TalkTalk stops Newcastle cold calling after complaints

Broadband provider TalkTalk has stopped all door-to-door sales in Newcastle after falling foul of cold calling restrictions.

The company has been accused of "persistent" activity in a No Cold Calling Zone (NCCZ) in the Kenton area.

Councillor Stephen Lambert said he had received "numerous complaints".

However, the company claimed Newcastle City Council had not provided detailed information about where measures were in place.

In a letter to the local authority, it said it had received only one complaint anywhere outside Newcastle for entering a NCCZ in the past two years but confirmed it was suspending all door-to-door sales activity in the city.

Mr Lambert, who reported the firm to the council's trading standards team, said: "Every neighbourhood across the Kenton ward is a 'No Cold Calling Zone'.

"Despite this, we've had numerous complaints about uninvited cold calling from people claiming to be from broadband, telecoms and energy companies. The most persistent has been TalkTalk.

"The decision of TalkTalk to desist from this activity is welcome."

There are currently 48 NCCZs in Newcastle, covering about 84,410 households across 15 of the city's wards, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

While it is not illegal to cold call, the council says NCCZs are designed "to act as a deterrent to rogue traders" and "empower local residents to feel confident about sending unwanted callers away".

TalkTalk said agents acting on behalf of the company were "given thorough training and instruction not to enter NCCZs" and that those involved in the complaints were "dealt with appropriately" through a formal disciplinary process.

"Unfortunately, following these measures we were made aware of a further complaint in relation to a NCCZ, and therefore decided to suspend all activity in the Newcastle are," it added.

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