Re: Call Blocker phones

[QUOTE=Tachyon;676126]Same here, but that doesn't stop autodiallers and dialling programmes. They make hundreds of thousands of calls a day using incremental phone numbers dialled at random. I've been ex-directory for about 28 years, I registered with the TPS about 10 years ago and I still get cold-callers.[/QUOTE]




Same here Tachyon, and this lot who are constantly ringing are driving me nuts. The TPS bloke told me to answer and find out what they want, he said unless I do this, he can't report them. Then in the next breath, he also admitted he can't stop the over-seas ones anyway.

I've just come back from shopping for a new phone, and I've now bought a BT call blocker. I need to sit quietly and read all the instructions now, then I can hopefully get it set up.

Re: Call Blocker phones

Mups good luck with your new BT call blocker, there seems so much instructions to read with all this fandangle technology.

Re: Call Blocker phones

Or do as I do..give it to my grandson to sort out(If you haven't got a grandchild handy any 10 year old child will do) they seem to know more about technology than we do.

Re: Call Blocker phones

This is an issue I am pretty passionate about. The whole setup is an almighty scam and nothing less than a protection racket. BT is imo complicit in this entire scam. It is for me, no different from Chinese Triads visiting the corner shop and saying "pay us some money or you will suffer the consequences".

BT and all telephony companies have the technology to block all of these scam callers. But they don't. They allow these calls to go through which annoys the hell out of ordinary folk and they do it so they can sell their "caller ID" services. i.e. You pay them money or else suffer the consequences.

All call blocking devices require that you have BT's Caller ID service running so unless you want to cave in to the protection racket, simply don't buy one.

The TPS service is rendered useless and has been for some time. Companies just use foreign call centres which gets around the rules.

Not much you can do unfortunately. Lobby the government I guess to get them to force BT to stop cold calls at source and/or to block reported nuisance calls or to provide Caller ID services for free.

Meanwhile, my advice is to simply let your phone ring until the caller gives up. Then do a 1471 to get the number. If it's cold callers the number will be withheld or not available. If there IS a number and you don't recognise it as friends or family then simply type the number into Google and see what comes up. You don't usually need to click on any of the links Google returns (I'd advise against doing that), just read the text it throws back. That usually indicates if its marketing or cold callers or scammers.

This approach is inconvenient I know. You will gradually inform your family and friends that you NEVER answer the phone and so they will understand that they only need to let the phone ring 2-3 times and then you will do 1471 and ring them back. It works fine after a short learning curve for everyone.

You get to know then when it is call centres calling because they invariably leave the phone ringing 20+ times. Any sensible polite person just wouldn't do that.

I would advise against answering any call because once you do, it tells these companies that your number is a valid and viable target and you'll get even more calls as they sell your number on.

Re: Call Blocker phones

This is exactly what I have been doing, Realist. I look at my caller display screen, and if it's a number I don't recognise, I don't pick up. I make a note of the number and google it later. It either has no reviews of it, or it tells me they are catalogue companies like Littlewoods.
As I said earlier, I have a list of 8 numbers that are being a nuisance now, which I must say, is very unusual for my phone.
I don't have to do 1471 because the number is shown on the 'caller display' screen, and stays there until I delete it. It doesn't ring 20 times either, because my answerphone is set to record after about 6 rings, and soon as they hear the answerphone, these maggots hang up.

Re: Call Blocker phones

No ideal solution maybe. The caller's telephone number being shown and ringing back if you want to seems a good way, providing you ring back quickly enough for the caller not to assume you are not around and then go out. The answer-phone method isn't bad either but I quite often hang up on answer-phones, preferring to ring back later rather than waiting for the 'Hello' message to run and then leaving a message. I can't be alone in that one.

All in all, although the calls are a nuisance, I think I'll keep answering the telephone when it rings to see who is there. Handle the calls as I have been doing:

* Quickly hang up on pre-recorded PPI messages after a couple of words.

* Survey or 'I'm not selling anything' calls. Just say I don't do surveys over the phone.

* 'You have viruses on your computer' calls. Ask them how they know and keep saying, "No I haven't" until they angrily hang up.

It's not as if I'm inundated with such calls. Just an occasional nuisance.

Re: Call Blocker phones

It seems possible that I've cut down the number of nuisance calls by talking to the callers and sparring with them one way or another. It could be the case that if they don't get through, they will just keep trying. However, if from talking to you they find how useless it is to try and extract money, they may eventually give up and might mark it as a hopeless case on their lists.

This is speculation of course but we certainly don't get as many nuisance calls as we once did.

Re: Call Blocker phones

Originally Posted by mart ->

It seems possible that I've cut down the number of nuisance calls by talking to the callers and sparring with them one way or another. It could be the case that if they don't get through, they will just keep trying.

Maybe you're right mart. It just infuriates me that I have to come in from the garden/get out the shower/stop eating my dinner etc etc, just so that I can talk to these people about something I didn't want to talk about in the first place.


BTW, the TPS man also told me NEVER to answer online surveys either. I can hardly believe some people tell total strangers over the phone, their private information.

Re: Call Blocker phones

What Mupps says makes a lot of sense. I don't seem to get that many now.
They seem to know what time you are home and that is when they call.
As I have already said, some times I will play with them. Or I just ring off when I hear the words "you have had an accident".
I also notice that there are now recorded messages, so I just click them off.
It's no biggy as I normally have the phone by my side. Pick it up say "yes", and put it down again?

Re: Call Blocker phones

Ok, but the thing is Mups, if you are able to see the number of the caller, then you MUST already be PAYING FOR the additional telephone Caller ID service in your monthly payments. In other words, you are participating in the Protection Racket, you are doing the equivalent of paying the Chinese Triads money to stop being pestered.

Out of principle I simply refuse to pay BT or anyone else money for the simple service of seeing the callers number. It's crooked and corrupt to the hilt.