Nuisance calls to mobiles are on the increase

NUISANCE CALLS to mobile phones are on the increase, with many people not realising they could register their number with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS), according to research from Which?

One in 10 mobile phone users reported they had received more than 20 unwanted calls in the space of a month.

The findings, from a survey of more than 2,000 people, also indicate that nuisance calls to mobile phones are on the rise – with seven in 10 (72 per cent) people saying they had at least one such call to their mobile in the last month compared to more than half (55 per cent) in 2013.

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Which? said that Ofcom and TPS data shows that of the 78.9 million active mobile phone subscriptions in the UK, just three per cent, or 2.4 million, are registered with the TPS.

Which? has worked with the TPS to launch a new free text service which helps people to register their mobile phone numbers to stop unwanted calls.

People can register their mobile phone with the TPS for free by texting OPTOUT to 80057 and Which? will send them details of the steps to follow so that they can stop nuisance calls.

The TPS is the free, central opt out register on which consumers can record their preference not to receive unsolicited sales or marketing calls.

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The TPS can accept the registration of mobile numbers as well as landlines in order for a consumer to stop receiving marketing calls.

Which? found that only around a third (36 per cent) of people knew that the TPS could be used to block unsolicited calls to mobiles compared to almost all (96 per cent) who knew it could be used with landlines.

The consumer group’s executive director, Richard Lloyd, said: “With the number of nuisance calls to mobile phones on the rise, it’s vital people register their phone if they want to help protect themselves from this everyday menace.

“The Government, regulators and business need to continue to work together to tackle nuisance calls, with further action to cut them off at source and make senior executives accountable if their company is caught flouting the rules.”

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It follows warnings that people should brace themselves for a surge of nuisance PPI calls and text messages after the City watchdog threatened to ban claims altogether in 2018.

The Financial Conduct Authority has launched a consultation on whether it should impose a deadline for customers claiming against banks that mis-sold them payment protection insurance.

Such a move would draw a line under the banking industry’s most expensive mis-selling scandal, which has already cost it around £25bn in compensation and administration.

According to figures from
Citizens Advice, 30 million people, or two thirds of British adults, have already received messages about PPI – and 98 per cent did not give permission to be contacted.

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