Thread: Nuisance calls purportedly from Telstra/Austel

Originally Posted by _fly_

If you want a Silent number for free, just ask for it to become a FAX line.
They are not listed in the phone book.
Tell them you'll use your mobile for normal calls.

Then just plug a phone into the line and off you go.

I had a second line installed for the old modem dial up days, asked for a fax line and it does not go in the book.
Had a handset connected and when it rang I answered with "you've called the wrong number".
When they asked how did I know? I told them I was physic, freaked a few out, but I knew it was a wrong number as I didn't even know what it was,
guess it was on the bill somewhere.

Then when I went cable modem I dropped the normal phone and went to the fax line with a handset. silent number at no extra charge.
(OH and your guaranteed a better quality line as well).

Peter

Another very good idea.

Originally Posted by malb

I suggested the International call blocking. I did not think it was possible or viable but one of my clients in their 70's arranged it about 6 months ago to successfully eliminate daily Indian 'computer problems' calls. Since then I have spread the message and so has she, so about 8 seniors have done this since at our suggestion. The most recent was about 3 weeks ago. Don't know how the Telstra system works, but there's a good chance that if they can block individual numbers by typing them into the computer, they can block all by typing wildcards into the data entry field. All I know is that it was still possible 3 weeks ago.

Blocking international calls is definitely possible. However it is done by a specialist telstra team, not by the general purpose consultant you generally get to talk to. When the robot voice says"just in a few words tell me what you are calling about?" say"Unwelcome Calls". It should take you straight to this department. When you speak to the consultant, ask"are you in the unwelcome calls department?" If they are not, get them to transfer you to them.

Originally Posted by doug3030

Blocking international calls is definitely possible. However it is done by a specialist telstra team, not by the general purpose consultant you generally get to talk to. When the robot voice says"just in a few words tell me what you are calling about?" say"Unwelcome Calls". It should take you straight to this department. When you speak to the consultant, ask"are you in the unwelcome calls department?" If they are not, get them to transfer you to them.

They should make this known then. It appears to be a well-kept secret.
I searched and searched on their website this morning and there's no mention of 'unwelcome calls' or 'nuisance calls', so I did what was suggested both here and on their website and said 'complaints', then described my problem, making it very clear that it was about 'unwelcome' or 'nuisance' calls.

After all, there's no point in having this specialist branch if they don't let anyone know about it. The guys in that section must have an easy job - they'd rarely get any calls directed to them.

Originally Posted by Hermit

They should make this known then. It appears to be a well-kept secret.
I searched and searched on their website this morning and there's no mention of 'unwelcome calls' or 'nuisance calls',

I just looked at their website and found this on unwelcome calls.

You can contact them on 1800 805 996. The Unwelcome Calls Centre is available from 9am - 12am EDST Monday to Friday (excluding National public holidays).

Admittedly it was hidden under home phone, unwelcome calls, and then through the online enquiry link.

Peter.

Originally Posted by Sturdee

I just looked at their website and found this on unwelcome calls.

You can contact them on 1800 805 996. The Unwelcome Calls Centre is available from 9am - 12am EDST Monday to Friday (excluding National public holidays).

Admittedly it was hidden under home phone, unwelcome calls, and then through the online enquiry link.

Peter.

Very well done Peter. I'm happy to be corrected on this. I wouldn't have thought to look under 'About Telstra', 'Consumer Advice'. Well hidden, to me at least. I'm obviously not as good a searcher as I thought I was.

I looked right through all of the links at the bottom of the page listed under 'Support' - 'Crowd Support', 'Service Status', 'Contact Us', 'Report Hoax Email' and 'Customer Complaints'. There was no mention of it on any of the pages they linked to, so I eventually went for the nearest I could find, 'Customer Complaints'.

I'm saving a link to that page in my Telstra folder in case I need it again in the future.

You would think that when I rang Telstra and told the guy what I wanted that he would have pointed me in that direction. They need to better train their employees, in my opinion, so that they actually know what services are available.

I'll fill him in when he calls me back on Thursday and see what he has to say about it.....

Thanks once again for the link.

Edit: Just out of interest, did anyone else try to find it today and fail?

Being retired with plenty of free time, I used to love the telemarketers.
The game was to see how long I could keep them on line.

Managed to drag out one of the "This is Microsoft" sites for nearly an
hour before I burst out laughing.

They must keep a do not call list of their own as they no longer call me.
Ah well - Must find something else for amusement.

Originally Posted by DavidG

They must keep a do not call list of their own as they no longer call me.
Ah well - Must find something else for amusement.

If you like, I can put you in touch with my caller. All being well, they need someone new to replace me.

They're quite happy to chat.

I don't understand the necessity to "chat" with these people. My time is important to me, and the older I get, the more important it becomes. I don't like to be impolite, they are people trying to make a living, so I simple say, "sorry, I'm not interested", and hang up before they get into their spiel. I use to agree do donate to some causes when I received calls, but then it hit me, I don't know if they are legit so I give them all the "sorry, I'm not interested" hang up, treatment. the ones I want to donate to I have their addresses.

