To not answer "withheld" phone calls

[Mistressmiggins]

Why should I answer the phone? I don't know who they are. Or do you all answer out of curiosity?

Senua - not an urban myth! It's true!

It's 'unavailable' calls that I do not ever answer. They are always overseas unregulated cold calls and I HATE them! Withheld I will answer and wait for the caller to speak as it could be DH or my aunt. If its a cold call I will just tell then they have the wrong number and hang up!

I don't always leave messages when I'm trying to reach patients. It's not always appropriate from a confidentiality point of view, in addition if you're using an old number because patients haven't updated details, you'll end up leaving a message for someone in the wrong machine. Potential shitstorm

And being registered with TPS is a waste of bloody time as these overseas unregulated call centres just ignore the lists...

YANBU.

I think if it's that important they'll leave a message with a number to call back on.

Not everyone is always able to answer their phone - people are often busy doing other things, often not even at home. How can that possibly make someone ignorant?

Exactly. If anyone rings my landline the likelihood is that I won't be at home. Much of the time I'm working in environments where I'm not allowed to answer the phone or even have it switched on. I depend on people leaving a message so that I can return their calls.

I never answer calls from withheld numbers, if they are bottered enough to hide their number, I am not bothered about talking to them.

It is true that some numbers are withheld because they may come through a switchboard (school, gp, medical servicrs£, but if the call is genuine, thry always leave a voice message.

After several years of telling my ILs we don't pick up withheld numbers & several years of the (a) withholding their number & (b) never leaving a message we have finally trained them to ring 1470 before ringing us. Now we know it's them we can choose whether to not answer

but if the call is genuine, thry always leave a voice message.

That isn't the case with us.

I sometimes answer if it's convenient. I agree that most GP and hospitals withhold numbers and rarely leave messages on answer phones. Some leave them on mobiles as they are more personal but only if the phone has a personalise message "hello it's Rebecca X I'm not in blah de blah" so they know they have the right number. Messages are rarely left on anonymous voice mail accounts.

I actually pay to have withheld numbers blocked as I got so fed up with cold callers (and the TPS doesn't stop companies who ignore the list). It means that if anyone needs to phone me they have to display a number or call my mobile.

Probably a stupid question but what's the difference between withheld numbers and unavailable numbers? Someone up thread said that unavailable numbers tend to be cold callers from overseas but whenever my work rings me the number always comes up as unavailable rather than withheld.

I never used to until I refused to answer a call that turned out to be from DS1s school trying to tell me that Ds had fallen and banged his head and was on the way to Burnley hospital. I didn't find out until two hours later!!

BethanyBoobs (re. the diff. between withheld and unknown) you get a different message when you dial 1471 so you will be told either "the caller withheld their number" or "we do not have the number*

Sorry, BethanyBoobs, I'm tired and not thinking clearly. Apologies for stating the bleedin' obvious.