Nuisance telephone calls.

[Bagpuss]

Why should you have to pay for call barring to stop these people invading your privacy at least the TPS is free.

[simon]

I argued that point most strongly with BT, Bagpuss. It is THERE service that people are using to abuse US, But it did not wash and Pay I do for my peace..

[lettie]

I usually do the 'put the phone down and walk away' routine. I have done it for years. I do get occasional calls but not many. I refuse to pay to have calls barred and am always suspicious when my home phone rings, as most people contact me on my mobile.

[Sara]

Originally Posted by korando

if you have call barring you can enter a code in your phone to stop people ringing you who have a withheld number. we have this service and it stopped these calls dead.

With NTL the call barring facillity is free, unfortunately we can only use it when my husband is on holiday from work as he is on call out.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Originally Posted by Sparkologist

When you get a cold caller, don't hang up. Put the handset down but don't put it back on the cradle or switch off. Whilst your phone is still connected to that call, the cold caller cannot ring out on their phone until you hang up. You will hear all sorts of banshee like screams and alarms coming from your phone, telling you to hang up, but it's a good feeling when you know that the nuisance caller is getting a taste of their own medicine, and deny them the opportunity to do their job and earn some commision.

I learned of this technique from my cousin who works for BT.

I actually do this. It's not the caller's fault though is it? I almost feel sorry for them. They are just doing a job after all but I got so fed up with the same calls over and over again when I've already told them I have nothing left to double glaze or no outstanding credit cards debts that I wish to amalgamate into one low monthly payment. So, I started just putting the phone down and carrying on with what I was doing, from time to time picking it up to listen if they were still there and half the time they were! Still waffling on about the benefits of their product!!

A couple of days ago I got really annoyed with Oxfam. I make a regular donation to them, presuming it went to help disadvantaged people somewhere in the world (flood and famine victims that kind of thing) I didn't expect it to be wasted on phone calls telling me what they are spending it on. I told them I didn't want to know, I just wanted them to stop wasting it - but the caller didn't seem to get the point and continued to chunner. So I told him that if he didn't cease I would cancel my donation because I didn't intend it to go towards funding nuisance phone calls. Even then he didn't shut up, so I hung up. He's probably made a note somewhere that I'm a very grumpy so and so.

[Len]

Well, it’s been a month now since I registered on TPS Online.
And I haven’t had one nuisance telephone call since then.
I know they say “it takes up to 28 days for the service to take effect” but for me it seems to have worked within days. Brilliant!

You must give it a try.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Thanks for bringing this to our attention Len. I've had some really annoying calls in my time - usually when I'm up to me eyeballs in something. I've kept saying I must get around to doing something about it but never did until you posted the thread on here.

I came across something else recently too which may interest people. If you are pestered by silent calls. This kind of thing:

The phone rings, you answer it. There's no response. You put the phone down and dial 1471 and it says the caller withheld their number.

You can stop this happening by phoning 0870 4443969 and registering your number with them. It will stop silent calls for 12 months and then you need to re-register.

I'm now off to hunt down Mail Preference Service to stop half a forest coming through my letterbox every day.

[MUMMIBOO]

I got a canvas caller the other day i was just going to work he wouldnt get the message i wasnt interested then i asked how he got my number (ex-directory) he said off the sun data base i asked how it got there and he was stumped and said err errm i dunno!
so i told him to remove me off the data base and he said ok
he was gutted i wasnt interested in his wonderful offer though.

[pendy]

Quite often the silent phone calls are because the cold calling system automatically rings several numbers, and they deal with the first one to answer. The others just get the silent treatment.

[slinky]

CHEERS LEN!!!!! I am sick to the back teeth of these people. They take ages to answer when i pick the phone up so In the end I just waited 3 seconds then put it down because i knew it was them cheers again very useful information and YES i have registered and boy will they know about it if they ring me again after 28days

[pendy]

A couple of years ago, we had a period of getting junk faxes at 5 o'clock or so in the morning. As David works from home and the fax machine was in the bedroom, this was annoying to say the least. I tracked down the company who sent the faxes (via a friend who is good at that sort of thing - ex-policeman, now a private enquiry agent), got the name of their MD, got his home phone no. and phoned him the next time it happened, YES - at about 5 o'clock in the morning, to say we had received it, and would he stop them coming please, otherwise I would phone him every time.

They stopped.

We now have faxes routed direct onto the PC, anyway, but we haven't had any junk ones!

[WillowTheWhisp]

I like your solution.

I'm still getting the odd phone call or two but hopefully they will stop soon. I don't think it's been 28 days yet.

[vorlon24]

This is going to cover a few points that have been mentioned on this thread.

Can I apologise in advance, as I haven't been here very long!

Firstly, I sometimes get this sort of treatment from people, however, I do not 'cold call', as this is no longer permitted in the industry that I work in. They fill in a form on line with their request and I call them to follow up and make an appointment to come and see them. There has been the odd occasion when the partner hasn't been aware that they have registered, and can be quite rude sometimes.

I tend to withhold my number though, as I keep my mobile on at the weekends, and would not appreciate phone calls from clients when I am spending time with the family, but I keep it on as I don't pay for the phone calls and my private mobile has no money on it!

I wish there was an email preference service!!!

[WillowTheWhisp]

What industry do you work in vorlon?

Unfortunately a lot of companies do "cold call". I have never filled in an online request for calls about double glazing (I've nothing that isn't double-glazed) and neither did my late husband. No-one in this house has ever requested such calls and yet I got dozens if not hundreds.

They seem to be dropping off now but tonight I got a call from my ISP with an advert for an upgrade which was a bit behind the times as I already have the upgrade they were trying to sell me!

I think there is an email preference service. Don't know how effective it is though. If I come across it I'll let you know. I'm not too troubles by spam at present.

[vorlon24]

I work in financial services - I am an Independent Financial Adviser, but specialise in mortgages.

As I only started down the advice route in April, I am having to work at the moment from leads, but recently the Financial Service Authority outlawed cold calling, and now we have to have the prospective clients' permission to call them.

I am only starting out, so if you have registered an interest in a mortgage online, please be kind - it might be me!

And as for spam, you should see my Tiscali inbox. I refuse to allow it into my Outlook, as every day it gets totally bombed with Spam.

As soon as I can get away from Tiscali, the better! If they ever send me a correct bill so that I can pay them and make good my escape...