Call to set up official register to make it illegal for certain companies to nag Kiwis over phone

Telemarketers sells everything from vacuum cleaners to pay TV. Photo / 123rf

The consumer watchdog is calling for an official 'Do Not Call' register giving Kiwis getting nagging phone calls another way of blocking contact.

A survey carried out by Consumer New Zealand, involving almost 1200 people, found seven out of 10 had been getting unwanted phone calls from companies selling everything from pay TV to vacuum cleaners in the past year.

It also found 30 per cent had been getting such calls at least once a fortnight.

Consumer New Zealand chief executive Sue Chetwin says people are fed up with taking calls from sales representatives pushing products.

"Not surprisingly, most people who get these calls aren't happy about it. Four out of five said they disliked receiving these calls and wanted them to stop."

The survey also found 59 per cent of consumers had been phoned by a charity asking for a donation in the past year.

Chetwin said the majority who get these calls want charities to stop phoning.

But options to do so are limited.

"While there are the industry-run 'Do Not Call' and 'Do Not Mail' registers, our findings show these schemes are falling well short of the mark," she said.

The schemes are voluntary and only some companies use the registers so there's nothing stopping others from hounding you. They also won't stop scammers.

Chetwin points to Australia where its government stepped in and set up an official Do Not Call register, making it illegal for any company to call a number listed on this roll.

She wants the Government to consider doing the same thing for Kiwis.