How does one stop nuisance phone calls ?

Question

I am called by very pushy people from Barcelona , New York, and Vienna who are aggressive and reckon they can offer me financial advice. These are desperate people, how do I prevent these calls please ?

Answer 1

If you are in the UK and are a BT customer you could register for a service called BT Privacy... This comprises of two services and are free of charge... The first part registers you for a service called the Telephone Preference Service..It takes 28 days to become registered, once registered all companies which are registered in the UK (even if they use call centres outside of the UK) are bound by law to remove your telephone number from their marketing list. The other part of the service would give you Free Caller Display, however you need to make at least 6 calls through BT per quarter.... (if you are with another telephone call supplier you can put 1280 in front of your calls to make them go through BT). Unfortunately if these companies are not UK based companies there is nothing that can be done under UK law to stop them.

You can change your telephone number free with BT, but you do not get a brand new number so you may swap one problem for another.

If you are offered a service called Choose to Refuse or Anonymous Call Rejection, don't bother as they will not work as calls cannot be blocked from outside of the UK.

I would suggest that if you receive calls from these companies, you ask them politely what the company name is, once you have this info ask them to remove your details from their marketing lists.

I would also suggest that when you fill in forms (Paper or online) you make sure you have a look at those boxes that say you give your permission for your details to be passed on.... some online forms are pre-ticked... once you give permission that is how all and sundry get your details....

If you are not with BT, I am not sure what is offered, but the Telephone Preference Service is an independant service which you can register to online...

I hope that this has been of a little help.

Answer 2

Turn the table on them by making a game out of how long you can keep them on the line without them talking about what they want to sell you. I have used a number of methods such as telling them that I am registered with the government (don't say you are a government agent that would be against the law) to help prevent this type of selling and you need their full name, date of birth, social security number and home address to file your report. I tell them that I have traced the call and already know who they are but I need this information to show that they cooperated so they will not be personally fined for this behavior. You would be surprised how much of this information you can get with a little practice. It is a little sad when they start crying. Another good one is to tell them that there is someone at the door but you are really interested so would they hang on while you get rid of the person at the door. I have done every thing from faking a gun shot to just leaving the phone on the desk until they hang up (the phone begins to beep when they hang up). Other times I just start talking about what a wonderful (or crappy)day I am having without letting them get a word in. Have fun, make it a game to see how far you can get them to go.

Answer 3

If you're in the UK, and these calls are coming from outside the UK - then there is nothing you can do in terms of the Telephone Preference Service. If the company itself has a branch in the UK, then you might be able to do something but I'm not sure.

Your other option is to get a caller display unit, which displays the number of the person calling when the phone rings. You have to get BT to enable Caller Line Identification as well. When you receive an international call, it may display as international, unknown or a load of lines. You then simply do not answer the phone.

Keeping whistles or whopee cushions by the phone might be entertaining for yourself, but it may also be entertaining for the person who keeps pestering you!!

Otherwise, you'll have to change your phone number.

Answer 4

There is the BT preferred caller service which stops a lot of it but it may not affect the ones from abroad. Instead have fun with it. Either get really over the top angry "How DARE you call me. Where did you get my number from" etc. Great sport. Or just say "yes I am interested, then lay the phone down, walk away and see how long it takes them to hang up. If it's a conservatory co, get them to give you all the details, arrange a visit and then announce that you live on the 18th floor of a tower block - such fun!! I'm a ***** but they deserve it.

Answer 5

Do you ever watch Southpark? Remember the episode where the kids locked themselves in a building and wouldn't come out? Their parents went and got giant speakers and blasted that Cher song "Do You Believe in Life After Love?" The kids couldn't take it and ran screaming from the building.

Everytime one of them calls put that song on and blast it into the phone. They'll stop calling.

Answer 6

Ask their name. Make them spell it. Ask them how long they've been doing that job and if they find it fulfilling. Ask them if they do anything else. Married? Ask partner's name. Ask them to spell it. Ask what they like to do in their free time. Ask where the company is based ("really! my friend lives there, he's called xxxxxx. Spell it.) You get the idea, just don't swear and appear to be genuinely interested in them. They give up quickly. The TPS does work (unless they phone on pretence of carrying out a "survey" - apparently exempt from that) but this is fun. :)

Answer 7

In the Uk there is a number you can call to take your own number off of their lists. That is with BT but if you are outside the UK then I dont suppose I could help. Unless you change your number or buy a phone with caller ID and never pick it up to them?

Answer 8

Last weekend I screamed down the phone to a salesman to F*** Off. He called on a Sunday. Is nothing sacred?

I'm on a "do not call" register but it makes little difference.

Answer 9

Info on the telephone preference service which is on the same website as the mailing preference service and the fax preference service is in my telephone directory. Check yours. It doesn't stop everything but it helps. You can also tell them someone is dead but that might have unfortunate consequences if you give your own name.

Answer 10

Most phone companies have a option to block certain numbers, call them and get instructions on how to block those numbers from getting through to your phone.