Mon Oct 31, 2005 4:18 PM GMT
LONDON (
Reuters) - Companies that pester consumers with silent phone calls caused by call centres using automatic systems to dial telephone numbers could face fines of up to 50,000 pounds, the government said on Monday.
The silent calls are usually caused by there not being enough sales staff to speak to the recipient, which means the person answering hears nothing.
"By increasing the maximum fines from 5,000 pounds to 50,000 pounds, we are showing how determined we are to crack down on the distress nuisance calls cause the public, especially elderly and vulnerable people," Trade and Industry Secretary Alan Johnson said.
"Consumers deserve proper protection from companies making excessive silent calls," he added in a statement.
BT handles about 160,000 complaints every month about nuisance calls, while the Telephone Preference Service (TPS), which allows people to block sales calls, has over 10.5 million numbers registered.
Public consultation on the plans to increase the fines runs for the next 3 months.
The proposal is the latest in a line of government initiatives in the field of telephone abuse.
In June it said firms that rip off consumers through premium rate phone services will face fines of up to 250,000 pounds if they break the rules.
