Nuisance calls

Ofcom’s regular research into nuisance calls measures the frequency of the nuisance calls UK consumers receive on their home landline phone.

We gather real-time data about these types of calls, including the date, time and duration of nuisance calls, and a full description of the experience; i.e. the company/person calling, what the call was about, and whether the caller’s telephone number was identifiable.

Ofcom monitors consumers' experience of nuisance calls via its Consumer Complaints omnibus study. A nationally representative sample of UK landline users are asked about their personal experience of nuisance calls on their home landline phone ‘in the past four weeks’. Fieldwork is carried out every two months, to allow Ofcom to monitor any seasonal changes.