Code of Practice - Content

The Customer Services Department of Lyca Mobile UK Limited (“Lyca Mobile”) provides a commitment at all levels of the department to the efficient, fair and courteous resolution of a customer complaint. This includes having a Code of Practice that will guide both the customer and Lyca Mobile in the handling of a Customer complaint.

This Code of Practice is intended to provide customers with transparency on how Lyca Mobile will deal with a complaint, and to make customers aware of the steps that will be taken during the complaint handling process. The Code of Practice also defines the minimum standards that Lyca Mobile will apply in the handling of a customer complaint.

In this Code of Practice, the “Customer” is sometimes referred to as “you” or “your”.

Changes to Lyca Mobile’s Code of Practice will be made in accordance with any regulatory requirements issued by the Office of Communications (Ofcom). This Code of Practice, and any changes, will be published on Lyca Mobile’s website. You are also entitled, upon your reasonable request and at no cost, to a printed copy of this Code of Practice.

There are up to three stages to help resolve any complaint.

3.1 First, contact our Customer Care channels who will handle your query and provide a resolution.

Call 322 from any Lyca Mobile prepaid SIM (Free) or 020 7132 0322 from another phone (for call charges, contact your network provider), 9am to 6pm. You can also use webchat on our website (9am to 6pm) or email [email protected].

If you’re not happy with the resolution you may escalate your complaint to the Customer Services Team Leader. They’ll try to resolve your issue after coordinating with the appropriate technical support teams. If you’re satisfied with this resolution, we’ll close your complaint.

3.2 If you’re not satisfied with the solution provided by the Team Leader, you can make a formal complaint to our Complaints Department. Send an email to [email protected].

Alternatively, you can send your complaint by post to:

Complaints Department

Lyca Mobile UK Limited

3rd Floor, Walbrook Building

195 Marsh Wall

London E14 9SG

3.3 We try to satisfy every customer and resolve any issues in an efficient, fair, and rapid manner. But if you’re not satisfied by the final resolution proposed by our Complaints Department, you have the right to refer your complaint to an Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme. We’re covered by the Communications & Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (CISAS), an independent alternative dispute resolution scheme.

The scheme operated by CISAS is completely independent of Lyca Mobile and you can use it at no cost. However, you may only access this scheme eight (8) weeks after you made your complaint to us and if there was no resolution given or you were unhappy with the offered solution. You should provide CISAS with as much information as you can, including reference numbers or any other evidence which may help them to investigate your case.

Go to the CISAS website for more information about how they will evaluate your case.

CISAS – Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution

Tel: 0207 520 3814

Email: [email protected]

Post: CISAS, 70 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1EU

The following are the stages in the Customer complaint handling process followed by Lyca Mobile:

• Receipt of the Customer complaint
• Acknowledgement of the Customer complaint
• Investigation of the Customer complaint
• Notification of resolution of the Customer complaint
• Internal escalation of the Customer complaint (where necessary)

The primary types of Complaints are mentioned below:

• Billing (including Top-Ups)
• Network Quality
• Roaming
• Handset
• Other 

Prior to making a complaint, and to help the Customer Services Department to promptly resolve your complaint, you should consider which type of complaint you wish to make, and have at hand detailed information to provide to the Customer Services Department.

Lyca Mobile will endeavour to resolve a Customer complaint in accordance with the following target timescales:

Complaint Type

Target Timescales to Respond

Billing (including Top-Ups)

Within 5 working days – with no disconnection while a bona fide dispute is unresolved provided the Customer has paid the undisputed portion of the account

Network Quality

Within 6 working hours of notification

Roaming

Within 5 working days – with no disconnection while a bona fide dispute is unresolved provided the Customer has paid the undisputed portion of the account

Handset*

10 working days

Other

Within 10 working days – with no disconnection while a bona fide dispute is unresolved provided the Customer has paid the undisputed portion of the account

*Although Lyca Mobile does not provide handsets to Customers, a problem with your handset may result in network quality or coverage issues. Therefore, Lyca Mobile may ask you for details regarding the brand and model of your handset.

The Customer Services Department will provide you with progress updates at regular intervals to keep you informed of the progress of the investigation into your complaint. In cases where the Customer Services Department is unable to resolve a Customer complaint within the target timescales, the Customer Services Department will advise you of the revised timescales.

Lyca Mobile will endeavour to respond and resolve all Customer complaints within the Timescales to Respond. In some cases this may not be possible. In this event, on a case to case basis, the Customer Services Team Leader has the discretion to apply a credit to a Customer’s Account as a goodwill gesture. Any other modes of compensation will be at the Customer Services Manager’s discretion.

Lyca Mobile will not disconnect or block your Account when a bona fide Customer complaint remains unresolved. There are however circumstances where Lyca Mobile may disconnect or block your Account. These are described below.

9.1 Way 1 - Non-Use of the Services: If you do not use your SIM Card to make a voice call, or send a message or data, or if you do not purchase a top-up using the Top-Up Services for a period of ninety (90) days from the date you registered or activated your Account or your last use of the Services (whichever is later), Lyca Mobile will contact you by SMS or e-mail advising you that your SIM Card will be deactivated. Lyca Mobile will then provide you with an additional thirty (30) days to make a voice call, send a message or data, or purchase a top-up using the Top-Up Services. If you do not make a voice call, send a message or data, or purchase a top-up using the Top-Up Services within the additional thirty (30) day period, your SIM Card will be deactivated. If the SIM Card is deactivated, your specific telephone number will be reallocated to another Customer; you will not be able to access or use the Services, and you will not be entitled to a refund of any credit balance in your Account.

9.2 Way 2 - Misuse of the Services: If you misuse the Services, Lyca Mobile reserves the right to disconnect your service. When you subscribe to Lyca Mobile’s pre-paid Services, you agree not to use the SIM Card or the Services and not to permit another person to use your SIM Card or the Services:

• fraudulently or in connection with a criminal offence,
• for the purpose of making an unsolicited communication or storing and/ or communicating any material which is offensive, abusive, indecent, defamatory, obscene or menacing, a nuisance or a hoax, or which is a breach of privacy, an infringement of copyright, or is otherwise unlawful,
• to knowingly and deliberately cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety to another person,
• to make any offensive, abusive, indecent, defamatory, obscene or menacing call to any Customer Services Department representative,
• to transmit a virus or other malicious software, use the Services in a manner that impairs the operation or security of the Network or may cause death, personal injury or damage to property,
• with equipment that is not approved for use with the Network, including, but not limited to, SIM-boxes and SIM-gateways, and
• to support calls to call forwarding services, onward calling services or calls to telephone numbers which pay a revenue share or resell to others or commercially exploit our Services.

Lyca Mobile will ensure that all Customer complaints can be easily tracked to ensure traceability of all actions taken regarding a specific Customer complaint. The Customer Services Department will assign to your complaint a Unique Reference Number (URN). When making a complaint, Lyca Mobile will advise you of the URN. Customers are advised to refer to their URN in all communications with the Customer Services Department.