Nuisance calls, a new UK record?

Sootyvandriver
Sootyvandriver Forum Participant Posts: 22
edited November 2016 in General Chat #1

We are nearing the end of our house build and recently had a phone line installed. We did not intend to use a phone on the line but just use it for internet.

However yesterday whilst delving into the back of a cupboard I found an old corded phone and came up with the idea of plugging it in and testing the line in the new house.

Only myself and BT know the number which is ex directory. Immediately after plugging the phone in I called the new number on my mobile and happily noted the phone ringing. I cancelled the call and replaced my mobile back in my pocket. Immediately the land
line rang again and I assumed I had redialled accidently but when I checked my mobile I had not dialled out again.

Thinking now that this is probably BT acknowledging that the phone has been activated for the first time I answered. How wrong I was it was a PPE claim companies automated message.

The total time taken for the ex directory number to recieve a PPE call could not have been more than 30 seconds from plugging the phone in on a new line for the first time.

I give up........Yell

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Comments

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited November 2016 #2

    Most nuisance calls are are computer generated,and just because a phone is not connected to the socket does not mean the line  will not have the ring toneFrown  

  • Pippah45
    Pippah45 Forum Participant Posts: 2,452
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    edited November 2016 #3

    Really exasperating isn't it???  I had a one today from a weird looking number and there was no one on the end 03336782910

    I googled the number and there are reports of phantom calls from it.  I am on a really short fuse now when I pick up the phone to a number I don't recognise. 

  • Sootyvandriver
    Sootyvandriver Forum Participant Posts: 22
    edited November 2016 #4

    Yeh,

    I think we will go back to the origonal idea of just using the landline for internet and mobiles for calls. Only occasionally do I get nuisance calls on the mobile........so far.

  • artyboo
    artyboo Forum Participant Posts: 457
    edited November 2016 #5

    I always let the answerphone kick in first. Caller disply is useful. Unless I recognise the voice or the number I do not pick up. It's amazing how many calls hang up when the machine kicks in. A few weeks ago I had a call from a very nice lady on my Mobile
    who suggested I had had an accident. I asked her when and what the circumstances were. She quickly cut me off and; hey presto, not another call since.

  • Kennine
    Kennine Forum Participant Posts: 3,472
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    edited November 2016 #6

    If you have "Caller Display" and "voicemail" and you're busy,  dont answer any calls you don't recognise,--- if it is a genuine caller and important they will leave a message.

    . If you're not busy there are numerous ways you can have some fun at the nuisance callers expense.

    Cheers................K

     

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited November 2016 #7

    My mobile has had the same number for the past 13 years. I am still getting marketing calls for some bloke called Neil Fay. YellYellYell

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited November 2016 #8

    The strange thing is that I am ex-directory. I have had this same phone number for over 28 years and I usually get no more than one unsolicited call a year and some years none at all

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited November 2016 #9

    Our answer machine is on permanently nowadays.

    I think that a lot of these calls are computer generated and are just to check if anyone answers. If you do answer, there is no-on there. But you will get a sales call (or several of them) soon after.

  • Sootyvandriver
    Sootyvandriver Forum Participant Posts: 22
    edited November 2016 #10

    At my current home we have all the technology to block nuisance calls. However I notice there is a trend now to route calls through a local number bypassing all the witheld ID screening etc.

  • Sootyvandriver
    Sootyvandriver Forum Participant Posts: 22
    edited November 2016 #11

    My mobile has had the same number for the past 13 years. I am still getting marketing calls for some bloke called Neil Fay. YellYellYell

    Apparently I am 'Brian' in a former life and I have a lot of debt

     

  • Hallsontour
    Hallsontour Forum Participant Posts: 199
    edited November 2016 #12

    We have a BT 8600 phone, it's brilliant. We've had it about a year now and it's stopped ALL of the 4-5 marketing calls we used to get per day. Best £40 I've ever spent. Google them and find out for yourself. Easy to set up and use too.

  • ValDa
    ValDa Forum Participant Posts: 3,004
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    edited November 2016 #13

    We rarely get nuisance calls on our landline (but I rarely divulge the number to anyone who might potentially use it for marketing purposes) and we absolutely NEVER answer calls from numbers that we don't recognise.  Occasionally this leads to problems, because we've had calls from relatives and other people that we don't have saved to our phone, but anyone calling for a genuine reason will leave a message so that you can call them back.  Unwanted callers will just hang up.

    Similarly, I never answer unrecognised numbers on my mobile - and so far have probably avoided a couple of hundred PPI calls, several dozen from 'Injury Lawyers for You', lots from double glazing salesmen, and Solar Panels companies, and potentially perhaps one call from a person I might have wanted to talk to - who as expected left me a message to ring them back.

