Telephone Preference Service!

[dcclanuk]

Ok guys, I registered with the TPS, and today, after over a year of signing up with them, I get a sales call from:

COMPANY: ONE MOBILE VILLAGE
PHONE NUMBER: 0120135738356

After talking to the operator, it took a couple of minutes for the operator to understand what company she was from, at one point ORANGE were an AGENT, but then someone prompting her to say ORANGE is a network. I just wanted to find out if this was a sales call or not!

Then I was put through to the "supervisor", and I asked him if he had heard of the TELEPHONE PREFERENCE SERVICE. He laughed and said, OFCOURSE, everyone has! Then I said so why did you call me? He said because I was on the database. I asked WHICH DATABASE. "International Database" was the reply. I was like wtf is that? How did you obtain my phone number? You're mum asked us to call you. Yes she did, that's because you called her while I was out, and she didnt understand you. I told him that I am going to complain since I am reg. with the TPS. He said what is your reference no. Here I dont know if you do have one, but I said YOU DONT NEED A REFERENCE no! He asked WHEN I reg. with the TPS, OVER A FRIGGING YEAR AGO!!!

I was about to tell him if he had seen that prog on TV about people buying databases illegally, and contacting people, but he was adamant on wishing me a good day and good bye.... so it ended... I had a lot of time on my hand today since my exams finished yday, so I really wanted to sort him out!!! Is there anyway I can complain about this company??? Googling the company name gives a lot of searches about people complaining about the CASH BACK policies of this company etc

[Paul K]

Put a complaint in. You do not get a reference number when you register with TPS etc as far as I know, the guy is just trying to put you off complaining.
http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/cgi-bin/tps_complaints.pl

[joglynne]

Tcall the TPS and get a complaint form.

If this company are doing it to you they will be doing it to others. You will be able to fill in most of the form. The fact that you can provide a phone number will help the TPS identify the firm in question.

If others do the same the TPS will be more able to take action.

Originally Posted by dcclanuk

O... I had a lot of time on my hand today

Never!

[nffc]

http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/cgi-bin/tps_complaints.pl

Amazing what you need to complain...

[vbnmu]

Ummm...i dnt wanna crash the party but i believe i read somewhere that u have to re-register with the TPS after a year! I might be wrong though.

[nffc]

Originally Posted by vbnmu

Ummm...i dnt wanna crash the party but i believe i read somewhere that u have to re-register with the TPS after a year! I might be wrong though.

not if it's a residential line.

[joglynne]

Originally Posted by vbnmu

Ummm...i dnt wanna crash the party but i believe i read somewhere that u have to re-register with the TPS after a year! I might be wrong though.

That's what the last telesales /double glazing firm that phoned tried to tell me. Pointed out to him that if he was correct he wouldn't mind giving me all his firms details. He put the phone down on me...cheek.

As they had given the name of the firm they were representing I phoned the TPS, confirmed that re-registration isn't needed and they sent me a report form to fill in.

With the phone number and main firms name they said they would be able to trace the telesales firm being used.

[vbnmu]

My mistake!
What does happen to these companies though? what sort of fines do they get? Does the complaint really bring some result?

[joglynne]

Originally Posted by vbnmu

My mistake!
What does happen to these companies though? what sort of fines do they get? Does the complaint really bring some result?

Now this is down right spookey. Thought I would do some quick digging to try to answer your post and the first item I found lists 'Staybrite Windows Ltd' the firm that I, and obviously many others, reported.

http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documen...n_6_dec_06.pdf
http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documen...rite_final.pdf
Am going to dig deeper to see if any firms have been actually prosecuted. I seem to remember a figure of £2,000.00 but don't know in what context. Ohhhh I hate unaswered questions.

[vbnmu]

Thank you Joglynne. I shall try to find some answers as well.

[nffc]

I don't think they act on individual complaints, more on the basis that if a company is consistently flouting the TPS-related legislation then they will fine them.

The ICO don't really do that much per complaint.

[joglynne]

Originally Posted by nffc

I don't think they act on individual complaints, more on the basis that if a company is consistently flouting the TPS-related legislation then they will fine them.

The ICO don't really do that much per complaint.

The ICO use the complaints sent to the TPS as part of their evidence gathering process.

I have spent some time trying to find any reports of firms being prosecuted or fined as a result of flouting TPS rules and have only been able to find warnings such as those in my last post. I would be interested if anyone knows of any action having been taken above the warning level.

[vbnmu]

Originally Posted by joglynne

The ICO use the complaints sent to the TPS as part of their evidence gathering process.

I have spent some time trying to find any reports of firms being prosecuted or fined as a result of flouting TPS rules and have only been able to find warnings such as those in my last post. I would be interested if anyone knows of any action having been taken above the warning level.

In all fairness, even the warnings seem enough of a deterrent but for a few!

[joglynne]

Originally Posted by vbnmu

In all fairness, even the warnings seem enough of a deterrent but for a few!

That was my impression after trawling the net. TPS legislation must have made a vast difference to the way firms get new leads. Wish I knew the numbers of private people who have registered.