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Enforcement action

11 in total

Monetise Media Limited

14 December 2022, Monetary penalties, Marketing

Between 28 July 2020 and 28 July 2021, Monetise Media Limited engaged in the transmission of a total of 3,506,157 direct marketing emails and text messages. These subscribers had not provided valid consent, contrary to the regulation 22 of PECR.

Ryan Hill Partners

14 December 2022, Monetary penalties, Marketing

Between 1 September 2019 and 30 November 2020, Ryan Hill Partners sent 463,360 SMS messages, of which 409,468 were delivered, which were unsolicited direct marketing messages sent to subscribers who had not consented to receiving them, contrary to regulation 22 of PECR.  

Allapplianceservices UK Ltd

07 December 2022, Monetary penalties, Marketing

Allapplianceservices UK Ltd (AUKL), based in Brighton, made 99,313 unsolicited direct marketing calls to people registered with the TPS between 1 January 2021 and 28 June 2021.  AUKL came to the attention of the ICO via the Financial Conduct Authority. The ICO’s investigation found AUKL appeared to use pressure tactics during the calls insisting card details were given, with one person saying they “just wanted AUKL to go away” and so handed over their payment details. The ICO concluded the company contravened electronic marketing law in order to maximise turnover and profit. One of the complainants had reduced capacity as a result of a stroke, with a second having dementia. The ICO has fined AUKL £85,000.

Boiler Breakdown Limited

07 December 2022, Monetary penalties, Marketing

Boiler Cover Breakdown Limited (BCBL), based in Sutton, Surrey made 9,075 unsolicited direct marketing calls to people registered with the TPS between 1 January 2020 and 31 August 2020. Boiler Breakdown Limited (BBL) also based in Sutton, Surrey made 348,724 unsolicited direct marketing calls to people registered with the TPS during the same time period. Both companies have the same Director, with phone lines rented by one company used by both businesses to make calls. The ICO’s investigation found calls were specifically targeted towards vulnerable people. The ICO has fined BCBL £120,000 and BBL £140,000. Both companies have also been issued with an enforcement notice demanding they comply with the law within 30 days. Both companies have appealed to the First-tier Tribunal against the ICO’s monetary penalty notices.

Boiler Cover Breakdown Limited

07 December 2022, Monetary penalties, Marketing

Boiler Cover Breakdown Limited (BCBL), based in Sutton, Surrey made 9,075 unsolicited direct marketing calls to people registered with the TPS between 1 January 2020 and 31 August 2020. Boiler Breakdown Limited (BBL) also based in Sutton, Surrey made 348,724 unsolicited direct marketing calls to people registered with the TPS during the same time period. Both companies have the same Director, with phone lines rented by one company used by both businesses to make calls. The ICO’s investigation found calls were specifically targeted towards vulnerable people. The ICO has fined BCBL £120,000 and BBL £140,000. Both companies have also been issued with an enforcement notice demanding they comply with the law within 30 days. Both companies have appealed to the First-tier Tribunal against the ICO’s monetary penalty notices.

Repair Plans UK Limited

07 December 2022, Monetary penalties, Marketing

Repair Plans UK Limited (RPUK), based in Brighton made 21,347 unsolicited direct marketing calls to people registered with the TPS between 18 January 2021 and 7 September 2021. RPUK came to the attention of the ICO via West Sussex Trading Standards. The ICO’s investigation found the company targeted a specific demographic, as they bought data which asked for people aged 60+, were homeowners and had a landline, and made false and misleading statements during their calls. Throughout the investigation the company failed to provide any details of their compliant marketing procedures and the ICO found at least one incident of £180 being taken unnecessarily from a person’s bank account. The ICO has fined RPUK £70,000 and issued an enforcement notice demanding the company comply with the law within 30 days.

Utility Guard Limited

07 December 2022, Monetary penalties, Marketing

Utility Guard Limited (UGL), based in Chichester, West Sussex made 1,932 unsolicited direct marketing calls to people registered with the TPS between 4 August 2020 and 28 July 2021. The ICO investigation found the company did not hold a TPS licence, were calling customers, some of which were designated by “trueCall” as vulnerable, and had taken money from a person who has dementia. The company showed a wilful disregard of the law and failed to respond to multiple enquiries from the ICO. The ICO has fined UGL £20,000 and issued an enforcement notice demanding the company comply with the law within 30 days.

Zuwyco Limited

11 November 2022, Monetary penalties, Finance insurance and credit

Between 1 January 2021 and 1 August 2021, Zuwyco Limited used a public telecommunications service for the purposes of making 93,558 unsolicited calls for direct marketing purposes to subscribers who had been listed on the TPS register for not less than 28 days, contrary to regulation 21(1)(b) of PECR. This resulted in seven complaints being made to the TPS and the Commissioner.

Interserve Group Limited

24 October 2022, Monetary penalties, Retail and manufacture

Between 18 March 2019 and 1 December 2020 Interserve Limited (“Interserve”) failed to process personal data in a manner that ensured appropriate security of the personal data using appropriate technical and organisational measures as required by Article 5(1)(f) and Article 32 GDPR. This rendered Interserve vulnerable to a cyber-attack which took place in the period 30 March 2020 to 2 May 2020 and affected the personal data of up to 113,000 employees of Interserve.

Apex Assure Limited

19 October 2022, Monetary penalties, Retail and manufacture

Between 1 February 2021 to 31 July 2021, Apex Assure Limited used a public telecommunications service for the purposes of making 122 unsolicited calls for direct marketing purposes to subscribers where the number allocated to the subscriber in respect of the called line was a number listed on the register of numbers kept by the Commissioner in accordance with regulation 26, contrary to regulation 21(1)(b) of PECR. This resulted in 122 complaints being made to the TPS and the Commissioner.

Easylife Limited

05 October 2022, Monetary penalties, Retail and manufacture

Easylife Limited has contravened Article 5(1)(a) of the GDPR in that there were serious deficiencies in the way it has collected, processed, and used the personal and special category data of 145,400 individuals. Between 1 August 2019 and 19 August 2020, Easylife Limited was responsible for 1,345,732 unsolicited direct marketing calls being made to subscribers. These subscribers were registered with the TPS and they had not notified Easylife Limited that they were willing to receive the calls. This resulted in a total of 25 complaints being made to the TPS and the Commissioner as a result.