ClearlySo Raises Investment for Fuss Free Phones' Mobile Phone Service for Elderly

LONDON - July 20, 2016 - PRLog -- Fuss Free Phones, the leading personal mobile phone service with the human touch for the ageing market, today announces growth plans and a round of seed capital.

Fuss Free Phones (www.fussfreephones.com) uniquely meets the mobile communication needs of the growing elderly population facilitating quick and easy connection with loved ones, carers and support. It offers an easy-to-use device and mobile phone network combined with a personal service: a friendly human telephonist who has access to the customer's information and personal phone directory. Pressing the big button on the fuss-free handset connects customers to the telephonist who places calls, filters incoming calls (offering full protection from nuisance calls), sends and reads text messages and helps them find information on the internet.

The seed funding will be used to hire additional staff, finance a large-scale product launch, and further develop the technology's functionality.

"Fuss Free Phones has tapped into a market whose needs are not being met by today's mobile phone manufacturers and operators whose mainstream products are getting smarter, sleeker and less tactile," said Tamsin Chislett, investment manager atClearlySo (http://www.clearlyso.com), Europe's leading impact investment bank, who led the seed investment round.

Simon Rockman, founder of Fuss Free Phones said: "Older people with sight and hearing loss or dementia struggle with the UI on iPhone and Android devices and need a straightforward and familiar system to give them the confidence to stay connected to loved ones. We are thrilled to offer people as our "killer app": our goal is to serve the unmet mobile phone needs for older people and those with visual or hearing impairment and other disabilities."

He added: "Since launching into retail this year we've grown steadily and this extra round of funding will support the next phase of our growth and expansion into new markets."

Fuss Free Phones are available to purchase online (http://www.fussfreephones.com) and through select stockists (http://www.fussfreephones.com/where-to-buy/) including RNIB (http://shop.rnib.org.uk/accessible-technology/telephones-and-mobiles/fuss-free-phones.html) and Unforgettable.org (https://www.unforgettable.org/fuss-free-phones-calls-made-simple).

About Fuss Free Phones
Launched in 2015, Fuss Free Phones (http://www.fussfreephones.com/) is the UK's only personal mobile phone service combining a handset with an around-the-clock live telephonist to help people stay in touch and protect them from nuisance calls. Available 24/7, customers can press the big button on our fuss-free handset to speak with a friendly local telephonist who places calls, filters incoming calls, sends and reads text messages and finds information on the internet. Fuss Free Phones encourages independence for our customers and offers peace of mind for friends and family. For more information, visit www.fussfreephones.com.

About ClearlySo
ClearlySo (http://www.clearlyso.com) is Europe's leading impact investment bank, working exclusively with businesses and funds delivering positive social, ethical and/or environmental impact along with financial return. It supports capital raising activity through financial advisory work.

Originally founded in 2008, ClearlySo has helped more than 100 clients raise more than £100 million in impact investment from its extensive network of high-net-worth individual and institutional investors.

ClearlySo is headquartered in London.

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NOTES TO EDITORS

1)     Pricing: Fuss Free Phones are affordable and have a low monthly subscription. The Retail Price (Phone only) for a Fuss Free Phone is £66.67 ex VAT or £80.00 inc VAT. There are three subscription options available:
●      1 month at the cost of £16.67 ex VAT or £20.00 inc VAT
●      6 months at the cost of £99.00 ex VAT or £118.80 inc VAT
●      12 months at the cost of £179.00 ex VAT or £214.80 inc VAT

Users can call the Fuss Free Phones call centre as many times as they like, 24 hours a day.

2) What are the benefits of having a real live telephonist?

●      It saves the elderly from needing to program the phone address book or remember to write down numbers. You simply ask for the person you want and get put through.
●      Because Fuss Free Phones has each customer's call list, they can opt to only receive calls from the numbers on that list. The call centre answers and screens any other calls. If it's a PPI call they reject it, if it's the optician they put the call through.
●      Blind people can now communicate by text message! The telephonist will send messages on their behalf and if you receive a text response they will call and read it to you.
●      The telephonist can look up phone numbers, addresses and other information on the internet for you.
●      If you are in trouble or need help, they can be a line of support and can connect you to emergency services and message your children or friends.

3) Are customers tied into a contract?

There is no contract, it's a pay monthly service. For anyone needing to stop the services, Fuss Free Phones will cancel from the next monthly billing period, even if they have purchased for six months or a year.

4) How does the service work?

Customers purchase the phone, a simple Doro handset. It is supplied with a form for the phone numbers of the people they might want to call – their relatives, friends, services they use, local shops, emergency contacts and so on – as many as they like. The customer returns the form using the supplied stamped addressed envelope. Customers can also speak to a telephonist to add numbers. The numbers are kept safe in a professional call centre.