Digby Brown does not cold call – never has, and never will

This month, it was reported that more than one million cold calls had been blocked in East Renfrewshire since the installation of call blocker units in 2012. This year alone, the Information Commissioner’s Office shows there have been over 38,000 complaints about nuisance calls or texts. In 2021, the ICO received over 130,000 complaints (Yes, that’s just the number of complaints!)

“That’s all well and good but why is Digby Brown talking about cold calling?”

The answer is simple - we highlight cold calling because we don’t do it.

It’s important for you to know this because if you receive a random call from someone claiming to be from Digby Brown then you need to take precautions because it’s not us.

The only time Digby Brown will call you is if you contact us first to arrange a call back (such as via our online enquiry form) or if you are already our client and we call you with a case update.

For more than a decade everyone across Scotland has grown with our motto – If it matters to you, it matters to Digby Brown.

Well it matters that you are not annoyed by unwanted calls. It matters that your data is protected. It matters that your privacy is respected. It matters that you are not being harassed by faceless, nameless entities. It matters that you know who you can trust when YOU decide to call.

Digby Brown is not a claims management company. Digby Brown does not harvest data from third party vendors. Digby Brown only uses legitimate advertising such as TV, radio or billboard adverts. And Digby Brown NEVER approaches victims of accidents.

All our clients come to us of their own free will. They may have heard recommendations from loved ones, done their own research by checking the likes of Trustpilot or Chambers & Partners rankings or even been referred by charities who recognise our expertise… But no one was ever approached by Digby Brown. We always wait for you to make the first contact.

Protecting your rights, your privacy, your data and even yourselves is the very reason GDPR laws were invented in 2018. We actually made an anti-cold calling advert around the same time and judging by the engagement across our social media it was an assurance that was understood and welcome by many.

But the new figures from the ICO show cold calling is still a problem for hundreds of thousands of people.

It still matters. So it still matters to us.

“Have you been in accident?”

“We’re calling because of the accident you were in.”

“Were you involved in an accident in the last three years?”

It’s infuriating to receive calls or texts that start with such teeth-grinding phrases.

But from our point of view it causes a deeper frustration. Digby Brown is a legitimate law firm with a reputation spanning more than 100 years. The last thing we want is for the work of our people – and the trust of the public – to be undermined by the actions of cold callers.

What to do if I receive cold calls?

If you receive unwanted calls, emails or texts then the best thing to do is report it to the ICO at their Nuisance Calls page.

You can also register with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) and once you add your number to their database then this should prevent third parties from reaching you. This method is especially useful to people who may wish to put further measures in place to protect elderly or vulnerable relatives.

Another thing you may want to look into is the cookies you have allowed on your computer or smartphone. When you’ve accepted the terms of entering a particular website you may have agreed to have your data used by external parties – this in turn may have resulted in your data being harvested and used for unwanted calls, texts or emails. If you take the time to analyse and improve your online footprint/habits then it may help in the future too.

Digby Brown stands beside the public on this: cold calls are not welcome, never acceptable and we want them gone.

Learn more about East Renfrewshire council’s trueCall system.

Find the latest figures from the ICO on nuisance calls and texts.