The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined the director of a debt recovery firm more than £6,000 for bombarding individuals and businesses with unwanted faxes.
The prosecution was successfully launched against Robert Logan, director of Preston-based Clear Debt Solutions (CDS), after more than 500 complaints from individuals and businesses flooded into the ICO and the Fax Preference Service (FPS).
Logan pleaded guilty to 13 offences relating to breaches of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations. He has been fined £400 per charge plus costs and must now pay a total of £6,274.53.
In September 2007 the ICO issued CDS with an enforcement notice ordering the company to stop sending unwanted faxes to individuals and companies who were registered with the FPS, a list of telephone numbers where the subscribers have registered an objection to receiving unsolicited faxes, or who had not given consent to receiving such faxes.
Despite the enforcement notice, and Logan being questioned under caution, the ICO and the FPS continued to receive complaints about unsolicited faxes, receiving a further 822 since October 2007.
Mick Gorrill, assistant commissioner at the ICO, said: "Unsolicited marketing faxes can be just as irritating and intrusive as unwanted marketing phone calls.
"This practice is unacceptable and our action against Mr Logan sends out a strong signal to any unscrupulous businesses that flout the rules – we will prosecute for systemic non-compliance with the Data Protection Act."
That's good news - let's hope a few more companies get fined.
Sharing from experiences of dealing with debt
The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.
Bob Marley. http://kallis3.blogs.iva.co.uk
No it isn't! David's company is beyond reproach, highly professional and is not a debt collecting company.
Sharing from experiences of dealing with debt
The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.
Bob Marley. http://kallis3.blogs.iva.co.uk
They are similar, but if you read the 'M.O' , there is no way that David's firm would do anything like that.
Sharing from experiences of dealing with debt
The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.
Bob Marley. http://kallis3.blogs.iva.co.uk
Thanks Jan and Melanie - No connection with ClearDebt at all. Still trying to persuade companies that use a name similar to our own to desist - getting somewhere with a few of them - this bad egg Clear Debt Solutions will need to be addressed and I'll get onto it as soon as possible.
Regards, David Mond, Insolvency Practitioner for over 46 years. Personal Insolvency Practitioner of the year 2012, Personal Insolvency Practitioner of the year finalist 2013 & 2014 awarded by Insolvency & Rescue Magazine and 2015 finalist for Personal Insolvency Firm of the Year.