Recycling numbers

sax11

Do BT recycle old phone numbers?

I've been getting at least 2-3 calls a day with messages left on my answerphone to call various debt collection agencies. Apart from being a pain in the @rse it's loathes me to call them back at my expense.
Question is, is there anything i can do about this without changing my phone number?

mije1983

Yes, landline and mobile numbers all get recycled at some point.

Usually you have to pay to change your number but if you give BT a call and explain the reasons why you want to change the number they may do it free of charge.

Not a lot you can do apart from changing your number. You could always call the DCAs back but they may not believe you are not the person they are after, so will just continue to call anyway.

WTFH

sax11 wrote: »

I've been getting at least 2-3 calls a day with messages left on my answerphone to call various debt collection agencies.

I don't think that's because it's a recycled number - I think that's just spammers ringing you to try to con you out of money (e.g. by calling them back on a premium rate number)

mattyprice4004

sax11 wrote: »

Do BT recycle old phone numbers?

I've been getting at least 2-3 calls a day with messages left on my answerphone to call various debt collection agencies. Apart from being a pain in the @rse it's loathes me to call them back at my expense.
Question is, is there anything i can do about this without changing my phone number?

There's only a finite number of telephone numbers - if everyone got a brand new number every time they moved house or provider there'd be none left very quickly.

WTFH wrote: »

I don't think that's because it's a recycled number - I think that's just spammers ringing you to try to con you out of money (e.g. by calling them back on a premium rate number)

When I worked for a major ISP and dealt with such issues, the numbers calling our recycled numbers were indeed DCAs seeking the last person to have the number.

teddysmum

Try Googling your number, as you may get an email contact for the company concerned, so no communication charge.


For years we got calls, including one at 3am (asking where the airport coach was), because people either misread or wrongly wrote down the numbers for two branches of Co-Op Travel. Each had the same first three digits as ours, with the next three being the same digits in a different order.

greatgimpo

mije1983 wrote: »

Usually you have to pay to change your number but if you give BT a call and explain the reasons why you want to change the number they may do it...

So long as you don't finish up with the one from the closed down Chinese takeaway!:rotfl: