Nuisance Telephone Calls...again!

We are getting between 5 and 7 a day. Answer machine is on permanently, when it cuts in they put the phone down. We had 5 on Sunday mostly over the lunch and dinner period

We have had 4 to-day and we are on that list which is supposed to stop them - Fat Chance of that

I now follow DD2's rule and never answer the phone at mealtimes -or if I'm busy - or can't be bothered. Since I became an orphan I figure there's no emergency that can't wait and the DC will re-dial my mobile if it's urgent.

Sunday calling is a new one on me and (not for religious reasons) I'm shocked. I suppose they think they provide services 24/7 so it's fair game to pester us 24/7. We get one recorded message from two different sources and that's annoying too...this would be on the top of my list if I ever got to rule the world!

The calls start early in the morning with an international out of area followed about ten minutes later by withheld number and a little later by a number unavailable. When we do not answer any of these calls they ring both our mobiles which displays as no number or 0000.
Why would they assume that I would buy anything ? after being hounded for months there is absolutely no way I would have anything to do with these companies and if I ever do find out where they are I will have them prosecuted

A reply to quite an oldish post but don't really see the point of starting yet another one on what is probably a well discussed problem. For months we have been getting phone calls, around two per day on the subject of replacement boilers funded by the government etc, etc. It is a recorded message so there is no one to speak to unless you do as requested and press 3 or whatever to speak to someone. I'm reluctant to do this as I wonder if I'll be charged at some exorbitant rate. If this is the case and you do get charged for pressing the button then it wouldn't surprise me if this is why I get the call every day, month in, month out in the hope that eventually I'll get so sick of them that I'll press the button in a fit of temper to give whoever a massive piece of my mind - to date I have managed to resist that temptation. I wouldn't mind but we had a new boiler fitted under a government scheme plus loft insulation plus solar panels so they don't even get their facts right because "their records show that we have not yet claimed our free boiler......yadiya"

It's ridiculous that the same phone call is coming though day after day, week after week, I am so sick of it now. Is anyone else getting this recorded message, it started about 12 months ago with a mans voice, now they've changed it to a woman.

Me! And I'm fed up as well,

Have you tried 1471 to see if the number has been given? At least that way if you did want to press whichever button you should be able to tell if it is a premium rate number or not.

Yes, I do too, and like you it is day in, day out. Never a real person, so no sob stories please about it being the only job someone can get - this is about the companies who do it, not the person who recorded the message. My mother is 91 and easily confused. She gets them and ends up very upset. It's all very well saying not to answer them, and to use the answerphone, but the fact remains we are being interrupted and inconvenienced every single day. Sorry for ranting

If you hang on to the boiler/window ones you get the opportunity to press 8, which is supposed to take you off their lists. It works for a short time,but then you get back on (the TPS makes no difference).

The other day I got one of the ones from a gentleman who said his name was Charlie and had an Indian accent and wanted to speak about my internet connection and my computer. When I asked him on whose behalf he was speaking, he put the phone down. There was a number, so I googled it and found, as I suspected, that it was a scam. It is quite reassuring to find out these things by googling the number, but not much help when there is no number...

What I need to do is replace the batteries in the phone so that the number display is visible again, then I don't have to answer the withheld numbers!

I don't think some of these calls do have 'people' at the other end. If you listen carefully, sometimes there is a 'click' and the recorded voice chimes in. Our answer phone is on permanent duty, and friends will always leave a message. We don't have a mobile, so if it is urgent, the answer phone is the only way to get in touch.

The free bolier ones do not seem to all be from the same people.They are from businesses who will carry out the "government replacement boiler Scheme" they are telling you about and presumably get paid by the government in return - if you meet the criteria, which are listed here by one of those companies.

So s fast as you add one caller to your banned list another starts to ring you.

Boiler, not bolier.

with the Sunday callers - we used to get them, but not anymore. I asked the person at the end of the phone what day it was on their continent. When they didn't reply I told them that here it was Sunday, that as we were a Christian country then we didn't do business on a Sunday, and that calling on this day was the work of the Devil. They put the phone down, and we've never been bothered again. I reckon there must be a big mark against our number "religious nutjob. Do not call". I have to confess that I don't go to church.

. I love your reply Ivanova made me chuckle that did.

The one we get is from a withheld number. There is never a message at the end suggesting that you might want to have your number removed from their calling list. Before posting this morning I had already had two calls from the same recorded message - I got another this afternoon. That is 3 in one day, I think that's a record. Same company, unless they're all sharing the same recorded message.

I think I need to just stop answering it, they can, as you say always leave a message.

On a similar but more sinister note, don't know if anyone who has a smartphone has ever noticed but this is something that's happened so many times it now surely cannot be coincidence: We have a discussion at home. We know for a fact neither of us has googled what we were discussing or looked at it on the internet, it can be something really vague and yet same day, I've noticed adverts coming up on facebook directly linked to what we've been talking about. I am now 80% convinced that an idle smartphone is sat listening and reporting back with key words that you are then targeted with advertising for. Hubby thought I was just being paranoid but it keeps happening and now its got him thinking too

I reckon they employ mind-readers. You just need to think of something for an ad to appear.

My DD has this one sorted. Her 4-year old has taken to answering the phone. He filters the calls most effectively

I now pay attention to the phone display if it says International I answer but ring off straight away. They don't bother to ring back.

I need a willing 4 year old to answer the phone!

Could you impersonate a 4-year-old, rosesarered ?

Wow, daisy, wouldn't be surprised if that's true. Glad I don't have a smart phone.
I would never press any button I'm asked to by a cold call; as already said, it could let you in for charges or just for more phone calls because you have "shown an interest".
Impersonating a 4-year-old, that's a great idea.

My way of getting rid of these pests is to say on the phone to whoever, que? que? often enough, they think I am some nutter or somebody who does not understand English. It works. I do not have a 4 year old available, a much better idea.

We have been getting texts from Vodafone at midnight, 1am, 3am and 4.30am three or four times a week. As we have elderly and one very sick relative abroad every one of these sends me into a panic. I contacted Vodafone by email asking them to stop but they didn't listen so I pretended I needed more advice to extend our contract and they phoned me - that chap wished he had never called I can tell you. They say you can press a key to stop the texts but it didn't work. So far no more messages.
We'd also been getting 5 to 7 calls every day from a company and one day last week when I was especially fed up I picked up the phone and said yes I would speak to someone - I then let rip. So far no more calls.
We have other numbers blocked. Why should we have to do this?

The old, and rather cruel, remedy for this used to to be to blow a whistle down the phone. Wouldn't work for an unsolicited text, of course. Any suggestions, anybody?