Legal

Telephony Sales & Marketing Code of Practice

Video Networks Limited Telephony Code of Practice ("Code")

About Video Networks Limited

Homechoice is offered on a subscription basis by Video Networks Limited. Since 1999, we have been offering broadband access and on demand entertainment services to our subscribers within the London area. We refer to ourselves throughout this Code as Homechoice.

The purpose of the Code of Practice

This Code provides a clear summary of the sales and marketing policies for our fixed-line telephony products. It will also provide you with contact points should you wish to learn more about us or raise issues with us or organisations with whom we are associated.

This Code does not affect your rights as a consumer and is not contractually binding on you or Homechoice. If you would like to obtain printed copies of this Code, or a copy in large print, please let us know at the address below.

Contact details

You can find out more about our service, Homechoice, at www.videonetworks.co.uk. For information about us as a company, visit our website at www.videonetworks.com.

You can reach our customer care team by email at enquiries@Homechoice.co.uk. If you wish to speak to one of our Sales or Customer Care representatives, you can reach them on 0845 678 3333 between 8am-8pm, Monday to Saturday (except public holidays). Local call rates will apply and your call may be recorded for training or service quality purposes.

Our sales and marketing

We are committed to our sales and marketing activities being responsible and compliant with industry guidelines. We will respect your rights where you have registered with any relevant preference service such as the Telephone Preference Service, unless you have indicated otherwise to us.

We aim to ensure that our advertising and promotion comply with the British Codes of Advertising and Sales Promotion and any other applicable advertising codes. We aim to keep our advertising and promotional literature clear, unambiguous, accurate and fair, with regard to price, value and service.

Recruitment and sales Training

We will ensure that we have appropriate procedures for the recruitment and selection of all staff (or any sub-contractors) who have direct contact with customers. This will include identity checks and supply of references by UK based staff and equivalent measures for staff elsewhere.

We will endeavour to have adequately trained sales staff able to give accurate and clear information about our fixed-line telephony services to potential customers. Our staff will be aware of the industry practices in the UK that allow customers to change provider and the conditions which apply.

Our staff will understand the various packages and services offered as part of Homechoice and how they compare to competing products. They will be able to explain the ordering process, our prices, the terms and conditions which apply and the process for cancelling a contract during the cooling-off period or at any time following commencement of the service.

Customer contact

Our sales staff will make no face-to-face contact outside the hours of 8 am - 8 pm, nor telephone calls outside the hours of 8 am - 9 pm, except by specific request of a customer.

All staff involved in face-to-face sales and marketing will be issued with identity badges that display the name Homechoice and an employee number. Their identity badges will also state the name and display a photograph of the staff member as well as an expiry date for validity of the card. Our staff will identify themselves and confirm that they are representatives of Homechoice. They will also state the purpose of their call and the expected duration of either the call or the sale. Our salespeople are expected to be courteous and offer clear and straightforward information and explanations at all times.

Our staff will not continue contact with any person who indicates that the contact is inconvenient, unwelcome, inappropriate or too long. If a customer requests it, the discussion will be ended immediately or, if making a doorstep call, the premises will be left immediately. Homechoice will endeavour not to abuse the trust of vulnerable customers. Homechoice will not intentionally target sales or marketing activity to those who are under the legal age for entering into contracts.

Homechoice will keep suitable records of its sales and marketing activity for a period of six months.

Entering into a contract - information, order forms and contracts

Homechoice will make reasonable steps to ensure that the person signing our contract for fixed line telephony services is responsible or authorised to order those services for their home.

Where sales are made in face-to-face, customers will be given the following information in writing:

• our company name, address and contact details;
• a description of the service chosen and how it works, including the cost of any standing charges;
• details of the payment terms;
• the process for provision of the service;
• details of the right of cancellation and the process for exercising it;
• the period for which the charges remain valid;
• the minimum period of contract and minimum contract charges, if any.

Customers will be given a copy of the contract and details of arrangements for the termination of the contract, either at the time they enter into the contract or within 5 working days, unless previously supplied in writing prior to contract.

Customers signing-up for our services by other methods will receive information confirming the Fixed-line Telephony Service that they have agreed to take in addition to information about cancelling the order or terminating the contract. Where relevant, sales conducted in this way will comply with the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000. For internet orders, links to this information will be clearly displayed and the information will be available to be easily downloaded and printed.

Customers are permitted to cancel orders by telephone and in writing by post, fax or e-mail. Where an order for Homechoice is cancelled within the relevant cancellation period, Customers will not be charged for cancelling their order.

We will notify customers of the commencement date for the selected Fixed-Line Telephony Service. This will be by letter unless the customer has applied online and confirmed that they wish all future correspondence to be sent electronically (where we offer this functionality). This notification will confirm to the customer that they have entered into a contract for one of our telephony services and will prompt customers to contact us if they were not satisfied with the way in which the sales and marketing activity was conducted.

Making a complaint

Any complaints in relation to our sales and marketing activity follow our normal complaints procedures. All our customer facing staff and representatives are aware of these procedures. These procedures can be found in our main Code of Practice.