To avoid answering unknown numbers? Ring ring

[GiddyJadeHare]

Your phone’s ringing. You take it out of your pocket, and suddenly… you see it’s from a number you don’t know! 😱

Are you answering it, or letting it ring?

I’d love to hear your thoughts and any funny stories about those mysterious calls!

I answer. If it's cold calling (yes, Three, I'm looking at you) I just put the phone down on my desk, wait until the other end stops saying "Hello? Hello? Can you hear me?" and then block the number.

I would expect to get a letter, or at least a postcard, warning me that they are going to send a text with reference to a future telephone call.

I always answer, no reason not to.
Obviously if I’m doing something I don’t but that goes for people I know too.

I answer because it could be something important, Dr's, something to do with the kids, calls for things I'm organising.

You can usually tell a spam call.

God forbid you answer an unknown number 🙄
www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/oct/26/hiker-lost-on-us-mountain-ignored-calls-from-rescuers-because-he-didnt-recognise-the-number

I'm autistic and hate speaking on the phone.

BUT I know if I don't answer I'll be worried it's to do with the kids or husband (military) and I'll be trying to Google the number.

Plus both me and dd or on a hospital waiting list.

I genuinely think it should be illegal for companies to get your number and try to sell you something. Same as them knocking on your door. Hate it.

I always answer. Why wouldn't you.

I almost always have to answer as it could be a call from one of the many people involved with my son's care - psychologist, psychiatrist, therapist, gastroenterologist, Education Authority. Often caller ID is withheld or they call from a number I don't recognise, so I can't just decide not to answer. They rarely leave a message. I'm in NI, so if it's a landline in London or Cardiff or wherever else in the UK, I don't answer because it's usually some ambulance chaser or someone telling me my Internet is broken while I'm using it!

I don't have caller display on my landline so I never know who's calling me, but of course I answer it. I have only ever given my mobile number to a very small number of close friends, the doctor, and hospitals so I never get unknown calls.

No one ever try to sell you anything?

I used to get a lot of "you have had an accident" scam calls, but they seem to have stopped.

The last few unknown numbers that have called or messaged me have been one of DD's friends, a new broadband supplier that I have been talking to, the garage from whom I have just bought a car and the GP surgery.

Yes, I asnwer the phone because I grew up in the days when a telephone call was the only quick way of contacting someone and I don't get anxious about talking to strangers on the phone. Also, I have a DH who isn't in the best of health and it could be someone ringing me to say that he has been taken to hospital.

I am also very good at dealing with scam calls. They don't bother me - probably because I don't get many.

Oh, and I answer the door and am happy to contact complete strangers by telephone.

I used to have "silence unknown callers" on in my settings which just sends unknown callers (not on your contacts list) straight to voicemail. Had to turn it off recently as I'm pregnant so getting calls from midwives/GP etc that I don't want to miss!

Yes because it's possibly some random who has helped my elderly mum with alzheimer's when she's fallen in the street or got totally confused and turned up again for an appointment the day after I've taken her to it.

I never did generally but an unknown mobile number last year was a very kind person telling me my husband had a heart attack on his way home from a run (it was a race so he was wearing NOK info) So I do now!

I used to ignore unknown numbers all the time but the last few times I did, it ended up being important (call to book me in for a medical appointment, Health Visitor etc) so now I always pick up

I always answer the phone... could be important. But I get fewer than one call a day, so no hassle to answer.
Call yesterday was from my stepmum in hospital using the hospital phone to tell me where she was. She's 90, I am all she has. Would have been so sad to miss her call.

Most Mumsnetters won't answer and will be deeply offended that anyone had the temerity to call them.

Most of everyone else will answer and hang up if it's not someone they want to talk to.

Incidentally, if I called someone and I discovered that they hadn't answered because "if it was important they'll try again" my response would be "fuck you-who do you think you are!"

<risks answering thread by unknown poster>

on my private mobile - contacts only

on my ‘public’ mobile - I expect to be told a call will be coming (eg dr) in order to answer or it will go to voicemail

and then it’s name, number & what it’s about or don’t be expecting a call back

if society wants me to answer my phone to all and sundry they’ll need to stop stalkers access to phones first

coldcallers, spam & scam artists aren’t the only reasons not to pick up

if other people take issue with me protecting my safety that’s ok

@lololulu Yes of course people have tried to sell me things. I've been registered with the telephone preference service for years, which reduces the number of scam calls, but it's not exactly the end of the world or time consuming having to tell the odd scammer to piss off. The Mumsnet attitude to answering the phone or door fascinates me. Obviously there are times when you're in a meeting, in a restaurant etc when you wouldn't answer a phone but otherwise I don't understand why you wouldn't answer and then end the call if it's someone you don't want to talk to.

@Growlybear83

I meant in response to

have only ever given my mobile number to a very small number of close friends, the doctor, and hospitals so I never get unknown calls.

@lololulu sorry, I misunderstood. But no, I never get sales or other unwanted calls on my mobile phone. I've had the same number for 25 years but I've just always been really selective about who I give the number to.

I always answer unless my husband and son are both with me. I don’t have anyone else for whom I’d be emergency contact.

And you think that those of us who do get spam calls have brought it upon ourselves?

I can assure you that it happens to people who are extremely careful with their details.

I answer and, if I don't want to speak to them, I just say so and end the call.

I have adult DCs who live in other parts of the country and travel with work and grandchildren at different schools/nurseries so, while any urgent calls would normally come directly from them, I feel happier knowing I can be contacted

Never, it’s 99% spam for me if it’s an unknown esp unknown mobiles, if I’m at my computer I will quickly search the number on who called me or similar

I never answer my phone whether I recognise the number or not. If it's an emergency they can leave a message.