[bouncer]

Okay so basicly for a couple of days now ive been getting prank calls and there starting to annoy me now >=[

Can you suggest what I do about it?

[Squiffy]

Call BT (assuming you are with them).

They can put a trace on your line, even if the caller withholds their number.

If the pranks are malicious or threatening, you may also want to involve the police.

[partyweb]

Also set up 'Anonymous caller rejection' on your phone.

[njp]

Originally Posted by bouncer

Okay so basicly for a couple of days now ive been getting prank calls and there starting to annoy me now >=[

Can you suggest what I do about it?

Do you have caller ID? You can just ignore anonymous calls, or else pick up the phone, say nothing, and leave it off-hook for a while. What is the nature of the calls? If they are just silent calls, you might be the victim of a predictive dialler rather than anything deliberately malicious.

[RHCP]

Last time i had a prank call i said i had a logicator (made up name) on the phone and will know exactly who is calling and i will be coming round with some thugs.

They never rang back.

[Praxidike]

Originally Posted by RHCP

Last time i had a prank call i said i had a logicator (made up name) on the phone and will know exactly who is calling and i will be coming round with some thugs.

They never rang back.

You could've probably said any kind of word....

"I have a CAT on the line that'll trace you"

and they would've believed you, if they're stupid enough to prank random people for fun ( ), they're stupid enough to believe anything.

[partyweb]

Originally Posted by njp

...If they are just silent calls, you might be the victim of a predictive dialler rather than anything deliberately malicious.

From the bbc:
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programme...st/3249365.stm)

"If you get lots of silent phone calls, you may believe you're being targeted by a burglar - or even a stalker.
But it turns out that many have a more innocent - but highly irritating - explanation.
Tele-sales companies are increasingly using computers to ring potential customers - and if there aren't enough sales staff to handle the calls, all you will hear is silence when you answer the phone."

If you don't like unsolicited sales calls, you can register with the Telephone Preference Service, which is run by the Direct Marketing Association. This tells all DMA members not to ring your number.

The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) helps you to make sure your telephone number is no longer available to organisations, including charities and voluntary organisations who may telephone you with offers and information you do not wish to receive:

http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps/

[njp]

Originally Posted by partyweb

From the bbc:
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programme...st/3249365.stm)
If you don't like unsolicited sales calls, you can register with the Telephone Preference Service, which is run by the Direct Marketing Association. This tells all DMA members not to ring your number.

That's certainly worth doing, although it makes no difference at all to calls originated from foreign call centres, and a lot of UK companies deliberately flout the regulations. I've had telescum callers tell me that it is my responsibility to tell them I don't wish to be called.

Nowadays I simply ignore all calls that are anonymous or have a presentation CLID that looks dubious. The answering machine kicks in after 8 rings, and I only pick up if they start speaking and it's someone I want to talk to (e.g friends calling from places where the CLID is withheld).

[nsherin]

A certain large telecom/TV/broadband company who will remain nameless were one of the worst offenders I found for annoying marketing calls. When I asked them to stop - my phone service was with them, they said it wasn't possible. In the end, registering with TPS put a stop to the calls, but it was ironic that the telecoms firm were the worst for the annoyning calls.

[njp]

Originally Posted by nsherin

A certain large telecom/TV/broadband company who will remain nameless were one of the worst offenders I found for annoying marketing calls. When I asked them to stop - my phone service was with them, they said it wasn't possible. In the end, registering with TPS put a stop to the calls, but it was ironic that the telecoms firm were the worst for the annoyning calls.

Name and shame, I say.

I had a recent spate of calls where the presentation CLID was an 0800 number. Since these were obviously telemarketing calls I simply ignored them, but they kept arriving at the rate of several a day and holding the line just long enough after my answering machine had kicked in to leave a silent message, which I then had to delete.

Since it was an 0800 number, I eventually decided to dial it and a recorded voice informed me that I had been called by a power company (it was either Powergen or Scottish power) and that they would call me again soon! Then it ended the call. No option to not continue being called, and not even the satisfaction of being able to waste their money by staying connected. I suppose I could have programmed a modem to repeatedly redial - maybe I'll do that if it happens again.

The next call I received I answered with the words "Don't call me again!", and hung up. That did the trick.

[Woodywizz]

My mum and dad had a spate of prank calls from kids shouting obscenities for no reason - my dad would simply swear back at them and they would stay on laughing. One day, when I was visiting, the phone rang, call from an unknown number - I answered and was greeted with some obscenities and snickering - I then informed that I was "Detective Sergeant x" from Greater Manchester CID and that this call had been traced to a local residential number. The child said "What did you say?". I thanked him for staying on the line longer and that the exact location had been traced and that a car was on it's way - they never rang back again.

[huwg]

I'm pretty sure this has been posted here before, but I cannot find the thread.
A novel way to get rid of a tele-sales/marketing call.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ve21XwzXqs&eurl

[bouncer]

Nope these are not random calls there spificly to me x]

And now everynight at 8 on teh dot the phone comes out the socet =]

Just casue im fed up of getting up to answer teh damm phone even tho its cordless x]

And who is planning on paying for all these extra services

Oh yea and the "kids" around my place arnt stupid enogh to fall for that AND if they do (as ive did this once bfore) we/they hang around and wait and see x]

Altho I did it to someone I hated casue he smashed my windows >=[

[partyweb]

Originally Posted by huwg

I'm pretty sure this has been posted here before, but I cannot find the thread.
A novel way to get rid of a tele-sales/marketing call.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ve21XwzXqs&eurl

That was excellent, I totally PMSL !!!

[Duncan G]

Originally Posted by bouncer

Okay so basicly for a couple of days now ive been getting prank calls and there starting to annoy me now >=[

Can you suggest what I do about it?

Keep an air horn by the phone and use it next time you get a prank call.