TPS urges consumers: report rogue calls

Telephone Preference Service (TPS) urges those benefitting from new pensions allowances in April to prepare for, and report, nuisance and illegal callers to help deal with rogue marketers.

In early April pensions regulations will change, allowing those aged 55 and above to have direct access to their pensions pot for the first time.

In recent years consumers have been prompted to register with TPS in response to nuisance calls, largely from rogue marketers representing PPI and accident claims companies.

Assuming this trend continues, the TPS is concerned that pensioners could be the next target for rogue marketers.

It is a legal requirement for companies making unsolicited sales and marketing calls to screen their lists against the TPS database before calling.

Legitimate marketers will adhere to the DMA’s Code, which includes the following points:

• Always reveal who they are working for,
• Always remove you from their call list if you request it,
• Treat you with respect, whether you are a customer or not.

Those that fail to adhere to these simple rules should be treated with caution.

In April a second change to the law occurs. The threshold to prosecute rogue marketers will be lowered, so your feedback and complaints will make a real difference in stopping rogue calls.

“Rogue marketers have continued to target consumers. From April the law will change, and rogue marketers can be more easily held to account by the Information Commissioner. We urge consumers to check callers are legitimate, and report rogue calls,” said head of the TPS, John Mitchison.

If consumer continue to receive nuisance call, then note the following where possible:

• the organisation responsible for the call,
• the number the call came from,
• the date and time of the call,
• the nature of the sales/marketing that occurred during the call.

Chris Combemale, executive director of the DMA, which represents the direct marketing industry said, “Rogue marketers bypass the Telephone Preference Service and so fail to put the consumer first. Such marketers give the whole industry a bad name. We urge consumers to report rogue marketers, particularly once the law changes on April 6, and help us stamp this out.”

Complaints can be made To TPS by going to the website www.tpsonline.org.uk or by calling 0845 070 0707