08451170105

Thank you for submitting a complaint to the Telephone Preference Service (TPS). We will shortly confirm receipt of your complaint either via email or letter.
The TPS Team

Thank you for your correspondence regarding the receipt of a telephone call relating to debt collection.

The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) is a central opt out register whereby individuals can register their wish not to receive live unsolicited direct marketing calls. Organisations chasing an outstanding amount are not obliged to screen their data against the TPS register as the calls do not relate to selling/marketing of a product or service.

Non direct marketing calls including debt collection falls outside of the remits within which the TPS operates. If the organisation is making debt collection calls to your number for a debt not owed please seek advice from your local Trading Standards. If they are asking for an individual not known or associated with you I can only advice that you inform the organisation and request suppression of your telephone number. If they continue to call disregarding your request, please contact the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) who are the government body responsible for enforcing the regulation surrounding use of your personal data. They may be able to offer more practical advice or guidance. Their details are:

Information Commissioners Office
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
Tele: 01625 545 745, Fax: 01625 524 510, Email: mail@ico.gsi.gov.uk

TPS Team Leader
DMA House
70 Margaret Street
London W1W 8SS
Online               www.tpsonline.org.uk
Email/Enquiries      tps@dma.org.uk
Telephone            020 7291 3320
Fax                  020 7323 4226
Registration line  0845 070 0707

Dealing with unwanted telesales calls
This fact sheet explains the law regarding uninvited telesales calls (or ‘unsolicited direct marketing calls’) and describes how we deal with complaints about them.
What does the law say?
The law says that UK organisations should not make unsolicited direct marketing calls to individuals or businesses who have registered their telephone number with the Telephone Preference Service or the Corporate Telephone Preference Service.
The law applies only to organisations that are based in the UK. If a UK based organisation uses an overseas calls centre to make unsolicited direct marketing calls, then the law will apply to them. But if an organisation that is based overseas makes such calls, then the law will not apply.
The role of the Telephone Preference Service Limited
The Telephone Preference Service Limited (TPSL) runs the telephone preference services. We keep lists of the telephone numbers of those people who have told us that they do not want to receive unsolicited direct marketing calls.
Companies that make unsolicited direct marketing calls must screen their marketing lists against the lists we hold, so that they do not use numbers that have been registered on the preference services for 28 days or more.
What happens if I have a complaint about unsolicited direct marketing telephone calls?
If you believe that an organisation has contacted you even though you have been registered with a preference service for more than 28 days, you should complain to us by completing the relevant complaint form.
We will check that you have been properly registered with us for the appropriate length of time. If you have, and where we can identify the company responsible for the call, we will write to them about your complaint, ask them to investigate and remind them of the law. We will also ask them to make sure that they do not call you again. In most cases the calls will stop after 28 days or less.
If, however, the organisation continues to call you after 28 days have elapsed, then you should write to us again, including details of the additional calls you have received. We will check your complaint against any response we received from the organisation that called you and consider how best to resolve this matter. This may involve a referral to the Information Commissioner’s Office .
The role of the Information Commissioner’s Office
The Information Commissioner’s office (ICO) enforces the law on unsolicited direct marketing.
The ICO’s powers are designed to encourage organisations to abide by the law rather than punish them and in most cases, the ICO handles complaints informally and successfully. But in those cases where an organisation persistently ignores the law, the ICO has powers to take more formal action, which could result in a fine by the courts.
Co-operation between TPSL and the ICO
TPSL and the ICO are completely separate organisations. The ICO does not run TPSL but they do keep in close contact with each other.
Every month TPSL sends the ICO a report giving statistical information about the complaints they have received. The ICO uses this information to help further identify organisations which are persistently breaking the law.
Please note that the ICO and TPSL do not have the power to fine companies themselves or to award compensation to people who have made complaints.

they call every day, slightly different number, and never leave a message! how do I get rid of them?

Hi,

On page 1 of these nuisance phone calls a 'Ricardo' said that:

a single email to info@bcwgroup.com telling them that they had the wrong number was enough to get it sorted. Their website is http://www.bcwgroup.com/index.asp

Their telephone number is 0141 221 4567 should you want to call them without having to dial their 5p per minute 0844 or 3.4p per minute 0845 numbers which also earn them an income every time you ring them and they like to keep people hanging on while they 'check their records'. Even after repeatedly phoning them to tell them they have the wrong details they will still try to contact you.

This company is very well known for ringing once then hanging up before you answer, leaving you to call them back, or for sending texts with a reference number on it requesting that you contact them on their 0844 or 0845 numbers. They also have outdated lists as they very often call people a year or more after they have moved. Whatever you do, do not EVER give them your real name, home number or address if the person they are trying to contact is you as they will not stop calling. If it is a debt that you do want to settle, BCW Group will not accept offers of £10 per week or less without you filling in a Means form with your monrhly outgoings. Basically just remember that the people calling you are £14,000 flunkies that couldn't get a job anywhere else so they ended up becoming telephone bailiffs hassling people with little money and do not let them intimidate or scare you by stating that they will get a warrant for your arrest or by arranging a bailiff to visit your premises to remove equipment to the value of your debt (plus their heavy collection fee). They would have to go to Court to obtain a Warrant and they have to attend with a police officer. If the debt is for less than £10,000 it is not worth their while to try and collect this through the Courts. They also have no legal right to ever enter your premises or to try and seize goods. If you really are struggling to pay your bills and it is you they are after, get them to send the means form to you and make sure that you have -£20 left each week i.e. you don't have enough to pay your bills and you are always overdrawn at the bank. That way they have to accept £1 per month (by law) and they can't add on interest or collection fees to your debt.

If they call again, tell them that you do not know who they are or how they got hold of your number but the person they are after is not on your telephone number and that you've never heard of the person they claim owes them money. Only by sending an e-mail with your mobile number (and any reference number that they have given you) will you get them to stop. Also request that they remove your number from their list. Be careful of future calls from withheld numbers from the same company as they will try and catch you out and will even start to speak to you as if you are a friend to catch you off-guard i.e. Hi Mark, it's Ian. Only when you say Ian who do they say their company name and what debt they are ringing you for.

BCW Group PLC buy old debts from N-Power, Scottish Power, Orange and other utility suppliers including old electric, gas and telephone bills. Very often people provide fake numbers to collection agencies if they have been caught out on a call.

As they can't prove that the person they are ringing is the person they are looking for, the easiest solution is an e-mail to them requesting that they remove your number from their records as they have the wrong person. Just remember to send it from an e-mail address that doesn't identify you personally (and certainly not from a work e-mail address-use yahoo, hotmail googlemail etc.) if it is you they are after and sign off with a false name. I hate this type of debt recovery. As if it wasn't bad enough that the first company 'owed money' repeatedly hound people, they then add on 'collection costs' before selling it to this company to try and recover the money. It is a legal business practise but it is wide open to fraud as many people receive this type of nuisance call and from the amount of posts about this company, it's obvious that they repeatedly telephone the wrong people. I hope they stop pestering you-S

Had several of these text asking for 'kara webber to contact bcw group urgently on 08445714200 urgently'. No idea how they have MY number, nor do i know who the hell Kara Webber is!!!
These texts were from several cellphones though..
namely : +447950474410 / +447594386757 / +447891136761
They sound like a bunch of amateur tosspots.
Having read several websites about them if you have no debt i wouldn't even entertain any contact with them whatsoever as they then want YOUR details and continue harassing you using your own name!