Hi Theresa. I have a feeling that the Phone Privacy service allows you to register as not wanting cold calls, and that if you are subsequently pestered by such services I understand they can be fined £5,000. I shall try looking this up in a short while. On the issue of databases of ex-D numbers, I feel we aught to know more about this. Wonder if its worth you emailing You and Yours about this? I intend registering for the 'no cold callers please' service. I don't care who they are, private companies or charities. If I can hit them in the pocket, then so much the better! Ray Personal emails: Email me at mailto:ray-48@xxxxxxxx ----- Original Message ----- From: "Theresa Hodge" | Hi All | | A while ago there was some discussion on the list about the website | www.saynoto0870 .com. I have had a look at this website and managed to find | the geographical number between my bank's telephone banking number - but I | got through to a real person instead of the usual automated one - ie a named | person in Customer Services. | | For a while our home telephone number has been registered with Telephone | Preference Service and for a while we seemed to stop getting phone calls | from cold-calling sales people. However, this has recently started again. | When I ask them where they got my number from (as I'm registered with | Telephone Preference and ex-directory), I'm told that their database | contains all telephone numbers whether they're ex-directory or not. In the | last couple of cases I've asked for a contact number where I can get in | touch with someone to discuss this issue. Someone from Kitchens Direct gave | me a telephone number which, when I rang it one evening, I got an answering | machine message that said I was through to a company called Cornbrook. I | haven't yet rung them back to find out what their connection is with | Kitchens Direct! Today Zenith Daybright gave me a phone number that I could | ring to get my number removed and assured me that I would speak to a | person - but on ringing them I only had the opportunity of entering my phone | number into an automated system, at which point I was told it would be | hidden from their records and thank you for calling. | | I'm wondering where companies get these lists of all phone numbers, even if | they're ex-directory. On the saynoto0870.com website I noticed a link where | it appeared that if a member, people could search for anything in the US | public records register, including getting access to any unlisted numbers, | and I'm wondering if there's something similar in this country. | | I've heard recently about something called BT Privacy. On phoning BT today | there was a number to ring to register for BT Privacy, but ringing it didn't | enable me to speak to anyone, just enter my phone number into an automated | system. What is this service? Do we have to pay for it? | | Enough of my rantings for now!! | | | | Theresa Hodge | theresa.hodge@xxxxxxxxx | ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** and in the Subject line type ** unsubscribe ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the ** immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] ** or send a message, to ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq