Home phone News

Silent call offenders face £2million fines

Tuesday 23 March, 2010

By Becca Talbot - becca@consumerchoices.co.uk

Companies which distress and annoy homeowners with silent calls will be fined up to £2million under new government guidelines.

Firms which persistently cause nuisance and distress to consumers through silent and abandoned calls will face a new maximum fine of £2million, following a decision at parliament today.

Silent calls happen when a companies’ call centre is using an automated calling system (ACS) which dials more numbers than there are staff available to handle the outgoing calls.

Kevin Brennan, minister for consumer affairs, said: “Companies who make nuisance calls by abusing automated equipment should face the consequences, which is why those who break the rules will be fined with a hefty penalty of up to £2million.”

The new penalty is an increase on the current limit of £50,000, and is being introduced in an attempt to deter businesses from persistently making silent calls to consumers. The decision comes after a widespread government consultation that was launched in October last year.

Brennan hopes the decision will be a catalyst for better business practice, increasing customer loyalty and reducing operational costs for handling complaints.

He added: “Consumers can be assured that the new fines are definitely more than a slap across the wrist for persistent offenders.”

The higher penalty will give telecoms regulator Ofcom greater power to deter and punish companies that ignore the guidelines in this area. In addition, Ofcom will be reviewing its ACS misuse guidelines soon, to provide clearer advice to operators, benefiting both business and consumers.

Simon Piper, business development manager at Homephonechoices.co.uk suggests that consumers who are worried about silent calls should register with the Telephone Preference System (TPS). He said: “TPS is a free service that you can sign-up to so you don’t receive unsolicited marketing phone calls. Register with TPS on 0845 070 0707.”