Residents' dismay over nuisance telephone calls

After failing to get calls stopped by BT, recipients are calling for the Government to intervene and take action on these nuisance calls.

Complaints have been mounting about the callers, day and night, week after week, claiming to represent Galaxy Finance or Galaxy Debt Advisory.

Their opening gambit is to say they are ringing 'on behalf of the government' with advice about 'debt clearance' or 'consolidating financial positions'.

Those receiving calls include people who have no debts or need of a loan- and even an 88-year-old pensioner from Billingshurst, who does not wish to be named, has been targeted.

She told the West Sussex Gazette: "They have been ringing me for almost three months even though I have told them to go away. I am at my wits end. The calls simply do not stop and BT have told me they cannot do anything about it."

Even people who are registered with Telephone Preference Service, or who are ex-directory have been receiving these calls.

Mrs Lynn Jackson of Storrington said: "These people have been calling my elderly parents on a daily basis over the last few weeks. My mother has become quite distressed about these calls and has asked them not to ring again, but it is still happening.

"My parents' number is also registered with TPS. Something needs to be done to stop this company harassing people in their own homes."

Another complainant said: "It is very difficult to communicate with these callers, because it is not easy to understand what they are saying.

"I asked for my number to be deleted and was promised this would be done, but have had 17 calls in a ten day period since making the request. It is becoming a major nuisance. All the calls come from 08448 466524."

The West Sussex Gazette rang this number and spoke to Rekij Yadev, who refused to say who owned the company but said the company had call centres all over south Asia, mainly India.

She said: "We are privately helping the government. So many people are going bankrupt that we are stopping them going bankrupt and helping the British economy.

"The company's name is Galaxy Debt Advisory and we are ringing people because everyone is in trouble and we are trying to help them. We give them very good loan rates which helps the government."

She said she was based in Leicester but that the company had call centres based mainly in Southern Asia.

Trading standards have been unable to help anyone, and the telephone preference service suggests people should complain to the Information Commissioners Office, a process involving complicated forms. BT said nothing could be done to stop the calls because the same number was being used as a route by a variety of call centres, and there was no way of knowing the original numbers.

BT suggested Ofcom might help but the WSG is still awaiting a reply from Ofcom

Have you been hassled by these calls?

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