To remove your number click on the link below, you need your mobile phone with you to do this as they text you a code:
1. 118800.co.uk
2. Click on ‘Ex Directory’ at top right hand side of page.
From there it’s straight forward.
What can you do to stop junk mail?
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Ask to be removed from the national mailing lists of Commercial companies through the Direct Marketing Association’s Mail Preference Service also Non-profit organizations by contacting their customer service department.
Select the option to not have your name shown on the public copy of the electoral role, which is sold to mailing firms.
Ask the Royal Mail’s Door to Door Service to not deliver unaddressed mail to your home.
Complain to the Information Commissioner who will assess your case. The Information Commissioner has a form which you can download which should prevent you getting further mailings.
MOTA’s membership consists of most of the largest general catalogue mail order groups trading in the UK.
MOTA
7th Floor
100 Old Hall Street
Liverpool
L3 9TD
Tel: 0151 227 9456
Fax: 0151 227 9678
MOPS provide advice on problems with mail order purchases.
MOPS
18a King Street
Maidenhead
SL6 1EF
Tel: 01628 641930
Tel: 01628 641931
Spam and unwanted Emails.
First thing to do is see if your email has spam and virus filtering set up. If your not sure, you should check with whoever supplies your email. Its extremely useful to have virus scanner set up on your email, and also spam protection.
However if you do set up spam protection you may find it not only blocks spam but also emails you do want. So think carefully before you set spam filtering up.
Often emails are picked up by software that scans the internet for any email addresses posted. So for instance you post a message on a message board, you may include your email address. This could be picked up by the software and a few days later you start getting spam.
If you can trace the email, you can complain to the host.
Unwanted phone calls.
You can register your number to stop unwanted sales calls.
To do this visit: tpsonline.org.uk
Please note that it will take up to 28 days for your registration to be fully active.
If after 28 days you are still receiving unwanted sales and marketing telephone calls to the telephone number registered, you may wish to make an official complaint. Please complete our ‘Complaint’ form which can be found on this site in the complaints section.
Alternatively you can contact the office of the Information Commissioner – the body for the enforcement of the relevant legalisation.
The Office of the Information Commissioner
Wycliff House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
SK9 5AF
Tel: 01625 545 745
Fax: 01625 524 510
E-Mail: mail@ico.gsi.gov.uk
You can also contact your phone company and ask them to make you ex-directory.
You may also consider asking your phone company to block with-help phone numbers. This prevents people phoning you and withholding there phone number.
From BT website:
If you are getting calls you don’t want, especially if they are upsetting, we can work together to stop them.
Malicious calls
Some malicious callers may dial your number at random. Whenever you answer the phone just say “hello”. Don’t give or confirm your name or number.
If you want to take action to stop unwanted calls, BT has a free helpline – call Freefone 0800 666 700. If you call this number, a 24-hour recorded message will advise you how to deal with the situation.
Even if you receive just one particularly menacing call you may decide to report the matter to the Police and they may ask BT to trace future calls.
If you continue to get malicious calls we’ll gladly change your number free of charge, and we would advise you to keep the new number ex-directory.
Almost all malicious calls can now be traced -whether they come from private, public or even mobile phones – anywhere in the country. Calls can also be traced by BT even if the number has been withheld by using the ‘141′ code, or is withheld automatically.
BT’s Conditions for Telephone Service allows us to disconnect phone lines used to make malicious or nuisance calls.
Other unwanted calls
If you are receiving calls that you simply don’t want, you should first ask the caller to stop making them. If the calls are persistently being made on behalf of a company, the Office of Telecommunications (Oftel) can instruct them to stop calling you.
You can contact Oftel on Lo-call 0845 714 5000.
If you don’t want unsolicited sales and telemarketing calls you can register free with the Telephone Preference Service (which is administered by the Direct Marketing Association). The register is available to telemarketing companies so that they can remove numbers from their lists. This service cannot guarantee that you will never receive such calls again, but they should become less frequent. Registration forms are available by calling 0845 07 007 07.
Being ex-directory does not necessarily prevent you receiving unsolicited sales and marketing calls.
If you’re receiving unwanted faxes you should bear in mind that it is unlawful for companies to send sales and telemarketing faxes to individuals without their prior consent. However, if you wish you can still register with the Fax Preference Service by calling Lo-call 0845 070 0702.
