Nuisance call claim firm is fined – BBC News

[Legal Beagles]

A claims company has become the first to be fined under new powers after making millions of “nuisance calls”, the government has announced. The Hearing Clinic, based in Derby, has been fined Ł220,000 following hundreds of complaints about speculative calls regarding hearing loss claims.It was the first fine issued by the Claims Management Regulator.The BBC... Read more »
Read More -> Nuisance call claim firm is fined – BBC News


More...

[Amethyst]

Re: Nuisance call claim firm is fined – BBC News

https://www.claimsregulation.gov.uk/details.aspx/31218

Business Name: Aurangzeb Iqbal Address: 18-22 St Peters Churchyard
Town/City: DERBY Postcode: DE1 1NN County: Derbyshire
Trading Names: Industrial Disease Services, Industrial Hearing Concern, The Hearing Clinic CMC, Hedging Redress, We Claim 4 U, The Hearing Clinic, RTA Lawyers 4 U Sectors: Criminal injuries compensation, Personal Injury Authorisation Number: CRM31218


As a result of an investigation, the Claims Management Regulator has decided to impose a financial penalty of Ł220,000 on Aurangzeb Iqbal.


Aurangzeb Iqbal was found in breach of the following Conduct of Authorised Persons Rules 2014:


General Rule 2 – A business shall conduct itself responsibly overall including, but not limited to acting with professional diligence and…

d) maintaining appropriate records and audit trails

e) take all reasonable steps in relation to any arrangement with third parties to confirm that any referrals, leads or data have been obtained in accordance with the requirements of the legislation and Rules.


General Rule 5 – A business shall observe all laws and regulations relevant to its business.


Client Specific Rule 4 - Cold calling in person is prohibited. Any marketing by telephone, email, fax or text shall be in accordance with the Direct Marketing Association’s Code and any related guidance issued by the Direct Marketing Association.


Client Specific Rule 8 – Where business is introduced to a solicitor, the business must not act in a way that puts the solicitor in breach of the rules governing solicitors’ conduct.


The Claims Management Regulator has also decided to vary Aurangzeb Iqbal’s authorisation to provide claims management services under the Compensation Act 2006 with effect from 18 August 2015.

The following conditions will be effective from 18 August 2015



1. Aurangzeb Iqbal must obtain and when necessary renew his own in-house Telephone Preference Service (“TPS”) licence, and must ensure that all data is screened against the TPS register by the business using this licence prior to making telemarketing calls.
2. Aurangzeb Iqbal must not make marketing calls to numbers registered with the TPS irrespective of any opt-in status.
3. Aurangzeb Iqbal must inform the Regulator on the 5th working day of every month of each TPS complaint it has received in the previous month, whether this is received from the TPS, ICO, Legal Ombudsman, Direct Marketing Commission or the consumer, and provide copies of any related correspondence. For each complaint Aurangzeb Iqbal must provide evidence, that the consumer’s data has been screened against the TPS register and the date on which this was carried out.
4. Aurangzeb Iqbal must inform the Regulator of any additional, introducer or data supplier with whom it wishes to contract prior to contracting, and provide the following information:
a. The full name, address, company registration (if applicable), CRM (if applicable) and ICO registration of the business.
b. An explanation of the services that will be provided by the third party.
c. Copies of any marketing material to be used by the third party to market the services of Aurangzeb Iqbal.
d. An explanation of, and evidence to demonstrate, how Aurangzeb Iqbal will monitor the third party to ensure compliance with the Conduct of Authorised Persons Rules 2014.

[Mr $quandaŁot]

Re: Nuisance call claim firm is fined – BBC News

Finally some action taken. I'm sure there's a lot more work to be done.