Nuisance phone calls (UK)

[BOAC]

Annoying phone calls!

If anyone else is getting calls that hang-up straight-away, it is possible you are the victim of a computer!

Having spoken to BT about it, companies are using a new cold-calling system that dials a computer generated number and then tries to connect to an available sales operator when you answer. If no-one is available, it hangs-up.

Quite a PITA, and there are 2 ways of stopping it- both 'free':

1) Telepreferencing 0800398893 take 28 days to remove your number from marketing cold-call access.

2) Silentguard 087004443969 (claim) to immediately remove your number from this computer system. I registered on Saturday so fingers crossed!

[Memetic]

I have discussed this with BT / OFTEL (OFCOM now I think)

Seems if as a call centre operator you make 1000's of calls and hence make BT lots of money, calling then hanging with your outbound number hidden is fine - even though call centres who do this, due to insufficient staff are supposed to be stopped by the telco - only ever happened a couple of times in the UK.

However if one of us as an individual started to call 1000's of people and hang up as soon as the phone was answered it would be nuisance calling. If you got your computer to do it and log when it found a fax machine or another computer answering the phone it would be computer intrusion - "hacking" as the press would have it.

Funny old world eh!

BT's usual answer is go on the telephone preference service list and hence block all calls. They can't seem to understand that I don't particularly object to getting marketing calls - I’m a marketer at worst I might learn something as my dinner gets cold. What I object to is anonymous hang up calls.

My view is if I get a call that is not of interest I say no thanks and ask to get removed from that calling list. Once off the list you get no silent calls or actual calls for unwanted products. The problem with the silent calls is that as you can't talk to someone or find out where the call comes from you just get called again and again by the same computer dialler until they actually have staff to field the call the made - infuriating!

The politicians should pass a law making all outbound call centres give (via 1471) a number you can call to either talk to someone about what they were selling or get removed from their call list.

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

BOAC,

Could it be your wife is having an affair and the guy keeps hanging up when you answer? :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

Richard

[Timothy]

I have discussed this with BT / OFTEL (OFCOM now I think) Firstly, OFCOM is a brand new organisation with a brand new management structure, so lack of success with OFTEL does not necessarily mean that OFCOM will not help.

Secondly, I can understand BT not taking action for the reasons you give, but why would that deter OFTEL?

Have another go at OFCOM and, if you are not satisfied, PM me, as I sort of have an inside track there.

Timothy

[BOAC]

Its a thought, Richard - I thought it was the coastguard because he keeps asking if the coast is clear :p

[spekesoftly]

Trouble is , if the computer cold-calling originates from overseas, there's nothing Telepreferencing, Silentguard, or BT can do. :(

[Sledge]

BT also offer a service called "Choose to refuse" for nuisance calls.I think you need to have the service activated by BT,but its really useful,when you receive a silent call or nuisance call,just dial 14258 and select ** to bar the last caller.It even works on ex directory numbers or company numbers that do not show on 1471.

[BOAC]

Thank you Sledge - I did not know about that. Free for the first month, then £8 per quarter. Number to bar is actually 14258**.

[timmcat]

We had a marketing firm once offer to 'ring and ping' (or some like phrase). This would involve them automatically dialling all the telephone numbers in our marketing database, and, as soon as the number rang, the machine would 'hang up'.. job done, the number is live and valid, and the prospective customer stays on the database for marketing activity.

We declined.

Could this explain it?

[BOAC]

Hmm! Velly interesting

[Timothy]

the number is live and validLive, yes, but valid?

If you sell wax to furniture restorers, then the number ringing in the cat-neutering service that took over the premises ain't much good to you :p

Timothy

[Daysleeper]

we used to get loads of calls, used the telephone pref service and have had none for a couple of months. It shouldn't matter where the call centre is based. If they are representing a company in the UK then the TPS will be effective.

http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tpsr/html/default.asp

you can also block, junk faxes, junk mail and baby junk mail (whatever that is)


I think there was a Jetblast thread on a similar topic recently.