Barely a week ago we told you about a
British insurer pushing for an outright ban on cold calls related to payment protection insurance (PPI), pensions, and insurance claims. Now a Wales-registered claims firm is facing £250,000 in fines for making more than 15 million nuisance calls about PPI.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said Barrington Claims Limited, which is registered in Port Talbot, was found to have made the massive amount of automated marketing calls between February 2016 and May 2016. Complaints received by the ICO were about the frequency and persuasive nature of the calls, and the firm was unable to provide evidence that it had the consent of the people who were contacted.
“Firms cannot get away with failing to follow the rules designed to protect people from the irritation and, on occasions, distress nuisance calls, emails, and texts cause,” said ICO enforcement group manager Andy Curry, who urged those affected to make reports.
Meanwhile three other companies have also been fined for nuisance marketing. Among them is Liverpool-based Goody Market UK Limited, which operates an insurance comparison website.
A £40,000 fine has been handed down for Goody Market’s 111,367 spam text messages. It has also been ordered to stop illegal marketing or face further legal action.
Nuisance calls and spam texts and emails can be reported via ico.org.uk/concerns, by calling 0303 123 1113, or by forwarding the texts to 7726.
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