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Nuisance marketing calls

Follow through with me here.

Marketing calls to individuals on the telephone preference service are illegal. Our fixed-line phone companies (BT, for example) know who just called us. Why, when we get a nuisance call can we not simply pick up the phone and dial a 5-digit code which allows us to report the last call as a nuisance? That would seem to work on a lot of levels: consumers often don't know where the caller is coming from, and shouldn't have to do a lot of work to report these cases. In addition, numbers are often withheld, or the message is recorded. I wouldn't even mind answering, say, three questions about the call by pressing keys on my keypad if it helped with the investigation of this callers.

Sadly, I suspect that phone companies want to make revenue whoever is making the call, whether it bothers the recipient or not.

Posted by James Valentine in General Comments: (2) Trackbacks: (0)
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GAJC said,

Tuesday, April 27. 2010 at 09:22 (Link) (Reply)

Indeed nuisance calls are just that; a nuisance. That said, if one keeps one's fixed line number ex-directory, they should dry up. But something here seems not to be right; knowing you as I do, I can't believe your number would not be ex-directory, and, therefore, can only assume that it is down to BT farming out your number to these simpering vultures. I can't recall receiving a single nuisance call in the past 10 years (roughly since we simultaneously left BT and became ex-directory). As you say, though, the reason you can't report it is at least partly due to the revenue it undoubtedly brings the customer-focused champions of privacy that provide your telephonic communications service. It may also be, at least in part, and rather depressingly, that the majority of people simply wouldn't use it; if you've just had your time wasted answering the phone to a nuisance call, you're unlikely to want to spend yet more time dialling a number and reporting the nuisance.

It would certainly be interesting to know if it's just a BT phenomenon; it certainly doesn't seem to be a problem with Virgin or C&W.

JDV said,

Tuesday, April 27. 2010 at 22:41 (Link) (Reply)

We don't appear in the BT directory, though I must say I wonder why! We did opt to keep the number that the property had, rather than have a new one in the interests of expediency, and the fact the property had sat empty for a few months, which is normally enough time to get it off the lists.

It would not surprise me if the number had been picked at random: I'm sure these companies attempt to place calls to a huge list of numbers: remember that what they're selling is hardly age-dependent, normally. I would doubt that BT would sell our number, as surely they abide by Telephone Preference? I have just renewed that service and have made sure to add the house number, though it was already added when I requested BT Privacy At Home. I would suggest that any other readers do the same: http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps/


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