Warning Warning Warning

[JonCris]

Folks may or may not be aware but some DCA's are now telephoning prospects in such a way that the message is incoherent except the bit where they mention their telephone number.

 

So you are now curious but totally unaware who's trying to make contact & you respond thinking it might be a friend or some other non-threatening person. You ask who's this to which they reply by asking in a friendly manner who you are & if you tell them their up & running.

 

If you receive a telephone call never answer by name or number just a simple "Hello can I help you" Before talking to the caller demand they identify themselves, they are after all calling you If you don't want to talk to them, & why would you say sorry you have the wrong no & hang up.

 

Some may claim because of the DPA they can't tell until you ID yourself. Absolute rubbish. Not only does the DPA not restrict them from stating who they are to refuse is actually a breach of the guidance as set by the OFT.

 

If they continue to refuse hang up or tell them your the maid & its your day off & they have disturbed you whilst you wassshh polishing orf't the dwinks cabinet

[seylectric]

Very good post.

 

The tricks they get up to are unbelievable. A few years ago I got a call saying I had won a major prize and was asked to confirm my name, address and date of birth for delivery. Luckily I just happened to read up about this [problem] - which was a DCA tactic to check if you were still at that address - a couple of days previously. I told them that I do not give out my details to people over the phone, that my name and address was correct on the entry form and my date of birth was irrelevant.

 

The woman on the phone said that the prize was a car and that I had to be over 18. I said, "OK then, I confirm that I am over 18". She said she needed the full date of birth to cross-check it was correct. At that point I reminded her that she didn't even know who she was speaking to, I had not given her my name and address but simply told her that they were correct on the entry form. At that point she hung up.

 

My solution to phone calls is simple. If you don't have a phone with caller display, get one. And an answerphone, or use BT's 1471 free service. If you don't know who the call is from, do not answer. If it's important they will leave a message, if it isn't it doesn't matter anyway.

 

NEVER ring them back, that confirms to them that they have your number, and confirms to them more or less that you are still living at that address.

 

If you do happen to get caught out simply tell them that you are not prepared to discuss financial issues over the phone. Don't let them hassle you, whatever they say simply repeat it to them and if they keep on motormouthing you just hang up.

 

If they keep ringing you, report them to Oftel. Remember harrassment is illegal. Feel free to remind them of this. Never forget it's your phone and your number. Stay in control, don't be harrased and don't be embarrased to hang up.

[powelll]

Another quick point in relation to the above - The OFT has specific guidelines which DCAs should be following, National Debtlines website ( www.nationaldebtline.co.uk ) summarises it quite well:

 

“IT IS UNFAIR TO COMMUNICATE, IN WHATEVER FORM, WITH CONSUMERS IN AN UNCLEAR, INACCURATE OR MISLEADING MANNER.”

This includes:

• Letters that look like court claims
  
• Not making it clear who the company is or what their role is
  
• Unhelpful legal language
  
• Not giving balance statements about the debt when asked
  
• Contacting you at unreasonable times even when asked not to
  
• Asking you to contact them on premium rate phone numbers.

“ THOSE CONTACTING DEBTORS MUST NOT BE DECEITFUL BY MISREPRESENTING THEIR AUTHORITY AND/OR THE CORRECT LEGAL POSITION.”

Always worth quoting these as the OFT are very interested in DCAs behaviour at the mo - particularly if you look at all the publicity surrounding debt issues at present. Just because you owe a company money does NOT give them the right to treat you like dirt!

[breadline]

Most of the sales calls i say " sorry i dont own my home" usually they make an excuse so not, to make you think they don't want you and they clear the line.

 

Sometimes i listen to it all and let them go on and on and then say i dont own my own home is that ok:D , but i dont do it often as i used to do phone work and its miserable:(

 

BL

[sazz]

My DCA calls are always, 'Concerning an urgent business matter'.

I'm always 'busy' with my real business to take their call

[buzz]

A lot of companies usually withold their number.

I have caller display and witheld number reject. It costs about £3 a quarter.

If anyone phones and witholds their number, they get a message asking them to dial 1470 before the number they are calling, to display theirs. If they dont, the call will not get through.

 

This however does not work with calls from outside the UK, but the display reads "call", with no number. You then know it is from abroad and possibly a sales or other unwelcome company, so just ignore it.

 

Buzz.

[topCatDC]

Hi i have just seen the phone number on your thread posting i have started getting these on my mobil and i contacted orange and was told not to ring them back and they would look in to the numbers will let you know if i get any responce if you like

[silverlode]

Calls I have not answered since 8.37 yesterday

 

4 x 08701240200

10 x 08700101138

plus 4 internationals and 12 withhelds

 

lovely !

karnevil - About your 4 calls 08701240200: do you by any chance know what company that number belongs to? I've received several calls to my home phone from this number, but they never leave a message & I'd rather not call them back as I don't know who they are!!

I'd be really grateful for any info.

[jo5ephedward5]

Hi i have just seen the phone number on your thread posting i have started getting these on my mobil and i contacted orange and was told not to ring them back and they would look in to the numbers will let you know if i get any responce if you like

 

I have been getting these too from CapQuest (DCA)...i never answer and ignor 10+ calls some days...they have had a letter to say only communicate via letter too!

 

last week with my new found knowledge i answered and it was all fuzzy untill they realised it was me and it all went clear...funny that!

 

still they ended up shouting at me and hanging up as i had an answer for everything ... Oh Yesh! - needless to say they no longer call me

[JonCris]

Calls I have not answered since 8.37 yesterday

 

4 x 08701240200

10 x 08700101138

plus 4 internationals and 12 withhelds

 

lovely !

