A CALLER to TV3's Play TV show claims he ran up a €370 bill after making 185 calls despite assurances it enforc­es "some of the strictest" maximum call limits in Europe.

Play TV is now the subject of an inquiry by the Broadcasting Complaints Comm­ission (BCC) following num­erous reports from angry players.

The show invites viewers to phone in to solve puzzles and win prizes. Calls cost €1.50 and TV3 insists there is a strict limit of 50 calls per person in a single night.

A response from the channel to one complaint said: "The limitations on the number of phone calls that have been imposed are some of the strictest in Europe."

A complaint to the BCC contradicts that claim. The contestant wrote: "I thought it was safe to the point where it advertised that you can't make more than 50 calls in one 24-hour period.

"I was able to make 185 calls at €1.65 per call and ended up with a bill of €370.

"I contested this. I spoke to a guy who reassured me I could not make over 50 calls and would not be charged even if I could. I have been charged.

"I have not been able to get through to them [the company that runs the show] after leaving several messages and calling them, costing me a further €19."

The complainant also told the BCC that despite the amount of calls, he was unable to get through to the game show even once.

Other angry players have complained some of the puzzles are impossible to solve and on certain evenings few people, of the thousands who call in, actually win a prize.

The show is the subject of at least 29 complaints with more pending.