Closed petition Unsolicited mail and phone calls

Closed on 19 March 2014

Having elderly relatives, I have witnessed first hand the distress that is caused by unsolicited mail and phone calls from bodies selling, running competitions and marketing charities:

· Information from charities is acceptable, making people feel obliged to contribute is not. My Aunt, for example, wants to send money to every charity because they send pens, address labels, cards or raffle ticket books, which, although not requested by her, she feels she must pay for.

· Companies monitoring purchases pass on information to third parties, who ring, speaking very quickly, and not allowing the recipient to ask questions or clarify the purpose of the call, trying to sell goods or services. My Mother thought she was being watched, or that her finances were being stolen 'on line', as a result of such a call about wills.

Government Action: Legislate against unsolicited sales phone calls;
Regulate contents and appearance of unsolicited mail.