Ofcom fines two firms for nuisance calls
Regulator issues penalties for abandoned and silent calls.
Ofcom has fined Green Deal Savings Limited and MYIML Limited £20,000 each for making too many abandoned and silent calls.
The regulator found both companies were in breach of legislation on “persistent misuse” of a telephone network service.
Nuisance calls
An abandoned call occurs when automated calling systems, used by firms to optimise the time employees spend talking to customers, dial too many numbers and there aren't enough call centre agents to take the calls.
Abandoned calls are required to include a recorded message with information on who the call has come from, how to call back and how to opt out of future calls. If it doesn’t include this message it is classed as a silent call.
Ofcom’s policy on persistent misuse sets a limit on the number of abandoned and silent calls an organisation can make before it will take action.
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The penalty decisions
The fine of £20,000 for MYIML Limited, a lead generation company, was issued for making too many abandoned calls.
Between 16th December 2013 and 3rd February 2014 Ofcom found the company made an estimated 30,296 in total.
It also failed to include a suitable phone number in the recorded message played that would allow the receiver to return the call and opt out of future marketing calls.
The £20,000 fine for Green Deal Savings Limited, a firm offering home energy efficiency services, related to silent calls.
By failing to ensure an information message was played in the event of an abandoned call it made an estimated 12,703 silent calls between 27th October and 14th December 2013.
It was also guilty of making around 420 abandoned calls in the space of a 24 hour period on 27th October 2013.
Ofcom said the fines reflected the size of the businesses and level of harm caused to those receiving their calls.
The fines will be paid to Ofcom and passed onto the Treasury.
Tackling nuisance calls
Since March 2014 Ofcom has opened four formal enforcement cases, with three of them resulting in fines totalling £50,000. Informal enforcement has led to action against a further 23 organisations.
In addition since May 2014 Ofcom has been involved in a government taskforce looking at further measures to help tackle unsolicited sales calls and texts.
The taskforce submitted 15 recommendations to the Government earlier this week. Read more in Nuisance calls face crackdown.
How to stop nuisance calls
If you are suffering from persistent nuisance calls, you can register with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS), which should help reduce the number you get.
For more help take a look at our guide on how to stop unwanted phone calls.
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