Nokia launched a multi-million TV campaign in October comprising of three ads. Two of the ads feature a scene in Sighthill Glasgow – a grassy footpath – where Kurdish asylum seeker Firsat Dag was brutally murdered. A 26-year-old man Scott Burrell was jailed for life in December 2001 after being convicted of the offence.

A caption in the ad which promotes Nokias phone-cum-gaming console was branded insensitive for reading this is where I got a good beating with the murder scene in the background. (Cont P2)

Nokia said it pulled the adverts immediately after complaints from Mr Dags family and a local journalist.

We have apologised to the family and pulled the two advertisements Nokia spokesperson Mark Squires told Mobile News.

It was unfortunate the camera crew accidentally shot the background for the ad at the scene of this incident. We pulled the advertisements after a local journalist – who remembered the murder – notified us. We have not reused the offending ads by deleting the scene. The adverts were pulled completely.

He went on: If the camera had been pointed a few yards away this situation might not have arisen. We try to do research before filming but in urban areas it is becoming increasingly difficult to film locations that have not been the scene of a fight or incident.

The problem affects O2 pre-pay customers calling former O2 users who have since ported to another network as well as O2 pre-pay customers calling numbers recently ported on to the O2 network.

In both cases the billing system failed to recognise the change of network had taken place. So it (Cont P2) charged customers at old rates. At some times this was up to 18 times higher than the correct amount.

An O2 spokesperson said the mistake had not brought O2 any financial gain.

He claimed this was because certain pre-pay customers are receiving cheaper on-net calls while others are being charged for more expensive off-net calls.

This is a problem we have had for over a year which affects certain calls made from pre-pay phones on one of our pre-pay billing systems. While we are not making any money from the fault it is something that we are urgently trying to rectify added the spokesman.

O2 says that the fault only affected a small number of O2 customers. Work is being carried out on the billing system and the problem should be rectified in a matter of weeks.

The fault was uncovered by the Consumer Association but O2 says it has kept Oftel informed about the problem and of the technical steps it has been taking to rectify it.

More than 4100 P800 owners have signed an online petition lambasting Sony Ericsson and demanding a free upgrade to the pen-based Symbian user interface UIQ 2.1 that runs on the P900.

The scale of anger against Sony Ericsson is clear from some of the comments of the petitioners. Petitioner Matt Glover said: I feel used and abused by Sony Ericssons lack of support for this phone.

Another called simply Tony said: I just dumped my P800 on eBay. Ill never buy another SonyEric (sic) again. I may be jumping the gun a little but SE should have made a decision by now and publicly stated that the upgrade is in development.

That it hasnt means we are either ignored by SE or that SE has a poor customer-services/communications department. Either way its a company I no longer have time for.

User Chris OConnor (Cont P2) said: My P800 is full of bugs. Im disgusted Sony Ericsson is releasing the P900 without either fixing the bugs or offering a cheap upgrade.

The petition was started by Michael Andreasen head of IT for a Scottish veterinary wholesaler. He claimed the P900 is simply the P800 with the new UIQ 2.1.

Many people who purchased a P800 thought they were purchasing more than just a basic phone. The price of the P800 was getting into laptop pricing he said.

We all thought we were buying something that would receive upgrades in firmware to get the most from our expensive state-of-the-art hardware. We all feel like testers for the P900 who paid through the nose for the privilege.

It feels like Sony Ericsson is trying to milk its high-end users for every penny it can get by making them upgrade expensive hardware to get software improvements. Before the P900 was released I and many other people expected that the UIQ on the P800 would be upgraded to 2.1 at some point in order to improve many of the poor areas of the P800.

Andreasen says he contacted Sony Ericsson through its support forums but received no reply.

The P800 has UIQ 2.0. This is the very first version of UIQ for any device and as such it is far from perfect. Sony Ericsson has implied that P800 users could expect major updates in many key areas. Other than some trivial patches the P800 has not had any update that could in anyway be described as major.

Many would argue that upgrades are part of technological life and that the same upgrade situation happens with computers cars and most other products.

Andreasen argues this case is different because Sony Ericsson published a document in which it stated that there would be continual updates for the P800.

