Fighting back against silent calls - Video

Thursday, 22 October 2009 01:15

Silent calls are a modern pain and a source of anxiety for some.

The phone rings and there is no one at the other end of the line, but there are ways to avoid this annoyance and stop them happening again.

Ofcom has launched a guide to nuisance and silent calls explaining how they occur and how to stop them.

Silent calls occur when call centres line up calls automatically but there are no operators to cover them.

The watchdog has tightened the rules for call centres of late, so firms will have to play a recorded message and a caller ID is displayed.

But there are ways to avoid the pain.

You can contact the firm directly to have your number taken off their lists, as well as getting your phone providers to block certain numbers.

You can also register with the Telephone Preference Service to take your name off the lists of numbers firms have.

Ofcom is also calling on consumers to highlight firms breaking the rules on its online complaints form.

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