We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum... Read More »
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
Privacy Alert! Opt your mobile out of new DQ services
Comments
-
I've requested opt out from the new 118 "service", both by text a week ago and using the website today.
A search on their website still reports that my number can be obtained.
The company running this site is either totally incompetent or they are simply telling lies.
One week is not four is it :whistle:
Try reading this thread or the FAQ on their website and you will know it takes four weeks and avoid you jumping in calling this company scammers
.0 -
How does it work?
Contrary to what you might think, your mobile number won’t actually be given out by the directory. There’s two ways to use the service: by phone and online. Both cost £1.
To use it by phone, you dial 118-800, and tell the operator the first name and surname of the person you’re seeking and the town they live in. If the directory has that person’s details, you will be put on hold while the operator calls the person and asks them if their willing to have your phone patched through to theirs.
To use the service online, visit www.118800.co.uk and fill in first name, surname and town of the person you’re looking for. If that person is on the database, the individual will receive a text with your name and mobile number. They then have the option to call you.
Is the service already available?
It goes live next Friday (June 18th), but a test website is up and running now where you can try out the database.
Will my number be on the directory?
The directory has around 15 million numbers and there’s an estimated 40 million adults in the UK that use mobiles. On that basis, there’s around a 40% chance that your number will be in there.
Everyone who’s number is on the directory must have, at some point, agreed to have their number circulated, but many will have done so unwittingly.
How did my number get on there?
The numbers have been collected through three main sources:
- Market research companies
- Businesses that take our details through online transactions
- Brokers that specialise in buying and selling things, such as mobile phone numbers
How do I opt out?
Text 'E' to 118800 from the mobile phone number you want removed or call 0800 138 6263. You’ll have to pay the standard rate for the text or call and your removal from the directory could take up to four weeks. URL="http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/news.aspx?id=58676"]source[/URL
The fact my phone number will not be given out is reassuring in terms of my concern but even if I'm not worried I'm annoyed by this. Something like this should be OPT-IN, and certainly not made difficult to opt-out. It's true now I suppose that data is the new currency.
This thing we call failure is not falling down but staying down :beer:0 -
How did my number get on there?
The numbers have been collected through three main sources:
- Market research companies
- Businesses that take our details through online transactions
- Brokers that specialise in buying and selling things, such as mobile phone numbers
The site claims to have my number. What's got me more concerned is that someone is giving my number out to this company, when I've gone to a lot of trouble to make sure I don't get marketing emails and calls from various companies. So what I'd like to know is what company gave my number to them? Anyone think if I put a data protection request in to them they'll tell me? Whoever is dealing in this info will give it out to anyone, which I don't like.
I recall in the past when I unexpectedly started getting junk postal mail I called the company sending it (First Direct) and the rather helpful woman on the phone told me they'd got my details from seetickets.com. So I had a good moan at them and they stopped.0 -
Seems a scam to me to actually get your number when you give it to opt out.0
-
Got the text code within 5 seconds and my number is removed0
-
SAMH255 Your post suggested that using words such as outrageous and shocking were simply intended to provoke outrage! In reality they are used because the 'service' is in itself outrageous. I gave my number to someone for their use and not to pass onto a directory service so they could make money out of it.0
-
There are a lot of seriously worried and misinformed people on this site.
Firstly, no marketing company is going to pay £1 to be put through to someone who simply has the option not even to take the call.
Secondly, any marketing company who wanted to contact you on your mobile can already do so by buying precisely the same marketing list that this company bought.
The truth is that the only people who want to pay £1 to contact you are likely to be family and friends ie someone you already know.
If people want to avoid their mobile number becoming known to marketing people then they should take more care when filling in forms and texting numbers off bottle tops to enter competitions etc.If you're on this company's list, its because your number is already public property.
I'm not sure why people think this is shocking, its only the same as directory enquiries. And no I don't work for the company in question.0 -
Hi - I have just completed the request from start to finish in less than 2 minutes - dead simple - although admittedly not for those people who are having trouble receiving the texts!0
-
oops_a_daisy wrote: »wish I had listened to you Id2d as I now feel like I have given them mine and my daughters numbers for them to use as they want for a month before I am made ex directory
oh and by the way smk77 I stated then and state again - this is a scam
You implied that this service is a scam because they didn't remove your number immediately. The FAQs are clear on this.
It's a service that someone has been able to set up because they are able to get hold on information that the the public may be willing to pay for. The privacy issues are clear but I don't think that this makes it a scam.
If I pay my pound to find someone's mobile number and they put me in contact with that person then how exactly is it a scam?
Perhaps you can state the reasons for this being a scam?0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 350.6K Banking & Borrowing
- 253K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 453.3K Spending & Discounts
- 243.6K Work, Benefits & Business
- 598.3K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 176.7K Life & Family
- 256.7K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.6K Read-Only Boards