BT Privacy at Home1
This is a new service that helps you spend more, uninterrupted time on the things that matter to you by giving you control over who you speak to. What’s more, this service is FREE.
It allows you to see who’s calling before you pick up the phone with FREE Caller Display2
It can also help block unwanted sales calls with the FREE Telephone Preference Service.
Choose To Refuse
This new BT service will give you more control over your incoming calls, and could be particularly useful if you are receiving nuisance or malicious calls.
Choose To Refuse is a quarterly rental service which gives you the ability to block the telephone number of the last incoming call once the call has ended. Numbers may also be barred manually if the phone number is known. Up to 10 such telephone numbers can be stored in a personal data store. By using a PIN you will be able to edit the information held.
Callers who have had their number barred will receive the message, “The person you are calling is not accepting calls from you”.
Choose To Refuse is available to all single line residential customers and business customers on digital exchanges.
The call you make
There are times when your call could be overheard without you knowing. This could happen, for example, if the person you have called is:
using a loudspeaking telephone
playing your message back on an answering machine.
Your phone call might also have been diverted without your knowledge to a different phone where other people may hear your conversation or message. Be aware of these types of situations when you make your calls.
1 BT residential customers making calls on the BT network can opt in to receive BT Privacy at Home, FREE.
2 Caller Display equipment required.
Allow 28 days for activation of Telephone Preference Service.
Unwanted Sales Reps
We found some people put small stickers up on there door saying no sales people. Unfortunately these often do not work. In fact often sales representatives target people with these. Why? Well often people buy these from sales reps on the door (say for a pound). In other words, these are people willing to buy goods or services from sales reps. And so often if you have one of these stickers sales reps will knock on your door.
Below you will see a link to our Poster page. We suggest you print this out and place it on your door, as sales representatives will not want to risk annoying you if they know you use this site and are prepared to make a complaint.
So what should you do to stop sales reps:
Print out our Poster and place it in the window. Please print one out for your friends and relatives who may not be able to get access to the internet.
If the sales representative still knocks on the door, please take his or her details. If he or she refuses, we recommend you call the police as its possible the person is not a sales person and is a burglar. Any sales representative should have a badge stating his or her name, the company and a contact no. We recommend that you always contact the company in case the badge is fake.
Ask the sales person to remain outside, lock the door then make the call.
Its important you get the following details:
Date of call:
Time of Call:
The name of the sales rep:
The badge number/ID of the sales rep:
Company:
Company address:
Company postcode:
His/Her manager:
Reason for the call:
Other details:
Description of the sales person: Age:
Sex:
When making a complaint, its worth noting that some sales persons work for agencies rather than direct with the company. It is recommended that you always contact the company they represent as well and the agency.
We also recommend that you take a photograph of the sales person. Many mobile phones now have digital cameras built in.
Remember, even if the person carries an ID badge, this could be bogus. It is better to find the contact number of the sales persons company in a phone book, rather than the number on the card (otherwise you could be phoning his friend pretending to be his manager).
If the sales person is from one of the energy suppliers (such as gas and electricity), you may also wish to contact these people:
If you have a complaint to make on your energy supplier, please contact energywatch on:
Consumer Helpline: 0845 906 0708
Fax: 020 7799 8341
Textphone for deaf or hearing impaired consumers: 0845 7581 401
Web address: energywatch.org.uk
Email enquiries: enquiries@energywatch.org.uk
Energywatch has been set up to deal with complaints about sales people who sell gas and electricity (energy). So we recommend you contact them as well as the energy company.
Doorstep selling – three things to remember
1. Check the seller’s identity
Were you expecting them? If not, be very cautious. If you are interested in what they are selling, you can ask them to come back at another time that is more convenient for you – for example, when you have someone else with you.
Always ask for an identity card and look at it carefully. The important thing is to be sure they are who they say they are. Check their identity by ringing their company using a number from the phonebook, not a number they give you.
2. Take control – you ask the questions
If you decide to have a meeting with a doorstep seller, make sure you are in control, not the salesperson. Remember it is a business situation, not a chat with a friend. Be aware of the six sales techniques.
3. Don’t sign on the spot – shop around
How do you know if the price is right? Check with other companies offering the same product first. Don’t be hurried into a decision even if they offer you a discount. The discount might be on a price that is too high in the first place.
Remember: it’s your doorstep, your decision.