A Brighton company has been fined £230,000 for making a million ‘predatory’ marketing calls, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said last night (Thursday 20 October).
The ICO said: “The Information Commissioner’s Office has fined Brighton-based company Apex Assure Limited £230,000 for making over one million predatory marketing calls to people registered with the Telephone Preference Service.
“The calls were all in relation to white goods insurance and were made between Monday 1 February and Saturday 31 July 2021.
“The ICO received 122 complaints from people who said the calls were misleading and aggressive.
“Apex Assure Limited was also issued with an enforcement notice, instructing the company to stop making illegal calls within 30 days.
“The ICO worked in partnership with Brighton and Hove Trading Standards when investigating the company.”
Apex Assure is owned by Belal Ali, 36. He registered the company in July 2020 at an office at 127 Gloucester Road, Brighton.
Last year, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issued a warning about the business. It said: “We believe this firm may be providing financial services or products in the UK without our authorisation.”
The FCA said that people “should be wary of dealing with this unauthorised firm” and added: “Almost all firms and individuals offering, promoting or selling financial services or products in the UK have to be authorised or registered by us.
“This firm is not authorised by us and is targeting people in the UK. You will not have access to the Financial Ombudsman Service or be protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme so you are unlikely to get your money back if things go wrong.”
As well as the Brighton address, the FCA said that the business operated from an office in Hatton Garden, in London.
The ICO said that one complainant said: “They were trying to tell me my cover had ran out on my washing machine and that I should take a new cover out with them.
“I have had numerous calls. They appear as though they are calling from XXX. I have phoned XXX who say they are aware of this company.
“I do not wish to keep being pestered. I have asked them numerous times to stop phoning. They are so persistent and try to fool the recipient into believing their insurance cover on an appliance has expired.
“It concerns me that although I realise they are not who they purport to be, elderly or vulnerable people are likely to panic and be caught out.
“They must be stopped from making these unwanted calls.”
Another complainant said: “(They were) trying very hard to sell my vulnerable elderly father insurance for his washing machine and white goods.
“It is a completely unsolicited and very annoying sales call, especially as my dad can’t hardly walk.
“I registered him (with the Telephone Preference Service) to give him some peace but lately he has had a continuous and determined phone sales, about three a day.
“It is almost as if someone has sold his phone number as an easy sales target.
“They cold-called an elderly and very disabled man who is registered with the Telephone Preference Service in order not to have to be pestered with unsolicited nuisance hard sales calls.
“It made me furious because he was expecting an important call from somebody important and this call not only prevented a vital call to the family from getting through, it caused him to struggle to the phone just so they could cause annoyance.
“They should be outright ashamed of themselves.”
They’re still doing it. I intercepted a call they made to my mum a couple of weeks ago. She’d already given her debit card details over. I told them that she didn’t want the insurance and to destroy her card details. The caller was quite forceful. Luckily I’m assertive but it now worries our family that they’ll try again when one of us is not around. It also meant time wasted ringing up her bank to cancel her card. I need to investigate further but I’m sure it’s the same company who fleeced her out of several hundred pounds in 2021. Beware everyone!
Don’t just fine them. If they knowingly and persistently break the law, the only sensible thing to do is to SHUT THEM DOWN.
Still on the subject of rogue traders, There’s a “dodgy” building firm in Whitehawk that doesn’t appear to be registered at Companies House, and the “business address” they give would appear to be a residential bungalow, possibly a council property.
They’ll continue trading dishonestly, saying they “won’t guarantee” their shoddy work unless householders pay for “extras”, until “the authorities” catch up with them, and then they’ll take their incompetence elsewhere.
Does anyone know if this company has changed its name.