Saw a posting about this free DQ service on the MSE site. If you call 0800 0192190 you get free enquiries.Its an alternative no to 118190.Visit
www.studentfreestuff.com/free_directory_enquires

Please dont ask the operator if it is Free. ;)
I can assure you it is, i use it all the time.

Hi,

Judt a reminder that OneTel customers get free UK directory enquiries on 118 111.

Cheers

Dave

wrote on Jul 26^th, 2005 at 9:10pm:

Hi, Judt a reminder that OneTel customers get free UK directory enquiries on 118 111. Cheers Dave

Its 35p a call if your not a onetel customer.

wrote on Jul 26^th, 2005 at 9:10pm:

Hi, Judt a reminder that OneTel customers get free UK directory enquiries on 118 111. Cheers Dave

But only from your registered number(s).

0netel to charge from 31/10/05 20p connection +10ppm

wrote on Oct 11^th, 2005 at 3:02pm:

0netel to charge from 31/10/05 20p connection +10ppm

Thanks for the warning I could have missed it and ended up paying.

Time to start dusting off that Mirror group 0800 number for directory enquiries (presumably only intended for their journalists I imagine though?)

So, given that I have 18866 as my daytime prefix code and drop that code after 6pm when talktalk comes into play, I am able to dial 0800 0192190 for free directory enquiries at ANY time ?.  If so, thanks.

wrote on Oct 12^th, 2005 at 12:26pm:

So, given that I have 18866 as my daytime prefix code and drop that code after 6pm when talktalk comes into play, I am able to dial 0800 0192190 for free directory enquiries at ANY time ?.  If so, thanks.

I would omit 18866 when dialling the 0800 directory enquiries number in the daytime as otherwise your call will not be connected.

Yes spot on!!!. I use it from my Orange Mobile Contract phone as well it comes in very handy.

Thanks for that. I have a contract ornage phone as well, so will now ensure this number is "to-hand". Again thanks.

Also BT offer a free online DQ service at

www.118500.com/services.asp  

wrote on Oct 12^th, 2005 at 6:41pm:

Also BT offer a free online DQ service at www.118500.com/services.asp

The above is also known as www.bt.com/directoryenquiries

But I find that www.192.com offers a far better service as you can search by county as well as town or nationwide.  bt.com/directoryenquiries only lets you search by town, not much use if you are trying to find the uk headquarters of a company.

At 192.com you can also check recent property transactions in that postcode and even look up people who are ex-directory via their electoral register entry.

you can only look up people who have decided not to remove themselves from the edited electoral register.

I know for example im not listed on 192.com because I am only listed on the full unsold/not released electoral roll

wrote on Oct 13^th, 2005 at 8:51am:

you can only look up people who have decided not to remove themselves from the edited electoral register. I know for example im not listed on 192.com because I am only listed on the full unsold/not released electoral roll

Well bully for you.

I really don't see the point of this when given who you are and your job people will know exactly where you live for other reasons.  Indeed your address will be available on another public website I imagine although that doesn't seem to be compulsory countrywide.

Also if you register with http://www.mpsonline.org.uk this prevents anyone sending you junk mail using your electoral register.

The only reason to not be on the publicly available electoral register is if you are a criminal evading justice, a father attempting to evade the Child Support Agency, or possibly someone who has given evidence at a trial whi is now part of our equivalent of the witness protection program.

Since you will have access to the full register isn't it a bit hypocritical for you to be left out of the publicly available register? Surely you should be setting a good example on something like this? ;) :o

[glb]I know for example im not listed on 192.com because I am only listed on the full unsold/not released electoral roll[/glb]

Experian and Equifax make enquiries for loans, credit cards, mortgages, opening savings etc, and usually finance companies have to pay £2 for the privilege.  Also, individuals can access this information for £2.

Does being on the unsold electoral roll only, mean you might have trouble getting credit, or verifying your address, or are there exceptions, and credit reference agencies do have access to the full electoral roll, and the only people that won't have access would be companies wanting to send junk mail, or individuals wanting to find someone.

simple answer no it dont.

Only a few people can have access to the "full unedited" register under the Representation of the Peoples Act

Credit Reference Agencies (theres 3 I think, callcredit,  Experian and Equifax).
Registered Policital Parties (for electoral purposes).

