Four UK-based companies have been fined a total of £370,000 by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for making predatory marketing calls.
Over 820,000 home improvement-promoting phone calls were made to people registered with the Telephone Preference Service – a statutory register of people who have said they do not want to receive marketing calls.
According to the ICO, a large majority of the complainants were vulnerable or elderly, with some having ongoing health conditions.
The news comes a month after bike retailer Halfords was fined £30,000 after an investigation found it had sent around 50,000 unwanted marketing emails.
The regulatory body started an investigation into predatory marketing calls generated by the industry in 2020, after vouchers worth up to £5,000 were offered to home owners to improve energy efficiency. Complaints soon came in from people who had been called with regards to wall, window and wall insulation.
The ICO investigation found that the companies were ‘deliberately or negligently flouting’ electronic marketing laws to make a profit. Some companies also used different trading names when calling, which is illegal.
The firm names included Posh Windows UK Limited, Green Logic UK Ltd, Euroseal Windows Limited and Eco Spray Insulations Limited.
“The complaints we received showed that people were distressed, upset, worried and inconvenienced by the calls,” ICO head of investigations, Andy Curry, said.
“For people to feel this way, in their own homes where they should feel safe, is unacceptable. These companies all aggressively pestered people, including some vulnerable individuals, forcibly trying to make them buy products that they didn’t need or want. All of the calls were driven solely by the companies wish to make financial gain.
“We will continue to take strong action to protect the public by investigating and taking enforcement measures against companies where we find that they have flouted the law.”
One complaint made to the ICO read: “I have terminal cancer and am currently having chemotherapy treatment. I told them this the first time they called … Our number is also registered with the TPS.”
Another said: “It is hard enough looking after someone with Alzheimer’s Disease without having one’s time wasted by spurious sales messages, particularly after having deliberately registered with TPS.”
