More marketing calls. AARRGGHH

kwikbreaks

Yes I got a call blocker. What winds me up now is that it's only 90% or so effective so I do still get some automated calls left on my answerphone which has limited capacity. When I'm in callerid lets me just hit the block button and add the number to the ever increasing block list.

As I said in a thread I started on this subject myself - I see no reason why there shouldn't be some legal obligation placed on the phone providers to block all calls that do not carry a traceable callerid (even if withheld from display) or a number that has been reliably reported as making nuisance calls. I even suggested that to my MP. His non-commital brush off has ensured he won't be getting my vote next May.

vikingaero

kwikbreaks wrote: »

I see no reason why there shouldn't be some legal obligation placed on the phone providers to block all calls that do not carry a traceable callerid (even if withheld from display) or a number that has been reliably reported as making nuisance calls. I even suggested that to my MP. His non-commital brush off has ensured he won't be getting my vote next May.

There is no way that any telecoms company will want to stop spam calls despite all their rhetoric. Why? Money! Every call to a telecoms subscriber means they receive a "call termination fee".

paulpud

I've just discovered call barring.

No more PPI, accident claims, or home insulation recorded messages on my answerphone and if one does sneak through I can bar it with a few presses of the keypad.

Bliss

kwikbreaks

vikingaero wrote: »

There is no way that any telecoms company will want to stop spam calls despite all their rhetoric. Why? Money! Every call to a telecoms subscriber means they receive a "call termination fee".

Of course they won't. Still no reason why there shouldn't be legislation forcing them to though is there? Especially as I saw a report the other day about a large increase in scam calls which would be excluded as well as telemarketers by such a system.

paddy's_mum

I have a phone number that was reallocated by BT. I got hundreds upon hundreds of calls for the East Europeans who had once held the number. They appear to be on every possible list.

I got sick of explaining the situation and asking for the details to be removed from their mailing lists only to be contacted a few days later by a different person from the same company. I had catalogue firms on, car hire, PPI, loan companies, debt collectors and once even a bailiff!

In the end, I decided to play them at their own game. Now, I just say the person they want is "working down the shed - hold on and I'll go and get him/her". I carefully lay the phone down and walk away. Normally, I'll find a little job to do such as wash up or tidy a room..I've even been known to nip to the shop. It's a funny thing, but when I return to the phone perhaps 10 or 15 minutes later, there's never anyone there.

Turn the tables - let it cost them money. It doesn't take much for these companies to realise that you are a dead loss and remove your (non-productive) details from their list of suckers

bod1467

There was a feature about this on The One Show tonight (starts about 5:40 in). An old woman being plagued by calls had a call blocker installed (and the people who installed it logged who actually called and got blocked). She had the blocker installed for 9 months.

For the show, the blocker was turned off ... within 75 minutes she started getting the cold calls again!

Poppie68

Has I hardly ever use my landline I unplug it....bliss I haven't had a pest call for over two years.

kwikbreaks

paddy's_mum wrote: »

I have a phone number that was reallocated by BT.

Once I was reallocated an ex-FAX number. Getting FAX spam in the middle of the night is worse than daytime telemarketers...

johnbfan

Its ironic that whilst watching the One Show item about cold callers - I had a cold call from the Windows Virus man.

He said if I didn't agree to what he said he would cancel the licence immediately and my screen would go blank. So I said for him to do it. He says its done, give it a couple of minutes and I would see the computer screen go blank. He swore and slammed the phone down when I said it was already blank as I hadn't switched it on. Been playing with them when they phone.

The one that really annoys me is when they say that Lloyds HSBC etc are doing automatic refunds on PPI and they can help me claim!!! So far no one has been able to explain why if its automatic I need help to claim.