Face The Fax, ICO Tells Orion

The Information Commissioner's Office has taken enforcement action against Orion Forklift and Plant after 1700 complaints were made about the company's marketing activities.

Orion, based in Kent and owned by Ivor Cox, was the subject of complaints made both by individuals and by organisations signed up to the Fax Preference Service (FPS), after Orion had repeatedly sent out unsolicited faxes advertising the company and its services. Under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003, Orion could not send direct marketing faxes to:

• individual subscribers to the FPS who have not given prior consent to Orion to send such information;
• corporate FPS subscribers who have previously informed the company that they do not wish to receive direct marketing on a particular fax line; or