Anyone can have access to the edited version, which is then sold over and over, etc.

wrote on Oct 15^th, 2005 at 12:38pm:

simple answer no it dont. Only a few people can have access to the "full unedited" register under the Representation of the Peoples Act Credit Reference Agencies (theres 3 I think, callcredit,  Experian and Equifax). Registered Policital Parties (for electoral purposes). Anyone can have access to the edited version, which is then sold over and over, etc.

But why do you omit yourself from the edited register?

Registering with www.tpsonline.org.uk and www.mpsonline.org.uk should avoid unwanted phone calls and junk mail so what's the point of being omitted from the ordinary electoral register?

Do you have any ex wives that you are hiding from or perhaps you gave evidence at some contentious trial or other?  But then they could track you down through your professional job related website entry.  Doh I give up. ::)

wrote on Oct 13^th, 2005 at 9:14am:

The only reason to not be on the publicly available electoral register is if you are a criminal evading justice, a father attempting to evade the Child Support Agency, or possibly someone who has given evidence at a trial whi is now part of our equivalent of the witness protection program.

As someone in one of these categories I wouldn't want my name on Any of these registers.

wrote on Oct 13^th, 2005 at 9:14am:

Since you will have access to the full register isn't it a bit hypocritical for you to be left out of the publicly available register?

The whole Electoral Register thing is being systematically abused, by the advancing & intrusive State,  and now they've realised they can make a fast buck out of selling it too, to let everyone else snoop for commercial gain.

The 'Opting Out' option is but a fig leaf,  a sop to those of us who object most strongly to their  details there being used for anything other than ensuring their right to vote.

The only reason you need to be on it to eg. get a loan, is because it's there, and has been allowed to become abused in this way.

wrote on Oct 20^th, 2005 at 2:09pm:

As someone in one of these categories I wouldn't want my name on Any of these registers.

Some people are just paranoid about hiding their existence from the world for some reason.  But for the life of me I can't see why.

It seems to be an inherent feature of the introverted nature of a large section of the uk population.

I'm sure you believe that you are some how saving yourself from sales calls but the fact is you are not.  The www.tpsonline.org.uk www.mpsonline.org.uk and www.fpsonline.org.uk achieve these ends without making it impossible for your old school friends or more distant relatives to make contact with you.

The best thing about


wrote on Oct 20^th, 2005 at 3:19pm:

www.tpsonline.org.uk www.mpsonline.org.uk and www.fpsonline.org.uk.

is that you don't have to register .   The Electoral register you are legally compelled to.

Just you wait. They are huge databases that exist. It's just a matter of time until they start being abused too.

BTW.  Is there or why isn't there an equivalent 'Dont-Send-me-Any' database for E-mail ?

wrote on Oct 20^th, 2005 at 4:17pm:

BTW.  Is there or why isn't there an equivalent 'Dont-Send-me-Any' database for E-mail ?

See

http://www.dmaconsumers.org/emps.html

and

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/01/11/work_hard_for_your_spam/

But as you can see from The Register article the system is not perfect.  The TPS service and MPS service do work 99% of the time though.  I get only a handful of unwanted sales calls and may be 3 or 4 bits of unsolicited post in the year with these services

You can also register not to receive the Royal Mail's junk Door to Door unaddressed leaflets for Esure, Sky, pizza companies etc delivered to every letterbox by sending in this form to the Royal Mail at the address quoted:-

|--------------+-------------------------------------------------------
To: Door to Door Opt Outs
Royal Mail                                                           |
Room 130 Wheatstone House                                            |
Wheatstone Road
SWINDON                                                              |
SN3 5JW                                                              |

From:|                                                                      |
|--------------+-------------------------------------------------------Address:|                                                                      |
|              |                                                                      |
|              |                                                                      |
|              |                                                                      |
|              |                                                                      |
|              |                                                                      |
|     Postcode:|                                                                      |
|--------------+-------------------------------------------------------                                                             |
|--------------+----------------------------------------------------------------------|
|    Reference:| Request to stop Door to Door mail being delivered to my address      |
|--------------+-------------------------------------------------------

I  confirm that I have read and fully understood your letter advising me of the  implications  of  “Opting-Out”  of  receiving deliveries of Royal Mail unaddressed ‘Door to Door’ items to my address.

I  understand that I may miss important information from local, national or government publications that are sent using this service.

From  time  to  time, Royal Mail would like to contact you with information about  our  products and services that may be of interest to you. If you do not want to be contacted, please tick here.

Name:

Signature:                                         Date:  /  /200

wrote on Oct 20^th, 2005 at 4:40pm:

...  I get only a handful of unwanted sales calls and may be 3 or 4 bits of unsolicited post in the year with these services

That's about all I get and I haven't registered anywhere (but the Electoral roll).

