Warning Warning Warning

[amber2508]

They get cheekier and cheekier these financial institutions. Crapital One have now started phoning me asking for amber instead of Mrs C, so my partner hands me the phone thinking it's a mate, the little buggars.

[JonCris]

Yes & you know what they will claim when you complain. They will say that they are doing it because of the DPA so as to conceal the purpose of their call to the none account holder.

 

The DPA really is a double headed sword as many companies are now hiding behind it often for the most rediculous of reasons. They phone YOU & refuse to say who they are referring to the DPA & I respond in kind "sorry but because of the DPA I can't disclose that information" There's usualy the sound of spluttering before I put the phone down.

 

The moral ALWAYS ask them who they are & if they give a christian name only ask them their surname & how they know your partner/wife/husband. After that lot their response is usualy "I'll call back later" you respond "OK byeeee & have a nice day" Put a little script next to the phone ready for the next time

[patdavies]

You need to tell them that you have expressed a wish for them not to use that number and if they continue to do so they will be in breach of the Wireless Telecommunications Act and will be reported to Ofcom.

 

I had a row with my bank recently, they insisted that I gave them permission to use my number when I signed up with them. I pointed out that like many web forms they practicaly forced me to provide my telephone number because the application would not go through as the application could not be submitted without it. Being forced to provide the information to complete the application is an awful long way from being given the CHOICE of providing your number in my opinion and may fall under the Unfair Contracts Act. I get around it these days by entering the number of the local trading standards office on such applications.

There is a better way...

 

For a few pounds you can rent your own 0870 number which is mapped to your normal (geographic) number. Then when they ring - especially sales calls, they are paying you. The cost is a one-off £10 and you get 3p/minute. Your geographic number is unaffected as this is only routing to you.

[seylectric]

Yes, already got one but it costs £9.95 to set up and after 15 months I haven't yet earned that much back! Neat idea but don't expect to make much money out of it!

[JonCris]

& what if they already know your ordinary number

[seylectric]

Then go back to what I said earlier:

 

You need to tell them that you have expressed a wish for them not to use that number and if they continue to do so they will be in breach of the Wireless Telecommunications Act and will be reported to Ofcom.

 

The thing is you need to actually go ahead and report them too. Personally I NEVER answer the phone anyway unless I know who it is, if it's important they will leave a message, if it isn't well missing the call doesn't matter anyway.

[Chrisi]

You can have a 0871 number for free from http://primex,co,uk (There are probaly other suppliers as well) and all callers then pay 10p per minute. I like the idea of putting Credit agencies/banks/credit card co's, etc on hold while I go to see if I am in. And then of course, after several "sorry to keep you waiting" telling them that I'm out or otherwise indisposed. Hopefully they do hold on, costing them 10p a minute and earning 2p per minute for the owner of the 0871 number.

[seylectric]

Nice, very useful information.

 

Incidentally - although it will cost you a monthly fee from BT - you can get an extra number on the same line, called BT Call Sign.

 

How it works is that you get a second phone number but on incoming calls the phone rings differently if anybody calls your second number, a sort of American type long Rinnnnggggg instead of the usual British ring-ring tone.

 

So if you allocate your 0871 number to your second number you know when anyone is calling your 0871 number. So you can either ignore it or pick the phone up and have a chat (put them on hold for 15 minutes or more until they hang up) and earn yourself 2-3p a minute!

 

I really should answer the phone more often.

[Rob S]

The link for Primex didn't work. Try this one instead:-

 

The Primex Internet Group Ltd

[pcr1]

05: Free

06: Local

07: National

08: Mobile

09: Premium

 

The system does work like that:

 

01, 02 - geographic

03 - non-geographic local rate for corporations (being introduced next year)

07 - mobile and personal number service (PNS) (no premium rate, but mobile & PNS calls can cost a bit, though there is no revenue sharing here)

08 - special rate with revenue sharing (no premium rate); 080 is free

09 - premium rate

 

08 numbers don't cost more than 10ppm (lowest is 1ppm e.g. 0844 400). 07 numbers can cost a bit (for PNS up to 50ppm (e.g. 0705 40)) but there is no revenue sharing here (i.e. the recipient gets no cut). Premium rate (09) numbers go up to £1.50pm.

 

Be wary of 070 numbers (PNS - tend to be more expensive) and avoid 09 numbers or check the call costs and careful.

 

08 numbers do not cost more than 10ppm.

 

All pricing information taken from BT's latest price list and includes VAT.

[seylectric]

Your own post proves that there is confusion! Many people don't know whether a number beginning with 08 is free, local or national rate.

 

As for an 070 number being allowed to charge £1.50 it's nothing short of scandalous. How many people have been caught out by this when the number at first glance looks like a mobile number? The vast majority of people don't even know that 070 numbers are NOT mobile numbers, and the perpetrators MUST get a share of the revenue using the old phone-a-mobile-number-hang-up-and-wait-for-the-receipient-to-call-back-trick, otherwise they wouldn't do it!

[timwils]

try here

SAYNOTO0870.COM - Non-Geographical Alternative Telephone Numbers

[pcr1]

Your own post proves that there is confusion! Many people don't know whether a number beginning with 08 is free, local or national rate.

 

As for an 070 number being allowed to charge £1.50 it's nothing short of scandalous. How many people have been caught out by this when the number at first glance looks like a mobile number? The vast majority of people don't even know that 070 numbers are NOT mobile numbers, and the perpetrators MUST get a share of the revenue using the old phone-a-mobile-number-hang-up-and-wait-for-the-receipient-to-call-back-trick, otherwise they wouldn't do it!

 

I agree there is some confusion. 080s are free; the rest are up to 10ppm.

