For some time now, we have, intermittently received phone calls from the phone number 02086586176.  The calls are from a fax machine to our home land line and are always in the early hours of the night.

Typically the situation will persist for a week or so and then there may be a gap of a few months before the problem returns.  For many people this will be an irritation, for others extremely distressing.  We all react differently to phone calls in the night, my wife for instance panics and immediately rushes downstairs to answer the phone assuming it’s bad news from friends or family.  Whilst I don’t react in the same manner, once woken I can rarely get back to sleep.

When we first moved to our current address we registered with both the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) and the Fax Preference Service (FPS.)  However it has become apparent that this will not solve this particular problem.  Our number is not a fax line, however in order to make a complaint to the FPS you must send them a copy of the relevant fax you wish to complain about.  See the problem?  No fax machine, no fax, no proof just several phone calls in the middle of the night.

BT offer a Choose to Refuse service which enables you to block given phone numbers however they are currently charging £3.35 per month for this service, I firmly believe that this service should be free.

On investigation I have discovered that phone number 02086586176 belongs to:-

Ivor Cox trading as Orion Forklift and Plant

78 Beckenham Road
Beckenham
Kent
BR3 4RH

Phone:- 020 87667223  Fax:- 020 87610223

Google Maps

For some reason I had envisioned a builder’s yard with fork lifts and JCB’s however on viewing the address on Google Maps using Street View it is a small house converted to offices on the corner of Chaffinch Road and shared with a number of other businesses.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has taken enforcement action against the company on 24th September 2009 following 1700 complaints made to the FPS.  You can view the PDF here.

The ICO says that should the company fail to comply with the Enforcement Notice, they will not hesitate to take further action. Failure to comply would be a criminal offence and may lead to prosecution.

Given that we received a nuisance call from this number in the last few days it would appear that there is either an ongoing appeal against the enforcement action or it has been ignored.  I have therefore written to the ICO for clarification.  But you can see from the ICO’s comments why these things take so long to resolve if ever.  Why for instance does it say ‘Failure to comply would be a criminal offence and may lead to prosecution’ instead of Failure to comply would be a criminal offence and will result in immediate prosecution?

(Update)

Had another call from this company, this time on 02086587546, no response yet from the ICO.

(Update)

Yet another call from this company on 02087610223 at 4 am.  (Apparently the FPS and the ICO are utterly useless)