As for the unaddressed stuff 'though, I sometimes feel like just putting a litter bin behind the letter box.   I didn't know you could opt out.     Thanks for the form. Now do I dare raise my head above the letterbox to register for it :-/    I guess my name isn't relevant then so I could just register as The Occupier.    Still I got a planning notice last week addressed to him that was rather important,   and don't they address the Electoral Registration forms to The Occupier also...   Now there's a thing ...  ::)

wrote on Oct 20^th, 2005 at 5:02pm:

Still I got a planning notice last week addressed to him that was rather important,   and don't they address the Electoral Registration forms to The Occupier also...   Now there's a thing ...  ::)

The Door to Door opt out only stops junk unaddressed mail actually delivered by the postman as a leaflet or sometimes in a blank no address envelope (eg Esure) saying for the urgent attention of the owner but unaddressed to your actual address and with no stamp.  This is what the Royal Mail Door to Door Registration opt out stops.  If you won't give your name to the Royal Mail you really are paranoid as they already have it!  Registering just gets your name sent to the local delivery office to tell them you don't want the junk mail.  The Royal Mail just make it as hard as possible to register (no website and no Freepost for the postal address) because they make such a fortune out of this service.

Planning notices and electoral registraton will be properlt addressed to The Occupier and with the full address so the Door to Door opt out won't stop you getting these.  It potentially does stop election addresses from political parties who just ask for them to be delivered on a bulk basis to all doors but don't put them in an envelope address to the individual households.  It would only stop general election and euro election election address leaflets that were unaddressed though because there is no free post for council elections and the candidates have to deliver them by hand through every door themselves (or using their helpers if they are lucky).

The Royal Mail thing doesn't stop anyone else putting junk mail in your letter box apart from the Royal Mail but it does stop the Royal Mail who generally deliver junk leaflet mail on an almost daily basis and account for 90% of it (especially on a Monday morning).

The removal of this junk mail from your post is run by your Postman who has been told you don't want it so merely doesn't insert it in your letterbox with the real mail.  For that reason the Royal Mail doesn't guarantee that you won't occasionally get some junk mail when a temporary postman is on duty on your round.

As to mps and tps online I used to get loads of junk mail because I never used to tick the opt out boxes when I subscribed to websites and sent credit card applications etc.  So registering with mpsonline.org.uk made a huge difference to me.  Of course you being as paranoid as you clearly appear to be over such matters would always have ticked such boxes so would never have got on these lists in the first place.  The MPSonline allows you to en bloc undo the harm of having sometimes not ticked the "I do wish to get communications from associated group companies of x" box.

wrote on Oct 20^th, 2005 at 5:47pm:

...  If you won't give your name to the Royal Mail you really are paranoid as they already have it!

Well they don't actually know I live here do they ?  They just deliver stuff addressed to the address, right ?   Do they keep a record of who's name was on it  :-/


But seriously NGM, thanks  for explaining it all so clearly.  I think I 'll give it a try !

Royal Mail Door to Door claim to have total uk coverage for their service here:-

http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/jump2;jsessionid=T3OBGQHNJPZY2FB2IGDEOSQUHRAYQQ2K?catId=400092&mediaId=600112

Now clearly this is a lie as some people are registered for the Door to Door opt out but as the address to write to is not on their website (available on request only) and as the email address you were supposed to email to for the form to send only by snail mail (the one I have posted here) came back saying address not known for a long while (till I sent an email of complaint to the Chairman of the Royal Mail) not many people have succeeded in registering not to get this stuff.  May be only say 200,000 nationwide.

Having said that my postman does know about the opt out scheme but said only about two other people in his round were currently registered not to get the junk mail.  He said he wished more people would register as he personally hated delivering it and the extra pay for delivering the stuff was peanuts.

This website also says how you are meant to get out of the Door to Door stuff and gives an address that is different to the one I was given plus also a phone number.  May be you can register on the phone and have any of your questions clarified if you call them.

http://www.junk-mail.org.uk/links.html

Although I suspect they will still want a form in the post with a signature just to make life as hard as possible for you.

I'm not registered with MPS. I have written to MBNA, Lloyds TSB and Capital One requesting they remove me from their marketing lists. On all occassions I have used their pre-paid envelopes they sent me.

The first two have done as I requested and not sent me any more marketing material.

