Silent call 'culprit' invests to comply with Ofcom rules

by Daniel Farey-Jones, Brand Republic 14-Nov-06, 07:00

LONDON - Bracken Bay Kitchens, one of the companies accused by telecoms regulator Ofcom of breaking rules on silent calls, has installed a new automated dialling system to remedy the problem.

Bracken Bay, a kitchen supplier, admits to using a system that did not comply with regulations set by Ofcom and the Telephone Preference Service.

It claims it has decommissioned that system at a cost of £140,000 and purchased a new, compliant system from Amcat at a cost of £200,000.

The new system keeps silent call volumes below 3% and also plays a recorded message identifying the caller in the case of a silent call.

In addition, Bracken Bay has ensured it does not call TPS-registered numbers by implementing a screening system supplied by UKDataID.

The company was identified by Ofcom as one of four that repeatedly exceeded the 3% upper limit for silent calls as the proportion of total calls in any 24-hour period between April and July. The other three are Carphone Warehouse, Toucan Telecom and Space Kitchens.

Ofcom has allowed each of the four companies until December 6 to respond, after which it will consider what action is appropriate. It may impose a fine and the maximum amount possible is £50,000 a call.

John Fleming, managing director of Bracken Bay Kitchens, said: "On hearing that the procedures we had in place did not comply with Ofcom's regulations we took immediate steps to rectify this."

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