In The P800 for Enterprise Usage Sony Ericsson wrote: Since the P800 is an open environment new solutions will continually be developed by both Sony Ericsson and third parties. In most cases such new solutions will work on the existing product range even when successors to the P800 have been shipped.

I know companies such as Nokia dont give major software upgrades to its smartphones Andreasen conceded. But Nokia hasnt marketed its devices as being upgradable in the same way Sony Ericsson did with the P800. Nor have I seen any similar document coming out of Nokia.

The P900 has almost identical hardware to the P800 apart from the 65000-colour screen he argues even down to poor battery life. He also pointed out that the P900 uses exactly the same Symbian OS (7.0).

In fact all the real improvements come from the UIQ 2.1 upgrade and not the hardware he said. If UIQ 2.1 was on the P800 it would be 95 per cent the same as the P900. Any P800 owner who wishes to get these software improvements has to ditch their perfectly good hardware and spend 600 to buy practically the same hardware again but in a new box. This is just unacceptable.

Sony Ericsson marketing director Peter Marsden said the manufacturer wont be offering the upgraded UIQ for the P800 because there is not enough memory to allow the new system to run.

The new UIQ demands more internal memory which the P900 has but the P800 doesnt. Trying to install it on the P800 would cause problems with content such as calender and contacts. Also the 2.1 was written for a 65000-colour screen which the P800 doesnt have.

We try and act responsibly to our customers where it is technically possible. But in this case it isnt. We feel the P800 is still a quality product and I feel sympathy for these users – but then technically superior products are always being launched whether it is mobile phones cars or computers.

Details of the raid were revealed by Treasury minister John Healey in a briefing made at 11 Downing Street to personnel from the mobile phone and computer chip industries including representatives from Vodafone Nokia Motorola Siemens and Phones 4U.

Healey said Customs strategy to tackle missing trader and carousel fraud was on track and beginning to achieve results.

Figures released by Customs indicate that for example between March and May of this year the value of consignments of mobile phones from the UK to the Netherlands fell from 300 million to just over 30 million.

Healey said the government was on track in tackling missing trader and carousel fraud and is beginning to achieve results.

At least 44 traders had ceased trading since Customs began issuing warning letters under the extended security powers from section 17 of the Finance Act he revealed.

Also Customs investigators are currently working on approximately 100 MTIC (Missing Trader Intra-Community fraud) cases worth around 2 billion. Repayments to known brokers have fallen from a peak of 600 million in the second quarter of 2002 to just 100 million in the same quarter this year.

I do appreciate the sensitivities of those of you trading in the sectors that are badly blighted by MTIC and the fears that you as legitimate businesses may be caught up in a system designed to target serial VAT abusers said Healey.

But Don Mavin director of the VAT Investigations Team at tax specialists WJB Chiltern said Healeys speech was just Customs blowing their own trumpet.

In reality all they have done is moved the problem away from the UK. I dont think they can pat themselves on the back at all.

Huge amounts of VAT have been evaded. The amounts are so high they were affecting the balance of payments. Their main (Cont P2) success was preventing businesses from trading and is the main reason why trade has gone down.

Everyone was afraid of being made liable for someone elses wrong doings. Before the Budget measures Customs were completely unable or capable of dealing with this problem Customs werent watching the bad guys so an awful lot of legitimate businesses are facing substantial demands for lost VAT.

These traders were providing Customs with so much information. Customs should have used their resources more effectively and collated the information to spot who the bad guys are and to warn everyone they went for the soft targets which in most cases were the exporters reclaiming the VAT said Mavin.

The three networks are claiming that the results achieved by O2 were misleading. All networks receive the results and it is up to them to publish them or not.

O2 has been the only network to release the figures which come from 22000 test calls on each network in 70 cities and towns as well as A-roads and motorways. (Cont P2)

O2 had come top of the survey with an overall national call success rate of 99.2 per cent between April and September.

The twice-yearly Mobile Network Operators Call Success Rate survey comes from data submitted by the networks which is independently audited by the British Auditing Bureau Telecom (BABT).

The surveys started in 1999 and

Participation is is voluntary with networks are under no obligation to publish results.