Originally Posted by PLD

I don't understand the necessity to "chat" with these people. My time is important to me, and the older I get, the more important it becomes. I don't like to be impolite, they are people trying to make a living, so I simple say, "sorry, I'm not interested", and hang up before they get into their spiel. I use to agree do donate to some causes when I received calls, but then it hit me, I don't know if they are legit so I give them all the "sorry, I'm not interested" hang up, treatment. the ones I want to donate to I have their addresses.

I was joking about the 'chat'.

These are not even simple telemarketers, or legitimate charities asking for donations, they are undesirable nuisance callers, claiming to be from my service provider when they are not.

Also, we have a 'Do not Call' register, and if we are registerd on it, (which I am), nobody except legitimate charities are allowed to ring. These calls are illegal.

They have a hidden agenda, most probably their eventual aim is to get me/us to switch providers, or provide them with some details so they can rob us.

I have no intention of making it easier for them to 'make a living' as you call it. And the more impolite we are to them the better, in my opinion. I tell them that I'm registerd on the DNC register, yet the exact same person persists in calling me time after time, twice in one hour last night, at dinner time when I was trying to cook a feed.

Have you read the whole thread, or just jumped on at the end to say your bit?

Well obviously you have taken some offense to my post and I apologize. That was not my intent, and yes I have read every post in this thread. I was just stating how I handled it. The way I read it, it appeared you spent time talking to these people. I use to, but found that did not pay off. We also have a "do not call register in my country, but I still receive calls soliciting.

Hope you have a nice day.

Originally Posted by PLD

Well obviously you have taken some offense to my post and I apologize. That was not my intent, and yes I have read every post in this thread. I was just stating how I handled it. The way I read it, it appeared you spent time talking to these people. I use to, but found that did not pay off. We also have a "do not call register in my country, but I still receive calls soliciting.

Hope you have a nice day.

I did take offence, but have now cooled down. You must understand the situation - there is absolutely no reason to be polite to these characters, they're cheats or thieves and deserve whatever they get.

I'm not usually rude to people, but believe me, I used many words that I cannot use here when trying to get rid of them, purely out of frustration and annoyance.
And no, I spend minimal time talking to them. I actually pointed out to an earlier poster that it was counter-productive to waste further time by playing games to waste their time by wasting even more of my own.
I did spend a little time listening to what they had to say at one point, when I believed they actually were representatives of my service provider, but needless to say I don't do that any more.

I'm just plain sick of constantly being interrupted at meal times, or when I'm out in the shed and having to run about 60 metres back inside to answer the phone, only to find out it's them again.

Enough said, I think. I'm just happy that I took the step to change my number and get a private listing today. It will hopefully end my calls from this particular bunch.

G'day Steve,

I get those calls multiple times a day here out in the sticks where I am. I don't know whether I have a big target on my phone or not but those little buggers just don't stop calling.

One thing I have noticed, and I'm not sure if this is a valid observation or not, but they always start by asking you to confirm your name address, etc. I make a very conscious effort to NEVER answer "YES" to any of their questions because I feel that if you do say "Yes", they could possibly tack that onto the end of an unspoken question where you could unknowingly sign yourself up for something or change providers or whatever.

Call me paranoid, but I trust them about as far as I could kick them (wishful thinking there).
I've played all sorts of games with them, but even that gets old after a while. So now I just tell them I'm going to get my computer and while they're waiting, I put the phone which is usually in my shed when they call and I give them a long chorus of my air compressor playing until they hang up or go deaf.....either way suits me.

Bob

Originally Posted by Glenrob

G'day Steve,

I get those calls multiple times a day here out in the sticks where I am. I don't know whether I have a big target on my phone or not but those little buggers just don't stop calling.

One thing I have noticed, and I'm not sure if this is a valid observation or not, but they always start by asking you to confirm your name address, etc. I make a very conscious effort to NEVER answer "YES" to any of their questions because I feel that if you do say "Yes", they could possibly tack that onto the end of an unspoken question where you could unknowingly sign yourself up for something or change providers or whatever.

Call me paranoid, but I trust them about as far as I could kick them (wishful thinking there).
I've played all sorts of games with them, but even that gets old after a while. So now I just tell them I'm going to get my computer and while they're waiting, I put the phone which is usually in my shed when they call and I give them a long chorus of my air compressor playing until they hang up or go deaf.....either way suits me.

Bob

Hello Bob, so you are still alive.
Haven't seen you on here for quite a while. I hope everything's going well.

It looks like I've got them beaten. Not a single unwanted call since I changed my number & got it made private 4 days ago. Normally by now I would have had a few. I should have done it long ago. Well worth the $2.39/month for a private number.

Ask them to call you back on (02) 6277 7700