{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/regulation-of-premium-rate-services-order-2024/article-42",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/regulation-of-premium-rate-services-order-2024/article-42.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2024/1046",
  "legislation_title": "The Regulation of Premium Rate Services Order 2024",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/regulation-of-premium-rate-services-order-2024",
  "path": "article/42",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "42",
  "heading": "Valid ticket of entry for competition or voting services",
  "text": "(1) A merchant must specify a time limit for the use of a facility comprised in a competition or voting service before consumers are able to make use of it.\n(2) Where a consumer uses the facility before that time limit has expired (but see paragraph (4)) and meets any conditions applicable to the competition or voting service, the merchant must—\n(a) give the consumer an entitlement to a chance of winning a competition or claiming a prize, or (as the case may be) to have a vote registered or a preference recorded, and\n(b) give a confirmation of that entitlement (“valid ticket of entry”) to the consumer without undue delay after the consumer has used the facility, in a way appropriate to the means of communication used.\n(3) For the purposes of paragraph (2), where—\n(a) a consumer uses a relevant telephone number to establish a connection in order to make use of a facility comprised in a competition or voting service, and\n(b) that connection has been established before the time limit has expired,\nthe facility is to be treated as used by the consumer before the time limit has expired, despite the fact that the consumer is still in the process of using the facility after the time limit has expired.\n(4) The requirement in paragraph (2) does not apply where the fact of the consumer’s use of the facility before the time limit expired was unknown to the merchant due to circumstances outside the control of the merchant.\n(5) Where paragraph (4) applies, the merchant must give to the consumer without undue delay after the merchant becomes aware (if at all) of the consumer’s attempt to use the facility, in a way appropriate to the means of communication used—\n(a) a confirmation of the fact that the attempt to use the facility was unsuccessful, and\n(b) either—\n(i) a confirmation of the fact that no charge has been imposed in relation to that attempt, or\n(ii) information that the merchant has imposed a charge in relation to the consumer’s attempt and that it will pay a refund to the consumer for that charge,\nwhichever is applicable in the consumer’s case.\n(6) Where the merchant informs a consumer about a refund under paragraph (5)(b)(ii), the merchant must pay the refund to the consumer—\n(a) by making the arrangements so that the consumer receives the refund as a credit to the amount of the consumer’s next bill or in such other manner and by such time as the merchant and consumer may expressly agree, and\n(b) without imposing any charge on the consumer in respect of paying the refund.\n(7) In this article—\n“bill” has the meaning given in article 23(2);\n“relevant telephone number” has the meaning given in article 3(8).",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/1046/article/42",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T21:25:33.733252+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}