Nuisance phone calls, please could I get some ideas how to stop one.

[**tigerlilly**]

I have one particular call that is coming ever more frequently and it is becoming a big nuisance.

First of all it was a caller asking for a specific name and was told that no one by that name lives at our address. This happened for a few weeks until we got angry and told them not to keep calling and we were told  that the name would be removed off the list (what ever that list was). We then get it happening more often with different people calling, male and female. Which we always give the same answer of no one here of that name and complain about the constant calls..

Now we have started getting them where the caller more or less accuses us of telling lies because in his words ""you are blah blah blah (number) of (location) right?"  We answer again with no one here of that name and please take the name off "your list" etc.

We did register with a service that is supposed to deal with cold calling,. 

This is a little different because the caller is clearly after someone but won't believe we are not who they are after, and of course they never leave a number.

I normally will just put the phone down on the cold calling and it doesn't bother me but the persistence of this one is getting beyond a joke and it could be any time during the day or evening and any day of the week.

I don't know how I can get it stoped so was hoping someone here could tell methods I can. There must be something in place to deal with this kind of thing.  Thank you in advance.

[cee-dee]

It depends on who your phone provider is. You can block calls from some numbers depending on which provider you're using.

The difficulty comes when they're using a withheld number or an international number.

If you've got a caller display on your phone, it should show you the calling number. If you're with BT, dial 1471 and it'll tell you the calling number or if there was a number left.

[robbie_001]

If you're with BT perhaps try their free Call Protect service. I think as well as blocking common known nuisance numbers, you can set up your on personal blacklist of up to 100 numbers.

I'm not with BT so haven't tried it.

[**tigerlilly**]

Thank you Cee Dee and Robie.

We used to be with BT and did those things but since we have been in our new home we are with VirginMedia, we can do 1471 but it is always a with held number.

If I just knew where to start that would be something. I'll have to get on to Virgin I suppose.

[cee-dee]

You could try a bit of subterfuge.

You could say "Oh, he/she's moved but he/she's coming to visit some time next week, leave me your number and I'll get him/her to phone you then".

[right-then-petal]

heres a few tips

1.get an answer machine for a few weeks

2never ever pick up phone and say your name just hello if they ask for you by name and then go into their speel put the phone down don't bother to get worked up over any calls you get

3if you got spare time play them at there own game

4don't bother getting into a conversation about anything

i seem to have weeks with no calls then a week with calls, puter ,windows,car accident, will,

have fun  tell them your new to the house but you have a phone number where the other people moved to any number will do  ( call centre number,local call box any number )

have to go now supper time

[023mjc]

I'll tell you what I do when they ask for me.  Instead of saying  "speaking",   I ask who's calling.   If it's ppi or something similar I say "hang on a moment and I'll get her for you".   I lay the phone down gently so as not to cut them off and I go out for the rest of the day.  By the time I come back hours later they've gone.

I don't know if it still works, but it used to be that when you left the line open like that, the caller continued to pay for the call, and was unable to hang up - so couldn't phone anyone else.

[mustard-tree]

OP: If you dont get any joy from your phone provider, try the police

The number of calls you are getting could be termed as harrassment.

[Anonymous]

Try heavy breathing.

[al**bear]

speak very very softly to them - then blow a whistle down the phone

[al**bear]

Sounds like You've been givenby Virgin, the number of the person, the debt collectors are looking for

You could ask Virgin for another number and explain to them why

Also tell them you'll switch providers, if they don't sort it out

Keep a note of the exact time of some of their calls to give Virgin

[theelench]

I had a problem with nuisance calls at my mothers number, she's 86 and has Dementia.  We were getting calls every half-hour or so and I had to cancell an insurance policy, magazine subscription and take her off someones list of PPI claims.  I don't know how many of the junk-mail catalogues that arrive are the result of these calls.  She is on the call protection service but they still get through and ask for her by name.

I've found the most effective way to deal with them is to remain silent, they can hear her TV in the background, but after a minute or so they hang up.

It may not help with your caller, if the calls are really all coming from the same place, they sound very persistent and might be a debt collector as suggested.  But by playing them at the silent call game I have got the number of calls down to two or three a week.

[right-then-petal]

Here,s How Other's Fight Back Some Are Really Good And Work

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiE2yI1M0kY

[theelench]

Great idea, but......so many of the callers I've listened to don't have English as their first language,  some are barely inteligable and I'd be very wary saying "yes" unless I Understood Exactly what I'm agreeing to.

[aand2136-voqfz8yx]

You can buy a call blocker phone. The BT8600 is quite cheap. I have the BT8500 and it's excellent. You can block any specific number you choose, all international calls, all withtheld numbers and so on.

You can also "allow" numbers. So my family's numbers automaticaly ring through. All unknown numbers are filtered and they have to announce themselves. My callers then go to answer machine. Any I don't want to phone through again I can block by simply pressing one key on the phone. The next time that caller phones using that number they will hear "this phone does not accept calls from this number, please hang up! Then my phone hangs up on them. They can never phone using that number again. Some will try using other numbers they have, but they have to go through the filter system - I am never disturbed. If they withhold, they are automatically blocked as I have selected that option.

During the last couple of weeks I have had numerous calls from an international number, none have ever got through and disturbed me. They are always blocked. I only know of them when I check my calls list on the phone. Sometimes a number will get filtered and within minutes they phone again (I assume it's the same people) and they try withholding their number and that is automatically blocked.

If there is a new number on the calls list and they haven't left a message I can search on google who they are and then choose to block if I want to ( I usually do)

I should point out the phone only rings if the number is "allowed" or if the caller goes through the filter system and announces themselves. You are not disturbed and don't even know that someone has tried to call/pester you

My phone cost £30in 2015 and it's one of the best things I've ever bought. I'm sure other phone manufactruers also make call blocker phones, but I can't recall them and at the time the BT one had by far the best write ups. My only issue with it is that you can't edit the blocked list; if I want to take someone off it, I have to delete the whole list and start the filtering process all over again. Not a major problem just a bit of a nuisance. Perhaps the latest model overcomes this oversight by BT

Another problem can be numbers from callers that go through a switchboard (such as hospiutals). These numbers are usually withheld and as such are blocked. Most hospitals get round this by having a direct outside line in some offices or using mobiles.

You have to have caller recogniton on your phone contract

[fallen-archie]

I agree with the above I have the same thing and it is brilliant, all my relatives and friends get through whereas anyone else has to announce themselves and I have the choice whether or not to accept the call or block it, works really well and has reduced nuisance calls to a minimum!
I would put money on the caller you are getting is a debt collections agency, we had the same problem years ago they went on and on telling me I was someone I had never heard of I found out who they were and reported them!

[**tigerlilly**]

Thanks for all suggestions, the BT phone sounds really good.

Think I may try the heavy breathing if need be later and see where it gets me 😏

[margaret*e]

http://www.aol.co.uk/money/2017/07/04/the-most-irritating-cold-callers-and-how-to-stop-them/?icid=ma...

[littleme61_6]

A lot of times when I get these calls I simply say ''Sorry, the owner is out at the moment, I am just the cleaner'' 

[dark_castle1]

I would ask " to whom am I speaking ", what the company name was and when they divulged that I would then say " thank you, now I have the name of the person and company that I am going to report for harassment if I receive any more calls "