Getting rid of telephone sales calls

Hi, been a long time since I've posted here.

I have been noticing a huge increase in the number of unwanted sales calls (plus surveys and so forth) that we have been getting on our home phone.  I can't help it but I get angry when people use the phone that I'm paying for to try selling something that I don't want, usually at a time of day when I'm least able to spare the time.  We don't want to just not answer the phone as we get important calls that we need to take. 

So anyway, I've lately been thinking about the Do Not Call database in the US and wishing there were something like it here.  Lo and behold, I found out last week that there is.  It's called the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) and you can read about it and sign up online here:  http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps/index.html

Very similar to the DNC database.  Why isn't this information made more available here in the UK?  Did I miss a memo?  Is this another one of those things that everyone but me knows about?

Anyway, I signed up our phone and my wife's parents, and I'm telling my friends about it (so far no one else I have told had heard about it). 

We've had it on our phone line since we moved into our house in 2007.
To be fair, if you call your telephone provider to ask about it, they will provide you with a link to the website so you can sign yourself up. I believe thats how I discovered it, as I used to work for TeleWest (now VirginMedia)  As they couldnt add the name for you, since its a third party, but can provide you with the information on how to yourself.

I have our home and mobile phones signed up and STILL get calls.  Is signed up 2 years ago.

I have begun asking for the company name and filing complaints.  I get at least 4 PPI people calling a week and 2 surveys a month - BLAH  and the caller id is sometimes blocked.

I wonder if I can block calls without a caller id but then your doctor cant call as that says "private" damn...

Hi,

I've mentioned it a couple of times on a few posts here on UKY.

When you do get these sales calls, once the salesperson has said their opening line etc, and you are sure you don't want what they're selling, ask them 'to please remove your phone number from their database and never to call you again'

They will usually say 'ok, I've now done that for you'

To be double sure, take the name of the salesperson, and note it down with their company name and the time they called etc.

If they call again, you can threaten them with legal action.

If you've notified the company of the above and to remove your details from their list they are legally obliged to do so.

Be firm in telling them to do this for you and you should find over a period of a month or two all non wanted sales calls will dramatically reduce and hopefully stop altogether.

The above is something I read about a few years back and has certainly worked for me. If the law has changed etc in the meantime I don't know, but it's been a while since I've had to ask any company to remove me from their database!

Cheers, DtM! West London & Slough UK!