Nuisance calls

Written evidence submitted by CPR Global [NTC 042]

In response to the invitation to contribute to the new inquiry into nuisance telephone calls and text messages being carried out by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee. CPR Global which manufactures the CPR CallBlocker would like to submit the following evidence . CPR Global were not aware about the call for information to the inquiry hence the fact this document arrives after the stated deadline. We hope you can still consider this information.

The Nuisance Calls Industry is a national e pidemic. It is a serious and endemic problem which causes financial and mental devastation to silent victims of fraud.

 

Consumer confidence in the telephone as a marketing medium has been tarnished by aggressive sales tactics, mis-selling and scams.  Over 3 billion telemarketing calls are made every year. 70% of phone owners say they have been victim of a phone scam and 98% of the population want to see a ban on unsolicited telephone calls.

  

Targeted victims of nuisance and scam calls are likely to lose their independent living, have stress related problems, mental health problems and anxiety resulting in a shortened life expectancy and an increased demand on public health, adult social services, enforcement agencies and the voluntary sector.

The CPR CallBlocker, manufactured by CPR Global, enables users, particularly vulnerable people, to block any number they don't want to call them again. It has passed rigorous tests by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to gain the status handed out by the Secured by Design licence scheme. Secured by Design is a flagship UK police initiative by ACPO to help ‘design out’ crime through the use of high-quality innovative products and processes. Devices under this brand have been proven to reduce the risk of crime and the fear of crime by up to 75%. The CPR CallBlocker is now endorsed by all UK police forces as both a preventative and reactive means of stopping unwanted and threatening calls

CPR Global is already working with UK Trading Standards officers and a number of charities such as Think Jessica to protect vulnerable adults from the impact these calls can have.

A pilot scheme run by Trading Standards officers in Scotland has just been heralded a resounding success in cutting the amount of nuisance calls being dealt with by residents.

The CPR CallBlocker blocks any cold caller plus has additional features to prevent any area code, any group of numbers including spoof numbers, withheld, international calls and VoIP calls should the customer require it. Pre-programmed with 200 of the most common nuisance callers it starts working as soon as it is plugged it into a landline.

The device’s block now button also enables the user to add an additional 1000 numbers over and above the pre-programmed list at the touch of a button.

The 200 pre-programmed numbers are the worst offending companies known to the Call Prevention Registry. The Call Prevention Registry is run by CPR Global and is similar to the TPS in the sense that it is a list which people sign up to if they do not wish to receive cold calls. However, The Call Prevention Registry also includes international calls which the TPS doesn’t. The Call Prev ention Reg istry has over 600,000 people registered via their w e bsite .

It is CPR Global’s belief that withheld numbers should no longer exist and that all numbers should be transparent via call ID to the recipient.

The 200 companies are based both in the UK and International. Companies from abroad are increasingly re-routing through the UK buying batches of UK numbers so the impression is given that they are based here. Some are also using spoof numbers which are not real but will appear on your caller ID. This means that the CPR CallBlocker is still able to block them.

The TPS doesn't work on international calls where most overseas call centres are based so is ineffectual. Unscrupulous companies who wish to ignore the TPS list can do so without much action by OFCOM or the ICO as there isn't much legislation to prevent companies ignoring the TPS list.

The CPR CallBlocker is another option for people plagued by nuisance calls for whom the TPS isn't working.

When the inquiry discusses technological alternatives as a proactive tool in the fight against the nuisance calls industry, CPR Global would like to be considered by the Select Committee as one of the solutions to this growing problem.

September 2013