Following on from my previous post I thought I would look into what can be done to stop cold calls, whether they’re from personal injury related companies or any other of the little blighters. Then I thought I might as well make a new “informational” post on the topic, so here it is.

Number 1 on the list is the Telephone Preference Service.

If you register your phone number with the telephone preference service then you should not receive unsolicited calls from companies based in the United Kingdom, and t does not cost anything for you to register with them.

You can go to their website here for more details and to register if you wish to do so.

Take note though that the telephone preference service does not stop junk calls that you might have opted to receive when you were filling out some form or another.

Number 2 is to have an unlisted phone number.

You can request that your name and phone number be excluded from telephone directories. Some cold calling companies use these directories to locate phone numbers so if your numbers not listed then it’ll be harder for them to get hold of your number.

Number 3 is to get Caller Identification on your Phone.

If you have caller identification on your phone then you can screen your calls as they come in. Cold callers trying to call you will show up on the caller ID equipment as an unknown name, or private number. Do not answer those calls that do not display the name and number of the person calling you.

Number 4 is to get an Answering Machine

If you have an answering machine you can also screen your calls. The majority of legitimate callers will leave a message for you on an answering machine. If you are close enough to the phone you can even interrupt the machine and go ahead with the call if it is someone you wish to speak with, or ignore it if it’s the mother-in-law.

Number 5 is Call Blocking

If you do not have a phone that has call blocking capabilities on it there are services you can subscribe to that will block unwanted calls for you. CPR call blocker plugs into your home phone and allow you to know who is calling before you answer the phone, and you can even get a CPR app for certain cell phones as well. Bonus!

You can also get TrueCall Call Blocker and use it in the same way.

Number 6 is to report the calls!

If you are receiving unwanted cold calls you can report the callers to the TPS. The TPS will investigate your allegation of cold calls and they will make reports to the Information Commissioner’s Office. This is especially useful against the cold caller companies that call repeatedly.

If you think the caller is trying to run a scam you can visit the Action Fraud website and make your own report. Or give them a call on 0300-123-2040.

If you are getting silent calls or other nuisance calls you can also make a report to the company that provides your phone services.

G Macs final thought

Well that’s it for today folks. But before I go, Sal and I are out for dinner tonight so whatever yall fine people are up to tonight, have fun.

Thanks,

G Mac.