Nuisance phonecalls

[sherrardk]

Anyone else had a marked increase in nuisance phone calls lately? I seem to be getting them from about eight different numbers at the moment. We have caller display and I've got a list of numbers that I don't answer (or I do answer and don't say anything, just put the phone to one side) but if it just says external call I answer it as our number is also listed on our business website.

[askyourgran]

We seemed to get a lot from Brian in Mumbai and John in Jodphur, now we have subscribed to a company to put a stop on unwanted unidentified international phone calls and junk mail. Hopefully it will work. Although the other day I became a bit short with someone I couldn't hear or understand properly and it turned out to be British Gas in Edinburgh!

[sherrardk]

Hi AYG, it's not a biggie but a pain when they ring when thing 1 and thing 2 have just gone to bed. Just can't work out why the number per day has increased so much.

[237SJ]

I was at my mother`s house this evening when a call showed up as `International` on her phone. When I answered the man from the Indian call centre asked for someone by name who wasn`t my mum. When I said he had the wrong number he just hung up without another word. Mum said she had the same thing happen last night at the same time. I can`t wait until he calls again tomorrow. I`m going to have some fun with that one. AYG - what`s the name of the organisation you have signed up with? I have signed her with the Telephone Preference Service but don`t know if it covers international calls.

[Mosaic]

We're signed up with the TPS and still get unsolicited calls - usually from India, from guys called Thomas or James or whatever. I think the TPS can't do anything about the volume of data that's been flogged abroad, because chasing up the beggars would cost them all their resources.
It's quite good fun to pretend to be deaf, or dotty, or both. I work on the priciple of wasting as much of their time as I can.

[askyourgran]

I get so annoyed about it, it makes me wonder how they get our number. Our caller display identifies them as Unidentified Out of Area or International Call so I just switch the phone on and off straight away. However the Unidentified Out of Area one I do answer now, I got a call from ITV telling me I'd won £2.400 in a competition earlier this year, I almost gave that call the on and off treatment. :-)

[Old_Geezer]

Do beware. BT have recently decided to drop customer satisfaction through the floor, and instead of sending reminders get a machine to call you, and they think that's ok. Load of garbage excuses about being green, can you believe.

[daisya]

Yes and they are all recorded messages and the numbers all begin with 0845 or 0844 and looking it up it's all leased through cable and wireless (I think) and some of the names called are Barclays Bank, Halifax etc etc. I wish I could stop it but it's not easy to do with the recorded messages apparently...hope to find a way sometime soon if I can.

[askyourgran]

We now have UK data controllers to stop these calls. It was only a couple of days ago that Mrask took the call he agreed to a trial from this company and it may be 28 days before the international calls can be stopped. It is more expensive, it costs about £60 per year or double for life (I think) guaranteed so they say. MrAsk said he is just trying this out at £5 per month for now. Previously we had the Telephone Preference company (about £20 for a year) which sometimes worked but a few got through. I'd stopped it last year.

[daisya]

It annoys me that one has to pay, we don't ask for the calls why should we pay to stop them, though of course it's all probably way of extracting the cash from the consumer. They set the calls to be a nuisance and then charge you to get rid...erm...hmmm....good scheme eh!

[bagpuss63]

I've had 3 silent calls since yesterday-if still getting them by saturday I'm changing number

[askyourgran]

I agree daisya. Bagpuss silent calls are another matter, I used to get those and they upset me a lot, this was before the advent of 1471. If they continue ask for help from BT or the Police may be able to advise you.

[bertiebear]

Hi, I thought the Telephone Preference Service was a free service. I am sure I didn't pay anything when I registered.
Check on their site here. http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps/ BB

[chelle7272]

Yes it was free when i registered

[lcg]

thanks - just registered with the tps and hopefully they will stop some of our annoying calls, too x

[plautus]

i sympathise with Gran. I was once called by my bank from India. I couldn't understand a word and eventually asked to be transferred to the UK. They put me through to Glasgow. I still couldn't understand a word.

[tommy-h]

Gawd plautus I cannot beleeeive you said that

[sherrardk]

Got phone calls from two new numbers today - the phone's ringing all the time.

[starone]

Just had one - guy with an American accent. I didn't give him time to say much, as soon as he introuced himself I just said shove off, or words something like that and put the phone down. I don't even give them time to get started. Very annoying though, as I was watching something on tv and had to turn the sound off while I answered the phone.