Nuisance Calls
Some time ago you may remember that we were being blitzed by a double glazing/conservatory company by receiving calls every 10 minutes or so(even more often)and even after requesting that they stop and receiving assurances that the calls would stop...they didn't.
We were told that we had been removed from the computer etc...then later on it was obvious that we had not been because the operator said we will take you off our system which they'd already said.
It resulted in us deciding to sign to something called The Telephone Preference Service. Its not been too bad this past month or so but by signing up on the phone rather than online(where it would've come into force immediately)you have to allow 28 days for the registration to come into force.
We have received some calls over the last two days which have been strange and its taken some getting to the bottom of, Mum could not understood that the number she has been phoning back is a recorded message and has not understood what is being said and why the phone line disconnects after what sounds like someone speaking. I suspect it is an automated call and those who do get get connected to an operator either gets cut off or receives this message.
I have done some investigation and discovered that it is a tele Marketing firm that claims to work on behalf of some well known charities such as Age Concern and Marie Curie amongst others but with no explanation of what they want or are selling and no way to leave a message or of talking to a live person this can not be verified.
Unfortunately, I thought we were already covered by this service but today they inform us that they have a date of the 23rd August 2006 for registration so we have 6 days to go. Though I am sure I heard TPS say that if they are selling something the calls will stop but if its a survey...perhaps not.
Discussions with a helpful person at BT and also TPS, its been suggested that this call could actually be a silent call even though we have been given a number and an explanation possibly originating from a computer so we have also signed up to another service called Silent Call Guard.
Unlike TPS this is a voluntary service that tries to stop silent calls/those phoned by computer software. The disadvantage is being voluntary its very much a case of who is on the register and any originating from abroad may still get through. Unlike the TPS which once signed up you have nothing else to do, the silent call service has to be re-registered annually but comes into force immediately.
What sounds interesting but it is, in a way, promoting a product(and as yet I have not stayed online long enough to see what it costs)whilst registering if you stay online you can talk to someone who will explain about something called a Call Blocker and the information online says that this will stop all silent/computer originated calls from the UK and abroad.
I will wait to see what difference being registered makes and if the problem still continues I may think about buying this product if it stops them 100% as claimed. I will be interested to see what the product costs and whether it would affect my internet access... it appears to be programmable.
I have discovered that it costs approx £50 and it stops Computer Generated Silent Calls, Unwanted Tele Sales Calls, Pre-recorded Premium Rate Calls, Unwanted Fax mail Shots and only allows calls from invited calls. So its a bit like putting a spam filter on your phone line.
Of course the above affects people within the UK only but I assume that other countries have similar schemes and can help put a stop to these calls.
One advantage of late which came about due to a campaign of a person who was being pestered by many unwanted calls is that many companies now do supply a contact number and many also tell you who they are rather than you being left wondering who called.
I cannot however endorse the Call Blocker, it is something you would have to evaluate. Also be careful where its purchased from if on the internet. Useful links and telephone numbers below:
Silent Call Guard Telephone 0870 4443969
Telephone Preference Service Telephone 0845 0700707
Information on Unwanted Calls and Mail etc...
On Your Behalf
We were told that we had been removed from the computer etc...then later on it was obvious that we had not been because the operator said we will take you off our system which they'd already said.
It resulted in us deciding to sign to something called The Telephone Preference Service. Its not been too bad this past month or so but by signing up on the phone rather than online(where it would've come into force immediately)you have to allow 28 days for the registration to come into force.
We have received some calls over the last two days which have been strange and its taken some getting to the bottom of, Mum could not understood that the number she has been phoning back is a recorded message and has not understood what is being said and why the phone line disconnects after what sounds like someone speaking. I suspect it is an automated call and those who do get get connected to an operator either gets cut off or receives this message.
I have done some investigation and discovered that it is a tele Marketing firm that claims to work on behalf of some well known charities such as Age Concern and Marie Curie amongst others but with no explanation of what they want or are selling and no way to leave a message or of talking to a live person this can not be verified.
Unfortunately, I thought we were already covered by this service but today they inform us that they have a date of the 23rd August 2006 for registration so we have 6 days to go. Though I am sure I heard TPS say that if they are selling something the calls will stop but if its a survey...perhaps not.
Discussions with a helpful person at BT and also TPS, its been suggested that this call could actually be a silent call even though we have been given a number and an explanation possibly originating from a computer so we have also signed up to another service called Silent Call Guard.
Unlike TPS this is a voluntary service that tries to stop silent calls/those phoned by computer software. The disadvantage is being voluntary its very much a case of who is on the register and any originating from abroad may still get through. Unlike the TPS which once signed up you have nothing else to do, the silent call service has to be re-registered annually but comes into force immediately.
What sounds interesting but it is, in a way, promoting a product(and as yet I have not stayed online long enough to see what it costs)whilst registering if you stay online you can talk to someone who will explain about something called a Call Blocker and the information online says that this will stop all silent/computer originated calls from the UK and abroad.
I will wait to see what difference being registered makes and if the problem still continues I may think about buying this product if it stops them 100% as claimed. I will be interested to see what the product costs and whether it would affect my internet access... it appears to be programmable.
I have discovered that it costs approx £50 and it stops Computer Generated Silent Calls, Unwanted Tele Sales Calls, Pre-recorded Premium Rate Calls, Unwanted Fax mail Shots and only allows calls from invited calls. So its a bit like putting a spam filter on your phone line.
Of course the above affects people within the UK only but I assume that other countries have similar schemes and can help put a stop to these calls.
One advantage of late which came about due to a campaign of a person who was being pestered by many unwanted calls is that many companies now do supply a contact number and many also tell you who they are rather than you being left wondering who called.
I cannot however endorse the Call Blocker, it is something you would have to evaluate. Also be careful where its purchased from if on the internet. Useful links and telephone numbers below:
Silent Call Guard Telephone 0870 4443969
Telephone Preference Service Telephone 0845 0700707
Information on Unwanted Calls and Mail etc...
On Your Behalf
posted by The Great Gildersleeve | 5:31 pm
4 Comments:
Ant, I belong to the Telephone preference service, but as you say, I still get those automated/computer generated calls.
I'm correcting some text that makes no sense...
I refuse to phone back any number that I do not recognise and am likely to put the phone down on any that I do not recognise but some can be annoying when they phone often or one once actually rang for about 20 minutes making it hard to ignore but I was determined not to pick up.
Personally I never answer the mobile to a number I don't recognise, I let the answer phone screen calls on the land line if I can.
But more than anything on the planet I HATE unsolicited faxes...
Oh dear my teeth are on edge!
Yes, and they use your own fax paper supplies to sell you their services or products or just waste what I assume is not a cheap piece of office supplies...
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