This is the first time that more than one network has chosen not to publish the survey data. The networks raised their objections after O2s results were announced

A Vodafone spokesperson said:

For comparative performance data to be of real value for the public it has to be representative of consumer experience and matter in a way that can highlight genuine differences between operators.

As the overall standard of mobile networks has improved the current results may no longer be able to meet these requirements.

Vodafone has reluctantly come to the conclusion that the data risks giving a misleading impression to customers and has therefore chosen not to publish the data.

Orange said:

Orange withheld its results because we dont believe the survey reflects actual usage patterns. We have called for an independent survey to be carried out by an independent third party.

The survey results do not allow consumers to make a valid comparison. We want information that helps consumers choose.

O2 replied:

We are determined not to let anyone take the shine off our achievements. We have always published our figures even when we havent come in first.

O2 said the high level of connection rates were a result of the 100million invested over the last year the deployment of 20 advanced network features to reduce the number of dropped calls and more frequent and vigorous network testing.

Oftel said:

The methodology used this year is exactly the same as in previous surveys.

We are disappointed that the other three networks have decided not to publish their results. We issued a consultation document on November 19 with the explicit purpose of trying to stop this kind of dispute from arising.

Comparable material is useful for the consumer to have. That said operators are completely within their rights not to publish their results.

John Joselyn sales director of

Telecom Plus has died after suffering a heart atack.

Joselyn (47) was chatting to colleagues at a 20:20 dealer hospitality event at the Bedford Autodrome last Tuesday when he collapsed.

A 20:20 Logistics spokesperson said: We are all completely devastated by what happened and our thoughts and deepest sympathies go to Johns family friends and work colleagues at Telecom Plus.

John collapsed in one of the hospitality suites inbetween events. Everything possible was done and the para-medics fought hard to revive him. Unfortunately he did not respond and we were told that he had died by medical staff at Bedford Hospital.

We had organised the Jonathan Palmer day as part of a sales incentive and immediately called the event off as soon as this tragedy occurred as a mark of respect. John was a well known and respected figure in the mobile industry and will be sadly missed by everyone who knew him.

Joselyns brother-in-law Chris Evans of Kiss Communications described him as one of the nicest and most generous men you could meet.

Joselyn began his career in the mobile industry at Motorola before spending a brief period as a mobile dealer at Kiss with Evans. In early 1990 he joined Peoples Phone managing the dealer distribution channel. He became sales director and oversaw the opening of over 180 shops in less than 18 months.

Following the purchase of Charles Wigoders Peoples Phone by Vodafone in 1997 he moved to Samsung for a short while. He rejoined Wigoder as sales director at Telecom Plus which is now a leading multi-utility and telecoms provider.

Said Wigoder:

John was the epitome of a true gentleman in all of his dealings and anyone that knew him personally will have been so impressed with his zest for life honesty and integrity in everything that he did. We have all suffered a very deep personal loss with Johns passing.

The funeral will be held in the Tring area towards the end of this week. Anyone wishing to attend should call Chris Evans on 07768 735736.

Customs and Excise will from the end of next year no longer be able to launch their own prosecutions for suspected VAT fraud.

An independent Customs and Excise Prosecutions Office (CEPO) will take over Customs prosecution cases. Customs is currently responsible for prosecuting VAT and duties fraudsters. But these powers will be transferred to CEPO the new body recommended by Mr Justice Butterfield in July following an investigation into failed cases involving Customs and Excise. CEPO will be accountable to the Attorney General and will function in the same way as the Crown Prosecution Service with a focus on VAT and duties. However the removal of prosecution powers from Customs should not mean that fraudsters fear it any less.

Tax specialist firm WJB Chiltern has warned that Customs investigators will remain ruthless in seeking out the fraudsters. WJB Chiltern director of VAT and customs investigations Don Mavin told Mobile News:

The new regime should mean that people who have committed offences will be prosecuted successfully. There should be fewer failed cases and more successful prosecutions.

He went on: It wont mean that Customs investigators are any less active and aggressive than (cont P2) before. The independence of the new body is important. To date Customs solicitors have not been sufficiently in control of their cases. Customs lawyers have been too heavily influenced by investigators.

He concluded: The new body should ensure there are fewer breaches of procedure and guidelines. CEPO will decide independently whether to proceed with cases and how to proceed with cases. The arrival of CEPO is welcome but it has been long overdue in coming.

