Consumers: ban cold calling
Aug 31 2010
“Many would like to see cold calling banned”
Cold calling is regarded as an interruption to daily life that should be banned, according to a survey.
Three quarters of respondents to a study by consumer group Which? would like to see the practice outlawed, with a quarter feeling intimidated by the process.
Two thirds of the 2,092 people surveyed say they have received at least one cold call over the previous three months, with a fifth of people reporting that callers had pressured them into buying something.
British Gas, BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Homeserve, EDF and Eon were among the firms that called most often.
A spokesperson for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, which is responsible for cold calling regulation, says: ‘Policy in this area is about striking a balance between allowing legitimate businesses to continue to operate and the needs of customers.’