However, Capital One have not managed to get the message, despite me writing 3 times! Is there anyone (apart from Capital One) I can complain to? You know, like if they send you some stuff when on the MPS list you can report it to the MPS; I have contacted them and they won't do as I request? Why should I opt-out of all mail due to these cretins?

wrote on Oct 20^th, 2005 at 8:40pm:

However, Capital One have not managed to get the message, despite me writing 3 times!

Yes, I remember Capital One being particularly persistent.     After I started just writing
"Return to Sender - Not Known At This Adress"
(admittedly not as satisfying as stuffing their envelopes)
and returning them, they seem to have stopped.

Any unused,  Un-solicited, reply paid envelopes you have, can
Either:-
be re-used with a sticky label (never have to buy envelopes again)
OR
used to support the good old British Post Office and keep the cost of postage down,  by sending them back to the originator, empty, stuffed or otherwise, it doesn't really matter.

I fill in the application and put my occupation as 'undischarged bankrupt' - but they never send me a credit card.

wrote on Oct 20^th, 2005 at 8:40pm:

However, Capital One have not managed to get the message, despite me writing 3 times! Is there anyone (apart from Capital One) I can complain to?

Registering with www.mpsonline.org.uk does stop mailings from Capital One as they obviously computer screen against the MPS list.  The fact that they ignored your letters is obviously down to the usual probllem of not enough customer service staff or customer service staff with sawdust for brains.  However their IT director will obviously have realised that not screening against the MPS list has serious consequences as people on this list pretty much always notice and complain about any unsolicited mailings they still get.

Before registering with the MPS I would hear from CapitalOne monthly but now I never hear from them.  My MPS registration has not stopped me receiving any mail that I do want to get.

If you go to BT's own Directory Enquiries at http://www.thephonebook.bt.com your enquiries are always free! They have just changed the web site design, which makes it a little more awkward to use, but FREE though, so why should we grumble!

wrote on Oct 26^th, 2005 at 11:03am:

If you go to BT's own Directory Enquiries at http://www.thephonebook.bt.com your enquiries are always free! They have just changed the web site design, which makes it a little more awkward to use, but FREE though, so why should we grumble!

http://www.192.com offers a much better service.

I think that they have moved, to:
Door to Door Opt Outs
Royal Mail
Beaumont House
Sandy Lane West
OXFORD       OX4 6ZZ

Helpful letter though - for appropriate circulation.
Tks NGM, particularly for the recycling pointer.

wrote on Oct 26^th, 2005 at 11:03am:

If you go to BT's own Directory Enquiries at http://www.thephonebook.bt.com your enquiries are always free! They have just changed the web site design, which makes it a little more awkward to use, but FREE though, so why should we grumble!

Because on this internet service they won't give you numbers for people who are not in the phone directory but have allowed their number to be given out on request.

At present BT only release those numbers if you call the voice based DQ service.  They claim the directory enquiries operator can ascertain if you have a legitimate reason to need the number and already know a fairly accurate address.  As opposed to just any person of that surname anywhere in Wiltshire say.

Of course, a call via 100, where the operator then asks whether the called party wishes to accept a call from one, at one's expense, is the next stage.
And effective - if eye-wateringly expensive.

wrote on Nov 8^th, 2005 at 11:38pm:

Of course, a call via 100, where the operator then asks whether the called party wishes to accept a call from one, at one's expense, is the next stage. And effective - if eye-wateringly expensive.

I wasn't aware that this was an available option?  Is it even for people who are totally ex-d?  Certainly little publicised if it is.

I believe that it would work with fully ex-dir, but that may only have been with old procedures; I can quite see why it is not publicised...
Generally I would have assumed only in cases of extraordinary urgency or emergency etc. Not a procedure that I recommend!

wrote on Nov 8^th, 2005 at 11:47pm:

I wasn't aware that this was an available option?  Is it even for people who are totally ex-d?  Certainly little publicised if it is.

It certainly used to exist but I don't know if it still does.

I used to be on the 'tougher' version - it was called 'Ex-Directory, no connections'

wrote on Nov 9^th, 2005 at 8:53am:

It certainly used to exist but I don't know if it still does. I used to be on the 'tougher' version - it was called 'Ex-Directory, no connections'

I think it was replaced by the not in the phonebook and not in online directory enquiries option where the number is still available from voice based directory enquires if you can field the initial surname and full address.  There is still however an option for totally ex-d when even the voice based enquiry service will not provide the phone number.

I think the days of manually connected operator calls at extortionate rates are now back in the dreamy world of the 1970s and early 1980s.