Under siege from 60 million nuisance calls and texts a day

The average person gets 468 nuisance calls and texts every year and one in three of us get more calls from hard-selling call centres than we get from people we really want to hear from - like friends and family.

A new study by LV= has revealed that the number of cold calls we are getting has got out of hand. The average person spends six and a half hours a year either dodging calls, or deleting texts and answer phone messages.

These findings come on the back of news from the Information Commissioner's Office that it had received 180,000 complaints about cold calls in the past year - up 12% from a year earlier, and a record high.
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The government is taking some action - and has announced it will fine the worst offenders up to £500,000. However, 44% of people think the government and the regulator will have difficulties identifying the companies making the calls and sending the texts.

LV= says one way to cut down the number of calls people receive from claims management companies (who are responsible for 81% of cold calls) would be to reduce the length of time that's allowed to pass between the accident itself and the claim.

However, there are five steps you can take to reduce the number of calls you receive today.

1. Register with the Telephone Preference Service
This is a free service, which you can register with online or by calling 0845 070 0707. Once you have registered, the only companies who are legally allowed to call you are those that you have given specific permission to call, or companies doing market research. This will cut down the calls you get - but won't wipe them out entirely, so you need to do more.

2. Contact the organisation direct
Whenever you receive a call, ask for the name of the business and their phone number. Then you can call them and asked to be removed from their database.

3. Block the number
If that doesn't work, it makes sense to block it. This is simple from a mobile, but to get a landline provider to block the number you will need to convince them that the caller is a real nuisance. Alternatively, you can block a landline yourself with a blocking gadget that you attach to your phone.

4. Make a complaint
If you still receive nuisance calls, you can report them to the Information Commissioner's Office on 0303 123 1113. Before you call, make a note of the name of the company, and when they made the calls. If the calls you get are silent, then you'll need Ofcom on 0300 123 3333.

5. Double-check any forms
You also need to avoid accidentally signing up for more cold calls - so check when replying to any company that the small print doesn't give them permission to call or sell your contact details on.

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