Channel 4's Dispatches focuses on nuisance calls

This Monday (11 August), Channel 4 Documentary series Dispatches looks at how to stop nuisance calls to your home. We explain how resolver can help you to beat persistent nuisance callers

Channel 4’s investigative documentary series Dispatches has gone undercover to find out exactly why direct marketing-style nuisance calls from charities are such big business – and how you can stop them.

There’s no doubt that telephone fundraising from charities brings in big bucks – £2 billion according to Channel 4. But some of the biggest charities in the UK are using target-driven private companies to raise cash.

You’re not happy about it – the number of complaints about this type of fundraising is increasing sharply.

And no wonder, as Dispatches reporter Seyi Rhodes discovers call-centre workers driven hard to meet targets, and donors get repeated hard-sell calls that can be almost as irritating and distressing as marketing calls attempting to sell you something.

But you can take steps to prevent nuisance calls. The main move you need to make is to put yourself on the Telephone Preference Service list . This is a free-to-join register of UK telephone numbers that direct-marketing companies – including charities – are prohibited by law from calling.

The problem with the TPS is that there are a number of loopholes that let companies contact you, including if you’ve ever inadvertently filled in a webform that ticks a box allowing companies to contact you.

The Dispatches documentary is due to air at 8pm on Monday 11 August 2014 at 8pm, and you can catch up with it on 4oD here.