If you keep receiving unsolicited calls and texts from a company or more than one company, then you are entitled to take action to prevent this from happening again in future.
Cold calls, nuisance texts and voicemails from companies that you have not given your number out to, or who you have not given permission to contact you, are all classified as unsolicited.
Joining the Telephone Preference Service
One of the best ways to stop unwanted calls is to register your phone number with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS). Although this is not guaranteed to stop all calls, it should significantly reduce the number that you receive. It is illegal for a company to make an unsolicited call to a number which is registered with the TPS, so it should help to scare off all legitimate companies which are trying to tout for your business. Registering for the TPS is free and easy. Either fill in the online form or text your email address to 85095.
You may continue to receive calls and texts from some companies which you have previously provided your number to. You may not remember giving these companies your number. Always read the small print carefully when you sign up to new things, so that you can make sure that your data is not given to third parties. If you no longer want to get calls or messages from them, then you should ask them to stop calling you. If they fail to heed this request then you should launch a formal complaint using that company’s official complaint process.
Stopping Nuisance Calls
It can be difficult to completely block out nuisance calls, as call filters can also accidentally block out calls that you want. For example, call blockers which filter out withheld numbers can also filter out withheld calls from medical providers or personal friends who withhold their number automatically. If you want to block a specific number, you can ask your service provider whether they have any options available to help you. Ofcom also has details about services which may be available to help you to block out calls.
Reporting Nuisance Calls and Texts
Once you have registered with the TPS, the number of unsolicited calls and texts that you receive should start to fall. If you are still receiving any unsolicited phone communications after you have been registered for 28 days, then you should report them to the TPS’s reporting centre.
Reporting calls can help the TPS to track down who is making these calls and then take steps to stop them from making calls to others. Although you are not required to report nuisance callers, it can help to reduce the number of calls that you get in future and it will also help other people in the long run.
You can also report nuisance calls to Ofcom and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). If you repeatedly receive silent calls or calls where the caller hangs up, you should tell Ofcom. If you feel threatened, you may also report these calls to the police.
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