Telephone Preference Service
Steer clear of making unsolicited calls to numbers registered on the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) or Corporate Telephone Preference Service (CTPS) and subsequently avoid risking fines of up to £500,000.
FCA (formerly the Financial Services Authority (FSA)), under the governance of the CMR, or operate a CCL license then failing to properly check your data against the TPS could cost you your license.
When it comes to your B2B/B2C telemarketing campaigns, TPS and CTPS are terms that you want to be acquainted with. The Telephone Preference Service and Corporate Telephone Preference Service are opt-out registers for both consumers and businesses that do not want to be targeted over the phone by marketers.
Corporate Telephone Preference Service (B2B) –Extensive list of businesses (limited companies & plc’s) who have registered their wish not to receive unsolicited direct marketing calls.
Telephone Preference Service (B2C) – An extensive list of consumers sole traders & partnerships within the UK who have registered their wish not to receive unsolicited direct marketing calls.
In the UK, there are a number of rules in place to protect individuals and businesses
against unsolicited marketing messages. These are outlined in The Privacy and Electronics Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (PECR). They are derived from European law and sit alongside the Data Protection Act.
It’s no trivial matter to disregard these rules, so it’s vital to suppress telephone numbers in your database against the TPS and CTPS registers. Otherwise, you risk landing a fine of up to £500,000 from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) – that’s certainly not a situation you want to find yourself in!
In 2019, the ICO levied over £600,000 in penalties for nuisance calls and text messages. This included a £150,000 fine to a solar panels company that made over 500,000 calls to numbers that were registered on the TPS.
As well as the potential financial costs of breaking the law, you also risk damaging your reputation and the future of your organisation. After all, no one wants to do business with a company that disregards their wishes about being contacted.