Phoneline Query.

[howsmicha]

Over the last few months and particularly the last few weeks my phone has been inundated with cold callers i-e roof-insulation, new boiler, ppi problems,firms conducting surveys and so on. I was wondering how being as my number is not in the phonebook how these people obtain not just my number but no doubt thousands more that are not readily available to the general public???.My son even paid a premium to a firm that promised to shut down the cold calling. It stopped them for a few weeks but like an infectious disease they have started up again Whats the answer???.

[sheffieldliz]

You shouldn't pay for it register with tps they stop the cold calling but if you put your number on something they can't stop that from being sold on. Also I was reading the other day that the ppi cold callers ignore the list that they shouldn't call but try tps it might help

[Phili Buster]

Many of these calls originate from 'off shore' and, as far as I know, tps (and the paid firms promising to stop such calls) do not have authority to stop their calls.

 

I am lucky to have a caller display on my phone so whenever it displays 'international call' I can ignore it, The problem arises with 'number withheld' as that may be a relative or friend ringing but not wishing to divulge their number to all and sundry.

 

Occasionally, when I have a bit of time and I am in the mood, I will answer an 'international' call. You can have quite a good time stringing them along, pretending not to understand (that's not too difficult sometimes) and suddenly changing the focus of the conversation.

[geared]

The fact your son paid someone to stop the callers is an alarm bell.

 

That was obviously a scam and chances are they took the money and passed the number around to advertisers.