Company which promises to stop nuisance calls fined for cold calling

The company was fined £75,000 Credit: PA

A company which promises to stop nuisance callers has been fined £75,000 for bombarding people with "aggressive" cold calls.

Cold Call Elimination Ltd was fined by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) after it targeted elderly and vulnerable people with nuisance cold calls.

The ICO received hundreds of complaints about the firm, based in Chichester, West Sussex, including that it pressed them to sign up to a service that seemed like the free Telephone Preference Service (TPS).

  • One complainant said the sales person implied they were calling from the TPS, the statutory service enabling people to opt out of receiving cold calls.

  • Another complained that cash was taken from their account despite turning the firm down and that they had to take action to stop the contract, the ICO said.

The firm, based in Chichester, West Sussex, was warned by the ICO but it continued to make the calls.

Steve Eckersley, the ICO's head of enforcement Credit: PA

In two years, 382 complaints have been received by the ICO and the TPS from people registered on the TPS. Cold Call Elimination Ltd was unavailable for immediate comment.