A company that marketed call-blocking devices to elderly customers has been fined £190,000 after the UK data regulator found that it had made more than 758,000 unsolicited marketing calls to people who had specifically opted out of such calls.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said Elderly Aids Ltd (EAL) made 758,053 live marketing calls between May 2024 and February 2025. Every person contacted was registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS), which allows consumers to opt out of unsolicited sales calls.
The ICO also issued an enforcement notice ordering the company to stop making unlawful marketing calls and follow rules requiring businesses to identify themselves when contacting consumers.
According to the regulator, EAL specifically targeted older people while promoting call-blocking equipment. The company presented its products as a way of protecting elderly customers from nuisance calls, while its own sales campaign generated hundreds of thousands of unwanted calls.
The ICO and TPS received 20 complaints during the nine-month campaign. Complaints described the calls as aggressive and misleading, with some callers failing to properly identify themselves.
One complainant alleged that the company persuaded their father to pay £139 upfront for a call-blocking service followed by a monthly charge of £6.99.
Andy Curry, head of investigations at the ICO, said the company had targeted people who had clearly stated that they did not want marketing calls.
He said EAL had shown disregard for both the law and the people it contacted, adding that the fine should warn other businesses that companies can be held responsible for exploiting vulnerable consumers and attempting to avoid regulatory scrutiny.
The ICO said EAL repeatedly failed to respond to requests for information during the investigation and continued making unsolicited calls, resulting in additional complaints.
After becoming aware of the investigation, the company attempted to remove itself from the Companies House register. It is now registered at a default address, according to the regulator.
UK rules prohibit businesses from making live marketing calls to people registered with the TPS unless those individuals have specifically told the company that they are willing to receive its calls.
Russell Roach, director of Preference Services at the Data & Marketing Association, said consumers use the TPS to gain greater control over who can contact them.
He urged businesses to check their calling lists against both the TPS and its corporate equivalent, the Corporate Telephone Preference Service, before launching marketing campaigns.
The latest case adds to a series of enforcement actions against companies making unwanted marketing calls and messages. The ICO has previously imposed substantial fines on businesses accused of breaching direct marketing rules.
The regulator said the case underlined the importance of respecting consumer preferences, particularly when marketing activity involves vulnerable people who have already taken steps to prevent unwanted contact.
