Ex-directory and withholding numbers are two separate things.
You can register a business line. You just have to remember to renew the registration because it times out.
Even not answering the calls at all does not stop cold callers IME.
Unfortunately mine doesn't.
Most I have expereinced are automated.
Not quite. Prefix 141 will withhold a number on a single call.
Exdirectory numbers by default call make calls with CLID withheld. You have to force send CLID with 1470 if calling someone who uses a number withheld call blocker (or program fast dial to add the prefix).
Answering them with total silence does.
Not tried that. Might have a look when I next get a roundtuit.
I generally find the ansaphone a useful filter on cold calls.
According to this: ex-directory numbers do not, by default, withhold the number.
IME nothing works. YMMV.
Iff it stops the phone ringing.
That isn't my experience with exdirectory numbers on private non business lines. They always appear as number withheld on CLID systems as do many corporate switchboards, hospitals and doctors surgeries.
I agree BTs "helpful" answers are somewhat misleading.
It could be that they have recently changed the rules but I have never yet seen an exdirectory number that advertised its CLID publically.
This screws up their autodialer for a while waiting for a human.
Seems to me it would be a trivial matter for BT etc to find out the originating numbers for these call centres and block them. Unless there are people around who enjoy this sort of call.
The TPS is a toothless tiger even for UK call centres. They just say they're not trying to sell you anything so it doesn't apply to them.
I'm telling you that yesterday, for the first time, I had a call with the caller ID showing 'both' International and the number. That was my experience. Just because it has not been your experience does not make my experience wrong. Links elsewhere in this thread say that BT is upgrading its exchanges to be capable of doing this. My guess is that the number is spoofed and the exchanged detected that the call was originating from overseas.
When I went XD, BT asked me whether or not I wanted CLID withheld by default.
It's big business to use diallers ... Instead of having 50 people sitting in a Mumbai call centre manually dialling numbers and waiting for response . They have a dialler auto dialling a database of numbers, no answer - dial next number, when someone answers ... put through to next available agent. This means call centres have huge increase in efficiency.
The 'dead air' or ring tone you hear when you answer is system looking for avail agent.
This is HUGE business, they can target calls as tight as they want ... i.e. all households in a particular post code area, in a particular income band, with at least 2 kids , 2 cars etc.
Ofcom has strict rules ... and you can report any companies that break rules:
How do you manage if no caller ID .... one way is to ask BT (or whoever supplies your telephony) to block all calls with no caller ID ... they have to do this for free if asked.
Secondly register for Telephone Preference service ... it is against Ofcom rules for any company to call you if you have registered to 'opt out'
I had a call from one of these call centres earlier. "We can save you money on your electricity bill"
It sort of went downhill from the start, when they couldn't find my energy supplier on their database.
The again, maybe I shouldn't have told them I buy my electricity from Texaco. That's where the last batch of diesel for the boat engine and the petrol for the generator came from....
So far, my experience has been that an oversea's call simply shows as "international". If BT are upgrading their exchange equipment to also display an actual CLID as well, it would make it even easier to detect scammers (a genuine UK based firm would only show a UK CLID if they know what's good for them).
We're XD, CLID witheld and on the TPS list. I doubt we get 3 nuisance calls a year.
The alarm line, which is XD but nothing else gets about a call a week. Occasionally, for yucks, I answer it.
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