'Private Numbers'

booboo88

Dovies wrote: »

My folks house phone comes up as private number and they dont know how to change it so I have to answer them!! :rolleyes:

their number is unlisted, you have to ring eircom, which is way too much hassle, believe me:(

Wattle

I'm always intrigued when private number comes up. It could be the C.I.A. asking me to become a hitman or someone trying to sell me a broadband package.

Rasmus

Private numbers calling are no big deal. Most of my life I have been answering the phone without knowing who it is (this was normal until recent years!)
However it is the EPITOME of rudeness when a private numbered caller does not leave a message!! I have had missed called from people/companies who don't leave messages and then there is no way to call them back. Makes me annoyed!
Presumably they're sales calls though if they don't leave a voicemail.
Actually in general I think it's rude not to leave a message. Rant over.

johngalway

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 never answer private numbers, or numbers I don't know/am not expecting.

Never once found they were of benefit to me so go sort it out yourself mystery caller or approach me a better way.

Dudess

Rasmus wrote: »

However it is the EPITOME of rudeness when a private numbered caller does not leave a message!! I have had missed called from people/companies who don't leave messages and then there is no way to call them back. Makes me annoyed!
Presumably they're sales calls though if they don't leave a voicemail.

Yeah I hate when people ring from a blocked number and don't leave a message. But if it's during the day, it's highly likely to be a cold call. They don't leave messages.

mw3guc

I'm all for equality. You know my number and have picked a time that suits you to use it - I just want the same opportunity at my end of the line.

coffee_cake

Dovies wrote: »

My folks house phone comes up as private number and they dont know how to change it so I have to answer them!! :rolleyes:

they can put a code in front of whatever number they dial so that their number comes up

stateofflux

i never answer private numbers anymore. got fed up with calls from bitter rumor spreading ex's & their new/ex bf's etc

DjFlin

MyKeyG wrote: »

DjFlin wrote: »

I dont have my number on private, but I dont get what the big deal about it is. As a matter of fact, if I decided I wasn't going to answer private calls, I wouldn't have gotten a job. So go right ahead and ignore private calls. More job interviews for me.

In my experience calls offering job interviews leave a voice mail owing to the fact that these people have the cop on to consider the real possibility that you're not available, thus the purpose of voice mail, so that makes your statement all the more ridiculous :rolleyes:

Maybe they'll leave a voice mail, maybe they won't. I'd rather just answer the phone.

Way I see it is;

Incoming call from Private Number = "Who the hell is that?"
Incoming call from 0871234567 = "Who the hell is that?"

I still don't know who's calling.

DoneDL

Private numbers are to telecommunication what spam is to Email.

revell

my ex keeps calling me from various phone, no number showing or a completely strange number. I am not answering any number which I cannot recongnize now!

revell

Wattle wrote: »

I'm always intrigued when private number comes up. It could be the C.I.A. asking me to become a hitman or someone trying to sell me a broadband package.

if CIA is calling you then you will have no choice - hit or being hit:cool:

revell

Rasmus wrote: »

Private numbers calling are no big deal. Most of my life I have been answering the phone without knowing who it is (this was normal until recent years!)
However it is the EPITOME of rudeness when a private numbered caller does not leave a message!! I have had missed called from people/companies who don't leave messages and then there is no way to call them back. Makes me annoyed!
Presumably they're sales calls though if they don't leave a voicemail.
Actually in general I think it's rude not to leave a message. Rant over.

I do not bother at all. If they do not leave msg or do not call back again, it is not going to be a serious matter. Just go and sleep tight.

whubee

The next private number call you will receive is a matter of life or death.

Linoge

DjFlin wrote: »

Maybe they'll leave a voice mail, maybe they won't. I'd rather just answer the phone.

Way I see it is;

Incoming call from Private Number = "Who the hell is that?"
Incoming call from 0871234567 = "Who the hell is that?"

I still don't know who's calling.

Way I see it is;

Incoming call from Private Number = "That could be X. Defo dont want to talk to them and they know it! If it is not and it is something important the person will leave a message."

Incoming call from 0871234567 = "Who the hell is that?! It could be X, but at least they are not trying to hide who they are because they think/know i won't answer."

Why is someone paranoid just because they want to choose who they want to talk to and when?

Surely in an age where you are contactable in seconds, at every moment of the day, to people who you know and people you dont that this should actually be quite acceptable??!

RichieC

answer it, if you want out fake bad signal and turn your phone off for an hour.

