The nuisance call to end all nuisance calls

Companies bombard households with offers to end plague.

Households are being bombarded with nuisance marketing calls from firms promising to block the plague for a monthly fee.

Last week The Sunday Post revealed its crusade to stamp out cold calls had enjoyed another success with the announcement of a new “super regulator” to crack down on rogue companies.

But now beleaguered victims are facing a new campaign of harassment with repeated calls from companies claiming to have “heard they had a problem with cold calling” before offering to end their misery if they stump up cash.

Experts believe the firms may be trying to charge victims to be added to the free telephone preference service and urged them not to be fooled.

Barbara Gray, 59, from Amble, Northumberland, endures up to eight calls every day starting from 10am and often continues late into the evening. Many of the nuisance calls are from firms carrying out surveys but she is now also being plagued by callers who claim to have “heard she was getting cold calls” and offering to stop them for a monthly fee.

Mrs Gray who is disabled, suffering chronic obstructive pulmonary disease following breast cancer as well as having slipped discs in her back, said the calls are making her life a nightmare.

She said: “I am getting a lot of calls saying if you pay so much a month they will stop them.

“I say ‘How do you know I am getting them? Where are you getting your information from?’

“One of them asked how much I was offered last time and I told him it was £4 a month, so he said he could do it for £2.

“Mostly these calls are from abroad but I don’t know where they are coming from. It has been going on for months.”

Furious David and Sheila Dunn, of Dalgety Bay, Fife, also contacted The Sunday Post after receiving numerous calls. Sheila, 60, who is already signed up to the telephone preference service, said: “The first time it was a chap who called and then it was a girl.

“I asked ‘Is this free?

“And he said ‘No it’s £23 a month’.

“I said ‘It’s a problem but not that much of a problem and hung up.

“I think there will be some elderly people who might be caught out by this. If the nuisance calls are bad they will be willing to do anything.”

The Information Commissioner’s Office which regulates the industry said it was likely firms are attempting to charge people to add their names to the telephone preference service, which does not require any payments.

A spokesman said: “It is not something we are aware of. Anybody who would like to stop receiving marketing calls can register with the telephone preference service.

“In all likelihood what’s happening is these companies are taking money off people and signing them up to the service.”