Selfsufficientish.com

So...i keep getting spam calls on my skype phone number. Its probably because when i enter cometitions i give that number instead of my actual phone numbers.

I was thinking...Is it possible to get my own premium rate number? At least then when i answer the spam calls, they'll be paying me to take the stupid call!

Does anyone know how to do it?
I did look on Google, but it was all about setting up competition lines and stuff like that, i just want a numnber that i can give when i enter a competition, get it routed to my Skype number and not have a business attached. Just the scam the scammers if you like...

Nice thought, fee - but just about impossible. Premium rate stuff is heavily regulated. For one thing, you must be providing a declared service of some kind. For another, you have to inform the caller that the number they are dialling is a premium rate one. Non-starter for mere mortals, I'm afraid.

Mike

So your're to blame Rich, They were both rubbish!

MW

Great idea fee,even if its not workable.....it should be!! How about a way to send lots of junk mail to Royal mail?? I dont get normal junk mail through the post but the postman personally delivers loads, and I put it straight in the bin. I would love to send it all back..what would happen if I just put it in the letterbox??

You used to be able to fill in a form at the post office and not get loads of junk mail,I don't mean when I was young, just a few years ago.Don't know if you can now.Colin our postie gets paid for every bit of junk mail he delivers,so cos he's a nice bloke and he's not exactly well paid,I just take it at the gate and put it straight in the recycling bin,hell of a waste of trees mind.

Thats exactly what I do, Oldjerry! My son used to be a postie and he hated all the junk stuff he put through doors, but, as you say, he got paid so did it as the money was useful! It is such a waste though!

I wait until a junk company sends me a prepaid envelope, then i stuff all the other junk mail in it and send it to them at their expense. Every time i've done this, i've not received junk from that company again!

the.fee.fairy wrote:I wait until a junk company sends me a prepaid envelope, then i stuff all the other junk mail in it and send it to them at their expense

That's what I do to Fee Fairy, takes a little more time than the recycle option, but much more satisfying

Off topic but this may be useful to older people who are not happy useing the computer to talk to family abroad.
You dial.........08444626464 and a voice will tell you to put in the number you want and press the hash key and you can talk to most places in the world for about 2p a minute, I spoke to my cousin in Oz for over an hour and it cost me £1-24. hope this is helpful. Jessica

If you have to inform callers that they are calling a premium rate number, could you just set up a voicemail message telling them they are calling a premium rate even if they are not?! It might put them off although you can prob get in a lot of trouble for doing it!

Love the idea of sending junk mail back in prepaid envelope. When I get surveys and things with a free pen I save the pens to take to work and give to kids who come to school without one. The image-conscious don't like having a pen with Oxfam or whatever written on it so it normally prompts them to go and buy proper school equipment!

This is the website for the mail preference service. They will block "most" junk mail and unsolicited calls and withheld numbers

http://www.mpsonline.org.uk - for post
http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps/ - for telephone calls

Just enter your address details on the first and your telephone number on the second and in a couple of weeks most junkmail/calls will stop :-)