unwanted cold calls

[gundogman]

Does anyone know a way of stopping unwanted phone calls from ecorded messages ie ppi claims etc.

[boxtops]

Yes, join either the Telephone Preference Service (free) or the Caller Preference service (about £45) and you then get very few calls. We are in CPS and it really works.

[treetops1]

The best way we have found is to have caller ID. If it comes up international we don't answer. We have our calls blocked through BT but seemingly all can't be blocked.

[gundogman]

thank you boxtops,how do I go about joining tele preference service ?

[bravejordy]

http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps/index.html

[KJN]

Have heard that if you get a call from these guys hit the hash key about seven times as quick as you can without talking to them and that will mess things up for them and you won't get any more calls from that number. worth a try.

[wildwood]

I have great fun in playing with these unsolicited cold callers. Always make sure that you ask them to send you more information (to a fake address of course) and with local businesses who call at teatime to sell you double glazing or carpet cleaning, I invite them for a quote - the address is always an non existing one.

[Canary42]

A friend of mine once got a cold call from a guy selling Conservatories, and kept the guy talking for some time and eventually agreed for him to come round to do a survey in order to be able to produce a quote.
Guy was NOT happy when he discovered my friend lived in a sixth floor flat in a tower block - perhaps he should have asked more questions on the telephone.

[johnny37]

Telephone preference service only works to a point. It does not cost anything. Dont join one of these scammers who offer to do it for you for a fee. A lot of callers dont bother to check the list anyway. You can report them if you wish but I have never heard of anyone being fined. As soon as i twig the call as 'cold' I just hang up. There is no control over internatinal calls excpet to block them all.

[squarebear]

We do the same as treetops and have caller id. If it's some weird number like 0000 or 33448437383, we pick it up and hang up straight away.

[boxtops]

Jonny, that's why we joined the Call prevention Registry - to our mind, it's worth paying - and then if any calls do come through, we can report them to CPS who contact them and can prosecute if they continue to call us.

gundog, here's the CPR link http://www.callpreven.../uk-registration.html

[bravejordy]

Johnny, I agree, the Telephone Preference Services might not be for everyone but I've been registered with them for over six years now and I certainly have no complaints.

Initially, it may take a good 6 - 8 weeks before you notice any decrease in calls but you do have to allow time for those lists to be distributed. I completely disagree that a lot of callers don't bother to check the list. Admittedly I may still get the odd cold call every now and then (approximately one every six months) but as soon as I tell them I'm registered with the TPS, they can't apologize enough and promise to immediately remove my details from their database. Sometimes, if I'm feeling in a really wicked mood I'll let the cold caller ramble on for a few minutes before saying: "Can I just stop you there... Are you aware that this number is registered with the Telephone Preference Services and that your company can be prosecuted and fined up to five thousand pounds?" In my experience, this is enough to knock the wind out of their sails. You can almost picture them quaking in their boots!

The thing to remember though is as brilliant as the TPS is, they can't perform miracles. For instance, if you register with the TPS today and then. let's say, next week or next month, you apply for a loan online or go to different websites disclosing your contact details to all and sundry, and fail to tick the boxes that state "I do NOT wish to be contacted" then you are, in effect, cancelling out your registration with the TPS and making yourself available to cold callers again. These companies could argue that although you registered with the TPS in February, in March you gave permission for these companies or their affiliated partners to contact you.

[seadogg]

If you cut daytime costs with BT and use a dialled prefix like 1899 (5p per call)
the readout may be "International". Have had a few funny answers from friends before they recognised my croak. We never take the mickey out of call centre personnel as it must be a rotten job. TPS is fine.

[johnny37]

bravejordy, yes I do exactly as you do but I am getting fed up being polite. I'm still getting an average of two+ calls a day and I have been a member a lot longer than you. It is not correct that if you forget to tick the box anyone remotely connected to that website can ring you. Many of the callers have a Taiwanese or Sri Lanken accent and they are not covered by the code anyway. This is why I just hang up now.

[bravejordy]

Johnny, all I can say is if you're registered with the TPS (and have been for a lot longer than me) and are still getting an average two+ cold calls a day, I'd question what it is that you yourself are doing wrong. Like I said, I get about one call every six months, so evidently TPS works for me. I do NOT divulge my personal/contact details on websites and on the rare occasions I've had no choice but to do so (i.e. when purchasing items online), I've ticked the relevant boxes clearly stating I do NOT wish to be contacted by them or their affiliated partners and have never once been contacted by these companies, despite your claim to the contrary. I don't mean to appear rude, I'm simply telling you how it is for me. Even when I was inundated with cold calls, I can't say I've ever had any from callers with Taiwanese or Sri Lanken accents. All the ones I had were from English speaking people based right here in the UK. My advice to you is to check your details are up to date on the TPS website, it seems strange that you're still getting 2+ calls a day. If that were me I wouldn't hesitate to contact TPS and ask them why this is happening.

[mojay]

thanks for that link bravejordy - took just a matter of seconds ... ta muchly