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[hagaleah]

UK Question

We moved into a property in April 2009 and registered with Sky's telephone service. The number we were given we asked to be ex-directory and, for the first few years, everything was fine.

However, in the last 6 months we have been getting 2-3 calls every day from a company called Consumer Lifestyle. They ask for a person I do not know (I am guessing she used to own this telephone number) and even goes as far as refusing to believe I am not this person to begin with. They always call from an "Out of Area" number which I can't trace, and so I cannot call them and ask they stop calling me. Today's example was the worst:

I answered the phone and spoke to an Indian gentleman who once again asked to speak to this person - I informed him I was not her and advised I was TPS registered. However, he advised me that he was not calling to sell me a product or service, and that he was calling from Consumer Lifestyles as part of a telephone survey. He also gave me this woman's full postal address (Data Protection breach?) despite knowing I am not her. Eventually, he understood I was not this person but then told me he "needed" my home address and name - I refused to give this.

He continued to talk about how he was from Consumer Lifestyle (Yeah, I get that) and he needs my personal details. I advised him several times that I do not authorise him to call me at all and asked I be taken off of their database (I've asked this before, doesn't seem to work). After refusing to give him my postal address for the second time he eventually hung up.

I am TPS registered - although I have spotted this loophole which allows them to call me. It would appear that, when this number was owned by the previous person, the telephone number was subscribed to some mailing list and has since been branched out. However, surely if I took over this number in 2009 doesn't the right to distribute this number go to me?

Long story short, I am fed up of people asking to speak to this person - she has never lived at this address and I have no idea who she is. When I took over this number I specifically asked to be ex-directory and ensured that my number is not given out to any third party companies (if I have to provide it). Is there ANYTHING I can do to stop them from calling me?

[laureano97]

Same here. There is no person ,they make up the names. if you Q anything they hang up. Makes no difference if you are ex directory or registered, these calls come from India. They just computer dial numbers until some one answers. I have at least 3 of these calls every week, and now just put down the phone. There is absolutely nothing we can do to stop these calls, so like me, just put the phone down.
UK