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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

...to wonder why Orange won't just block a nuisance caller number?

41 replies

Miffster · 27/09/2010 19:11

Apols in advance for this not being a very interesting thread with a long OP.

I have been getting nuisance calls since Friday. Early mornings, late nights. It's particularly annoying as I am 30 weeks pregnant & weepy because not sleeping well. The person calling is clearly an idiot, or mentally ill as he has made no attempt to hide his number.

I used to have an old Samsung with a number blocking option but my new phone doesn't have this feature, so yesterday I asked Orange customer services for help. They said the network operator can't block the number, nor will any new handset have number blocking technology 'because of Freedom of Speech laws'. They suggest I go to the police, or say they can change my number - but I've had the same number for 12 years and all my work/business/social contacts have it and I can't change it without major aggro and loss of business.

I realise that it is patently bollocks about the ' freedom of speech laws' and today I try ringing Orange again: a different person tells me that the network can't block calls and all I can do is change number, call cops. This time, the data protection act is vaguely invoked.

I call Ofcom because I am getting suspicious of all this vague law-invoking and find out that actually, all UK networks can block calls if they want to. But some choose not to 'for commercial reasons' (ie. can't be bothered with the hassle, I assume). Ofcom confirms it is indeed bollocks about 'freedom of speech laws'.

I can't see why I can't just block this malicious caller's number from calling me, the same way I can block spam emails. Nobody has an absolute right to call me at 7am and 11.45am and harass me. I can't see why Orange won't do it, and AIBU to think they damn well should do, if asked to do so?

I can report it to the police but FFS, what a waste of my time and theirs. I am particularly fed up that Orange customer services are spinning yarns about laws to customers. Other networks will apparently block nuisance call numbers. I guess I should now investigate moving networks but am locked in a 24 month contract with Orange and it will be messy to do so.

Thanks for your patience in reading this far. AIBU and what should I do?

OP posts:
DaisyDaresYOU · 27/09/2010 22:26

Im also on Orange and getting nuisance calls.I was told By someone working for Orange to give cs a call to block the number.I registerd with tps though cos of unsolicited calls every month.

DaisyDaresYOU · 27/09/2010 22:28

Oh i do keep getting annoying people phoneing for other people.

ivykaty44 · 27/09/2010 22:44

I have managed to do do a voice recording of me quitely say shhhshhh

then on the numebr of a perosn I don't like- I have set the voice recordign as the number - now I will never hear them call Smile and not be destrubed by them

of course you need ot set the mumber in your fone

DaisyDaresYOU · 27/09/2010 22:50

Put a really crap ringtag on your phone..he might get bored of having to listen to the crappy song everynight.Dont answer.Can you reject call?i coud do that on my old samsung,a tocco

DaisyDaresYOU · 27/09/2010 22:52

It should have a rejecting option,cos i used to reject dps calls with it

Miffster · 27/09/2010 22:57

Thanks very much for some cracking suggestions. Have assigned an MP3 of silence as ringtone to the caller's number for now, & just rang Orange again, who say they can't block one number, just all incoming calls by request

Not sure if this is really the case as it contradicts what Ofcom said but the customer service op sounded experienced and sincere. She suggested I go back to Ofcom and take it up; since I can't really take up the free number change option for work reasons and am in a contract with Orange for another 18 months, during which time it seems that I get no protection from nuisance calls via call blocking.

I said to Orange I will have no option but to move my number to another network then, as I can't be locked in a contract whereby I am obliged to take nuisance calls, it's unreasonable of the contract and meanwhile it is my understanding that other networks will assist with nuisance call blocking. Since I need to protect myself then I can't see any other option.

I will report it to the police tomorrow and get a crime number, maybe I will get more help than I expect but I seriously doubt it will be a big priority for them

Will investigate the iphone blacklist app tomorrow as well. Need to go to bed now as am knackered.

Cheers MN posters, you have been very helpful indeed.

OP posts:
kelly2525 · 29/09/2010 00:30

I had some seriously fucking annoying calls for months, sometimes 30 times a day, i called my provider, (o2) and they said they couldnt block the calls, but could change my number, i didnt want to, and why should i?

O2 told me to contact the police and they would keep tracing the calls, police came to see me, and really werent interested in doing anything, and tbh i didnt want to waste their time, then my phone rang, it was a witheld number and the cop answered it, then he decided he was going to investigate and hunt them down etc!

