Getting nuisance calls on your landline almost feels like an invasion of your privacy. Who gave them your number in the first place? Whilst it’s almost expected to get the occasional nuisance call on your mobile, no-one wants to deal with unwanted phone calls whilst you’re making dinner.
And whilst on a mobile it’s quite easy to block a number, there’s not always that possibility on your home phone. So, what can you do to stop nuisance calls completely, and is it even possible? We’re going to look at some possible methods you can use.
How to block unwanted calls on your landline for free
The first thing that you should do is go ahead and register with TPS. In most cases, after doing this the amount of nuisance calls you receive should drop significantly within one month. This is the best thing you can do to block unwanted calls from coming through to your landline.
You can go ahead and register with the TPS here. Though this should help with blocking landline calls you don’t want, there are a few other avenues that you can go down as well. Callers are legally obliged to avoid calling your number, which is why you’ll probably see a drastic decrease in call volume.
But when it comes to stopping nuisance calls to your landline, then there are a few things that you can do to stop the problem. Make sure that you activate caller ID on your phone so you can tell who’s calling, which may give you an idea of whether to pick the phone up or not.
As well as checking your caller display, you can also manually do this depending on which provider you’re with. But first, let’s run through what to do with the TPS, as this can help you reduce scam calls, but it’ll also completely eliminate sales calls too.
Register with TPS (Telephone Preference Service)
If you’ve not heard of the TPS before, then you’re not alone. Many people are not aware that they exist, but fortunately for us in the UK, we do have the Telephone Preference Service.
Essentially, the TPS is just a massive register of phone numbers that want to completely opt out of receiving any marketing or nuisance phone calls on their phone. This will help with recorded marketing calls, but it’ll also stop you from getting live marketing calls as well.
It is very easy for you to register with the TPS. All you need to give them is your email address, home postcode and your landline number. Then, you’ll be added to the register. When you do, it becomes a legal requirement that marketers don’t call your number.
If you have registered with the TPS already and you’re still receiving a lot of nuisance calls, then you can make a formal complaint with them too. Though they won’t do anything about this themselves, they will pass it on to the ICO. You could also consider contacting the ICO directly too.
So, this is definitely the first thing that you’re going to want to do. But, some spam calls may still be coming to your landline, and there’s a couple of other potential ways you can block nuisance calls.
How to block nuisance calls on landline by network
If you’ve registered with the TPS and you’re still having problems, then you’re likely wondering how else you can stop nuisance calls. It is possible, and it’s actually easier to do this on home phones that it is with your mobile.
In the UK, different networks have alternative options for you to stop unwanted calls getting through to your phone. Let’s look at the alternative networks to see what they can do.
BT: Use their Call Protect system
BT have definitely done the most out of the big brands when it comes to trying to stop nuisance calls from coming through. Their Call Protect filtering program is pretty effective in reducing unwanted phone calls.
When you activate Call Protect, you’re actually getting access to BT’s long blacklist of numbers across their entire network. You can also go ahead and add your own numbers to the list if the odd one still gets through too.
In terms of spam calls, it’s the most effective of the bunch. So if you’re with BT, you’ll want to go ahead and activate their filtering service to ensure that your landline stays free of nuisance callers.
Talk Talk: CallSafe
Talk Talk are another provider in the UK that have done a lot to try and combat these types of calls. They released their CallSafe service at the end of 2017 after receiving complaints from their customers of unwanted calls.
This is a security feature that like BT’s blocker, has its own list of numbers that it’ll block from calling you. It splits callers into three different categories; automatically approved, automatically blocked and screened.
The screening process involved the caller saying their name into the phone. You’ll then get the call with their name, and decide whether to pick up the call or not. This is a great way to get rid of all automated calls, as they’ll never get past the initial process.
There’s also no maximum limit to your CallSafe block list either. So, turning it on and blocking numbers now should get rid of any malicious calls.
Sky: Talk Shield
Sky have their own variation of a filtering service in their Talk Shield screening program. It works very similar to CallSafe, in that you can screen any callers before they get through to your home phone.
You can add 1000 numbers to your blocklist with Talk Shield, and it’s completely free for you to use. Although it’s not as comprehensive as BT’s call blocking system, it’s still definitely worth switching on if you’re with Sky.
Conclusion
The truth is that if you didn’t give the caller your phone number, then they shouldn’t be calling you. Nuisance calls are received differently by different people.
If none of the free advice above helps you resolve the problem, then you could consider getting a nuisance calls blocker for your house. They do tend to work in blocking out the vast majority of calls to your landline, but most of us don’t really feel we should have to pay for this.
For some people. they aren’t much of a problem. But in certain cases, when they build up, they can become extremely worrying and frustrating. The good news is that if you are dealing with nuisance calls on your landline, then there is something you can do about it.
