CJT-80 wrote on May 3
rd, 2010 at 12:22pm:
ring it directly (not using the 1471, 3 service)
Two personal points to make.
1. The "1471, 3" service is for the wealthy and lazy. It always costs to use this service, even for calls to a 0800 number!
2. My strong advice is that calling back after a missed call (especially if the caller had the chance to leave an answerphone message) is only for the insatiably curious who have nothing better to do with their time.
Obviously if you recognise the number of a friend, you may wish to return their failed call. If you have reason to believe that no stranger should be able to call you, then you may wish to investigate. I would see these as valid reasons to return a missed call.
Apart from this, one should ask oneself if you really value telephone calls from people that you do not know so highly that you are desperate to speak with someone who obviously wanted to speak with you. Question whether you are prepared to take the risk of wasting your time by only getting through to an answering service.
Yes it is tempting, but most of us probably have better things to do with our time.
If you learn that you were called by someone from BT, or by someone from a call centre, then the wondering about just who and why may turn an meaningless incident into a source of worry and greater concern.
There is no way for a caller to say who they are unless a call is answered. My concern is with those who fail to do so when it is.