 

Yes we have just added the anonymous call barring. Also the call barring facility to our phone which allows us to select 10 numbers for barring & its great. We have had only one call this evening. Also when blocking those firms that use premuim numbers (0807) their true landline number is automaticly disclosed at the time of your entering them to the list.

 

Needless to say since realizing this we have kept a record of their numbers. No doubt I'll find places on the web to disclose these numbers & when people phone them they won't be putting money into the pockets of these parasites.

 

They won't know it either until they notice their revenue from these numbers falling

[JonCris]

Calls I have not answered since 8.37 yesterday

 

4 x 08701240200

10 x 08700101138

plus 4 internationals and 12 withhelds

 

lovely !

 

Hi Karnevil can you tell me who the 0870 01011138 number belongs too?

[daisy lighter]

08003289393 is the BT Indian call center letting you know that they called. My calls from this number related either sales or to a late business bill (3 days!)

 

Cat

[jannercobbler]

great website for finding out info is http://www.saynoto0870.com sadly 08700101138 isn't listed also allows you to find a geographrical number.

[totallylost]

Yet they still come!

I see the number - 08706716096 very often. I know it's my bank.

I've sent them letters asking not to call, told them not to call, yet....

STILL THEY COME!! Bain of my life!!

[seylectric]

You need to tell them that you have expressed a wish for them not to use that number and if they continue to do so they will be in breach of the Wireless Telecommunications Act and will be reported to Ofcom.

 

I had a row with my bank recently, they insisted that I gave them permission to use my number when I signed up with them. I pointed out that like many web forms they practicaly forced me to provide my telephone number because the application would not go through as the application could not be submitted without it. Being forced to provide the information to complete the application is an awful long way from being given the CHOICE of providing your number in my opinion and may fall under the Unfair Contracts Act. I get around it these days by entering the number of the local trading standards office on such applications.

[JonCris]

Also they are using what is classed as a premuim rate number 0807 which they are not supposed to do according to the OFT. Tell them you'll report them.

 

Reccomend you contact BT pay a small monthly charge & they will give you "choose to refuse". All anonymous calls are automaticly blocked with the phrase "this subscriber does not accept anonymous calls" & you can select a further 10 no's to block. When they call you they get "calls from this number are barred"

 

Also when you block an 07 or 45 numbers the system reads back to you the underlying ordinary landline number so have a note pad handy

[seylectric]

Never heard of an 0807 number, 0808 nubers are freephone though.

 

To be honest I blame Oftel, or Ofcom or whatever they are called these days, for this shambles. They had the chance to simplify everything when they revamped all the numbers and they screwed it up. So this is what we have now:

 

01 and 02 numbers: Standard landline numbers

 

0500: Free

 

070: Premium rate

 

077, 078, 079: Mobile numbers

 

0800, 0808 : Freephone

 

0845: local rate

 

0870: National rate

 

090: Premium rate.

 

So we have two different prefixes for Premium rate, 070 and 090, and 08 numbers covering three different rates! It's pathetic. Would it not have made more sense to have the following:

 

05: Free

06: Local

07: National

08: Mobile

09: Premium

 

So the higher the prefix, the more expernsive the call. The country is not THAT big, if America can cope with 10 digits we should at the very least be able to simplify things. To have an 070 number as Premium rate that looks like a mobile number is an absolute disgrace, and what really sucks is that the vast majority of the population are probably not aware of it. I deal with mobile phones and sim cards and even I nearly got caught out the other day by almost redialling an 070 number. What chance to people have that are unaware of these things?

[moggy1968]

A lot of companies usually withold their number.

I have caller display and witheld number reject. It costs about £3 a quarter.

If anyone phones and witholds their number, they get a message asking them to dial 1470 before the number they are calling, to display theirs. If they dont, the call will not get through.

 

This however does not work with calls from outside the UK, but the display reads "call", with no number. You then know it is from abroad and possibly a sales or other unwelcome company, so just ignore it.

 

Buzz.

I work in the A/E department of a hospital and we have a lot of problems contacting relatives and next of kin because the hospital phone goes through as a number withheld. It's not that helpful just to not answer!

[JonCris]

If people don't respond to anon calls then that's the callers fault not the person called.

All kinds of companies sales/DCA's use anon numbers & your hospital management should realize that if they don't already 1 anon caller is no different from another & there is no logical reason not to display the number so your hospital should'nt do it. The fact that you waste time trying to unsuccessfully contact relatives should tell some decision maker somewhere in your organisation something.

[Rich44]

Exactly there is NO logical reason why these companies (or hospitals) need to have anon numbers if theyre worried about ppl calling it it can be set to not accept incoming calls easily enough.

 

As for not answering anon calls well if its important thats what the answer phone is for lol

[moggy1968]

Your assuming there that NHS management give a flying xxxx! it's just left to us nurses to try and sort the mess out!

[Rich44]

so make complaints there must be some kind of staff suggestion scheme, well actually thinking about it there probably isnt, has anyone actually made the trust aware that this is causing a problem? If not how are they supposed to know

[moggy1968]

Like I said in my previous, your assuming they give a xxxx. There are much bigger fish to fry and if they aren't interested in staff concerns about dangerously low staffing levels, morale, retention, patient care, cleanliness, quality of service, nurses being attacked etc etc why would they be interested in this?

If there isn't a government target for it they aren't interested.

[Rich44]

Yes and you are assuming they wont listen without even trying arent you. I can see how its easy to be demoralised but if you dont report things then nothing ever changes does it?

 

I am not making any statements whether they actually take note or whatever that wasnt my question, have you actually written it down and/or told anyone about your suggestion?

[moggy1968]

To a point that's fair comment, and yes you do get so demoralised by the management not listening that you don't bother, but equally if you whinge about everything then they really get bored with listening, we need to try and get the more important stuff dealt with first.