To not answer phone calls from “No Caller ID”?

[EmAreSea]

I’ve just had my 4th “No Caller ID” call today... DH saw me ignore the call and asked why I didn’t answer, I just said I never answer those calls and if it’s something important whoever it is will leave a voicemail which I’ll listen to and call back if necessary. Otherwise I just assume it’s a cold call or a robot and ignore it.

DH thinks I’m weird. Am I weird? Do other people have this policy?

No, because it’s usually the hospital or GP and often the won’t leave messages (for security/privacy reasons)

Yep. My mum is regularly taken into hospital, and I've always had a fear of not being contactable if anything happened to my daughters. So I answer, but hang up almost straight away when it's a scam call (which it usually is)

My daughter is a nurse, and she says that people not answering private number calls is a real problem for the hospital - whether it's a call about an appointment, or an emergency call.

I'd rather spend a few seconds picking up my phone, than miss an urgent medical or emergency call.

My DH calling from his private office number comes up as this so I always answer it.. have found myself talking to a few randoms too as a result!

I don’t tend to answer unfamiliar numbers though as those are using cold callers

I don’t answer them

When we call out from my workplace it comes up as withheld and loads of people ignore them especially if they’re not expecting a call (we don’t cold call but sometimes call in response to a letter or email they’ve sent). But we always leave a message so people can call back.

So I always feel if it’s important then whoever it is will leave a message, send a text or contact me another way since anyone I’d actually want to speak to will almost certainly have my email address and/or postal address as well.

No caller ID is usually my CPN, GP, police or hospital. Cold callers come up as an out of area number

I think it is rude to not answer my self.

I don't answer them. Sometimes I Google the number afterwards though.

I answer all calls on my landline and mobile. Do online competitions, lots ask for a phone number and I get dozens of cold calls a week, just say no thanks and hang up. Occasionally the call will be from someone I want to speak to.

No caller ID are never my cold calls, the cold calls always come up with a number for me funnily enough - which is very handy for both blocking and the smart system on my phone which tells me if it's possible spam.
No ID are always school/hospital/doctor etc, or my sister who is a social worker and they wont give her a mobile phone so she uses her own but obviously she doesn't want anyone getting her number.

June why do you think it's rude not to answer?

I don't as I know it can sometimes be something important.

Yesterday I had No Caller ID and it was the hospital calling about my procedure that afternoon. If I'd have ignored it the chances are my surgery wouldn't have happened. Because I did answer it it meant I could put my case forward before the medical team meeting when they were deciding which cases to bump from the list. I'm glad I did!

@Catmar - how can you google a number from a 'No Caller ID' call ? The point is, there is no number shown.

The 'PPI' or 'Claim after your accident' calls come up with a number. That's different.

Catmar you can't google a withheld number which is the main problem with them.

If DH calls from work, then it comes up as a withheld number, so I usually answer them.

The amount of unwanted cold calls dropped right down after we did the telephone preference thingy.

X post with above

Never answer them.

However, if something extraordinary was going on in my life, l probably would.

Yep. My last post is a bit out of date now. The sales and scammy calls are rarely No Caller ID tagged now. They're just unfamiliar numbers. If you call back, you just get the number unobtainable tone. Either there's been some sort of ruling, or they realised that people no longer answered their calls if they had no ID.

Oh yeah sorry @BackforGood, @MuchBetterNow I am an idiot🤣 and unhelpful 🤣. I don't answer them though

Our school shows as no caller id because we have so many extensions that people would constantly be phoning the wrong number back.

Then we get parents who complain they never hear from school. Pick up your damn phone! Hospitals tend to be no caller id too.

Nope I'm exactly the same. If its urgent Ill get a voicemail 💁‍♀️

I don't answer any calls where I don't recognise the number so including no caller Id. Unless I'm expecting a call where I wouldn't know the number. I too go by the rule of if it's important they'll leave a msg.

My " no caller id " calls have been GP or hospital - but they both leave messages.
If hospitals are taking numbers they should check if it's OK to leave a message,apart from any other issues I mostly can't answer my mobile at work and regularly have no reception at home,if people won't leave messages how do they think they will get hold of me?

@peakygal but so many people have explained that you won't get a voicemail, as hospitals etc aren't allowed to leave a message on the phone in case it isn't yours (wrong number or another person picking up message etc)

I dont answer and have my phone set to reject no i d calls.
It's usually spam or aggressive sales people. Sod them. My time is important and I dont like how they think they can shove their way into my day.

Schools, unknown number from work, HV, GP, other medical issues or an estate agent may all want to get hold of you. May not leave a message because they don't have time, want to speak to you directly, not allowed, it's not confidential. It's even harder with less people having landlines these days.

@peakygal if it's a landline, anyone in the family could listen to that voicemail. Hospitals/GPs would be in breach of confidentiality by even letting people know you had an appointment there.

And even with a mobile phone, not everyone has their phone password protected, and as a hospital has no way of knowing if you're phone's secure, they can't take that risk.