Cold calls - getting stupid and should be illegal..

[Anonymous]

Cold calls are becoming more and more common. They are driving me nuts. I get "injury lawyers", "PPI claims", "debt consolidation" and every other low life industry.

This was frustrating enough at home.. but has really reached a whole new level while I am spending 5 weeks in the Netherlands.

I get 2 cold calls per day on average. Which puts me in a strange predicament - I can either answer the phone each time and build up international charges for recieving these calls in another country. Or I can ignore every call and risk missing out on emergencies or business. 

How can someone be put into that corner where I can't answer my own phone. There must be laws enforced soon. In fact, i wouldn't be surprised if I do answer these calls abroad, I could potentially have a leg to stand on to charge it back to the cold callers. After all, its their "bad information" that cost me.

Aside from that, I guess the purpose of this message is to find out if theres any cool tips anyone has. There must be an app out there (im on iphone) that you can block numbers (not that useful as I dont get calls from the same numbers twice usually). Or even better, an app that automatically bans numbers that have had a certain amount of complaints.

Cheers guys 🙂

ps. I'm no newbie when it comes to technology. So I am most certainly careful with not putting my real number into online forms and also always untick check boxes that ask if they can share my info. 

[MI5]

Yes they are a scurge and stopping them now your number is in circulation is going to be difficult.
Register your number with phonepayplus is just about your only hope other than changing your number.

[Cleoriff]

Hi @Anonymous

I don't have an app for this but I dont get many calls of this nature. I have blocked those I don't recognise. Also in My O2 in My Choices I have all options unticked (so I don't get any cold calls from O2's partners or other folk)

Edited to add ..I think O2 will allow you one number change free of charge...

[jonsie]

If you are on contract or business account use TuGo over wifi and you can answer the calls. That is really the only way to keep costs down. Bewary if you aren't on wifi though.

[Anonymous]

Thanks... I have actually not heard of phonepayplus - I had a little look at their website and can't really figure out why and where I'd register my number with them. Is it a way to turn my phone into a premium number? Therefore, cold callers won't try it?

Yes changing my number, as @Cleoriff suggested is unfortunately not an option. Well... I guess it is. I had the number since I was 12 years old - now I am 30.

On one hand, i dont want to be bullied out of a number Ive successfully kept my whole life - lol. Also, I think, because my number is in the public domain (on my website ect) due to the nature of my business, I feel like changing it, will only be a short term fix.

[jonsie]

It is actually the Telephone Preference Service who you need to register with not phonepayplus.

http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/index.html

[Anonymous]

 @jonsie Awesome... that sounds like it!

Yes I am nearly always on wifi. So Tugo, is an app I presume. I will look into this. Is there acknowledgment that I am answering the phone via wifi so I cna talk without fear?

Also can I make outgoing calls via Tugo? Because not being able to check voicemail is also causing grief, especially as I am not answering the phone 😛

[Anonymous]

Registered! 😄

[jonsie]

Yes TuGo allows you to both make and receive calls over wifi using your UK allowances. You can easily tell when a call is through TuGo on the display. More info here...

http://www.o2.co.uk/apps/tu-go

[jonsie]

I spend half the year in Thailand and with calls and texts at ridiculous reates I use TuGo extensively for calling and texting back to the UK.