telemarketers

[Keikan]

How do i give them my phone number? I want them to call me...

[Jon L. Obscene]

fill in an online form and give your number.

Or phone an insurance company and say "Yes you may pass my details round"

Jonno

[Santa]

make sure your not on the "hidden" list
they should come automatically.

[Jon L. Obscene]

Makes no difference, I'm not listed in any phone book, I'm ex-directory.
Yet I still get telemarketers.

They get round the privacy law by a computer randomly phoning combinations of numbers which is why many people often get what seems like a silent prank call.
The computer will ring several numbers and which ever is answered first is the one the operator takes.
This system even bypasses the witheld number blocker from BT.
No one can call me if they block their number, if anyone wants to call my home phone I wanna know who it is and no one should have the need to withold their number from me.
The normal message for witheld numbers is "You were called today at (insert time), the caller witheld their number"
When I get a call from telemarketers it says "You were called today at (insert time), the number is not available"

Personally I don't see how thats legal but it would seem they have found a loop hole.

Jonno

[Santa]

the loop hole is simply that they advertise through your phone company
eg. your phone company is called TeleFk - Telefk is permitted to call you under "customer support rules" through that Telefk can do wtf they want - spam you with their own "sales" and even add on other companies crap.
and your likely to accept the questions because it is from your very own Telefk

[Jon L. Obscene]

No no, when you are (in uk) ex-directory no one is supposed to have access to your number unless you give it to them. Companies are not allowed to pass it round without your permission. They do I know, I had a guy on the phone a while back and I asked him hw he got my number, he said from the phone book, at which point I told him thats impossible as I've never been in the phone book, he then started stammering trying to think of something at which point I told him he is invading my privacy and in breach of the "Spam" laws introduced in the uk last december (which have yet to be properly inforced )

Jonno