A new policy fining company bosses if their companies make nuisance calls to customers may mean we can finally leave that mystery 'car accident' ("how many times do I have to tell you I don't even have a car?!?") behind us.
What it means: We made or received 3.9 billion nuisance texts and calls in 2017 – that's an average of 60 per person (which includes babies and kids who don't have phones so probably a lot more than that).
Some measures have already been taken to stop them: businesses aren't allowed to make their numbers anonymous, for example. The principle there is 'perfect information' – consumers should know what they're agreeing to spend their time on before they pick up the phone.
Businesses are also liable for fines of up to £500,000 for cold or nuisance calling. But instead of paying it, a good 50 per cent of company bosses are simply declaring bankruptcy and setting up the same business under a different name to avoid the fine. Real smooth, guys.
Now, the government's changed the rules: the bosses themselves are responsible for paying up that penalty. And unless they really, really need to, they're probably a lot less likely to change their name – instead, they'll hopefully just start following the law.