Thando Made (26) of St Julians Road Kilburn was freed on bail until December 30 after spending a night in a police cell. He has worked for The Carphone Warehouse for two years. He is also charged with stealing 380 of mobile phones and other property from the shop.

He faces three charges of falsifying accounts. Police are investigating other offences they suspect the salesman committed against The Carphone Warehouse.

Smith has been with Vodafone for 19 years. He is on gardening leave until July while another appointment is being sought for him.

I am still at Vodafone and in dialogue with various people. Should nothing become available I will leave Smith told Mobile News.

The new structure marries the sales teams of Vodafone acquisitions Project Telecom and Corporate 4U with Vodafones own business sales teams. MacDougall reports to Vodafone business segment director Ken McGeorge. The indirect sales team will still be run by Iain Graham.

Well have sales and account managers and data and fixed-line specialists. This move takes the best bits of Project Telecom and gives them the muscle of the Vodafone Group said MacDougall.

Carphone Warehouse UK chief executive Andrew Harrison said:

If Andy leaves Vodafone hell be a great asset to any other network.

Mobile industry specialist Graham Sedgley of recruitment firm (cont P2) Peplow has known Smith since 1985 and was stunned that he appeared to have been marginalised.

Andy was one of my first managers when I worked at Vodafone and always enjoyed the strong support of those working for him.

I have recently interviewed some of his former staff and all strongly sing his praises. It seems a shame that Vodafone apparently doesnt have a need for Andys services. I am sure their loss will be someone elses gain.

Vodafone watchers said Smith and Ken McGeorge had rarely seen eye-to-eye.

One trade souce believed that MacDougall had been promised the top business channel job as a sweetener to discourage him from leaving after Project Telecom was acquired by Vodafone.

Theres little doubt Andy has been a victim of politics. Most people familiar with the situation know that he has never got on with Ken McGeorge said the source.

But McGeorge said MacDougalls role was key to promoting the profile of the business sales channel.

Colin will develop a sales strategy to deliver revenue targets consistent with the overall Vodafone strategy and which will balance acquisition and retention of our business customers McGeorge explained.

Although MacDougall comes most recently from Project Telecom he has strong Vodafone credentials.

He is an ex-Royal Marine commissioned officer who has served in Northern Ireland and the Middle East. (See White Lines P44).

In 1992 he was selling telephones in South Africa. Then David Henning boss of Vodafones in-house service provider Vodac hired him as a regional sales manager.

This UK role was only meant to last a year but he was seconded to Fiji for 14 months to set up the Vodafone network there. Vodafone then sent him to Uganda to fulfil a similar role.

MacDougalls appointment comes a short time after a decision by Vodafone UK chief excutive Gavin Darby to set up three segment directors reporting to Nick Read who has been promoted from UK finance director to chief commercial officer.

Richard Daly becomes consumer segment director; Ken McGeorge is business segment director; and Stevan Hoyle is now corporate segment director.

Vodafones new UK finance director is John Townsend who has held senior financial roles with Vodafone in Sweden and Australia.

Darby has also merged Technology Development and Technology Operations into a single function under chief techology officer Chris Burke.

The Governments strategy to hold all companies in a purchasing chain responsible for the VAT debts of fraudsters and missing traders was referred to the European Court of Justice by Mr Justice Lightman on February 12.

The wording of the draft document must be agreed by both parties before the case can go before the European Court of Justice.

FTI solicitor Robert Holland of Dass Jakhu said the next step is to agree the wording of the case to be heard by the European Court.

The case revolves around whether or not the Government had the authority to charge businesses with the VAT that other businesses should have paid.

Wed like the wording to be relatively broad. Customs will want it narrow. It will probably end up falling somewhere in the middle. But until we know exactly what that question is we cant do anything said Holland.

The FTI met on Friday February 27 at Birmingham City football ground to brief its 65 members on events following Mr Justice Lightmans ruling.

The case is not expected to appear before the European Court for another year said Holland.

Meanwhile Mr Justice Lightman has cautioned Customs and Excise to exercise great care before applying the joint and several liability provisions until the issue is decided one way or another.