I may be being dense here but...

[gness]

When i bought this house fourteen months ago I was given a new landline number.
For months I was plagued with calls from companies...PPIs etc...asking to speak to a lady I`d never heard of but who, I discovered, had my number before me.
This stopped but I am now getting calls each day asking to speak to the lady from whom I bought this house. She never had this phone number.
How are they tying up her name with my number? If it`s address....how would that work?

Probably simple and I can`t see it.

[mccfluff]

magic beans

[gness]

Right...................

[emmie]

i can't see it either, can you contact the phone provider and tell them about this, and change your number and make it ex directory.

[Ellipsis]

They are combining two different databases, (Name and Address) and (Phone Number and Address), to give (Name, Address and Phone Number)

[gness]

I`ll contact BT if it continues. Really needed to know if I am missing something obvious first....can`t think what though. It shouldn`t be possible.

[emmie]

or is the woman who had the house before you giving out your new number for some reason, doesn't make sense must admit. Could you also speak with her, take it the house is definitely yours now>

[emmie]

she is not wanted for any crime i take it. Why are all these people chasing her?

[gness]

Thank you Ellipsis. Then I shall just carry on leaving them listening to Classic FM because when I try to explain they hang up.

[gness]

Previous owner is lovely. PPIs and accidents from what I could glean.

[emmie]

suggest contacting BT now, as this doesn't seem right.

[Zeuhl]

Probably as ellipsis explained:

your predecessor is linked to that address

your number is now linked to that address

assuming she is still there, their system is looking for a current phone number and attaching your number to that person's record, effectively adding 2 and 2 and getting 5

[emmie]

go ex directory, it's saves loads of bother.

[gness]

Thank you....what a faff. Hope they like Classic FM before I start with the Bosun`s whistle for their rudeness.

[firewatch]

we get an arguementative old bat who keeps ringing when drunk demanding to speak a katy- i tell her to pee off!

[EvianBaby]

Sorry firewatch, not sure how my mum got your number.

[rowanwitch]

recycled number we have the same problem...debt collection agencies, banks, credit cards, etc etc... they can't remove the number from the database as she gave it to them all my provider would do was offer me a new number. Going ex directory doesn't help as they have the number already. I believe the lady in question still gives this number out as some callers are very surprised when I say she hasn't been on the number for over a year. They also try different combinations eg asking for her by first name in the hope it is her on the line and she will be caught out.

I tell them they are through to an old peoples home now...

[Ellipsis]

How to avoid as many cold calls as possible:

1) Give your number to as few people as possible
2) Go ex-directory
3) Register with the telephone preference service here: http://www.tpsonline....ctps/number_type.html
4) Get a phone with Caller ID and a built-in answering machine. If anybody calls whose number is "International" or "Withheld", let the answering machine pick it up.

Works for me ...

[dotty.]

because if you use the 192.com website, the electoral roll is merged with the phone directory and quite often the electoral rolls go back to 2002 and often the previous houeholder is listed as though they live with the current householder, have a look and you will see what i mean.

[gness]

Thanks for all your help. I have TPS and caller ID. I ignore unavailable and withheld but International is a problem with so many family and friends working or living abroad.
You have solved my mystery though and my whistle is to hand.