'Private Numbers'

unitedrover

-Kenny- wrote: »

Worst is when you get a call of Private Number and all they say is .. "Well Ring me back will ya? " and hang up :mad::mad::mad:

Their loss:mad: but then they probably have the cheek to call us ignorant when we dont ring them back:eek:

melekalikimaka

Wertz wrote: »

...and you'll know who it is you'll be talking to when they say "Hi this is X".

It's a wonder some of you set foot outside the door of a morning, for fear of the unknown...

I'm ain't paranoid, I just don't answer them, reasons have been given. Why do people block them, have they something to hide?

DrGreenthumb

pansies afraid to answer because the number doesn't come up,

i guess you never had a phone back in the days when there was no caller ID, quick to the panic room the phone is ringing, ha haha,

Snakeblood

super_furry wrote: »

I don't get people that won't answer private numbers. It's not like you're going to get mugged over the phone.

I answer private numbers, but it feels a bit crap that someone is holding information back from me. They know who they are ringing but I don't know who I'm answering. It's a tiny shift in the balance of power that bothers people. Like if a car is stopped at a traffic light, and another car comes to a halt 4 cm in front of it, the stopped car will often roll forward to make up the lost ground. God forbid they lose their advantage.

Feisar

The people who piss me of are those that won't answer private numbers and have their own set to private as well.

I don't have mine set to private and I'll answer anything.

My gran aunt has her phone on private, one time she rang me looking for a lift. I missed the call and didn't know who rang - no lift.
When it came up in conversation the next day she said: oh I have MY phone set to private. The way she said it was like she was above the rest of us great unwashed. Weird.
Plus I've a mate who won't answer private numbers, so I sometimes switch my phone to private to call him. Pisses him right off. Like just answer the bloody thing!

sbsquarepants

FatherLen wrote: »

i know loads of people that wont answer private numbers. it pisses me off because my house phone is not listed so comes up as private no. just answer your phone, whats the worst that could happen?

I can see the point if you're a drug dealer, or having multiple affairs or dodging something you should have done in work, or something like that, but "ordinary decent" people not answering them is just ridiculous.
People forget that it's not so long ago that all numbers were private numbers - but they still fúcking answered their phones!

seamus

super_furry wrote: »

I don't get people that won't answer private numbers. It's not like you're going to get mugged over the phone.

9 times out of ten, it's somebody selling something and they don't want you to be able to screen their call.

The only person I know with a private number is my mother in law.

And she leaves a message.

cofy

We had to have our house phone number taken out of the phone book (so we now appear as a private number) because we are 1 of 2 houses in the area with the same name. The other house was always ex-directory so we ended up with a lot of people just hanging up whenever I answered the phone normally at the most inconvenient times, could get up to 5 in one day. Other people would ask me why am I answering this phone. A lot of the time it would be elderly people who just did'nt understand.

Anyway, I agree with people who do not answer to a private number, if I have to ring someone from the house phone I simply leave a message, I can't see why people have such a problem with leaving messages.

gargleblaster

Gophur wrote: »

@ Anyone who refuses to answer a private number call

Not answering a ringing phone is the height of ignorance.

Someone is trying to speak to you and you refuse to answer?

If knowing who's on the line is in any way important you'll answer the call.

If a strange number (one you don't recognise) show, do you answer it?

Yes! How dare you not cater to them as soon as they call you!

Know your place, non-phone-answerers! :pac:

Stephen Fry is right about phones. They are rude, rude things. And I will refuse to answer whenever I please. Which is most of the time.

Eroticfishcake

py2006 wrote: »

I don't answer them myself. I seem to get a few and they never leave a voicemail.

Either the bank or some chick I don't want to talk to.

So just the bank then :pac:

I don't answer private numbers, never good news

Solair

If you're on UPC pick up your phone and dial *90.

From that point on, the nice UPC robot lady will tell any annoymous to politely feck off.

#90 turns the service off again.

Biggins

sbsquarepants wrote: »

I can see the point if you're a drug dealer, or having multiple affairs or dodging something you should have done in work, or something like that, but "ordinary decent" people not answering them is just ridiculous.

I will just say the following, maybe you work in a job that deals with a lot of cash, maybe you work in an area that security has to be tight for reasons I can't go into.
Answering the phone on rare occasions to an unknown person at home can lead to that person knowing your there, if they are seeking you out ('Tiger Kidnappings', etc).
If you answer a phone that mobile, you can be tracked and found.