     

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,195 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #14

    I've set my mobile up for my listed numbers, people I want to speak to - not that I hand out my number much! to one ring and so anything that doesn't use that ringtone isn't wanted. Don't even have to look at the phone . We've had the same landline number
    for thirty years always been ex dir rarely get nusicance calls thankfully. To get cheaper broadband wed have to change our number so were told

  • redface
    redface Forum Participant Posts: 1,701
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    edited November 2016 #15

    EasyT, you seem somewhat disapointed that you are not getting these calls. Let us know your number and we will cure that for you.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited November 2016 #16

    Nooo. Not dissapointed at all. Some 11 or 12 years ago, before OH moved in with me we either weekended at her place or at mine. Either way I normally cooked. I oftened worked 11.5 hour days (and had lots of leave) but most Fridays I would get to her place
    by 5 pm and have a meal ready for her by about 6.30 as she was usually home just before. Her phone used to ring 3 or 4 times whilst I was getting the meal ready with such calls. No idea why I escape even though I have been ex-directory for a long time and
    always on my present number. 

  • volvoman9
    volvoman9 Forum Participant Posts: 1,053
    500 Comments
    edited November 2016 #17

    We get calls for Talk Talk on a regular basis for some reason but we dont deal with them and i get a regular stream of letters from Saga and as far as i can remember i,ve never had any business with them
    Sad

    v9

  • Nuggy
    Nuggy Forum Participant Posts: 512
    edited November 2016 #18

    My mobile has had the same number for the past 13 years. I am still getting marketing calls for some bloke called Neil Fay. YellYellYell

    Write your comments here...CY, if you go into the phone's settings, does it have a black list facility? If yes you can put the number in the black list and you won't hear from it again.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited November 2016 #19

    Different organisations each time, although I've been telling them to take it off their out of date database.

  • JohnM20
    JohnM20 Forum Participant Posts: 1,416
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    edited November 2016 #20

    Apparently 'new' telephone numbers are about exhausted so telephone companies are having to re-cycle old numbers so it's possible that any phone number allocated to your new phone will have been used by somebody else previously. If they have recorded it
    in their personal details somewhere then it's likely to be sold on to the nuisance callers and you may then get a call asking for some unknown person.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited November 2016 #21

    Like I said, I've had the number for 13 years, so any data being used is hopelessly old.

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #22

    Our family and friends all now now that I don't answer the landline. If they ring it they leave a message and I ring them back. Thought it was just me!

    Wink. Use left and right arrows to navigate.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited November 2016 #23

    Because we are ex directory our number does not appear on friends/relations phones with caller id, so we always give them 3 rings and then ring again so they know its us,and anyone we know contacts us the same way

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,303 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #24

    Our phone shows who's calling, so if we don't recognise the number or it is withheld just ignore it. They can always talk to the answer machine if it is important. They rarely do. Occasionally if a number is persistent I will answer it and tell them never
    to ring my number again, depending on there level of training they either politely say thank you for your time or just ring off.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited December 2016 #25

    Because we are ex directory our number does not appear on friends/relations phones with caller id, so we always give them 3 rings and then ring again so they know its us,and anyone we know contacts us the same way

    We are ex-directory but I don't withold our phone number when I make a call. 

  • bill
    bill Forum Participant Posts: 388
    edited December 2016 #26

    We eventually bought telephones with a built in security system so get no nuisance calls anymore.

    Cannot understand why cold calling isn't 100% illegal with severe penalties.

  • Pippah45
    Pippah45 Forum Participant Posts: 2,452
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    edited December 2016 #27

    JVB that is a great idea - I have a friend with Witheld - and pick up that with my "don't mess with me voice"!  Another mystery is my neighbour who is on my mobile friend's list - also comes up witheld although they are not ex directory.  So with those two
    I tend to answer those calls which I never used to do. 

    So right about their level of training as to how I deal - anyone ASSuming there is a Mr H in the household gets very short shrift. 
    Yell

  • papgeno
    papgeno Forum Participant Posts: 2,158
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    edited December 2016 #28

    We never answer the landline. I'll check any messages and I recognize immediately any that are nuisance calls, those are Deleted User before they've had time to play through. It's surprising how few genuine calls we get on the landline these days.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited December 2016 #29

    We're ex-directory on the landline, no problems with nuisance calls, very rare if one gets through. I don't add phone numbers to any web sites, on line orders etc unless it is really needed. Only a few friends and family have my mobile number and that has
    kept things in check.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2016 #30

    Because we are ex directory our number does not appear on friends/relations phones with caller id, so we always give them 3 rings and then ring again so they know its us,and anyone we know contacts us the same way

    We are ex-directory but I don't withold our phone number when I make a call. 

    ...Ours has always with held since we have been ex directory

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2016 #31

    We had a call two days ago when OH answered they asked for me when OH asked the reason the phone just cut off,  The phone rang again today and I answered , it was our car dealership offering a good deal to change our car,while in conversation i asked if
    they tried a couple of days ago,he said they had been calling all customers and our number had been called,I then went to town on him, as OH could hear his voice as the one who put the phone down,they have lost a customerYell