Butkus

We've always had a certain number of sales calls to our home landline, so quite a while ago we signed up to the Telephone Preference Service.

However, over recent months these calls have started to build up again, and during the past few weeks they've gone off the scale. Around 7 to 8 calls a day. Sometimes the line is dead when you pick the phone up. Often the calls come very close together, and it's enough to drive you crazy.

What else can be done to stop this? It's getting to the point where we're considering a number change, but would that stop it?

By the way, the people calling are often foreign which suggests the calls are coming from abroad - I presume these are outside the net of the TPS?

Recaro

We were suffering alot at one point.

I registered "again" for TPS about a month ago and it all seems to have stopped. Thank goodness. There were driving me mad!

Did you regiater at the official TPS website or the BT site?

Julz1983

We done that TPS thing but still get the odd phone call from sales etc, so I just put that BT privacy on today, it's free never going to cost anything so might aswell give it a try

danwrx1980

i was getting a lot of these from toucan telecom at one point, but they seem to have stopped since i interrupted the guy by saying 'you sound nice, what are you wearing......?'

Luan Pra bang

I told a lady from india that we diddn't have a BT land line at this address. She then asked if it was a mobile she was ringing ? I said yes and hung up.

fast bloke

I always tell them that they have the wrong number - usually ends up in a massive argument

Tiggs

x dir, dont give the number out, TPS- fool proof.

comps only phone people they have the number for - NO ONE has my house number apart from family/friends - never had a sales call in the 4 yrs i have been on that number.

JTaylor

I tend to say "I'm just going to pop you on hold" and then wonder off and get on with my day.

douglasb

The ex-directory approach may cut the number of calls, but doesn't eliminate them. My g/f is ex directory but receives sales calls. She asked one caller how they got the number as she is x-d and they admitted that they use random dialling which just calls a range of numbers until they get an answer. eg. it 0181 424 xxxx was a valid range they might call 0181 424 1000 to 1500 one evening.

BT offer a service for under £5 per month where they block all calls from callers who withold their number.

shaunywrx

I am ex-directory, but BT gave me a re-issued number, and now i get sales calls for some bloke who used to live in the next village to mine, sometimes about 5 or 6 a day, from an Indian call centre, that you can't understand what they are saying.

OllyK

BT Privacy just registers you with the TPS and gives you free caller displau. Worth it for the caller display though, a service they normally charge for.

Firstly if you are getting unwanted calls register with the TPS. Also register with their "silent calls service" which should stop most of the auto-dialler issues.

Avoid giving your number out, if somebody insists on a number, online order etc, then make a number up. Never give your permission for companies to contact you when you buy stuff.

Finally if you do get a call once you are registered, ask for the company name, then ask for the operators name, this usually gets them asking "Why" tell them you are registered with the TPS and will be passing their details along for prosecution. They usually hang up rather quickly, and I assume delete you from the database as I don't seem to get repeat calls.

The really annoying this for me was that we moved in to a house that had been empty for 12 months. Spoke to BT to get the line re-connected. They said it would take a few hours and they would call when it was connected. About 2 hours later the phone rings and I'm thinking "That was quick", wasn't BT it was a telemarketer from another company.

Since taking the described action, I get maybe 1 or 2 calls a quarter and we are not X dir.

simo

I tend to tell them that I don't have a phone. You should hear the gears in the brain working overtime . Works everytime as they tend to get the message after that

SJ_Skyline

Simo

Not had any for a long time (thank god!) X-Dir and TPS. Used to blow a whistle as hard as I could down the phone - they sure as hell got the message!

Mrs WRX

I am not sure I agree with this. Blowing a whistle down the phone could damage somebodys hearing and is not recommended. I know it is annoying to get these calls but a simple, "No i am not interested" and put the phone down should see to it. Most of the people in these call centres are just trying to make a living like the rest of us (although they have chosen a really annoying occupation).

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

When a mate of mine gets these, he acts all interested for about 10 seconds, then says, "Sorry, there's someone at the door, don't go away," and puts the phone down. Five minutes later, he comes back does the same thing, (except it's a pot boiling over etc), and comes back after ANOTHER five minutes.

He says he's never had anyone go past three five minute "holds"

Alcazar

imlach

I get calls for the previous & deceased owner, so I bluntly just say "sorry, she's just died". However, the response was so good, that I now use this response for the very few sales calls I do get....

TPS seemed to prevent them for 3 years, but offshore calls now creeping in again...

Robbie T

iTrader: (8)

When i held my mobile contract with dial-a-phone , they would always ring my home phone to ask me questions. I was rarely there as i work far too much, so when a parent or sister told them to phone my mobile they said it wasn't their policy to do this even tho they were my mobile supplier.

Fcukin eejits

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

Its not likely that this will damage someone's hearing. There are volume limits on phone lines.