The above is the one in a hundred scenario but suffice to say without further details, sometimes there is very valid reason why not to answer unknown calls - all within complete legit reason. You don't have to be a law breaker.

DrGreenthumb

I answer private numbers but I hate them.

DrGreenthumb wrote: »

pansies afraid to answer because the number doesn't come up,

i guess you never had a phone back in the days when there was no caller ID, quick to the panic room the phone is ringing, ha haha,

It's not fear at all, I've no idea why someone would be scared to answer a private number. It being rude and annoying is what the problem is for me. Anyone I've ever known to have their number on private basically did it because A: they could and B: it wasn't going to inconvenience them, it would only inconvenience other people. I can understand the novelty of it when you're 10 years old with your first phone but at this stage in the game people need to get over themselves. Why bother setting it to private for no reason other than they're a bit of a tool?

Wertz

melekalikimaka wrote: »

I'm ain't paranoid, I just don't answer them, reasons have been given. Why do people block them, have they something to hide?

Fair enough and fair enough for Biggins as well. None of my business.

I'm the type that turns the voicemail off and doesn't leave recorded messages either (unless it's bonafide emergency), which some people might find strange too.

As for people blocking them, many landlines here are ex-directory or with some older or less tech aware people they may not even understand the concept of caller ID or would know how to turn it on or off on a mobile or house phone...doesn't mean they're stupid or any the less worth your time...

Marketing like I said I'm happy to f*ck them off and abuse them...hey, I didn't call them. If you don't answer they probably just keep calling at random anyhow.

Sooopie

Biggins wrote: »

If its emergency - my family, friends and business people know how to get me.
They know my policy on security. They apply same too in a lot of cases.
Additionally if they are that stupid not to kop-on thats its their hidden number that is causing a lot of their calls to go unanswered - frankly, I don't want to talk to such slow and stupid people.

If its anyone else emergency-wise, they known how to get my number - this includes state agencies.
If anyone that knows me, wants to get me for some reason in emergency, they can do so quite easily.
If anyone that don't know me but wants to get in contact with me, there are procedures they can use and they should know them.

I have reasons for tight security. Thats all on that I can say on that.

Oh Biggins you mysterious guy you

gargleblaster

I don't understand this idea that people need to have a reason to not answer the phone. I really don't.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=7xXSw07zrio#t=213s

Wertz

Solair wrote: »

If you're on UPC pick up your phone and dial *90.

From that point on, the nice UPC robot lady will tell any annoymous to politely feck off.

#90 turns the service off again.

You see there's a company thinking how it can improve it's service for customers.
We could all avoid so many of these unanswered calls if this was an option for those who don't answer such calls and for those who don't realise why people aren't answering.
Given that it's an issue for many people the rest of the phone companies might think to follow suit...

IrishEyes19

StudentDad wrote: »

I thought I'd throw this in here as it is afterhours Some intrepid person keeps trying to ring me using a 'private number.' However, I will not answer 'private numbers.' I don't know it irritates me on some level I suppose.

Am I alone? Am I the only one who thinks in the day and age of 'own number sending' that it's bloody rude to hide your phone number?

SD

That's just bizarre. Answer it, and if you wish to speak, the word goodbye or the little red button on your phone will solve that problem.

Cork boy 55

FatherLen wrote: »

i know loads of people that wont answer private numbers. it pisses me off because my house phone is not listed so comes up as private no. just answer your phone, whats the worst that could happen?

did you not watch PHonebooth

whubee

Biggins wrote: »

You don't go up to a front door with a mask on and ring the bell - why should you do it with a phone then?
No, I never answer phone calls if the person can't be bothered to give their number.
I tell all my friends and acquaintances this. If they don't like it. Tough.
Besides everything else - I just consider it rude.

-Hey man are you ok?

Im dying....I need my.....urrrgh....I need my .... my pills

- this guy is sayin he needs his pills, where are you pills sir, are they in your pocket, where are they. someone call an ambulance. quick

at....home. my ....my phone...call dave

-he's sayin call dave, gimme his phone.

(your 02 balance is 0.75c )

ring ring .... ring ring.

you have reached my voicemail - I will not talk to you, as i hate you. This is because i refuse to submit to the terrorism that is answering a big scary hidden number. It may well be critically important to both your life and mine but frankly im special and youre not. im highly insulted.

