider and has thus a contract with the Service Provider.

how much can it cost to call a value added number?

The cost of a call to an 090x number includes the normal price of communication to the Swiss fixed network according to your choice of Orange subscription, plus a fee for the service on offer. This surcharge (tariff) is not set by Orange, but by the content provider. Content providers are therefore free to set their own tariff for a value added number within the legal price ceilings : max. CHF 10.– per min; max. CHF 100.– per set-up or flat-rate fees; max. CHF 400.– per service.

090x numbers must always be advertised with the tariff (advertisement, TV, SMS, Internet, etc.). These can be prices per minute, or even flat-rate fees charged at any time during the call. Prices per minute can change during the call. A flat-rate fee means that a specific sum is charged once, regardless of the length of the call. A flat-rate fee charged at the start of the call is called a setup fee. A setup fee therefore becomes payable as soon as the connection is established.

A price announcement must be played for services costing more than CHF 2.– per minute or per set-up and whenever a flat-rate fee is charged during the call. In addition, the customer must expressively confirm his acceptance of the offer whenever the price per minute is more than CHF 5.– or CHF 10.– per set-up or flat-rate fee.

For SMS/MMS value added services , the price is per received SMS/MMS and must respect the legal price ceilings and price announcements :

for ' Pull-Services ' (no subscription): max. CHF 100.– per SMS and max. CHF 400.– per service; when the price is higher than CHF 10.– , the service can only be offered once the subscriber has expressively confirmed his acceptance of the offer.
for ' Push services ' (subscription to repeat SMS/MMS): max. CHF 5.– per SMS/MMS; max. CHF 5.– per minute; max. CHF 400.– per service; for this type of subscription, the service provider must send a free SMS/MMS with information on prices and the procedure for unsubscribing from the service. In addition, the customer must explicitly confirm that he/she accepts the offer.

For value added services ordered via wap/Internet , the service can only be billed to the customer if he has expressively accepted the offer. Price ceilings are : max. CHF 400.– per service.

how does a call to a 090x number work?

Think of a call to a 090x value added number as a kind of chain: The customer calls the 090x xxx xxx number from his or her Orange mobile phone. The call is forwarded by Orange to the telecom operator, who implements the number. This latter passes the call to the number holder/content provider. As soon as the connection is established, a direct service provision relationship commences between the customer and the content provider. The service fee chain is similar: From the customer, via Orange, to the telecom operator, who implements the number, and finally to the content provider. Most of the time, the different steps are carried out by different firms and there can be up to four intermediate stations between the customer and the content provider. The customer's contact is primarly the number holder (see OFCOM list).

If the number holder does not provide a satisfactory answer to the complaint, the customer should immediately send a written complaint to the telecom operator having established the bill for the amounts in dispute. N.B.: Complaints must be received at Orange before the payment deadline has expired!

how can I prevent problems related to value added numbers?

You should remain vigilant regarding 090x numbers and make sure of the tariffs before you dial. Please be aware that the fees can sometimes be very high and there are cases of improper use. We recommend you only dial this type of number if you are totally aware of the price and the type of service on offer.
Ask Orange Customer Care to block access to all value added numbers from your mobile phone free of charge. You can ask for this service to be cancelled at any time. If a mobile phone is used by several people, the blocking service is strongly recommended.
How can you recognise 090x numbers at first glance? According to the law, the first 4 figures of a value added number (0900, 0901 or 0906) must be included together with the number in an advertisement and the price must be clearly mentioned. There have, however, been cases of numbers being given without prices in the form of a normal fixed line number (e.g. 090 123 45 67). No fixed line number starts with 090. Don't be confused if you see the international Swiss country code prefix '+41' or '0041' in front of an 090x number. Hence, beware of numbers that start with '090', '+4190' or '004190'. They could turn out to be very expensive.
How can you recognize an SMS/MMS service: usually when you are sending an SMS/MMS to a number with only 3 to 5 digits, this means that you are ordering a service via SMS/MMS.
The tariffs applicable to value added numbers can change daily. So check the date of the advert or publicity brochure. If you are in the habit of calling 090x numbers, remember to check regularly for any possible tariff alterations. If no tariff is indicated in conjunction with the mention of a 090x, an SMS/MMS short number or a premium-rate WAP/Internet service, this constitutes an infringement of the law (Ordinance on Price Indication OIP). Do not dial that number under any circumstances. If necessary, notify the seco in writing enclosing any supporting documentation.

seco - State Secretariat for Economic Affairs
Legal Department
Effingerstrasse 31
3003 Bern
http://www.seco.admin.ch
Dial the number carefully to avoid calling the wrong number. If you do make a mistake, or the service is not what you were expecting, end the call immediately. Check the number before dialling again.
Take care when allowing other people to use your mobile phone. If a stranger asks for help, try to dial the number yourself. Remember that you are responsible for all calls made on your phone and can be forced to incur liability.
Avoid any unauthorised use of your mobile phone by a third party, e.g. by activating the automatic keypad block and by using a phone blocking code (see user's guide for your mobile phone).

how do you block your mobile phone from accessing value added numbers?

You have two options:

either block access to all premium-rate numbers (all 0900, 0901, 0906 numbers) all SMS/MMS short numbers and all kiosk services,
or to block access to adult services only (0906 numbers, SMS/MMS short codes starting with 6, adult category of Kiosk services).

