Five companies have been fined a total of £590,000 for collectively making 1.9 million unwanted marketing calls to elderly and vulnerable people. The Information Commissioner's Office said the fines were part of a wider crackdown to tackle rogue companies using pressure tactics to sell insurance for white goods such as washing machines and fridges and other household appliances including TVs.
It is against the law to make a live marketing call to anyone who is registered with the TPS, unless the individual has informed the specific organisation that they do not object to receiving calls from them. He added: "Registering with the TPS makes it illegal for companies to call you without your consent. We'd encourage anyone who wants to block unsolicited marketing calls, to either a landline or mobile phone, to sign up to this free service.
Top Money Stories Today Register with the Telephone Preference Service The best way to stop nuisance calls is to register your number with the Telephone Preference Service. They will add you to their list of numbers that don’t want to receive sales and marketing calls.Why should I register with the TPS? It’s illegal for a company to call numbers registered with the TPS, so registering should scare companies away and stop them bothering you.
If you get nuisance calls after you’ve registered with the TPS, it may be because you gave the caller your number - usually done through marketing preferences when signing up for something online,You might also still get calls from companies that don't follow the regulations. You can get advice about companies that ignore the law from the TPS website here.