StudentDad

IrishEyes19 wrote: »

StudentDad wrote: »

I thought I'd throw this in here as it is afterhours Some intrepid person keeps trying to ring me using a 'private number.' However, I will not answer 'private numbers.' I don't know it irritates me on some level I suppose.

Am I alone? Am I the only one who thinks in the day and age of 'own number sending' that it's bloody rude to hide your phone number?

SD

That's just bizarre. Answer it, and if you wish to speak, the word goodbye or the little red button on your phone will solve that problem.

I don't think so. Too many times I've interrupted what I've been doing to answer 'private' numbers for it to be a bloody waste of my time.

It has reached the point where if 'Mr. Private Number' wants to contact me then he can leave a message and I'll decide whether or not to respond.

SD

Latchy

Afred Hitchcok would love this thread ,it'so neurotic .I can just picture and hear James Stewart saying .

'' Jus ...Jus ...Just pick up the goddam phone willya '' .

Biggins

whubee wrote: »

-Hey man are you ok?

Im dying....I need my.....urrrgh....I need my .... my pills

- this guy is sayin he needs his pills, where are you pills sir, are they in your pocket, where are they. someone call an ambulance. quick

at....home. my ....my phone...call dave

-he's sayin call dave, gimme his phone.

(your 02 balance is 0.75c )

ring ring .... ring ring.

you have reached my voicemail - I will not talk to you, as i hate you. This is because i refuse to submit to the terrorism that is answering a big scary hidden number. It may well be critically important to both your life and mine but frankly im special and youre not. im highly insulted.

:P :pac:

Whubee-do! :P

Gandhi

Feisar wrote: »

The people who piss me of are those that won't answer private numbers and have their own set to private as well.

I don't have mine set to private and I'll answer anything.

My gran aunt has her phone on private, one time she rang me looking for a lift. I missed the call and didn't know who rang - no lift.
When it came up in conversation the next day she said: oh I have MY phone set to private. The way she said it was like she was above the rest of us great unwashed. Weird.
Plus I've a mate who won't answer private numbers, so I sometimes switch my phone to private to call him. Pisses him right off. Like just answer the bloody thing!

I used to work with a few guys who all did the "make my own number private but don't answer any private numbers" thing. Whenever one of them called the other it would be about fifteen minutes of back-and-forth message leaving before they would actually talk to each other.

maxtiny

Personally I never answer private numbers, I am self employed and have noticed that people who hide their numbers are the people you generally wouldn't want to talk to, I think its sneaky.

For those who are calling for genuine reasons from private numbers.......leave a message!!

Have you noticed that most people that ring from private numbers never leave a message!

wolf moon

StudentDad wrote: »

I thought I'd throw this in here as it is afterhours Some intrepid person keeps trying to ring me using a 'private number.' However, I will not answer 'private numbers.' I don't know it irritates me on some level I suppose.

Am I alone? Am I the only one who thinks in the day and age of 'own number sending' that it's bloody rude to hide your phone number?

SD

I don't answer them.
To all "Person 76487326438 has no credit and wants you to ring them" I reply "Top up and try calling again".

cofy

IrishEyes19 wrote: »

That's just bizarre. Answer it, and if you wish to speak, the word goodbye or the little red button on your phone will solve that problem.

About 4 years ago I received calls on the house phone from a private number looking to speak to my husband, who is away from the house alot (helps his brother on a farm, and works by night). I asked who was calling and they quoted the Data Protection Act. So I did not tell them whether or not he was in the house as I was wary of telling a complete stranger my husbands movement, but I did give them his mobile number they told me that he nominated the house phone as a contact (something he would never do). I got 5 of these phone calls and not once did they try to contact my husband on his mobile. Eventually, I told them that I had already given his mobile number 5 times and if they wanted to contact him they had every opportunity and threatened to report the calls. I got no more calls after that as they finally rang him on the mobile, while I was sitting right beside him, it turned out to be a bank trying to sell loans. I know this would never happen nowadays, but I think you can see why people would have a problem with answering private numbers.

Latchy

Can understand some people reasons for not answering private calls but in a normal situation , if the person is not bothered about answering their private phone then why should the caller give them the satisfaction of a message ? Unless it's very important, I never leave a message on private or mobile phones anyway .

BluesBerry

When you see private number its usually a landline but when it comes up as "withheld number" the person has actually changed the settings to deliberately hide their number

Wertz

Sure that isn't dependent on phone model/network?
...all mine come up Unknown on mobile and either Private or Out of Area on the landline