RE: preventing marketing phonecalls etc.

["Kevin Hawkins" <lists@xxxxxxx>]

Sales calls really wound me up at my previous house so I now use TPS plus I
automatically direct calls with 'number withheld, or no CID straight to the
answer phone where a message simply say that they may call again and
release
their number or leave a message. Obviously you can add that you don't wish
to receive any sales calls.  I allow 'international' calls and 'payphones'
straight through. This works pretty well but you do tend to catch a couple
of people when they are using some of the 'prefix' dial services or from
some cable operators. To get around this initially I had on my answer phone
message that they could type "*" on their keypad to ring the
internal
phones. I had assumed no sales calls would do this - I was wrong - now I
don't put the message on the answer phone - and I don't use '*'. The
particular caller remembered the "*" though that really incensed
me so for
my cousin, and any others who can't provide callerID I gave her another
code
that works, or worst case you can suggest calling from a mobile.

Obviously being ex-directory helps - but I made the mistake of having a
secondary number on the same line and that wasn't ! duh - nearly all my
sales calls came in on that number - it has a distinctive ring so I know.
Unfortunately no UK approved devices that I know of, identify this
distinctive ring. I had intended to build a little circuit that will
recognise this ring as it would be very useful in a load of situations like
this. Then you just divert the distinctive ring incoming calls to answer
phone. The BT CID spec is supposed to identify the dialled number in the
info packet it sends but as yet it is not implemented.

BTW One little known offering from BT is the punch through number. It gives
you a second number on your line that is unaffected by any diverts in
place.
If you use call diversion, which in itself could drop to a 1571 answer
service then you can have another number that still works for close friends
- sort of as Doctors would use I guess.



Kevin





-----Original Message-----
From: Steve_Cuthbertson [mailto:steve@xxxxxxx]
Sent: 21 June 2003 21:48
To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [ukha_d] preventing marketing phonecalls etc.



On Sat, 21 Jun 2003 11:13:25 +0100, you wrote:

>Can anyone remind me of the websites to register which helps prevent
>marketing phonecalls etc.
>
>I know it mentioned before, but can't find the links
>
>thanks
>Campbell

I got the telco to dis-allow all calls made with no caller-id.
This is calls from switchboards etc.  If anyone important calls, they are
told that "number withheld" calls will not be accepted, and this
gives them
a
chance to call on a suitably equipped number.
Since doing this, my marketing etc. style calls have dropped from lots to
ZERO!

Steve.

Overlord of the Stuffed Attic.
If it moves, I'll keep it..
If it stands still, I'll keep it..
If I want it, it's up there somewhere...

If I've not yet used it, it's not been kept long enough...

===================================================
Any opinions voiced that are possibly contentious
were not written by me.  Honest.  No, really!
Well, they might have been.  Or not.  Burble-Burble
===================================================
steve@xxxxxxx
steve@xxxxxxx
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