Clampdown on cold calling companies
EVERY Scot is being bombarded with 50 nuisance sales call each year, according to a new study.
According to the Global Call Prevention Registry nearly a quarter of a billion cold calls are made to people across the country – and the number is still rising.
The GCPR claim the increase is down to poor regulations, poor consumer knowledge and the recession.
Could cold calls be a thing of the past?
But with these astounding numbers on the way up there are now calls for the government to tighten legislation on companies who refuse to hang up their relentless tactics.
David Humpheys from GCPR said: “In 2009, we estimated there were 250,000,000 cold calls to Scots.
“All reports and indicators point to the number of calls being made increasing year on year.
“In my opinion it is the ease with which these companies can be formed in the UK and also cost effectiveness for large UK businesses to export their labour requirements overseas that is the reason.
“In a sense it’s because of the recession – cold calling requires little skill and no experience.”
Mr Humpheys claimed that even being employed as cold-calling worker has appeal.
He added: “In the current climate where a job is a job the people looking start these businesses are never hindered by the labour pool.
“There are lots of people more than happy to sit in a warm office for nine hours on minimum wage making phonecalls – and a lot of these companies will offer more than minimum wage.”
He also suggested that the only way a person can stop the routes of communication is through the “constant vigil” of protecting their identity.
He concluded: “It’s not inevitable to get cold calls but it is something that cannot be ignored and expected to just go away – action is required.
“Too few people realise how their cold callers get their details and so in effect bring about their own circumstances through ignorance.
“Safe-guarding one’s personal details must unfortunately be a constant vigil now where ten years ago the problem was only just rearing its ugly head.”
Limitations
The Telephone Preference Service was set up for people to remove themselves from the lists available to marketing companies.
But even the TPS has limitations.
Its website says: “The remit of TPS lies strictly within the boundaries of live unsolicited calls of a sales/marketing nature.
“It does not stop other call types such as recorded/automated messages, silent calls, market research, overseas companies, debt collection, scam calls, nuisance and abusive calls etc.”
This means that are a lot of ways and loopholes open to marketing companies.
Edinburgh West MP Mike Crockart is now campaigning with an online petition for a change in the laws used by these organisations.
The Liberal Democrat said: “I would urge [people] to sign up to this petition if they find this a problem – together we can demand action.
“I’ve already had a good response and I’m sure the volume of people registering on the website will be overwhelming.
“Unlike the companies that blight our lives with sales pitches, I can assure you I won’t pass on your details to third parties but only to let your own MP know you have contacted me.”
Sign the petition online at www.no2nuisancecalls.net
Short URL: http://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/?p=54812
Posted by Guest
on Aug 26 2012. Filed under Scottish News, Top Stories.
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We have been receiving around 5 unwanted cold calls every day! However over the past 3 weeks there has been a marked decrease & I wondered if this might have anything to do with the fact that I chan ged our email address about 4 weeks ago?
Dear Sir or Madam
Please stop all cold calls,such as selling etc
please carry on the good work although we still get a few mostly from Weatherseal,which we dont want,
thank you
Absolutely fed up with these unsolicited calls which can be upto six a day almost every day, even though I am signed up to the telephone preference service and ave been for years.
Anything that can be done to stop these cold calls would be greatly appreciated.
Please add our names to your campain to stop all nuisance cold calls
I am fed up with the plague of nuisance calls and call on the Government to take action
I am fed up with all these calls. Just had one at 8.30 in the morning. An international one.
Between two and four calls per day, one this morning at 08:40.
I wish to add my name to the petition to stop cold calling
I think there should be more done to stop cold calling
50 calls a year ? more like 10 a day,
about time something was done hope it is successful
we had 5 calls in one day and in 1 call no-one spoke just said goodbye
Sign and get rid of the silent caller .
Be silent and the callers will continue.
I want to be part of this worthwhile cause. It is a piece of nonsense the callers should be brought to task.
these calls should be stopped, and those behind the screens brought to bear,
the calls are distressing to the elderly as well as younger people
We are now receiving upwards of six such calls per day many of which are silent and it seems that the TPS are either unable or unwilling to prevent it
PLEASE PLEASE stop these calls they are driving me Mad . getting between 6-10 Daily .
Wearer getting up to six calls per day, some at night after we have gone to bed, this is very annoying. We are on TPS.
on tps waste of time. i am over 70 and it has got to stop .3or more calls every day for the past week. HELP!!!!!!!!!
im retired and these calls have got to STOP. every day now for the last few weeks. this government MUST act to stop these cold calls in spite of registering with tps.
I hope this is the petition for action on nuisance calls. I am an 83 year old widow and find these calls intrusive and scary. They are becoming more frequent, inspite of being on TPS.
Sorry– Ido not know what a CAPTCHA phrase is.
I HOPE THIS PETITION FOR NUISANCE CALLS WILL PUT AN END TO THIS,
IVE HAD ENOUGHT OF NUISANCE CALLS. I AM DISABLED AND IN BAD HEALTH. HOPE YOUR EFFORTS WILL BE REWARDED
stop nuisance calls now….
STOP NUISANCE CALLS NOW/////
I am probably wasting my / your time as I live in England, but would like to take part in anything that would stop these annoying calls.
I receive about 6 a day average and just hope that there is no way these idiots can charge me for the calls………………………I wish Westminster would make some real laws agains these ”callers” with heavy penalties…………………………jk
stop these nuisance callsnow!!!
please please leave us alone Bl***y nuisance callers
Have fun,speak all the rubbish that comes to your mind,in your broadest local
accent.I speak Aberdeenshire Doric ,they hang up,or they ask if I can speak
English,great fun.