Recycled Number - calls for previous owner

claire23

Hi

I know companies regularly recycle phone numbers. My query is how we can stop the calls for the previous owner of the number. We have had the number for over a year, never give it out other than to our mothers for emergencies, as we both have mobiles, and have signed up to TPS and are ex-directory.

We get calls at least once a day asking for the previous owner of the phone number. We tell them each time the situation, however most keep calling back. I know to some companies, especially if they are chasing debt, that to be told they have the wrong number they might not believe it. Is there anyway to stop these calls?

ValHaller

If only your mothers have the number, then instruct them to let the phone ring for a few cycles, hang up and ring again. That way you can be fairly certain it is them who are calling. Let everything else go to answerphone, with perhaps a recorded message saying that the previous holder of the number has moved and cannot be contacted.

Nothing like making them bang their heads against a brick wall.

claire23

ValHaller wrote: »

If only your mothers have the number, then instruct them to let the phone ring for a few cycles, hang up and ring again. That way you can be fairly certain it is them who are calling. Let everything else go to answerphone, with perhaps a recorded message saying that the previous holder of the number has moved and cannot be contacted.

Nothing like making them bang their heads against a brick wall.

Thanks, not sure how to set answer message on 1571, but i'll give it a try

ValHaller

claire23 wrote: »

Thanks, not sure how to set answer message on 1571, but i'll give it a try

On 1571 you may have to upgrade. I think your own answerphone may be required for this

teddysmum

It may be a case of dialing error , rather than a recycled number.

Before a branch of Co-op Travel closed down, we had calls for them over several years. The problem was that we shared the same first three digits, in order, and the last three but in a different order. It was always a case of the person getting the last three digits in the wrong order. (The least amusing case, being a 3am call demanding where their **** coach was )

Mojisola

teddysmum wrote: »

Before a branch of Co-op Travel closed down, we had calls for them over several years. The problem was that we shared the same first three digits, in order, and the last three but in a different order. It was always a case of the person getting the last three digits in the wrong order. (The least amusing case, being a 3am call demanding where their **** coach was )

We get the same with a taxi company. Most mistakes are made in the early hours when people are obviously very "tired" and needing a taxi to get home.

Mojisola

claire23 wrote: »

We get calls at least once a day asking for the previous owner of the phone number. We tell them each time the situation, however most keep calling back.

Would it help to get the company addresses and write to them? Address it to the head of the company in each case.

I wouldn't give them your home address in case you start getting letters as well.

Rodders53

I wouldn't necessarily think it is a previous owner of the number...
We have regularly had calls over the last 7 years on our number for a Miss XXX who has either deliberately or number-dyslexically put our number down on forms. One was only a few months ago! (from an 0800 number, who left a message to call an 0845 number. I called back on the 0800 and the company was quite charming and promised to stop future calls when I explained.)

We now have an answer machine and caller ID phone system which allows numbers to be barred if they don't stop after being told no-one by that names lives here. Happy to know they can call as often as they like and at any hour and we are not disturbed (NB we can see they've tried if we interrogate the missed all calls list).

So it may be worth asking the calling company for their contact details and address THEN demand to speak to a supervisor/manager (get name) to try to stop them calling again?

At our last house we got calls from an old dear who mis-dialled asking for her daughter (double-entry of a number iirc by keypad 'bounce').

I'm a great one for writing numbers down in a different order to that given to me by someone!! But being aware, now, I usually ask for them to be repeated and double-check / read them back to avoid errors.

Buzby

Your only solution is a call blocker (see TrueCall) this is the only way to make sure when your phone rings - it IS for you.

Irrespective of the reasoning, whether an earlier user, dyslexic dialler or practical joker will not stop your phone ringing needlessly - only technology can do that!

molerat

Is your number 01234 567890 by any chance ? If it is then sorry, it's my fault And by the way if anyone has the e-mail [EMAIL="fred@smith.co.uk"]fred@smith.co.uk[/EMAIL] then your spam is down to me as well :cool:

seanhodges

I had this on my work mobile. The previous owner of the number was being pursued by a dozen companies for unpaid debts and although they were always polite, they always phoned again.

For two years (when I was on Android) I used a call blocker app, for the debt collectors and for all the spam calls. When I got an iPhone after two years the debt collectors had mostly given up, which was lucky because there doesn't seem to be a call-blocker app for iPhones.

I still get the occasional one, but very rarely now.

Looking back, I wish I had just handed the SIM back for a new number early on, but after giving the number to everyone it seemed too much hassle!