How to stop cold calls?
This is getting annoying now...recently we have been several getting cold calls a day on our land line - recorded messages from companies selling loans, etc.
So far today we've had over half a dozen, from withheld/0800/international numbers. Is there a way to opt out of these and get my number removed? I thought I did something like that a couple of years ago, but it didn't work. I'm ex-directory (of course).
So far today we've had over half a dozen, from withheld/0800/international numbers. Is there a way to opt out of these and get my number removed? I thought I did something like that a couple of years ago, but it didn't work. I'm ex-directory (of course).
Post edited by Daren on
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http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps/
But it can take a month just to kick in...
...and not all these bastard cold calling companies actually screen their lists against the TPS list.
I had a nefarious plan a while back: I would connect an old dialup modem to the line and write a prog to read the number via caller ID. If it started with 0845, 0870, 0800 or an international code, I would have the program "answer" the call, play the out-of-service beeps (apparently those beeps signal remote autodiallers to remove your number from their lists) and drop the call again. After some googling around for modem AT codes, I came up with the sequence to answer the call, play the beeps over the phone line, and end the call.
And I would've gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for those meddling kids at BT! They decided to adopt a slightly different system for caller ID than the US networks, and of course, all the modems support the US standard, with practically no modems offering BT caller ID support. Despite me having umpteen modems lying around, none of them can detect caller ID on my line (but my phone can). So... a colossal waste of time really! It was a nice idea though...
I heard that's gonna change :-(
Apparently the government is gonna publish/flog mobile phone lists to companies soon...
Record onto it the official "This number is disconnected..." blah-blah.
Just remember to tell your friends your number is NOT disconnected.
rather than using the modem's internal decoder, set it up to monitor the audio on the line (I'm assuming a voicemodem here) and decode the callerID in software on the computer.
Erm, no.
They were suprised to here that the Tiscali account is NOT registered to me, and that I wouldn't give them any information reguarding it, or why I have various email addresses under it and am using their webspace.
I love all my names! It really knackers information up! Banks go ape!
EDIT - strangely enough, I was cut off last night. And now I get a call. I'm guessing they don't like me having unlimited interet access on the cheap - and use it all they time! But those contracts can work both ways!
that will be interesting on trains, everyones phone going off every five mins.
i reckon it won't be worth their time, as loads of numbers sims aren't used, and kids have them.
As the earlier person mentioned, keep a whistle by the phone, that bloody hurts your ears, I can vouch for that.
I have bought ink cartridges on the net and never got any spam... how the hell would they get my telephone number anyway?
I think the real tip here is, never put your telephone number down on an order form, if they have your email and postal address then there is absolutely no reason to demand a phone number.
if the form won't submit without one, you can use one of these http://www.ofcom.org.uk/telecoms/ioi/numbers/num_drama
Not quite. But they are trying to setup a service whereby you can ring a directory enquiries number and ask to be put through to such and such's mobile. The number is never given out - you just get connected to whomever. For a fee.
Still not good though.
1. By all means register with TPS, but do it through BT's "Privacy At Home" service; this enables your line for Caller Display for free. Reputable companies will comply with the TPS register.
2. Buy a telephone that supports Caller Display. I bought a BT Decor 1200 for ?20. This has several other handy features such as call history & recall & auto-dial, plus useful buttons ... and! ... flashing lights!!.
3. Subscribe to BT's "Call Minder" service (?7.50 per quarter).
You can now avoid answering:
a) calls from numbers you don't recognise or don't want to talk to (displays number);
b) UK calls withholding number (displays "withheld");
c) overseas calls (displays "unavailable");
d) company switchboard calls (displays something else which I can't remember, but may record a number anyway depending on their system);
just by checking the display.
Genuine callers who happen to inadvertently fall into one of the "avoid" categories will call back or leave a message (there's a green flashing 1571 button on the Decor 1200 for recalling messages ... and! ... a red flashing light for missed calls!!). Anyone else can be comfortably ignored with a clear conscience, without the hassle or speaking to someone either trying to sell you something you don't want or swindle you, getting cut off by some auto-dialler, or even picking up the telephone at all. Bliss!
PS.
I don't work for BT.
PS.
Some auto-diallers transmit a bogus telephone number which makes it appear as if it were a local or otherwise innocuous call. There's a site called WhoCallsMe? which records comments on some of these and other common cold callers, which can give you some ideas on what to look out for.
The bastards already did I think, I got cold called the day I activated my mobile phone a few years back, by an oriental lady offering me a new phone! Insanity! I kept her on the line so long she got pissed off and hung up on me though.
I keep getting people here calling me and asking for Mike, I dunno who Mike is but he's a pretty popular guy, every number that calls asking for him is a different person. Mike must be happy to know he has so many friends, now I wish the git would just change his phone number so they stop calling me :mad:
I've been getting calls all day now - about one an hour. When I pick up it just goes dead, then a long beep tone. Number withheld.
And last week I got two calls when I was out (unconscious) and messages left. One was from ASDA tellling me that the plant I ordered had arrived and would be kept behind the information desk for me to collect (????), and the other was from some guy asking me to ring him back to book his wife, Dorothy, in for a 'glass test', whatever that is! I might ring him back and see how much he's offering.