Ok I am new to this site but I do have a thing obout these new numbers.  I would like to increase public awareness about organisations using these numbers.

I have added a link to this site to my signature from my own emails together with a note to say that I will not call 0870, 0871 . . . . . numbers.

Any other ideas??

Does your local council, police or other public sector service provider use one of these numbers?

The police do.  I have not had cause to deal with the others recently.

I do have an ongoing dispute with a finance company.  They call me but I won't identify myself on an incoming call (I have been victim of identity theft) so they ask me to return their call on an 0845 number which I have refused to do.  The matter is now being dealt with in writing.

I also received a letter at work from the BBC asking me to call one of these numbers to explain why I did not have a license.  There is no tv at the office but I do not see why I should pay to tell them that.

Bad_Company wrote on Oct 24^th, 2008 at 12:06pm:

Any other ideas??

As one of many hardened campaigners who post here, I would offer advice to an intending effective campaigner.

To be effective in promoting change, choose a relatively narrow area that is of particular concern to you in proportion to the amount of time and energy that you wish to commit. There may be greater evils around in the world, but if you are looking to be effective, then you should select a target where you could make a difference. As you learn what you can achieve, you can adjust the target accordingly.

Try to understand how the change that you seek could be accomplished and then consider how best to influence those in a position to make it. Often this will involve working through others who will engage with you, as the ultimate decision maker may not be directly accessible.

Finally, be patient.

Bad_Company wrote on Oct 24^th, 2008 at 12:50pm:

I do have an ongoing dispute with a finance company.  They call me but I won't identify myself on an incoming call (I have been victim of identity theft) so they ask me to return their call on an 0845 number which I have refused to do.  The matter is now being dealt with in writing.

How else would you settle your dispute if you won't identify yourself?
They will need certain information to confirm they are speaking to the correct person whether you call them on the 0845 number or an 01/02/03 number, at least they are prepared to call you at their expense, you have to give some ground.

I assume you identify yourself via the writing route you are going down! so what is the difference?

derrick wrote on Oct 24^th, 2008 at 2:02pm:

How else would you settle your dispute if you won't identify yourself? They will need certain information to confirm they are speaking to the correct person whether you call them on the 0845 number or an 01/02/03 number, at least they are prepared to call you at their expense, you have to give some ground. I assume you identify yourself via the writing route you are going down! so what is the difference?

Derrick, so you will "confirm" your personal details with someone who calls you who says they are calling from your bank or insurance company?  ::)

The point is that they must confirm they are who they say they are first.

derrick wrote on Oct 24^th, 2008 at 2:02pm:

Bad_Company wrote on Oct 24th, 2008 at 12:50pm: I do have an ongoing dispute with a finance company.  They call me but I won't identify myself on an incoming call (I have been victim of identity theft) so they ask me to return their call on an 0845 number which I have refused to do.  The matter is now being dealt with in writing. How else would you settle your dispute if you won't identify yourself? They will need certain information to confirm they are speaking to the correct person whether you call them on the 0845 number or an 01/02/03 number, at least they are prepared to call you at their expense, you have to give some ground. I assume you identify yourself via the writing route you are going down! so what is the difference?

If they phone me I cannot identify myself as I do not know who is calling me.  I would be happy to return the call if they give me the geographical number the 0845 number is pointing to - or an 0800 number.

Bad_Company wrote on Oct 24^th, 2008 at 3:41pm:

If they phone me I cannot identify myself as I do not know who is calling me.  I would be happy to return the call if they give me the geographical number the 0845 number is pointing to - or an 0800 number.

Of course, you would have to verify that the number they gave you was theirs in any case.

Bad_Company wrote on Oct 24^th, 2008 at 3:41pm:

If they phone me I cannot identify myself as I do not know who is calling me.  I would be happy to return the call if they give me the geographical number the 0845 number is pointing to - or an 0800 number.

Even if they gave you a different number, you'd want to check the number using an independent source of information to make sure it's really the number of a finance company, not one the scammers are using for that purpose.

Do you know the name of the finance company? Have you Googled them? Have you checked their details with the FSA?

Dave wrote on Oct 24^th, 2008 at 2:07pm:

derrick wrote on Oct 24th, 2008 at 2:02pm: How else would you settle your dispute if you won't identify yourself? They will need certain information to confirm they are speaking to the correct person whether you call them on the 0845 number or an 01/02/03 number, at least they are prepared to call you at their expense, you have to give some ground. I assume you identify yourself via the writing route you are going down! so what is the difference? Derrick, so you will "confirm" your personal details with someone who calls you who says they are calling from your bank or insurance company?  ::) The point is that they must confirm they are who they say they are first.

No I would not, and I did not say I would, but if I have a dispute with a company and they call me I would either make sure they are who they say they are or call the company myself using a known, to me, correct phone number.

The OP has had the company call them at the companies expense, I am sure they could ascertain that the company is the correct one by asking certain questions, as I have said, they will have to prove that they are the correct person to the company even when they are now doing it in writing.

Bad_Company wrote on Oct 24^th, 2008 at 3:41pm:

derrick wrote on Oct 24th, 2008 at 2:02pm: Bad_Company wrote on Oct 24th, 2008 at 12:50pm: I do have an ongoing dispute with a finance company.  They call me but I won't identify myself on an incoming call (I have been victim of identity theft) so they ask me to return their call on an 0845 number which I have refused to do.  The matter is now being dealt with in writing. How else would you settle your dispute if you won't identify yourself? They will need certain information to confirm they are speaking to the correct person whether you call them on the 0845 number or an 01/02/03 number, at least they are prepared to call you at their expense, you have to give some ground. I assume you identify yourself via the writing route you are going down! so what is the difference? If they phone me I cannot identify myself as I do not know who is calling me.  I would be happy to return the call if they give me the geographical number the 0845 number is pointing to - or an 0800 number.

Totally agree with you, but if you cannot get hold of a geo number then you will not have that option, you have a dispute with them, they have called you, at their expense, I am sure you could determine that they are the correct company, as you are writing to them, you will need to provide evidence that you are the person they need to speak to, so you have now entrusted your information to Royal Mail  :o

In financial matters an identity check is essential for either party.

If you call a financial institution they'll ask for your d.o.b, mother's maiden name etc. to identify you.

If the financial institution calls you and you have been in correspondence with them you can ask about the contents of the letters you sent as a way of checking that you are not talking to scammers.

I had this exact problem last year.  We kept getting calls from a witheld number, saying they were from "the bank" and asking for our personal details.  Yeah, right, as if I'd tell such a caller!  And we deal with several banks anyway, so that didn't help.  They eventually said they were HSBC, so I asked for a number I could call them back on, preferably an extension number I could ask for after dialing the main call centre.  "Sorry, we don't take incoming calls." !   They wouldn't, or couldn't, identify themselves,  by even giving me my account number, or advise me on why they were calling, and were very rude and cross with me for not cooperating..

Eventually, I called the call centre number, and they were able to check my accounts and identify what was going on (it was a dormant account that had had a few pounds interest owing on it, and it was their collections department that had been calling me [and no, they wouldn't accept a call being put through to them].) and I sorted it out with them.  And I then advised the bank to close the accounts.  

With all the advice on identity theft, not giving out personal details, etc., it beggers belief that a supposedly reputable bank should think it alright to make unsolicited, withheld number, calls, refuse to identify themselves, but ask for personal details!  And to get stroppy with me when I refuse to give them was just uncalled for.