how do you stop marketing calls???

Heinz

There is nothing to stop anyone dialling my number either intentionally of accidentally but I deal with calls on my terms.

A have never had my phone number published in the directory and do not allow DQ services to divulge it either (I think it's called ex-directory, no disclosure) and that, coupled with TPS registration and Caller Display, appears to prevent or enable me to avoid 90% or more of such cold calls.

The occasional, "I'm just conducting a survey" call or the obviously automated ring tone when I pick up gets through but the former is dealt with by NOT SPEAKING (I press the privacy button as well to cut off any background noise and they rarely hang on more than 10 seconds or so) and the latter by quickly hanging up.

johnogate

We are registered with the TPS Telephone Preference Service but we still get unwanted calls from UK companies who either ignore it or find a weasel way around the rules. Overseas companies simply take no notice of it. However, provided you have an answer phone with a caller ID display the following system works very well with no stress because you don't have to speak to anyone.

• Have the phone set on the answering service permanently night and day but set for 8 rings or something like that before your message starts. This gives you plenty of time to get to the phone when it rings. It also means you don't have to remember to turn it on whenever you go out which is a small benefit.
• Look at the number on the caller display; if it’s a Withheld Number or an International Number or you are in anyway unsure of its origin let the answer service take it first. If it’s a legitimate caller leaving a message just pick up and answer with a sweet apology for being cautious.
• If it’s a sales call they hardly ever leave a message and just ring off but sometimes now they use a proper traceable landline number rather than a withheld number just to fool you into thinking it’s legitimate so you do pick up. If it’s not a local number or it’s a number from outside the area you don’t recognise then let the answer service take the call first.

That’s it really but other things worth a mention are:

People who know you or have a valid reason for calling you will nearly always leave a message so don’t be afraid of missing the calls you want; you could have been out anyway! If it’s a sales call you will often hear general office noise and talking in the background. That’s because they use automatic dialling systems and there’s often no one immediately available to talk to you when your answer service cuts in.

Not all Withheld numbers are sales calls; friends or relations calling you from their place of work will often come up as number withheld or they set their own phone up like this for personal reasons. Most 0845 and 0870 or similar numbers are sales calls but not always, sometimes it could be your gas or electricity company or your bank etc calling you.

If someone keeps calling you from a proper landline number without leaving a message then it’s most likely a sales call. If you are curious as to who the company is just key the whole number into Google and see what comes up. You will probably find here a popular website which is ‘Who Calls Me’. Have a look at the comments; some people get absolutely furious! For example, 01293735648 is a company from Crawley, West Sussex called Niagara Healthcare who are real telepests and cause great irritation to a lot of people.

If your phone has the Caller ID and answering functions then it most likely has a Call Barring function as well. Just select the nuisance number and press the button. This is so satisfying; next time they call, your phone doesn’t ring (it might just give a beep), they get a brief engaged tone and are then automatically cut off. Lovely!

tweeter

As I have an old phone that doesn't have call baring, I tell them they have rung a business number and they put the phone down immediately. Since replying like this I've had less and less calls. HTH