OK, a few comments on caller-id from a supposed "expert".
The right to withhold it is considered a vital issue of privacy, that telcos are bound to respect. The actual id of the calling line is held for the purposes of national security etc.
There is no international standard for the presentation of CLID. Because it is therefore unreliable BT generally suppresses it on incoming international calls.
The point about Skype and other voip services is well known. To use a "presentation number", i.e. not the actual calling number, on a traditional network one requires authorisation. It is well known for mistakes to be made in setting these up (the 020 6 case could just be a cock-up).
Some callers use a nonsense CLID simply to get through to those who waste money on the anonymous caller rejection facilities offered by some telcos.
Ofcom considers use of false caller-id, or use of a premium rate number as a presentation number as an example of persistent misuse of telecommunications network or service.
My own view is that CLID can be a useful feature, but it is nothing to get excited about, nor to take too seriously. If you miss a call, you have missed a call. If the caller does not say who they are when a conversation begins or misrepresents their identity then I would see that as misuse of the telephone network.
If you do not want to answer calls from unknown callers get a
Truecall box. It will let known callers (based on CLID) straight through and ask others to identify themselves first. If they do so, you will be offered the chance to accept the call by hearing their announcement, or have it rejected by a recorded message.
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False caller ID (Read 7,005 times)
