1 November 2005
Home telephone users have been lifted by the news that stiffer regulations to stop companies plaguing them with "silent" calls, generated by automatic dialling devices in call centres, are now in place.
Fines of up to £50,000 will now be incurred by companies who breach the rules, which dictate that a recorded message must always inform the person who answers the phone as to where to call is coming from.
The troublesome calls normally occur when there the number of auto-dials exceeds the number of sales staff on hand to oversee them.
The previous top fine was £5,000, and trade and industry secretary Alan Johnson said that the increase was welcome in light of the misery that such call can cause home phone owners.
He said: "By increasing the maximum fines from £5,000 to £50,000, we are showing how determined we are to crack down on the distress nuisance calls cause the public, especially elderly and vulnerable people.
"Consumers deserve proper protection from companies making excessive silent calls."
Five per cent of calls made by call centres currently end in silence - and Ofcom, who announced the new rules, wants to cut this by at least two per cent.
Every month BT receives 160,000 complaints pertaining to silent calls.
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