CMC stripped of licence after 40 million nuisance calls

Falcon & Pointer Ltd has had its licence revoked by the Claims Management Regulator (CMR) after making almost 40 million nuisance calls in just three months.

Using automatic-dialling technology, the Swansea-based company made millions of calls about mis-sold PPI in 12 weeks, leading to hundreds of complaints by the public.

The CMR found the firm in breach its rules of conduct for pressuring people into signing contracts and making payments without giving them enough time to understand the terms and conditions.

After ignoring warnings from both the CMR and the Information Commissioner's Office, the firm has now been stripped of its licence and can no longer offer regulated claims management services.

Customers may be entitled to repayment of any fees where customers' claims have not been completed, the CMR has advised.

Kevin Rousell, head of the regulator, said: 'Falcon & Pointer has demonstrated the worst excesses of the industry. This firm clearly set out to plague the public and rip off consumers.

'They ignored warnings by us and the Information Commissioner's Office, and today have had their licence revoked as a result of that wilful ignorance.'

Since 2010, over a thousand licences have been removed and fines of more than £1.7m as the Ministry of Justice hones in on rogue firms.

Justice Minister Lord Faulks commented: 'Protecting the public and consumers is our utmost priority and the disgraceful actions of this company would have caused real distress to many people, particularly the vulnerable and elderly.

'The government will continue to take action against rogue firms that put their own profits before the rights of consumers.'