Nuisance calls are big business these days; you can make whole documentaries about them, if you're running short on 'car-crash-viewing' ideas. They're pretty hot political topics too, and recently the government announced measures aimed to win a handful of votes and/or reduce the number of cold calls that UK households receive by broadening the scope of the regulations relating to cold-calling. Unfortunately it seems that the problem with nuisance calls continues apace, so what are the simplest, most practical way to stop them?
In many cases, the reason that a cold-calling firm has our details in the first place can be traced to our own complacency! One misplaced tick and your details are out there, roaming free from sales list to sales list. However, the good news is that even if you've “agreed” to receive calls you can request to be taken off a company's list. Call centre workers, being what they are, may not wish to do this but legally they're obliged to. It's important to be clear of the name of the company and try to get the office address as putting the request in writing is a good idea.
Silent calls in the past were often the result of a faulty line or a malicious caller (see below). Today they're usually the result of automated systems operated by many call centres. These make outbound calls (inbound from your point of view) but the call centres don't always have enough operators to complete the call. You can register with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) to help eliminate at least some of these, or use a number of technical options to screen your calls.
If a company uses an overseas call centre but its business is based in the UK it is covered by the UK regulations. However, this does not apply to all overseas cold calls. If you don't need to make or receive international calls you can ask your telephone provider to block them; there may be a cost for this service so double check before signing up. If you get a large number of these calls – or have older or vulnerable relatives who do, this can be a very good idea.
Technology is marvellous stuff, isn't it? Thanks to technology the number of companies making cold calls has risen drastically. From unwanted loft insulation to help with claiming for accidents you never had, the list seems to grow every year. However, technology can also help to stop these calls from getting through to you. Apart from blocking withheld and/or international numbers there are several devices that can help:
These are the most distressing type of call and can be the most difficult to deal with. There are some very simple rules when dealing with them and the first, most important, point to remember is not to respond. Nuisance callers love to get a response and will call back again for more if you do respond. They like to know they're upsetting you. Simply don't speak when you pick up the phone – friends and relatives will speak first if you don't. Always report this type of call to your provider and, preferably, to the police. The latter may not always be able to act at first but if the calls are repeated they should be able to take action and it's important to contact them from the outset. Never allow a nuisance/malicious caller to 'get' to you – it's their whole (sad) reason for living. Take action, report and if necessary add them to your blacklisted numbers on your call blocker!
You've Nobody to Blame but Yourself
In many cases, the reason that a cold-calling firm has our details in the first place can be traced to our own complacency! One misplaced tick and your details are out there, roaming free from sales list to sales list. However, the good news is that even if you've “agreed” to receive calls you can request to be taken off a company's list. Call centre workers, being what they are, may not wish to do this but legally they're obliged to. It's important to be clear of the name of the company and try to get the office address as putting the request in writing is a good idea.
Is There Anybody There?
Silent calls in the past were often the result of a faulty line or a malicious caller (see below). Today they're usually the result of automated systems operated by many call centres. These make outbound calls (inbound from your point of view) but the call centres don't always have enough operators to complete the call. You can register with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) to help eliminate at least some of these, or use a number of technical options to screen your calls.
If a company uses an overseas call centre but its business is based in the UK it is covered by the UK regulations. However, this does not apply to all overseas cold calls. If you don't need to make or receive international calls you can ask your telephone provider to block them; there may be a cost for this service so double check before signing up. If you get a large number of these calls – or have older or vulnerable relatives who do, this can be a very good idea.
Technology: The Problem and the Answer.
Technology is marvellous stuff, isn't it? Thanks to technology the number of companies making cold calls has risen drastically. From unwanted loft insulation to help with claiming for accidents you never had, the list seems to grow every year. However, technology can also help to stop these calls from getting through to you. Apart from blocking withheld and/or international numbers there are several devices that can help:
- A simple answer machine can be surprisingly effective at screening calls; friends, relatives and other acquaintances will usually leave a message, or you can pick up when you recognise who is calling. Call centre workers just hang up which means your number of unwanted, frustrating conversations can drop very radically indeed. Caller display units are normally another excellent way to screen your calls, this allows you to see who is calling, or at least the number, and decide whether to answer or not.
- Call blockers are also a good option and are very effective at dealing with cold calling, silent calls and even malicious calls. Different units work in different ways but most will allow you to numbers that fall under a range of categories. With the best nuisance phone call blocker you can block specific numbers as well as different types of call. This can be useful if you wish to block types of call only for specific times as the block can also easily be removed.
Malicious calls
These are the most distressing type of call and can be the most difficult to deal with. There are some very simple rules when dealing with them and the first, most important, point to remember is not to respond. Nuisance callers love to get a response and will call back again for more if you do respond. They like to know they're upsetting you. Simply don't speak when you pick up the phone – friends and relatives will speak first if you don't. Always report this type of call to your provider and, preferably, to the police. The latter may not always be able to act at first but if the calls are repeated they should be able to take action and it's important to contact them from the outset. Never allow a nuisance/malicious caller to 'get' to you – it's their whole (sad) reason for living. Take action, report and if necessary add them to your blacklisted numbers on your call blocker!
