back to article Brit data watchdog fines sleazy sales ops £250K for 'bombarding' folk with calls

Britain's data watchdog has slapped a financial penalty on two energy companies it claims were posing as third parties, including the National Grid and UK government, when making unsolicited marketing calls. Maxen Power Supply (MPS), from Ilford, Essex, and Crown Glazing Ltd, from Preston, Lancashire, were collectively fined £ …

  1. Caver_Dave Silver badge
    Flame

    "they were representing the UK Government and working to improve energy savings"

    Used to get these all the time from withheld or fake local numbers and they would never give the company name when asked, and if I pushed they would just ring off.

    SCUM!

    1. Arthur the cat Silver badge

      We get a lot of that sort of call – "you're entitled to a free test". If someone would market a device that set an LLM bot with speech i/o and programmed to waste time for as long as possible onto cold callers I'd buy it like a shot.

      1. usbac

        Meet Lenny:

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSoOrlh5i1k

        I have this set up on my home phone server. Calls from people I don't know go to Lenny...

  2. GreggS

    PECR

    They're all just a bunch of big PECR's.

  3. heyrick Silver badge

    Pathetic

    Half a million unsolicited calls, quarter of a million fine.

    How about at least £10 per call made?

    1. DJO Silver badge

      Re: Pathetic

      I've always thought the penalty should be the same as first class postage rate per call made.

      But in real life it matters little as most of these companies coincidentally go out of business when prosecuted only to rise like a phoenix from the ashes with a new name, new address and exactly the same business practices.

      I understand the principle behind "limited liability" but there really should be some way to stop crooks from taking the piss.

      1. Mike Pellatt

        Re: Pathetic

        It seems to take forever for an individual to be barred from being a company director, and even longer to actually prosecute when they inevitably ignore the ban.

        It can also handily be worked around by having a family member as the director instead.

      2. sitta_europea Silver badge

        Re: Pathetic

        "... there really should be some way to stop crooks from taking the piss."

        Upvoted.

        According to Companies House, as of the most recent filing (31 December 2021) this particular crook's company had Net Assets of £4,334.

        The odds on *any* fine being paid must be vanishingly small.

        1. Jellied Eel Silver badge

          Re: Pathetic

          The odds on *any* fine being paid must be vanishingly small.

          I think Ofcom could hold the directors personally liable and then go after personal assets, or bankruptcy. I've been getting calls from another scumbag outfit called 'Relief Energy', who don't seem to understand or care about TPS, or the law.

          1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

            Re: Pathetic

            IIRC, either that is now the case or is wending it's way through Parliament.

      3. Alan Brown Silver badge

        Re: Pathetic

        Limited liabliity only shields investors. It does not shield the managers from illegal behaviour

        British law enforcement is remarkably lax in this aspect

    2. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

      Re: Pathetic

      Fine per call irrelevant when pests don't pay. One of the names on the list of defaulters is Leave EU - founded by Arron Banks. Another pest not paying the fine is Eldon Insurance - founded by Arron Banks.

    3. cookieMonster Silver badge

      Re: Pathetic

      How about the balls of the CEO removed in public, and then locked in a stocks for a week.

      1. Brian 3

        Re: Pathetic

        Too much violence! Just gently graze his plums over some gympy gympy leaves. Once for each call is enough.

    4. IGotOut Silver badge

      Re: Pathetic

      For those that don't know.

      This is how it works.

      They fine the company, they also can bar the directors.

      This is the key bit.

      If they intentionally fold the company or fail to pay, then they can go directly after them, including fines, seizure of assets and imprisonment, as it's classed as a breach of statutory duty.

      They have to go through this procedure as the first step

      1. Richard 12 Silver badge

        Re: Pathetic

        Has that actually ever happened, though?

        Given the phoenixes I've seen for cases where the HSE prosecuted and fined because employees died, it seems that it's so rare that it's just not a deterrent.

  4. Zippy´s Sausage Factory
    Flame

    It's hardly worth the time or effort. Both these firms will declare bankruptcy today and brand new firms will replace them next week. And nobody will see a penny.

  5. Colin Bull 1
    Mushroom

    Another way forward ..

    If the tossers at Ofgem had a clue, they would ban agents and sub agents from working on behalf of the energy companies. This all because in a short sighted pursuance of competition it was decided it would be a good idea to allow agents to peddle their wares. Why is a sub agent based abroad and ignoring all UK laws allowed to be in this arena?

    There was enough problems when the energy companies marketed directly - it is easy to see how they have got round their obligations.

    1. Cav Bronze badge

      Re: Another way forward ..

      "If the tossers at Ofgem had a clue, they would ban agents and sub agents" Ofgem don't make the laws, they are responsible for enforcing them. Blame politicians.

  6. Martin-73 Silver badge
    Devil

    120k? Pathetic

    Arrest warrants and prison time for the staff involved and senior management, and a report to interpol to have the feckers in india horsewhipped is about the minimum acceptable now

  7. CowHorseFrog Silver badge

    I heard Google does this far more often, why doesnt the UK fine them ? They could pay half the national debt with fines per count.

  8. CowHorseFrog Silver badge

    Another example of why third party advertising should be made illegal in all forms.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    And stoning, how about a good stoning?

    Are there any women here?…..

    1. Evil Scot Bronze badge

      Re: And stoning, how about a good stoning?

      Who threw that?

      1. Cynical Pie

        Re: And stoning, how about a good stoning?

        She did... She di.... ***voice deepens*** He did... he did

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