You sit down to dinner and the phone rings. You get up and answer it because it might be your boss offering you that raise you wanted, but instead it's just some salesman. Marketing calls, unwanted callers and even your ex can get annoying when calling, but if you're tired of the calls don't worry, you can make them stop. In fact, there are more than a few ways that you can end the calls, even if you're on a landline without a number blocking service.
Telephone Preference Service
One of the easiest ways to get started with stopping calls is to add your number to the Telephone Preference Service (TPS). This list is the official 'do not call' list and makes it illegal for marketers, charities, political parties, stores, and volunteer organizations to call you without your express consent. Unfortunately being on the TPS list does not automatically guarantee that you will not receive any more calls. For example, if you sign up to something online and submit your phone number, they can call you. In addition, anyone who already has an existing relationship with you (such as a previous agreement to call) can call you. Finally, some companies simply do not update their list of do not call numbers frequently enough, so you may continue to receive calls for some time after you put yourself on the TPS list. That aside, adding your number is fairly easy, and a good way to discourage marketing calls.
How it Works - If you want to add your number to the TPS list, then you can start out from the 'Register page' on their website. You have to provide a certain amount of information to TPS including the type of number (such as residential or business) and your phone number. From there, all you have to do is put up with calls for 28 days and then anyone who checks the list should stop calling you.
Buy a Call Blocker
If you want to be a little bit more secure, you can take an extra step and purchase a call blocker. Call blockers typically cost around the same amount as a monthly phone bill but vary in features and value. For example, a Pro Phone Blocker offers blacklisting for 1,500 phone numbers with a 'add to blacklist' button for easy blocking, while a cheap 'standard' phone blocker typically only offers blocking for about 200 of the most common numbers. Because both options cost about the same, you can easily see which is more valuable by doing a bit of research. Most importantly, call blockers allow you to block all sorts of calls, including unwanted callers that you know. So, for example, if your ex really won't stop calling you, you can just block them. Because most call blockers just show a dead line to the caller, said person will just assume you've left the phone unhooked. If you are receiving harassing calls that you would like to block, a call blocker does a great job. Of course, you should also remember to report any harassing calls to the Nuisance Call Advice Line at 0800 661 441.
How it Works - If you buy a call blocker then you can usually set it up quite easily by hooking it into your landline. The best options offer a digital display with caller ID, so all you have to do is block numbers you don't know, or that turn out to be marketers rather than friends with new numbers.
Manually Opt Out
Many websites, businesses, and marketers provide specific numbers and options for opting out of their calling list. Because this is actually a legal requirement, you should be able to ask each specific salesman to take you off of their calling list so that they do not call you back. The advantage is that this method is free to use, but the disadvantage is that the calls might never stop. In addition, with thousands of marketers out there, you might be manually taking yourself off of calling lists for the rest of your life. Many mobile providers also block individual numbers on request, although it can be costly to keep calling them and asking them to block a specific number.
What's the best strategy to make the calls stop? We would recommend a call blocker for anyone because it lets you stop any calls, including harassment. But, it's always a good idea to register for the TPS list as well, because it never hurts to just let people know not to call you.
About the Author:
Bob Emerald hates getting calls just when you are trying to relax, that is why he recommends a call blocker as it gives yields great results.
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