The government and regulators need to step up efforts to stamp out “the everyday menace” of nuisance calls and texts, Which? said on Tuesday, as complaints from victims continue to rack up in their tens of thousands.
In December, an official nuisance calls and texts task force – chaired by Which? – outlined 15 recommendations for tougher rules to stop the companies behind persistent texts and calls promising compensation for payment protection insurance or pushing solar panels.
However, analysis by Which? of data from the Information Commissioner’s Office shows that since the task force reported, there have been around 61,500 official complaints about nuisance calls and texts.
Given that just 2% of people who receive unwanted calls report them to the regulator, Which? said millions more must be being received.
In 2014, more than 175,000 complaints were made to the commissioner, but there have been only a few prosecutions.
The government announced in February that it would be changing the law to make it easier to levy tough penalties of as much as £500,000 on the offenders.
The ICO will no longer have to prove that messages are causing a “substantial damage or substantial distress” before taking action.
But Which? warned that the momentum to change things had slowed down, even though complaints continue to build up.
Which? wants the government to make senior executives accountable for their company’s nuisance calls, and require businesses to show their number when they call. Its new research found that eight in 10 people (79%) support greater accountability over nuisance calls including directors being personally fined if their company breaks the rules.
Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said it was disappointing that so many unwanted calls and texts were still being received: “People are sick of being bombarded with nuisance calls that invade their privacy and waste their time.
“The government knows what’s required to tackle nuisance calls, so we need to see more sustained action, with senior executives held to account, to help put an end to this everyday menace.”
A spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, said: “The government has introduced strong measures over recent years to tackle this problem, including making it easier for the ICO and Ofcom to take action and issue bigger fines to companies breaking the rules.
“In March, the Chancellor announced £3.5m funding specifically to tackle nuisance calls, and the government is considering what effective further steps it could take.”
Which? is urging consumers to use its online complaints tool www.which.co.uk/callingtime to report nuisance calls. This should help identify offenders and give regulators the vital evidence they need to punish companies breaking the rules.
