The purpose of this Code of Practice is to inform customers about Equitalk and the services we provide. It describes what you can expect from us, our key policies and how to contact us.

2. About Us

Equitalk was founded in January 2000 and supplies the UK residential and small business market with fixed line telecommunications services.

Equitalk is the UK 's first ‘e-telco’ and uses the internet to provide a high quality, automated, paperless service. We email statements once a month and collect payment by Direct Debit or credit / debit card. All customers are able to join and manage their accounts on-line on our secure web site.

This enables us to minimise costs which we pass on to customers as savings on their phone bill, without compromising service quality.

To ensure a world-class service, our partners and suppliers include the world's largest telecoms networks and payment processors.

3. Contact details

You may contact us in the following ways:

Email: customer.service@equitalk.co.uk
We guarantee a personal reply to all emails within 1 working day.

Phone: 0800 651 1010
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

Fax: 020 84467010

Post:          Equitalk.co.uk Ltd
                  5^th Floor
                  Britannia House
                  960 High Road
                  London
                  N12 9RY

You can join and manage your account on our secure web site www.equitalk.co.uk

5. Range of services

We offer fixed line phone calls with a choice of tariffs. To view the latest range of tariffs, please visit our web site at:
http://www.equitalk.co.uk/default.asp?secure=no&URL=prices/callprice.asp

All these tariffs include free calls to all other Equitalk customers on these tariffs.

Customers are connected to Equitalk automatically, without the need to dial a code or plug in a box.

6. Prices

All prices are shown on our web site at http://www.equitalk.co.uk/default.asp?secure=no&URL=prices/callprice.asp

Prices may change from time-to-time, but we will always give you a minimum of 2 weeks notice of any changes and we will always aim to be competitive.

We believe in treating customers fairly and back this up with our Fair Play Pricing Policy. Please click on the link below for further details:
http://www.equitalk.co.uk/aboutus/pricingpolicy.asp

7. Customer Service

We aim to provide a consistently high quality of service.

• Service Confirmation
  We will endeavor to post a Welcome Letter by First Class Post within 4 working days of you joining.
  
  
• Connection to the Service
  We will endeavor to connect your line to our service for 1689 access within 1 working day and we will endeavor to set up automatic routing within 12 working days.
  
  
• Your Right to Cancel
  You may cancel at any time with no penalty charges. Unlimited call tariffs are only sold and charged in whole months. You will have to pay for all calls made whilst connected to the service. BT will take 10 working days to disconnect Equitalk from your line once they receive the request from you or us. You must contact us in writing (by email, fax or post) if you wish to close your account or have Equitalk removed from your line.
  
  
• Problems Making Calls
  We will report any fault you notify us of to our network suppliers within 1 working day. We will need the following information from you to be able to report a fault: your number; the number you are calling; when you tried calling; a description of the fault; the telephone exchange in our network that you are connected to (you can find this out by dialing the test number 0207 893 5602).
  
  
• Billing & Payment
  We will send you an invoice fully itemising all calls, payments and credits once a month (around the middle of the month) for the previous month’s calls. You can pay by Direct Debit or credit or debit card.
  
  
• Credit Policy
  We expect you to pay promptly and in full for the services we have supplied.
  
  We will notify you if we have been unable to a collect payment when it was due. If you do not make arrangements to pay us we will suspend service. Before suspending the service we will contact you by a letter sent by First Class Post (we may also attempt to contact you by email and / or by phone). After notification, you will be given at least one week to make a payment before service is suspended. Once your service is suspended you may make outgoing calls through BT by dialing the prefix 1280 (BT will charge you for these calls). If service is suspended, we will endeavor to resume your service within 1 working day of receiving payment.
  
  If payment is not received within 21 days of your service being suspended then your line will be disconnected from Equitalk and your calls will revert to BT. Once your line has been disconnected from Equitalk it will take 10 working days to reconnect it (once any outstanding payments have been received).
  
  If we have still not received payment after 1 month of first requesting it, we may hand your debt over to our external Debt Collection Agency who will contact you to arrange payment. This may affect your Credit Status.
  
  All debt recovery procedures will be carried out professionally and in accordance with UK industry best practice and relevant legislation.
  
  
• If You Are Not Satisfied With Our Service
  Our Dispute Resolution Process is outlined below. We are committed to addressing all complaints fully and fairly and in a reasonable timeframe.
  
  If you are unhappy with our service, please contact our Customer Services (as detailed in Contact Details above) and let us know as soon as possible.
  
  If you continue to be dissatisfied you can request that your complaint is reviewed by a Director of the business.
  
  If we have not reached an agreed outcome within 3 months of receiving your complaint, you have the option of referring the complaint for independent consideration to Otelo (Office of the Telecommunications Ombudsman) who will asses your case and make an independent decision, to which Equitalk is bound. Contact details for Otelo are:
  
  Office of Telecommunications Ombudsman
  Wilderspool Park
  Greenall’s Park
  Warrington
  WA4 6HL

8. Terms & Conditions and Data Protection

Our obligations to you and your obligations to us are described in our Terms & Conditions. Please click on the following link to see a full copy: http://www.equitalk.co.uk/termsconditions/terms.htm

Equitalk is Notified under the Data Protection Act 1998 and is committed to your privacy. Please click on the following link to see a copy of our Privacy Policy:
http://www.equitalk.co.uk/aboutus/privacy.asp

We make all reasonable efforts to maintain the security of your data. Please click on the following link to see a copy of our Security Statement:
http://www.equitalk.co.uk/aboutus/security.asp

9. Additional Services

Equitalk does not produce a phone book and has no effect on your entry in the phone book or any ex-directory status.

We have no effect on your incoming calls or features offered by BT in association with incoming calls.

We can bar calls to certain Adult Premium Rate Services (please contact us as described above for further information).

Equitalk does not offer Directory Enquiry or Operator Services, although you may access them in the usual way through our network.

10. Communication with customers

We believe in effective communications with our customers and prospective customers.

Customers may contact us (as described above) and we may contact customers by email, phone or by letter in order to supply the services requested.

Customers and prospective customers may opt-out of sales and marketing communications from Equitalk:

Email – For prospective customers we only use opt-in email lists (you will need to contact the list owner if you wish to opt-out of their emails). For existing customers, please change your Equitalk on-line account settings or contact us as described above and we will do it for you.

Phone – by registering with the Telephone Preference Service:

DMA House
70 Margaret Street
London
W1W 8SS

020 7291 3320

Letter – by registering with the Mailing Preference Service:

DMA House
70 Margaret Street
London
W1W 8SS

020 7291 3310

Equitalk abides by industry-accepted rules and standards for sales and marketing, including those set by the relevant regulatory bodies, including:

Ofcom
Ofcom Contact Centre
Riverside House
2a Southwark Bridge Road
London
SE1 9HA

0845 456 3000

Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telecommunications Information Services (ICSTIS)
Freepost
WC 5468
London
SE1 2BR

0800 500 212

The existence of this code will be brought to customers’ attention in appropriate ways.

11. Social Responsibility

Equitalk is an equal opportunities employer and recruits and promotes employees on the basis of ability.

Our e-billing service helps reduce the amount of paper we use and contributes towards the protection of the environment.

Our Customer Services team will do everything they can to help in the protection and support of vulnerable groups e.g. minors, disabled and elderly consumers, malicious calls. Please contact them as described above.

12. Approval of this Code

This code has been approved by Ofcom in accordance with criteria agreed with the Telecommunications industry.

Version 2.0