2. If you receive unsolicited post, faxes, calls, texts and emails,
you should first register your addresses and numbers for
FREE with the Mail Preference Service
(www.mpsonline.org.uk), Facsimile Preference Service
(www.fpsonline.org.uk) and Telephone Preference Service
(www.tpsonline.org.uk).
Once you have registered, these companies are legally bound
not to contact you unless permitted. With text messages you
should send an ‘OPT-OUT’ request to companies involved.
Similarly, with emails you should ‘UNSUBSCRIBE’ to the
sender. If they still harass you, report them to the
organisations above and the Information Commissioner’s
Office (mail@ico.gsi.gov.uk). This includes companies
operating from overseas.
3. In addition, they should be reported to their respective
Professional Bodies, Ombudsmen and Regulators. For example,
unsolicited communication about reclaiming mis-sold payment
protection insurance (PPI) or making a personal injury claim
should also be reported to the Claims Management Regulation
Unit of the UK Ministry of Justice
(business@claimsregulation.gov.uk).
All you need to do is get the company and caller's name and
their authorisation number, as well as the number they are
contacting you from to report them; and they will be warned,
fined and then struck off if they get reported so many times. If
they are not forthcoming with their details, you can obtain their
authorisation number by searching their company name via
www.claimsregulation.gov.uk/search.aspx.
4. However, do tell them you will complain, as they have
breached the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC
Directive) Regulations [2003] and the Conduct of Authorised
Persons Rules [2006], so they realise their wrong and remove
you from their database. It may not stop but will reduce if you
take action.
If the nuisance is by text, you can also report this to your
network provider by forwarding this on to 7726. An easy way
to remember 7726 is that these are the numbers on your
telephone keypad that spell out the word SPAM.
5. Sadly, what these companies do not seem to understand is
that by nature and culture we only engage with people when
we come to know, like and trust them or are introduced to
them by way of referral.
If the nuisance persists, it is only natural that you will put
your guard up, but please do not cast a shadow over the
service of most due to the method of engagement by some.
I hope you will appreciate from this small effort that we are
not all the same. Do let me know if this information was
helpful and if I can be of any further assistance.
Thanks and regards, Mandeep Kundi
of Care Bear Ltd t/a Claim 4 Personal Injury