Diapason

I rarely answer private numbers. If callers don't like it, tough! I have a phone for my convenience, not for their's.

Maruney

The only private number I seem to get is from my credit card company, I dont answer anymore i just go pay my card and it doesnt happen again, I see it as a credit card alarm now.
Hope I dont start getting random private numbers, I'll be broke thinking its credit card time......

Da_Doc

I used to avoid answering private numbers....then i grew up nd learned to face up to things, even if it might be unpleasant. ie banks, marketing peeps, or people who i dont want to talk to. Very easy to say sorry i cant talk now ill get back to you whenever

Jev/N

The reason many people have for their landlines private (ex-directory) is precisely the same reason many mobile users don't answer private numbers

Oink

revell wrote: »

... If they do not leave msg or do not call back again, it is not going to be a serious matter. .

Diapason wrote: »

I rarely answer private numbers. If callers don't like it, tough! I have a phone for my convenience, not for their's.

I believe that wraps it up.

Unless it's mammy calling obviously.

DjFlin

Linoge wrote: »

Way I see it is;

Incoming call from Private Number = "That could be X. Defo dont want to talk to them and they know it! If it is not and it is something important the person will leave a message."

Incoming call from 0871234567 = "Who the hell is that?! It could be X, but at least they are not trying to hide who they are because they think/know i won't answer."

Why is someone paranoid just because they want to choose who they want to talk to and when?

Surely in an age where you are contactable in seconds, at every moment of the day, to people who you know and people you dont that this should actually be quite acceptable??!

Fair point. I'm lucky in that I dont have any X's to avoid :pac:

A lot of my friends (And my own) home numbers are private, so I generally answer them.

Eric Cartman

My voicemail states I dont answer private numbers , this leaves those private number people with 2 options, un-private or leave me a message with their number . Most companies hear this and ring me back on an actual number and others leave voicemails.

I had to do this because my phone number has fallen into a few peoples hands and I was getting a lot of calls from little scummers at all hours, since ive changed the message most of these have dropped off

MyKeyG

Diapason wrote: »

I have a phone for my convenience, not for their's.

I was going to make that exact point word for word! Well said

MyKeyG

DjFlin wrote: »

Maybe they'll leave a voice mail, maybe they won't. I'd rather just answer the phone.

Way I see it is;

Incoming call from Private Number = "Who the hell is that?"
Incoming call from 0871234567 = "Who the hell is that?"

I still don't know who's calling.

Yes but the argument is why someone should need to have a private number. There may be perfectly sound reasons but in my experience it's someone trying to sell you something or crank calling. I've had private numbers call and abuse me. If they called without hiding their number as in your example then I will answer but I can pass the number onto the Gardai.

Companies block their numbers so that people don't know who's calling and they can then catch them on the hop. We did it for that very reason in the last company I worked for.

Ultimately my point is that more often than not you can't trust a private number as being of importance. That's where voice-mail comes in.

Bens

I just downloaded software onto my phone that allows you to ignore or send straight to voicemail blocked or unblocked numbers. Even numbers not in your contact list.
A few of my friends have been using it and told me about it.
I think everyone should have this on thei phones, then you wont see too many blocked numbers in future.

sunflower27

UPC always call me from a 'private number' to offer broadband upgrade blah blah. Never answer now.

Tarkus

I've done all the 'heavy lifting' by paying to have a phone I can be reached at. All a caller has to do is let me know who it is I'm being interrupted for.

Even then I may not answer it. Just having a phone doesn't obligate me to answering every call no matter what I'm doing.

Just leave a message. If I don't call you back, at least you'll find out that it really isn't the private # but that I just don't like you...

Carter P Fly

I answer the phone when it rings because lots of people in work and customers have my number and their internal phone systems sometimes have caller ID blocked. Our office uses IP phones routed through international operators. Depending on those operators the number is often blocked and even when they display the number does not get through to the person who called youif you return the call.

It would be seriously stupid of me to ever say to anyone who we do buisness with that I didnt answer the call because the number didnt display.

Sam Vimes

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 haven't read the thread so someone might have already posted a similar story but this thread reminded me of this post from a few years ago:

barrett1965 wrote: »

My daughter has her number withheld because of all the prank calling amoung her friends; it's the only private number I will answer. I can understand teens blocking their ID, but adults - no. I personally find it a bit unsettling when I see 'private number' displayed on my mobile.

I guess he answers the call to find out who it is to see if he should answer the call or not