Consumer Lifestyles Nuisance Calls

Millais

I've recently obtained some information which might help other users of this site who are, like me, plagued by nuisance callers. I receive between 2 and 6 cold calls per day. They are usually from "Consumer Lifestyles", or "UK Opinion Poll". Whenever I say I am registered with TPS or I ask where they obtained my personal data, the caller terminates the call abruptly. However, one cold caller finally revealed from whom it purchased my details. The caller admitted that my details were sold to it by McDowall Media, AGF House, 3-5 Rickmansworth Road, Watford, Hertforshire WD18 0GX and gave me the contact name Brett Arellano. The caller suggested I contact Mr Arellano and ask him to remove my details from McDowall Media's datasets.
If you look at Mr Arellano's Linked-In profile, you will see how McDowall Media uses your personal data. It purchases out-of date information about you from high street retailers and similar data controllers. It then uses entities such as Consumer Lifestyles to try to persuade you to 'update' your personal details. When you answer the questions, you are unwittingly confirming your personal details to be correct and you are giving McDowall Media further information that it can use to sell your details to other companies. Consumer Lifestyles will, for example, say it wants you to answer a few non-personal market research questions (e.g. where did you buy your TV set?) you might say "Comet" and think there is nothing that Consumer Lifestyles can do with that information. However, the caller has already asked "Are you Mr/Mrs. X?" and if you have replied "Yes", it can tick the box that you are connected to that telephone number and address. It will then sell your details back to the high street retailer it first purchased them from and sell them on to other companies for which you have already indicated a preference (e.g. Comet).
I have asked McDowall Media to remove my personal data from their datasets, but to no avail. I have also complained to the ICO but the ICO seems reluctant to pursue the matter. Perhaps if other householders who are continually called by Consumer Lifestyles and other bogus market researchers complain to the ICO about McDowall Media, we might be able to stop some of these nuisance calls.
Best wishes everyone. I hope this information helps someone.