Calls continued for a weeks, it was a female, screeching and screaming over and over, i got the impression she was quite young, but got to the point where if i had gotten hold of her, i really wouldve beaten her sensless.

Anyway, whilst on the phone to o2 at the start of all of this they told me the number that was calling me was almost identical to my own, so it was probably just some random saddo that was dialing numbers to get a reaction, a few weeks later whilst on the phone to the malicious calls dept at 02 they accidently told me the number that was calling me, cos the number was so similar to mine, they thought they were reading out my mobile number, not the numberof little bitch that was harrassing me, so, i had her number.

I rang her, and got her mum on the phone, i told her what had been going on, i gave het the name of the officer investigating and the crime number, and i got a load of foul mouthed abuse off the mum too! Then she rang me back, but didnt withold her number, i also got a call of the sister, it was never ending.

It turned out to be a teenage girl, and even though i spoke to the mum, told her the police were involved, it didnt stop, in fact it got worse, so, o2 couldnt/wouldnt do anything, and the police said it was an unregistered number and they couldnt do anything wither.

I told the police if they couldnt do anything, i would, and i did, now im not asking for opinions as to whether you think i did right or wrong, i did it and it felt fabuluous. As i said, i had the little cows number, and that of the foul mouthed rough as a badgers arse mother, so i posted their phone numbers on a dogging site, with specific instructions for perverts to ring/text with all their fantasies, the more warped the better, i also told the police i was gonna do it, they advised me not to, but i did, and funnily enough the calls did stop.

I dont give a toss how old this little shit was, if she was old enough to be up ringing me at 2am then she was old enough for a few pervy calls. I think she mustve changed her sim card and got a new number cos i havent heard from the little witch for a few months.

So, no advice to give, just wanted to say, o2 also told me they cant block numbers, but the police told me thats bullshit, mobile phone providers can block but they choose not to! Either way, after hundreds of this screechy calls, (and they were so loud my boss once heard her screaming at me down the phone from another room) i was fed up and wanted revenge, i got it, it worked and it felt good.

Orange can change your number instantly, you keep your sim and they can do it right away, i choose not to have mine changed, but it is probably the best option, your pregnant OP, change it, and lose the stress, im also now 25 weeks pregnant, fortunately my calls stopped before i was, but i know how stressful nuisance calls are.

Sorry for the long post!

JennyWren · 29/09/2010 01:38

I had a problem with a nuisance caller once - a prankster, I think - nothing sinister. I also had the number, as the (kid, I suspect) wasn't clued up enough to withhold it. At the advice of my service provider I contacted the police to have a record made, just in case it did develop into anything. My service provider (Vodafone) also confirmed that the caller was one of their customers and they made a note on their records for him so that they would be aware of his history if they got any further complaints. At both their suggestion, I then texted the individual and said simply that Vodafone and the police had been informed and would be taking the matter further if the calls did not stop immediately. Whether the police could have done much more I don't know, but I never got another call. That tack might be worth trying...

HecateQueenOfWitches · 29/09/2010 07:13

kelly - I would have done the same thing.

I would probably have gone further. Blush

JennyPiccolo · 29/09/2010 08:21

I was harrassed and phoned and texted at all hours of day for about 6 months when i was 17 and Orange wouldn't do anything about it either.

Actually ridiculous in restrospect.

kelly2525 · 29/09/2010 16:47

Hecate I swear if i couldve gotten my hands on the little shit i wouldve probably ended up in court, but what i did felt sooooo good, i also set up a couple of fake email accounts linked to the fake profiles, so i knew exactly what sort of texts the little shit in quesion and her banshee of a mother were getting too. Revenge was very sweet, and i feel for the OP, was stressful enough for me and i wasnt even pregnant at the time

Miffster · 29/09/2010 16:57

Well, nothing from weirdo for the last 24 hours :)

crosses fingers

Shock at kelly's awful story!
have got crime number and in process of writing to Ofcom & Orange

Cheers for the help everyone

OP posts:
Nakeshahendry · 16/05/2013 08:22

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet for breaking our Talk Guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

Nerfmother · 16/05/2013 08:32

mobile.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/mobile-phone/3442391/how-block-number-on-iphone/

Looks like orange might not be able to, according to pc advisor, if its an iPhone.

Hopasholic · 16/05/2013 08:43

ZOMBIE THREAD WITH A SALES PITCH ON THE END?

BuntyPenfold · 16/05/2013 09:31

Had exactly the same problem with O2 and ended up changing the number.
They couldn't be less helpful.

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