identifying a caller!

[trowelhead]

If someone dials 141 then rings you we all know you cannot get there number via 1471,question?:
1)Is there any 'plug in ' attatchment that i can identify a callers id before or after answering?(even if they dial 141)
2)What is the number you have to ring to bar 141 calls?(i have seen it on the forum before but cannot find it!
3)If you were in my position (started getting crank calls i know plenty of people at bt so getting routing/records is no problem! ) what would/could you do to stop the problem or to prove who you think the culprit is?(we do have an inkling who it is )
thanks to all

 

[big-all]

it costs you £4 a month to bar annomouse calls on bt lines
i refused this option as my calls where less than £4 so opted for choose to refuse

i have got a months free trial on choose to refuse where you pick up the phone after a call if you have there number you can bar that number

now i dont know adout anonn calls cos it took them 2 weeks to send the pin no by which time the annon caller has stopped

the only trouble with this system is you have to keep subscribing if you dont use it for a month it cancells your barred numbers

 

[mildmanneredjanitor]

I think BT take this issue very seriously indeed, why not call them and see what they suggest, they may just monitor the line and you notify them directly following a nuisance call. I think they will even change your number free of charge if the problem is causing distress (obscene/threatening).

Give them a call and see what they suggest. Good luck.

 

[big-all]

in my case its not actualy a problem[exept if makes my 13 year old son unhappy]i am shure 99%are to do with auto dialer and call centre

some years ago i had some trouble with some one that would phone say nothing and just hold the line open after months and months of this happening i decicided to get my own back after i picked the phone up i said nothing for a few seconds then i started panting heavy breathing[if you know what i mean ]after about 2 mins i said havent you "arrived yet" there was a grunt from the other end the phone slammed down had no more trouble

 

[shaggy]

Pretty effective big-all but perhaps it was a genuine caller with a speech impediment? Just a thought.
What I've had for years is 'caller display' which is a bt service for which I pay about £5/quarter. It will display the number of the person calling or 'number witheld' if 141 has been dialled . It also records all the numbers who have called when you are out.

 

[Fizz]

If you are with BT and are receiving nuisance calls they will give you a special pin number and number to ring which you do directly after a nuisance call. This will then effectively bar that number from ringing, however you will not be informed what the number is. I believe BT offer this as a free service for the first month and then is about £4 thereafter. Since moving to a new property I have been inundated with nuisance calls from companies and have found this site which should help with that in the future;
See here
I was also getting silent phone calls which were starting to disturb me until I read this on the site;
If you have been troubled by calls where the phone rings but on answering there is no one there, you may wish to register your number on the Silent Callgard Service on 0870 4443969.
These calls are generated by automatic dialling equipment which dial more numbers than there are operators available to take the calls.
It disturbs me that it rings but at least i am not thinking the worst now when it is silent! Hope this helps!
Fizz
_______________
Moderator

edited to correct url

 

[big-all]

helllooo fizz

pretty much what i thougt although it shouldent be allowed or at least there should be a message saying this is an automated dialling service
your number has been dialled by "mistake "please do not worry and accept our appologies
it doesnt bother me because i think i know how these things work

thanks for your help

 

[AdamW]

I get that problem with autodiallers ringing me before an operator is ready. Quite often it takes so long that they leave an answerphone message saying "Good morning can I speak to Mr W", followed by a long pause because they didn't hear the message or the beep.

I don't think business lines should be able to block their number. Nothing worse than missing the phone, 1471 and hearing "we do not have the number..." or "caller withheld number..." especially if you are expecting a call from abroad or know someone who has their number withheld permanently. You have to wonder if it was a legitimate call or some b*stard company on the other end trying to sell you some s**te you don't want.

 

[masona]

"caller withheld number..."

Why are they allow to withheld their number ? Save a lot of problem wouldn't it !

 

[kevplumb]

chose to refuse works with witheld nos had a bit of trouble a year or so ago and it sorted it

 

[masona]

I think my mum's got it right,

If the caller withheld their number, she ask for their name, phone number and the company address, if they don't then GOODBYE ! Amazing they will not give any of it !

 

[big-all]

chose to refuse works with witheld nos had a bit of trouble a year or so ago and it sorted it

i had choose to refuse but it didnt let me block annon numbers
the operator suggested it might not work on non bt numbers

so thats up to 99% of possible callers round the world then

 

[Igorian]

As a BTW, to get rid of cold callers who are trying to sell you stuff, you can register with the Telephone Preference Service, which is free. It is a legal requirement that companies who make unsolicited sales and marketing calls, do not call numbers on the TPS list. ( Privacy and Electronic (EC Directive) Regulations 2003).

Seems to work for me.

Register here.

 

[phhut]

With BT. Had some problems a couple of years ago now I think with withheld numbers. My logic says "why would someone withhold their number before ringing me?" - "If it is someone who wants to talk to me then they wouldn't withhold the number unless there was something dodgy".

Anyway I just phoned BT and barred ALL withheld numbers - I don't care if they can't get through - a message tells them that the number dialled will not accept withheld numbers - they only have to ring again without the withheld if they actually want me. If they don't, then so what?

Couple of times I have rung home from some company phone and get that message - ok - well I just call with my mobile (which I should have done in the first place )

 

[mildmanneredjanitor]

What with all the technology available now, I can't see why caller display - instead of a just a number being displayed it should display the name of the company calling?

Mind you, I suppose that this wouldn't stop people registering company names like 'Loyds TSB' - at a glance people wouldn't notice, and still end up giving all their security details away...

A little off topic here... But soon after I added a useful link to my online bank on my personal website I soon started recieving those 'Important, Please click on link to reactivate your account for security reasons' etc. Why is it that criminals are always the first to embrace technology? Oh apart from the porn industry? Same thing??

The technology must be there already, BT are one of the companys that spend a small fortune in developing new technologies/research.