The man was also paying a firm called Premier Protect 365 to cover a fridge. Companies House records show this brand is the trading name of Premier Protect Holdings Ltd, which shares a director – called Abdelhak Akayour – with Protect Your Bubble Ltd.
More than 100 people have complained about the firm on Trustpilot, a review website. Some said they tried for weeks to claim for repairs on their policy but were continually put off until they gave up. Others claimed they were led to believe Premier Protect 365 represented their existing provider.
One person claimed their elderly mother-in-law was convinced into giving out her bank details to renew a policy she did not have. Soon after, £195 was taken from her account. Her family threatened the company with legal action and the money was returned.
Further investigation by Telegraph Money found that Mr Akayour is also listed as the director of other companies, including another that sells domestic appliance insurance, Domestic Guardian Ltd. When this newspaper tried to contact Mr Akayour, the phone numbers for Protect Your Bubble Ltd and Domestic Guardian Ltd were invalid. Premier Protect 365 hung up when it learned the caller was a journalist.
One in five people has been cold called about household appliance insurance or extended warranties in the past year, a Which? survey of more than 15,000 people found. It is not illegal for companies to call you trying to sell something, even if they have had no business with you previously, unless they are calling about your pension.
Caroline Abrahams of Age UK, a charity, said these types of nuisance or scam calls could cause some older people to unplug their phone altogether.
“Many rely on their landlines and cold callers know they are likely to be spending much longer at home over the next six months. It’s vital that action is taken by the authorities to prevent these calls,” she added.
Older people wanting to avoid this type of contact could register with the telephone preference service, ask their phone company what protection services they offer or consider installing a call blocking unit.
James Brown, of Assurant Direct’s Protect Your Bubble, said it became aware of potential clone activity and reported it to the FCA immediately. “Our staff never engage in cold calling to conduct sales activity,” he said.
Mr Akayour, Protect Your Bubble Ltd, Premier Protect Holdings Ltd and Domestic Guardian Ltd did not respond to requests for comment.