ICO issues nuisance calls warning as two firms from same city are fined

3 Aug 2017 04:31 PM

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has reminded companies making direct marketing calls that people registered with the Telephone Preference Service are “off limits”.

The warning comes as the ICO issues fines totalling £150,000 to two firms based in Bradford that, between them, sparked hundreds of complaints.

HPAS Ltd (trading as Safestyle UK) and Laura Anderson Ltd (trading as Virgo Home Improvements) broke the law when they called people who were registered with TPS.

HPAS Ltd has been fined £70,000 after the TPS and ICO received 264 complaints in 20 months. The company was repeatedly warned and placed on formal monitoring three times – but the complaints continued.

Laura Anderson Ltd has been fined £80,000 following 440 complaints in 19 months.

As well as the fines, the ICO has issued enforcement notices to both HPAS Ltd and Laura Anderson Ltd, compelling them to stop making nuisance calls or face court action.

The ICO found that neither company had subscribed to the TPS register in order to check whether the people they were contacting had opted out of receiving direct marketing. Both companies also contacted people after being explicitly told not to call again. This is against the law.

Steve Eckersley, ICO Head of Enforcement, said:

“Companies have no excuse – if people are registered with the Telephone Preference Service they are off limits.

“The law is clear and if companies fall foul of it with illegal and overly aggressive telesales tactics, we will take action on behalf of the people who suffer the nuisance.”

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