News : Say goodbye to nuisance calls with a text.

[BandOfBrothers]

Source : MobileChoice.

Say-goodbye-to-nuisance-calls-with-a-text.

Excerpt from the above link ~

"You can now avoid unsolicited and marketing calls by simply sending a text to a number launched by Ofcom and TPS.

Texting 'TPS' and your e-mail address to 78070 will add your number to UK's official ‘do not call’ database, but will not save you from spam texts.

The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) mandates that it is illegal to call a number which is registered in its 'do not call' database, but if you register your number by sending a text today, unsolicited calls will not disappear instantly but their frequency will diminish gradually and will stop completely after a month or so."

My Thoughts......

Nothing will totally eradicate issues like the ones mentioned above, but every little helps. 

Vodafone's Help and Support Page :

Vodafone-Nuisance-calls-and-texts : What-can-I-do-about-nuisance-and-spam-texts.

[Annie_N]

Sounds like an excellent idea! My second-string number is plagued by calls and texts intended for the previous user of the number, so being able to cut out the calls would be a step forward.

I haven't been able to find any details on the TPS website, but I hope that this will cover calls from companies who believe that you are their customer - I've asked some of the callers to remove me from their calling list, but they tell me that I'm their customer, and therefore they don't have to take any notice of my request. A curious view of good customer service!

[kids]

The one thing that this legislation will do is increase the volume of spam texts.

I was speaking to someone local to me a few weeks ago and they work for a Lead Generation company, they have put in place a contract with an off-shore company who send bulk texts so are not governed by any of the current legislation covering text messages. This company are able to send up to 700,000 text messages per terminal per hour. All the Lead Generation company has done is to pass their entire spam telephone contact list to this company for targeted marketing and by doing so they not only benefit from the company using the spam contact list but also from the randomly generated numbers that the bulk spammers use.

From the Internet I can purchase 800,000 verified mobile phone numbers within a 15 mile radius of where I live which if I was trying to sell something I could pass to a bulk texting company and for under £300 in total  a text could be sent to all of those numbers within a few minutes.

The best advice is the old advice, never text STOP in response to a text message but follow the OFTCOM advice and report them to 7726. An easy way to remember that number if your phone has an alpha / numbericic keyboard is that the number spells SPAM. 

[63johnw]

I find it doesn't stop all calls and what is "marketing".

I have my land line and mobile registered but still get unsolicited calls to both. I was in a car accident earlier this year and at least once a week get a call from someone saying they know I was in an accident and do I want help making a claim !

They must have had my details sent to them from my insurance company which is probably hidden somewhere in the insurance policy small print so I guess that's how they get around it.

I don't get the amount I used too so it does reduce but not eradicate calls. But as you say anything that helps is good.

[Annie_N]

---

@63johnw wrote:

I have my land line and mobile registered but still get unsolicited calls to both. I was in a car accident earlier this year and at least once a week get a call from someone saying they know I was in an accident and do I want help making a claim !

They must have had my details sent to them from my insurance company which is probably hidden somewhere in the insurance policy small print so I guess that's how they get around it.

---

Your insurance company may be quite blameless in the matter.

I also get regular calls about the car accident I was in recently - if I'm feeling seriously cranky, I agree that I was, get them all tied up in knots, and then admit that I can't remember some particular detail "because 1982 was quite a while ago, you know." 

[kids]

@Annie_N Much like yourself if I have time to waste or just feeling bored I play these idiots along.

Asking them questions such as the date of the accident, the type of car or the insurance company usually makes them end the call.

The best ones are "I am caling from Microsoft support about a problem with your computer" My record for playing one of these calls along is 72 minutes at which point I said I would only give access to my computer if Bill Gates called me personally, at which point the "Techician" hung up. I am still waiting for Bill to cal.l.......!

[BandOfBrothers]

I've only experienced one of those your Windows computer has a problem phone call. 

Remarkable as I use a MacBook Air.

Funny how I was explaining what I was doing on my Mac which is completely foreign to Windows ,and the guy getting flustered.

Funnily enough they didn't manage to sell me the security suite they were pushing which I suspect was poor / non existent  security software ,and they were primarily after my bank card details.

[drey_p]

I love those "Windows support" calls and thoroughly enjoy wasting their time.

Imagine their confusion when I told them "Fantastic, I am so pleased you called because I've been having problems with my windows". About five minutes later, the person was getting more and more exasperated because he kept askin if I was in Windows and I kept telling him that I couldn't be because my window was sticking...

Another few minutes later, he realised I may not have been referring to a computer but the actual windows in my flat and boldly stated "...but I am calling from Windows support... " and I said "Yes, I know that is why I am asking you to help me with my Windows because the catch is sticking."

He told me that didn't have anything to do with him at which point I told him "I am not very satisfied with the level of support you're providing me. You're calling from windows support, I have a problem with my windows and now you refuse to help me". He swore me out and then hung up..... I don't understand why....,lol