[Pompol]

We are being bombarded with calls from an OS call center with a private number, looking for someone we'd never heard of.

I've lost count of how many calls we've had, but it would have to be well over 40 since Monday, including some during the wee hours Monday night (the phone has been off the hook overnight ever since, and we're still waking up to voicemails each day).

They phone, ask for <insert name>, I tell them they have the wrong number, and they get quite pushy and obviously don't believe me - I assume it's regarding a debt. When DH answered the phone one time, the man on the other end basically accused him of lying about his identify and was quite aggressive with him. The thing is we've had this number for years and I've never heard of this name until this week, so it's a bit of a mystery.

I can't unplug the phone any more than I have been, I work partly from home and contractors and colleagues know to try me here if I don't answer the office phone, plus the fact that we're rural and my mobile phone is so patchy at home that family/friends generally don't bother ringing me on it.

I have explained politely, explained with anger (at 3am), been inconvenient, been pleading. I've even had one helpful lady who assured me she was deleting our number from the database, we've still had calls since. If I take the call, and hang up straight away, they ring back straight away. It is maddening.

What can I do? Can I actually ring the police (I've threatened to)? Does anyone know if Telstra can do anything with the number blocked?

I don't want to change the number, it would be such a pain, but then again this just can't go on.

[Caseymay]

When they ring and begin to speak to you I would ask to speak to their manager. Before you ask to speak to the manager make sure you get the name of the person you are speaking to, the name of the company they are representing and the phone number of the company.

If they refuse to transfer you to the manager I would hang up and call the company directly myself. If you do speak to anyone and they promise to take your number off the database ask them for a job receipt number and keep it for your records. Then if they do call again give them the job receipt and they shouldn't question it.

Does any of that make sense?

[caitiri]

We had an issue with an electronic calling device (no people) so not sure if its the same but I think if you ring telstra they can log a complaint and they ask you to log the nuisance calls once you've proved a pattern they can do something but you have to ring and complain first they don't take into account the calls before your complaint.

Ours stopped after a couple of weeks so we never had to go any further but it worth a call

[erindiv]

The problem with trying to get these calls blocked is they often use VOIP and don't stay blocked for long.

Are you on the Do Not Call register? Not that it means much, I got MORE telemarketer calls after going on the register than before

[greypink]

My husband went through the same thing but on his mobile and it was so frustrating. They would ring every day at all hours and as he used his mobile for work he couldn't just switch it off. In his case they were looking for someone with the same last name. They refused to say who they were calling from or give any details but he managed to work out they were some kind of collections company.
The police couldn't do anything because they weren't threatening calls so he just had to change his number. I know that's a big pain though

[lexington]

Try this route.

http://www.telstra.com.au/abouttelstra/adv...nwelcome-calls/

I am not sure what will happen.
Can you change your home phone number? Sorry to hear that you are getting harrassed!

This post has been edited by lexington: 31/01/2013, 01:17 PM

[Pompol]

They refused to say who they were calling from or give any details but he managed to work out they were some kind of collections company.

Argh I forgot to say this part, they refuse to tell me the name of their company or who they represent. I tried to speak with a manager yesterday and they put me on hold for ten minutes, at which point I had a tantrum and hung up.

What I haven't done is tried dialing the number left on my voicemail. So I'll let the next call go to voicemail and get it then call THEM and see if I can get some sense that way.

We are on the DND register ! I have told the callers this, I'm not sure it means much to them.

The Telstra page doesn't seem to give an answer if you can't get the number of the person calling but thanks anyway !

[lunariviera]

The do not call register only applies in Australia unfortunately. All the marketers and scammers that call me are calling from o/s :

[Gembac8019]

Next time they start getting agro just blow a whistle hard into the phone:-)