Colt is a leading European provider of business communications. Colt specialises in providing data, voice and managed services to Major businesses, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Wholesale customers.
Colt operates a 13-country, 25,000km network that includes metropolitan area networks in 34 major European cities with direct fibre connections into 16,000 buildings and 18 Colt data centres.
Colt’s vision is to be the most trusted provider of converged data, voice and managed services for businesses across Europe.
Colt Group S.A. is listed on the London Stock Exchange (Colt). Information about Colt and its services can be found at www.colt.net.
For more information on Colt in the UK please:
• visit www.colt.net/uk
• call the Colt Press Office: +44 20 7390 3900
• e-mail: inbound@colt.net;
• write to:
UK Marketing Communications
Colt Technology Services
Beaufort House
15 St. Botolph Street
London
EC3A 7QN
This Code is intended for the benefit of Colt’s business customers based in the United Kingdom.
This Code is intended to inform you, the customer, about:
Your relationship with Colt
The products and services we offer
How to contact us; for customer services, fault reporting or complaints
Your rights and obligations.
Colt products and services are subject to availability and may be modified from time to time.
This code of practice is not a contractual document and, whilst it represents our normal practice, it does not form any part of the contract between you and Colt. If there are any differences between your contract and this code of practice, the terms of the contract will prevail.
This code of practice can be found on the Colt website at www.colt.net.
You can also ask for a paper copy of the Code by using the customer contact details in section 4.
Colt is authorised to provide telecommunications and internet services and is governed by the Communications Act 2003 and the regulator Ofcom.
Customer Services
If you have an enquiry including sales, cancellations, billing or faults, please call us free on 0800 136166 Monday to Friday, 8.30am - 5pm. Use the following options:
Option 1 for the Fault Helpdesk
Option 2 and Billing Enquiries
Option 3 for general Customer Services and Order Enquiries (including cancellation of services)
Alternatively, you can contact our Customer Service team by the following methods:
Email: uk.csc@colt.net
Write to:
Customer Service
Colt Technology Services
Beaufort House
15 St Botolph Street
London
EC3A 7QN
Colt provides telephone service support for technical faults including installation, service degredation and repairs to customers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
To report a fault, please call us free on: 0800 136 166 and select option 2.
If you have a complaint about any aspect of your service, you can contact Colt by any of the following methods:
Email: cimukcomplaints@colt.net
Phone: 020 7390 7868
Write to:
Customer Complaints
Colt Technology Services
Beaufort House
15 St Botolph Street
London
EC3A 7QN
Please provide the following information:
• The main details of your complaint
• Your Colt account or circuit number; and
• Your name and telephone number.
We will endeavour to acknowledge receipt of your complaint with a reference number within one working
day.
We will endeavour to resolve your complaint within 20 working days following the acknowledgement of
receipt.
While we are investigating the complaint we will endeavour to contact you to give you progress reports.
If your complaint remains unresolved after eight weeks or we agree in writing that the dispute should be settled by Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) you can contact the Office of the Telecommunications Ombudsman (Otelo).
Otelo is a third party arbitrator and they will take evidence from both you and Colt to make an independent decision based on the merits of the case.
Otelo will only handle disputes for businesses with ten employees or fewer who spend less than £5000 p.a.
Office of the Telecommunications Ombudsman
Wilderspool Park
Warrington
WA4 6HL
Phone: 0845 050 1614
Fax: 0845 050 1615
Email: enquiries@otelo.org.uk
Website: www.otelo.org.uk
Textphone: 0845 051 1513
If you have followed the steps above but are still dissatisfied, you may register a complaint that will be considered by Ofcom. However Ofcom cannot alter an Otelo decision, nor can Ofcom ask for the decision to be reviewed.
Office of Communications (OFCOM)
Address:
Ofcom Contact Centre
Riverside House
2a Southwark Bridge Road
London
SE1 9HA
Website: http://www.otelo.org.uk/
Phone: 020 7981 3040 or 0300 123 333
Fax: 020 7981 333
Email:contact@ofcom.org.uk
Colt will provide you with details of the charges for your services. Rental charges are billed in advance and usage charges are billed in arrears.
Colt’s bills are issued either monthly, quarterly or annually according to your contract with Colt.
Colt provides itemised bills and call detail records online and free of charge. You can access your account details at Colt Online: www.online.e-colt.com. Paper copies can be made available if requested.
Colt invoices are delivered in paper format and can also be retrieved in pdf format at Colt Online. Paper invoices are in summary format. Colt also offers the Colt Analyser Tool (CAT) which enables you to download call detail information and to create management reports.
Your bill provides you with the customer service number you should call if you wish to raise a billing enquiry. In order to investigate your enquiry quickly please have the following information available to assist us:
The date and the invoice number that the billing query is related to
Your account number
The nature and reason for your enquiry
Any supporting documentation available
Your enquiry will be logged by our customer service representatives. You may be asked to send details to us in writing.
Your contract with Colt details the terms on which we provide your service. This includes information on what you should do if you have a dispute concerning your invoice.
Should a dispute arise please notify Colt in writing to the address in section 4 within 30 days of the date of the invoice. Please include the following information:
The date and the invoice number that the dispute is related to
The amount in dispute
The nature and reason for the dispute
Any supporting documentation
The undisputed amount of the invoice must be paid by the due date. Colt will investigate your dispute.
It is important that you contact us as soon as possible with any disputes or queries about invoices due. If you do not pay your invoice on time Colt has a contractual right to disconnect the services it provides to you. Colt will not take this action if you have raised a bona fide dispute and you have paid the undisputed portion of the invoice. Your signed customer service agreement provides further details. Colt will make all efforts to resolve and discuss all issues with you before disconnecting any services.