 

070 can only go up to 50ppm (it's the premium rate 09 that goes up to £1.50). Most are actually about the same as calling a mobile.

 

With any luck, a lot of companies will take up 03 numbers (local rate) when they come out. This will make it easier to spot the difference between just using a non-geographic number and trying to earn a bit extra cash.

 

03 numbers will need to stay at local rate, though, and not end up with about 10,000 difference prices depending on what the following 4 numbers are... have you seen BT's price list!? :o

 

IMO anything that isn't standard rate should clearly state call costs, as opposed to just 09 numbers as it is at the moment.

[adridude]

Thanks for this info,

 

one thing - (letter template attached in my post so read on, it works )

 

But at the end of the day DCA's are powerless. Thanks to a few members on here, mentioned in the following thread and a load fo research I cropped up with some interesting stuff:

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/debt-bailiffs-advice/24016-harassment-phonecalls-can-stop.html#post187600

 

Take a look at that. They are nothing but pussy cats in the face of the law. The real scary sods are the baliffs! They are the ones you cant shake. But if you let it go that far without letters or fighing it, ouch. Have fun.

 

Read it, and use it I hope you do, we have MORE power than them! they gave me hell for 2 years, put me in hospital with depression and scared me away from 3 BT phone numbers; Only to find that they didnt have to talk to me LOL.

 

Anyway, enjoy

 

Cheers

 

Adrian

[buzby]

Also they are using what is classed as a premuim rate number 0807 which they are not supposed to do according to the OFT. Tell them you'll report them.

 

Not so. Numbers commencing 08xxx are 'Special Services' and as such can be Free, or classified (however wrongly) as Local or National rate. They are NOT 'premium' rated calls under the accepted definitions.

 

Calls that commence 09xxx ARE Premium and recognised as such, it is only these that you can pursue ICSTIS (not OFCOM) for improper use.

[buzby]

08701240200 first national trust finance are really starting to bug me - I have never answered the phone to them and they have never left a message, they phone on average 5 times a day every ruddy day. I have no intention of talking to them, ever. Can I still write and tell them to stop calling me ?

 

I don't see any reason why you cannot - however getting them to cease is a different matter. It may even take a renumber to shake them off.

[adridude]

read my last post then read here: http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/debt-bailiffs-advice/24016-harassment-phonecalls-can-stop.html#post187600

[JonCris]

Not so. Numbers commencing 08xxx are 'Special Services' and as such can be Free, or classified (however wrongly) as Local or National rate. They are NOT 'premium' rated calls under the accepted definitions.

 

Calls that commence 09xxx ARE Premium and recognised as such, it is only these that you can pursue ICSTIS (not OFCOM) for improper use.

 

The OFT don't agree with you & have told the DCA's & lenders to stop using such numbers as they now consider them to be premuim rate because they take a cut of the call charge.

 

Independent Online Edition > Loans & Credit

[traceyrmj]

Yet they still come!

I see the number - 08706716096 very often. I know it's my bank.

I've sent them letters asking not to call, told them not to call, yet....

STILL THEY COME!! Bain of my life!!

 

dude change your phone number! when i wrote SAR to virgin one they wrote back immediatly like the same day sayign " you have changed oyur phone number we urgently need ot talk to you" i replied with " I have changed my number i only give it to people i currently have dealings with and refer you to my earlier letter where i asked for the details of my SAR in writing so my phone number is irrelevant":D wheres the smug icon ah there it is

[thewifeandI]

Not so. Numbers commencing 08xxx are 'Special Services' and as such can be Free, or classified (however wrongly) as Local or National rate. They are NOT 'premium' rated calls under the accepted definitions.

 

Calls that commence 09xxx ARE Premium and recognised as such, it is only these that you can pursue ICSTIS (not OFCOM) for improper use.

Changes are coming to the 08xx number ranges - see the OFCOM report.

[Loobs22]

With regards to the 08700101138 number, I have just tried to call them back and they are HFC Bank. I have a computer on finance with them through PC World. Hope this helps anybody who wondered what the number was.

[Desideratist]

If people don't respond to anon calls then that's the callers fault not the person called.

All kinds of companies sales/DCA's use anon numbers & your hospital management should realize that if they don't already 1 anon caller is no different from another & there is no logical reason not to display the number so your hospital should'nt do it. The fact that you waste time trying to unsuccessfully contact relatives should tell some decision maker somewhere in your organisation something.

 

I think the problem is that most hospital outgoing calls are routed through a switchboard as they don't usually have a "direct line" to every single extension - therefore no "definite" number to display. When I get this problem I call our switchboard and they can patch it through somehow - not sure how, but they can.

[alan.jenney]

I can recommend the FREE "Telephone Preference Service". Register your number with them and most UK-based cold-call telesales organisations will not call you. It will significantly reduce the number of calls you receive.

 

TPS Registration

 

In addition, the related "Fax Preference Service" and "Mail Preference Service" are also offered. FPS practically eliminates junk fax whilst MPS reduces junk mail significantly.

[julie1961]

I have been getting calls all week but because they started at withheld numbers i didn't answer & now they have put the number on. I answered the call & the woman asked if my husband was in, I asked who was calling & she said due to data protection she couldn't tell me so I said due to data protection I couldn't answer her either & put the phone down. I rang the number back on my mobile & ask for the name of the company & they said due to data protection they couldn't tell me.

[JonCris]

Absolute rubbish, as usual.

 

Irrespective of what they try & claim they are required to tell you who they are as per the OFT guidelines.

 

Get "choose to refuse" from BT & now you know the DCA's number add it as one of the 10 numbers you can bar.