Ofcom slams slammers: Telcos fined for switching punters' phone lines without their knowledge or consent

Ofcom has slapped two small telcos, Guaranteed Telecom and Met Technologies, with a financial penalty for switching the home phone services of more than 100 people without their knowledge or consent. The businesses used a particularly aggressive style of mis-selling – slamming – to transfer customers to their services without …

[Da Weezil]

They’ll all be declaring insolvency over the next few days then.....

[CountCadaver]

followed by met2 telecom ltd trading as met telecom...........

[DomDF]

Having purchased the previous company's assets for £1

[mark4155]

Shameful!

Disgusting behaviour - especially towards vulnerable member of our society. Hope the owners rot in hell. Ofcom should, if they haven't already, remove their license to operate. £35K to go to the treasury, should be also £350 quid to each affected subscriber.

The thieving, lying, scam merchant bastards!

[Anonymous Coward]

A&A

Another tick in the Andrews and Arnold feature list, can select to block any switch away attempt so the slammer gets slammed.

[Ian Johnston]

Re: A&A

Andrews and Arnold are so generally fab that I live in fear that they will close down or get taken over. I have one FTTP, one VDSL and two VOIP accounts with them and It All Just Works, beautifully. The only company to come close were PlusNet, before BT ruined them.

[BenDwire]

Re: A&A

+1 for A&A.

The Anti-slamming option has been enabled since I changed over to them years ago. Money very well spent.

[mark4155]

Re: A&A

A tick if you can afford their service. Fancy website, but all fur coat and no knickers. Shame really.

[Aristotles slow and dimwitted horse]

£35k in total?

Yeah... that'll show 'em!!!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: £35k in total?

~3½ years profit. It's gonna sting.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: £35k in total?

It would, if they ever considered paying it.

[Alan Brown]

Re: £35k in total?

companies like this arrange the books very carefully to not show profit. Renumeration to the director will be much higher

Don't foget that Linited liability only limits SHAREHOLDER exposure. Directors or management can and should face the full legal wrath that comes from their decisions

[Filippo]

This practice ought to be classified as fraud, with the attending penal consequences. Civil liability is obviously insufficient to stop it, as companies can just be folded up and restarted.

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, but you can't afford to be efficient, now can you. Never bite the hand that feeds you, efficient control and dissuasive fines would be against everything lobbying generally stands for.

[Alan Brown]

It is fraud and the people slammed have the option to file personal claims against the company + directtors too.

The Ofcom decision will be rather compelling in a court