Stop Anonymous Phone Calls (from India)

[Nottles]

I have signed up for this service but a gentleman from India persistently rings me on a daily basis and offers to fix my Windows for me.

I have reported this to the faults service at Virgin but I have been told to report this to the telephone preference service.

I am told that these are not anonymous telephone calls but sales calls which are legitimate.

Do I believe the call centre worker from Virgin that the TPS can sort out this problem?

Am I right in assuming that Virgin have sold the database of their telephone numbers which results in these calls?

[danielf]

Registering with the TPS should reduce the volume of unwanted calls, but it doesn't stop them completely. Foreign Call Centres are not technically covered under the TPS, so unscrupulous companies can still continue (and the one that's pestering you does sound dodgy). You've got nothing to lose from registering with the TPS though. Before I registered with the TPS I would get a couple of calls a week. Now it's more like one every couple of weeks.

I don't know about VM, but BT definitely sell data on. BT managed to get my name wrong on their bills, and I'm getting calls for a person with a mangled version of my name.

[m419]

no your number maybe appearing in the BT phonebook or it might be down to simple guess work. Virgin cannot really do much but change your phone number, call 0800-953-3333 which is the investigations team that deals with annoying phone calls.

[Pog66]

there have been a number of stories circulating about staff in overseas call centres selling on individual details.

Unfortunately TPS won't stop you getting calls from India offering to fix your windows

[carlwaring]

And yet I hardly get any at all. Very weird Also, AFAIK VM have stated in the past that they do not sell your details to anyone.

[Rillington]

Originally Posted by danielf

Registering with the TPS should reduce the volume of unwanted calls, but it doesn't stop them completely. Foreign Call Centres are not technically covered under the TPS, so unscrupulous companies can still continue (and the one that's pestering you does sound dodgy). You've got nothing to lose from registering with the TPS though. Before I registered with the TPS I would get a couple of calls a week. Now it's more like one every couple of weeks.

That's my experience as well - ie such calls on average every week or two despite being registered with TPS. However, registering with TPS will help to reduce them from the UK.

As you say, it does not cover offshore call centres as I frequently get calls where the number is described as 'International.' What I tend to do is, given that I've been forced to walk to the telephone to see who's calling, I take the receiver about an inch off the hook, wait half a second and put it down again which means that they will have to pay any connection fee. Since I started doing this, the number of 'International' calls I've had has fallen quite considerably.

I'd also suggest having caller display so you can see who's calling you. However, I've no idea if VM charge for this. BT does not.

[heero_yuy]

An answer machine with caller ID is excellent here as it costs them money but you don't have to pick up the call.

[AndyCambs]

I have anonymous call reject - which blocks the anonymous calls.
The phone number is registered with TPS but that doesn't stop all calls - I periodically demand to speak to the manager and have an arguement about breaches of privacy with them calling me.
I also have Caller ID and anything which has number "unavailable" or "international" I just leave to the answerphone. If it was a genuine caller, they'd start to speak.

You can also just about set your watch by the international calls - either lunch time or evening meal time.

[Peter_]

As most of these calls do not generate a number then neither Virgin Media or BT can do anything about them, sad but true.

Now if the calls are getting beyond a joke you can do something about it but at a cost http://www.truecall.co.uk/acatalog/trueCallShop.html

[Nottles]

Thanks very much for your advice.

I have gone for caller ID-at least I can now chose not to answer the calls.