Only 3% of cold calls have legally-required customer consent

Majority of Brits would support extending government ban beyond pensions

Cold-calling ban questioned as gov’t plans ‘swifter’ launch

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Cold calling is something that many Brits have to deal with on a regular basis but only a small number of calls are legitimately allowed to be made.

Insurance firm Aviva analysed data from communications watchdog Ofcom and the Information Commissioner’s Office and found only 3% of nuisance calls have legally-required customer consent.

The research found that in just one year consumers were targeted with 996 million nuisance calls and texts relating specifically to an injury-related claim, pension, PPI or other financial service-related claims.

This translates to 2,728,767 calls and texts per day, or 1,895 made every minute.

These account for nearly one-in-four (23.2%) of all cold calls in the UK.

Anger

Most Brits are fed up with nuisance calls.

Aviva also carried out a survey of 2,000 UK adults in September 2019 and found 80% support a government ban on cold calling.

Only 8% think the companies making the call are trying to help them, while 78% would not consider using any service offered via a nuisance call or text.

Most (90%) of consumers would block all nuisance calls or texts if they could and 85% think those behind the nuisance calls should receive tougher penalties.

The government has banned cold calling in the pension market which came into effect in January 2019.

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