Government Action Promised on Nuisance Calls

In January, MPs from across the country attended the House of Commons All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Nuisance Calls. The issue of nuisance calls, which are more widespread than many realise, has become of particular concern to Mike Cockhart, MP for Edinburgh West, who co-chairs the meetings.

A Growing Problem

MPs from all parties have been receiving complaints from their constituents about the frequency of calls to their private landlines and mobile phones. The APPG heard that whilst the regulators report the number of complaints they receive per month at 6,000, BT reported that complaints to them are closer to 50,000. People clearly have more faith in reporting the problem to BT than to the regulators, which could be a problem in itself. If people do not trust the regulator to regulate, there is a deeper issue that needs to be addressed. Perhaps the problem has continued for so long, with no sign of improvement that people have simply given up reporting the issue to the regulator, in the belief it will make no difference if they do.

Elderly Concern

The APPG heard that elderly constituents are particularly vulnerable to upset from nuisance calls. One report found that 40% of calls to the elderly were nuisance calls. This is of particular concern, as the elderly are vulnerable to callers who wish to steal credit card details. Unscrupulous callers also persuade them to sign up to services they do not need.

The Sound of Silence

The calls that particularly upset the elderly were silent calls. These are intimidating for those who do not understand that there is no malign intent behind them, and that the calls may just be a marketing device or a technical error. Sometimes the phone rings but there is no salesperson available to take it, so the line goes dead. Ofcom are responsible for this sort of call, and attempts were made to limit the number of these calls by the Communications Act of 2003. It has had limited effectiveness.

What More Can Be Done?

Whilst the APPG are working hard to formulate new legislation to put before Parliament, there are measures that individuals can take to protect themselves or elderly parents from nuisance calls. The most common approach is to use a phone call blocker, which filters out calls which you do not wish to receive. If nuisance callers have become a real problem, this is one solution, although it does come at a price. But for peace of mind, an increasing number of people are opting to have systems which help them cut out calls from known nuisance call centres – such as those supplied by www.grouputilities.com/

Take Action

If you feel strongly about the issue of nuisance calls, do get in touch with your MP to voice your feelings. Mention the APPG on Nuisance Calls, and ask how your MP will be voting. The experience you have could well influence his or her vote, and help speed through tougher legislation to control what has become a real headache for many older people. Add your voice to the hundreds of others calling for a change in legislation to combat this modern day irritation.

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Source: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallparty/register/nuisance-calls.htm