What to do about prank calls on private numbers? [Post Office provider]

Cowboy.

Hi all,

We have been getting prank calls on our home number on private numbers, is there anything that can be done to block them?

Post Office weren't exactly helpful and said it would cost an extra £5 a month to get the call block service.

Heinz

BT only charge £4/month for ACR (Anonymous Call Reject).

Devices like the Truecall nuisance callblocker are designed for the purpose but are a little expensive.

What about using an answering machine to screen your calls?

Fruit_and_Nut_Case

Cowboy. wrote: »

Post Office weren't exactly helpful and said it would cost an extra £5 a month to get the call block service.

Heinz wrote: »

BT only charge £4/month for ACR (Anonymous Call Reject).

OP may not want to switch from PO to BT for the sake of £1 per month saving.

Katgrit

Anonymous caller rejection is not what you're looking for, as that will stop ALL anonymous calls such as overseas numbers, and potential calls from the hospital if anyone is taken ill. Not worth the risk. You need a service called "Choose to refuse". There will a monthly charge for this but it may be waived if you've been having nusciance calls. This service allows to to future calls from the last incoming caller. So as and when these calls happen you dial a number into your phone which blocks all further calls from that number, regardless of whether it is withheld. So the person bothering you, once their mobile, house number and local payphone are all blocked they'll soon get bored and give up. And the hospital can still get through if theres an emergency!! Worth it if you've got a stalker or pyscho ex!! They just get a message saying something along the lines of "The person you are calling is not accepting calls from this number".

Hope this helps

Kat

Buzby

Anonymous Call Rejectin IS what you are looking for. Katgrit is way off beam. Overseas calls are not anonymous, simply that the number is unavailable (usually because the data is stripped off at the UK gateway), this means these numbers are 'unavailable' which is a very different scenario. Where numbers are suppressed by the call originator, ACR prevents their delivery.

Choose To Refuse is also wholly inappropriate - as this only works when you input the NUMBER of the line you wish blocked. If no number is present, then it cannot be blocked

Katgrit

Buzby wrote: »

Anonymous Call Rejectin IS what you are looking for. Katgrit is way off beam.
Choose To Refuse is also wholly inappropriate - as this only works when you input the NUMBER of the line you wish blocked. If no number is present, then it cannot be blocked

Rubbish! You're mistaken I'm afraid. Xhen you dial the code into your phone after a anonymous call the system says something along the lines of "A caller who withheld their number rang at 10.51pm. If you wish to barr future calls from that number please press 1 now". I used it for over 18 months with an ex. He withheld his mobile, landline number and the payphone on the corner, and couldn't get thru once I'd blocked him. Honestly, I've used it. You can block KNOWN numbers in advance, but withheld numbers only as and when they call. Its far better to use Choose to Refuse and still have both Aunty Gertie phoning for her monthly chat from Oz AND the hospital get thru when you have a relative dying in A&E.

Buzby

If BT have updated their software on the CTR feature then it is long overdue, however ACR does not block call with no number, as you originally asserted.

It has to be said, more and more prank callers are using VOIP services and can fully configure not only the number that is presented to the recipient, but also mark it as withheld or no number. Strangely, OFCOM have no position on this misleading manipulation of the CLIP data - it catches many out, and even then usefulness of ACR is debatable.

As I recall BTs Choose To Refuse serfices has a pretty low ceiling of numbers you can select, and neither does it permit wild cards to block a number range - continuing to make the service of very limited use,

p00pieb0tt0m

BT have a freephone number 0800 661 441 which is a recorded information service, concerning malicious calls.