The blocking service is offered free of charge by Orange. All you need do is contact our Customer Care (0800 700 700). Orange does not accept responsibility for any connections established before the block comes into effect.

N.B.: By blocking access to all 090x numbers, you will no longer have access to value added services that you may have been used to accessing in the past (SBB customer service, wake-up service, weather, traffic news etc.). Unfortunately, selective number blocking is not possible for technical reasons.

You can request at any time the cancellation of the above blocking services, immediately and free of charge, by calling our Customer Care. Requests to block and unblock value added numbers can only be made by the holder of the subscription in question.

Please note that adult value added services are blocked by default for customers and known users below 18 years old.

what does Orange do about improper use in the provision of value added services?

Orange has signed an agreement together with other telecom operators to combat improper use in the provision of value added services, which forms an integral part of its interconnection contracts. The agreement enables effective measures to be taken against providers responsible for improper use of services, namely by blocking the payment of sums to the content provider. Orange has also taken an active part in negotiations of two inter-professional Code of Conduct relative to value added telecommunication services:

for 090x numbers, see under asut (in German);
for SMS/MMS value added services, see the Code of Conduct .

can PrePay customers also use value added services?

Yes, but with certain limitations for the value added voice services (090x numbers). For technical reasons, PrePay customers can only call value added numbers, whose tariffs lie within the bracket of most commonly applied tariffs (so-called industry standard tariffs).

can normal telephone numbers also be charged at a higher tariff?

Yes, although these services are not charged to your telephone bill. Directly billed services such as these can also be proposed in the form of standard telephone numbers (so-called geographical numbers, such as 022 xxx xx xx). The content provider or biller thus sends a bill for the service fee directly to the customer. Only the normal fee for the call itself will be charged to your Orange phone bill. Your Orange bill will therefore only mention that call as a normal call to the Swiss fixed network.

Directly billed services are beyond the control of Orange in every respect. Orange is not aware of the service content, it has no contractual relationship with the content provider and is not involved in tariff setting. Orange does not forward any kind of customer data to such content providers or duly appointed billers, even at their request.

Directly billed services may, for example, be collected by Telebilling AG. If you have a complaint regarding such bills, please direct your query to the biller. Orange Customer Care can only help you in a very limited way, e.g. by checking the connection data for length and time of call. A quick and easy way of checking is the list of itemised calls on your Orange bill. This serves as proof of the calls made on your mobile phone. Check whether, at the time in question, a call was actually made from your mobile phone to the number of the service. If you are in doubt as to the accuracy of the biller's invoice, we recommend that you be persistent and demand proof from the biller. Consumer protection organisations can be extremely helpful in such cases.

Should you receive a call from a biller, it is up to you whether you supply your name and address. The content provider must, before providing the service, obtain the customer's agreement and check the details. In the event of key codes sent by SMS for directly billed services, the content provider must also ensure that the customer agrees to pay the fee. By confirming his or her agreement, the customer is deemed to have entered into a contract under the terms of which the user of the service undertakes to pay the incurred fee. Verifiability must be ensured in all cases.

legal situation regarding value added numbers

Orange is not responsible for setting tariffs, or for the service content of third-party value added numbers. Orange simply provides the telephone connection and collection service. Orange has often no contractual relationship with the number holder or the content provider. The customer has an implicit contractual relationship with the content provider, rather as it does for items sent through the post. The customer should therefore direct any disputes to the content provider first. The debt claim is determined by the content provider. Orange will nevertheless lend its support at the customer's request in settling written complaints against the content provider. The payment deadline for the bill under dispute must nevertheless be respected and is not automatically extended in the event of a dispute.

Orange is subject to the obligation of interoperability for all calls to 090x numbers. This means that Orange is not entitled, except in very exceptional cases, to block access to certain value added numbers.

In the event of major infringements of regulations or legal provisions, OFCOM can revoke a value added number 090x, in other words withdraw it from the number holder. The revocation procedure is relatively lengthy. In order to institute the revocation procedure, OFCOM requires detailed information on the facts of the matter and, if possible, proof. Customers can also write to OFCOM to report improper practices:

Federal office for communications
Telecommunications Department
PO box
2501 Biel
http://www.ofcom.admin.ch
Email: tc@bakom.admin.ch

Regarding SMS/MMS value added services and Kiosk, if improper use by the service provider has been proven, Orange may terminate the provider's contract or temporarily cut off access to the service. Possible cases of improper use include misleading advertising, provision of a non-existent service, prices advertised by the provider of the service different to those applied on the Orange bill, receipt of SMS/MMS without having requested the service, non-compliance to the price transparency obligations notably the obligation to confirm the price of the service per SMS. Details of any case under dispute should be described in writing to Orange by the customer, enclosing supporting documentation (e.g. copy of the advertisement).

An Orange customer can always guard against unpleasant surprises regarding value added numbers by ordering a personal blocking set from Orange Customer Care to block access to value added numbers.

I am unable to receive SMS and MMS services

Your mobile phone is probably not configured correctly. Learn how to configure your mobile phone to access the SMS, MMS and WAP services simply and easily.

More info on Value added services can be found on the OFCOM website.

family guide

As a parent, you want the best for your child. Also when it comes to mobile phones. That's why we've created our family guide (.PDF).

* 4-figure 18xy numbers (not 187), e.g. 1818

Orange Switzerland