Two home improvement companies have been fined a total of £370,000 by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for making over 800,000 nuisance phone calls, many of which targeted vulnerable individuals. Thermotech Wall and Loft Surveys Ltd (TWLS) was fined £240,000 and Jacksons Marketing Ltd (JML) received a £130,000 penalty for unlawful marketing calls.
The companies made calls about loft insulation, home surveys, and government grants, often employing deceptive tactics and robo-call technology. Robo-calls are automated messages that can give recipients the impression they are speaking to a UK-based agent, when in reality, the calls are scripted lines played by overseas operators. The ICO stated that vulnerable people were left "scared to answer their own phones" due to the relentless nature of these calls.
Over a six-month period, TWLS made approximately 575,000 calls to numbers registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS), a service that indicates a person's wish not to receive marketing calls. JML, during an 11-month period, made over 230,000 calls to TPS-registered numbers. Victims reported receiving multiple calls per day, even after explicitly asking the companies to stop. Some elderly and disabled individuals described the calls as frightening and relentless.
During the investigation, the ICO uncovered WhatsApp messages suggesting a pattern of evasion by Thomas Vickrage, a director at TWLS, who was suspected of directing JML's activities. The messages indicated plans to establish new companies to continue operations if complaints mounted, a tactic described by one recipient as "use TPS data until we get pinged and then close and repeat?" Vickrage reportedly responded, "Haha it's a good way to keep the money rolling for everyone."
Victims were also subjected to false claims, such as their existing insulation being hazardous or that their personal details were provided by the government. Andy Curry, ICO head of investigations, emphasized that the companies targeted vulnerable individuals, leaving them distressed and frightened. "We will not hesitate to take action against those who exploit people in this way, and we will follow the evidence wherever it leads - including to those who try to evade accountability by creating new companies when complaints mount up," Curry stated.
Both companies were registered in England, with JML in Hampshire and TWLS in London. They utilized call centers in Bournemouth and overseas. In addition to the fines, both firms were issued enforcement notices ordering them to cease making marketing calls without consent. Organizations making live marketing calls must have prior consent to contact numbers registered with the TPS. Automated calls face even stricter regulations requiring consent to be freely given, specific, and informed.
The ICO advises individuals to register their numbers with the TPS to reduce unwanted marketing calls and to report nuisance calls through its online tool. Complaints about fraud or scams should be referred to Action Fraud or Police Scotland, while issues with business practices can be reported to Trading Standards.