General Chat

Calling firms do not have any need for access to the electoral roll, phone book etc. The blocks of valid numbers are easily available and cold callers often use that approach though obviously they have no idea of the attached name or if the number is actually in use. That is not a problem as the actual calling is done by computer and any connexion passed to the next available call handler. If no handler is available the victim gets an irritating silent call.

There is no link between the electoral roll and landline phone numbers. There are blocks of limited access numbers which can only be called with the addition of a security code. Without the code they return "number unavailable".

Do not make nasty noises down the line or insult the cold caller. Although irritating these people are in much the same situation as low paid workers for garment factories in SE Asia or prawn fishermen.

Those with mobile phones who have not yet sussed how how to block nuisance calls should RTFM or maybe ask a friend e.g. Google.

My rellies live in Tokyo, Christchurch NZ, Auckland, Brisbane, Cape Town, Denver, New York, Kenya, Dubai, Turkey, Spain, France, Canada, Jamaica so Skype is a huge + .
:-)

I blame the electoral roll :-|
I presume he'd have to put his real name on that.
Really pees me of that they sell the names.
Even if you tick the box telling them not to pass on details, if you've lived at the same address for years - they still have your details from when they sold it off without telling us. :-P :-P

My dad got a call the other day which started is this "Mr James Brown?" To which he replied " Who is this?" Muffled reply to which my dad replied "Where did you get this number." "Mr James Mr James I get your name from phone book" his reply " No you didn't where did you get this number?"

Whilst he is not ex-directory you won't find him under J. James is as he calls it his Sunday name he has been known as Hamish since he was boy and it is by this name he is known in business and by friends and family. He can be found under H not J in the phone book.

All names have been changed.

Hmm, so those colleagues at work receiving cold calls on their mobiles are answering a figment of their imagination .......

I'm ex directory, so it probably depends on who asks you for your telephone number, and who you give it to, and what phone number you write down on forms.
I never give firms my mobile number, neither do I write it on forms - they always get my landline number, which would explain why I NEVER get cold calls on my mobile, only on my landline.

As for keeping in touch, we find 'private' conversations on FB handy - we've been known to have 6 way conversations. Yes I know it's not really private, but if anyone wants to hack into our conversation about what's in my attic, they need to get a life! Otherwise, we tend to meet up to 'keep in touch' :-D

By its very nature POTS is intrusive and that was one reason for its slow start in the UK. The obvious answer if you don't like unknown calls at all hours of the day and night is to just dump POTS as apparently 20% of UK households who have a landline have done already.

You may be more inclined to do that if OFCOMS recommendation that the fixedline charge ( £ 15-20 ) / month is debundled from broadband charges is implemented (likely).

If you are using a handset connected with a whirly cable the wireless version is a better option while feeding cats.

For domestic purposes we find a mix of Skype and mobile works fine inc keeping in touch with the Land of Oz and France/Spain/USA. Mobiles have a fairly good call blocking capability built in which also works on non-UK numbers. My phone is set to a handful of numbers only allowed 2400-0700.

In any case BT is planning to cease POTS within 10 years. Mass unemployment in Bangalore I guess. Special classes in mobiles and Skype at the library (if they can find one) for the generation or so still anchored to print press, cheques, POTS and CDs.

So it goes modern times overtake everybody in the end - I cannot bring myself to ask google by voice or walk down the street eating a sarnie. I even stop at red lights when cycling!


(POTS - plain old telephone service)

Phone rang at 7.40 am today.
Naturally at that time we wondered whether mother in law had had a fall, or another family member needed help.

No..... someone just wanted to conduct some market research on 'everyday products.'

I love them. Have even had a couple ring me back to complain because I had left them hanging while I went for my computer, for ages and ages.

Windows dear? Are you selling double glazing?

I haven't had one about car accidents since that one where I hot wired the car when I was drunk and killed several people on the way home, this was why I would be in court next week and looking at a life term. They are probably expecting me to lose my licence.

When Fred had had his cataract done I slammed the phone down on some foreign woman and quickly realized it was the nurse from the eye hospital. There was a bit of apologetic grovelling to be done there I can tell you but I was not her first experience of a slammed down receiver.

They're everywhere.

I answered the 'phone last week, a woman said she was "following up a car accident someone in your household had within the last three years".

I asked her what company she was with..... then told her I was on the "Do Not Call" list and I would rep........that's as far as I got ... she hung up!

btw... nobody in this household has had a car accident within the last three years, unless you count Himself backing the trailer into something (at the tip) and breaking a tail light.

Shirley, as soon as our callers hear the answering machine, they hang up :-D

got one today telling me my computer is faulty so I said which one is it
? the BBC, or the Sinclair Spectrum.........??

It works if the caller is withholding their number. They get a message saying this number doesn't not accept calls with the number witheld Please hang up and redial after taking off your block

Those darn overseas callers though are getting around it by directing their calls through a uk number .

We used to receive two or three calls a day from 'Telstra' advising that we had malicious files on our computer and that they (Telstra) would have to disconnect us from the internet if we didn't help them 'fix' the problem.

We fixed it ourselves by buying a new phone with caller ID and also with a built in answering machine.

The answering machine is on permanently, and when we receive some calls now, the phone shows the call is from overseas but from an excluded number.

Shirley ..................


blocking calls only works when the calls come from the country in which you live.

These calls all come from overseas ............. and they do not have obey any laws regarding blocking. That's why you get them


In any case, I'm not convinced that blocking calls truly works ................ people here who have signed up for blocking of calls by cold callers etc have not noticed much reduction in the number of calls.

and again, that doesn't work for callers from overseas.

We had a block on incoming calls with number witheld .it maybe worked as we didn't get those type of calls . We are ex directory nos withheld so how they get our beats me

Had to take it off when Michael was in hospital as got told off by them when a doctor tried to ring me and the hospital withholds their number !! He was quite shirty that he said he had to borrow a mobile to make the call

Not put it back on yet , but will do if those Scam etc calls start

we got one of these last year ................... at 6:30 AM

OH jumped out of bed, fiddled with the phone and finally spoke ................. then asked "what the B***** H*** are you doing calling at this time of the B***** morning"!

He doesn't normally swear :-D


I had one last week ............. just told the guy "this is a scam" before quickly hitting the OFF button.

I did that the previous time as well ............ but I didn't hit OFF fast enough, and heard the guy slam the phone down :-D

We are inundated at the moment with these type of calls.it seeems to go in spells .I am sure they will stop again soon and we will get a few months peace before they start again.I don't answer my phone now.I just wait until the answerphone picks up .If it is someone I know I will pick up quick. :-D

I had one this morning at8.30am from someone about computers.I said no thanks and put phone down.i was still in bed but had phone near.

It is so rude to ring either early in morn or late at night as you always worry if you have an emergency,so firms used to comply with this,but a lot of these calls are from call centres in other countries now.

I have a block on my phone and don't get many,but some still get through.

Think it was 9am-9pm that cold calling was allowed.

There must have been loads of unemployed 'Cold Callers' before the telephone was invented. :-D

When I'm told I've had a car accident, I ask if I was driving.
If they say 'yes', then I ask them not to tell anyone, as I haven't got a driving licence - or a car, and was joyriding!! :-D :-D

I had one the other day telling he was calling me at home because I'd had an accident and could claim compensation. As I was at work I just hung up. If that was my home number though I must be very rich and have amnesia.

I work in an old Georgian building and the company I work for own the whole building (5 floors) and I don't remember the accident I apparently had.