For disputes and billing enquiries you can contact Colt by any of the following methods:
Email: ukcreditcontrolsupport@colt.net
Phone: 0800 136166 (select option 2)
Write to:
Billing & Credit Control
Colt Technology Services
Beaufort House
15 St Botolph Street
London
Colt's standard payment terms are 30 days from the date of invoice unless otherwise agreed. You are expected to ensure that “cleared funds” are received by Colt prior to the due date of invoice. Failure to do this may result in disconnection of service or referral to a debt collection agency. Colt reserves the right to charge interest on overdue invoices.
Payment Methods:
Colt’s standard payment method is by Direct Debit. Depending upon status, and subject to agreement, payment can be sometimes be made via BACS, CHAPS or cheque.
Cheques and remittance advice for BACS or CHAPS payments should be sent to.
Credit Control
Colt Technology Services
Beaufort House
15 St Botolph Street
London
EC3A 7QN
Fax: 0207 863 5026
Email: UKCCReceipts@colt.net
Number Translation Services provide customers with access to a range of information and entertainment services. They are sometimes referred to as “non-geographic services” since the number dialled does not relate to a particular geographic location.
Premium Rate Services (PRS) provide access to higher value information and entertainment services.
When Colt customers call an NTS or PRS number, Colt as the originating communications provider (OCP) routes the call to a terminating communications provider (TCP) who in turn routes the call to the company or organisation providing the service. In some cases Colt may be both the OCP and TCP.
Part of the call tariff which Colt charges for the call is passed onto the TCP, who in turn may pass on a share to the company offering the service that has been called. This process is known as 'revenue sharing'.
Charges for calls to NTS and PRS from Colt’s network
Details of charges for calls to NTS and PRS numbers made from Colt’s network are included in the signed customer contract for services which also includes a reference to where you can obtain full details of NTS and PRS call charges.
Complaints about PRS
PhonepayPlus is an industry-funded organization which regulates the content and promotion of all premium rate services. PhonepayPlus’ responsibilities, procedures and sanctions are contained in their Code of Practice which is available on their website. PhonepayPlus investigates complaints and can fine companies and bar access to services.
Customers who wish to complain about PRS services should contact PhonepayPlus.
PhonepayPlus
FREEPOST
WC5468
London
SE1 2BR
Phone: 0800 500 212
PhonepayPlus can also provide details of PRS service providers and Communications Providers and details of other organisations which can assist customers with complaints about premium rate services.
Note that 0871 numbers and 118 (Directory Assistance) services are also covered by PhonepayPlus.
Barring access to PRS
Colt offers a call barring facility which enables customers to bar outgoing calls to PRS numbers. Customers should contact the Customer Management Centre (see section 4) for details of how call barring can be activated.
The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) operates preference services to enable businesses to opt out of receiving unsolicited telephone calls and faxes. The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 make it unlawful to telephone of fax anyone who has registered with the preference services for the purposes of unsolicited marketing activity.
Registration takes 14 days to become active.
You can register for the Telephone Fax Preference Services at www.tpsonline.org.uk or by calling 0845 070 0707.
Internet or premium diallers are software which install on a PC then dial premium rate or international phone numbers to connect to the internet. Premium dialling software often comes from adult websites and other sites carrying pirated material such as music, films and software. These diallers usually self-install without the knowledge of the PC user. It may only become apparent that a premium dialler has been installed when calls to premium rate numbers appear on a customer’s bill.
Colt customers have limited exposure to the threat posed by premium diallers as they only affect computers that have a dial-up modem connected to a phone line. However, if concerned, customers can utilise the call barring facilities offered by Colt which will ensure that premium diallers are unable to connect to premium rate services. Customers should contact the Customer Management Centre (see section 4) for details of how call barring can be activated.
Silent calls are usually a result of call centres using outbound “power” diallers to call customers and prospects just in time to connect the called party to an agent just as the agent becomes free from a previous call. Sometimes there is no agent free to take the call. Under present regulations the call centre is obliged to play a message to the called parties who are not connected to an agent.
Nuisance calls are usually the result of a mistake made by another user such as accidentally forwarding calls from their telephone to your number instead of the one they intended.
If you receive silent or nuisance calls please record the calling line identity of the caller and contact Colt customer services (see section 4). Colt will endeavour to stop the unwanted calls.
Colt is committed to protecting the privacy of its website visitors. In order to provide you with our products and services, we may need to collect information about you. The Colt Privacy Policy explains how we use any personal information we might collect when you visit a Colt website.
You can read the Privacy Policy online at www.colt.net.
Requests for information about our privacy policy can be sent by email to: dataprotection@colt.net or by writing to:
The Group Data Protection Manager
Colt Technology Services
Beaufort House
15 St Botolph Street
London
EC3A 7QN
Colt provides accessibility services for customers with visual or hearing impairments.
Visually impaired customers can be provided access to the national Blind or Disabled Directory Enquiries Service.
Text terminal users can be provided access to the national Text Direct Service which provides text terminal access to Directory Enquiries, Operator Services and the Text Relay service.
Colt’s website is designed using accessibility principles which can be seen at http://www.colt.net.
Colt communicates in a variety of ways.
Marketing material is used to provide information on new products, product enhancements, promotions and price changes.
News and information updates are provided via email giving quarterly results, partner and customer news and press releases.
We will occasionally send product, service and company information updates with your monthly or quarterly bills.
In communicating with you Colt will adhere to all applicable data protection rules and other industry standards and act in accordance with customer requests to stop promotional contact.
