Can Nuicance calls from "International" or "Unavailable" be traced?

andyrad

I am registered with the Telephone Preference service but still keep getting hassled by an International number trying to find out who I get my energy supplied by, I have told them on several occasions that i dont share this information and that they should stop bothering me and to remove my number from their database but they still ring at least three or four times a week! all they say they are is "Utillity Service" and when i ask for their contact details they then hang up. My wife got fed up of it the other day and used the "F" word to them and they had the cheek to ring back and say to me that my wife should get some manners! All i want to find out is the number they are calling from and an address so i can write to them and complain. My Phone service is with Sky

Heinz

Overseas callers are generally exempt from TPS restrictions (which are unenforceable anyway), so we're stuck with them.

DUTR

Why do you think the calls are from an international number?
Woops, just noticed in the title...or unavailable.
Chances are they got the number from a survey answered in the past

andyrad

DUTR wrote: »

Why do you think the calls are from an international number?
Woops, just noticed in the title...or unavailable.
Chances are they got the number from a survey answered in the past

Well it normally says "international" on the phone and then there is the long pause (due to the time delay i think) before the person starts to speak

andyrad

Heinz wrote: »

Overseas callers are generally exempt from TPS restrictions (which are unenforceable anyway), so we're stuck with them.

great! but its sooo annoying how can this be allowed to happen? its harrasment

macman

Yes it is, but who do you think is going to stop it? TPS has no jurisdiction for calls originating from outside the UK.

andyrad

macman wrote: »

Yes it is, but who do you think is going to stop it? TPS has no jurisdiction for calls originating from outside the UK.

i realise this thats why I asked if the phone company could trace the call to see who was making them then i could complain to them myself

martinthebandit

Just tell them to hold on for a moment and then put the phone down and go do something else for 20 minutes or so.

The longer you can keep them on the phone the more it will cost them and the quicker they will start to take no for an answer.

You could set yourself a challenge to see how long you can make the phone call last,

bet you can't keep them talking for over an hour

Sooler

Why not just not answer the phone? :think:

Heinz

If it says 'International' on your Caller Display, it may be that the caller is using a cheap, rather than a mainstream, calls provider (like many on here do).

Those using 18185 for example, will only rarely show their real Caller I.D. because the call is routed out of the country (probably via VOIP) and back in again - resulting in 'International' being displayed.

Bella_b

I've got the same problem. We recently have changed telephone provider and seem to now get more unsolicited calls! We never do surveys or anything. People always phone up and ask to speak to one or both of my parents. I say they are not here (which is true because they are at work) but they always phone during the day when they are never here! I've told them not to phone because they are at work and one guy said he wouldn't phone again.. and he hasn't but just today another person from the same company phoned again, this time a female with a similar sounding voice.. it is a really weird accent! They ring, ask to speak to my dad.. I say he is not here, they say they will call back later.. and don't even say who they are without me asking. I ask what company they are from.. and they say CBS. CBS??? The only CBS I know of is the American Television network. I doubt it is them!

I also had a phone call last night from Consumer Choice.. a survey enabling other companies to contact me about other surveys and products and services! No thank you!! I politely declined. Sometimes I get so annoyed though, with the persistent ones.

How do you block numbers? I wish Google voice was available in the UK. We are registered with TPS and rarely get UK sales calls, only international. You can tell because it takes a second to connect and the signal is bad and you can't hear them very well, also they have foreign accents, often indian or similar sounding. Sometimes silent calls. Really annoying!