Anyone know how to stop nuisance calls to one's home phone?

Estelindis

Hey all. I've suffered phone harrassment by a former friend for some years now. I managed to get her number blocked from my mobile a while ago, but she has since switched to calling my family's home phone. Last night she called three times, at roughly 12:30am, 3am and 5am. My dad is eighty and a very light sleeper, and her calls always wake him.

Does anyone know what I can do to stop this?

I have contacted Imagine (our phone and internet provider) and they say they can't do what Meteor did in blocking her number from my mobile, that it works differently for landlines. They gave me a number for the Nuisance Calls Bureau, but it turned out to be an Eircom facility and when I told the lady on the other end of the line that I wasn't an Eircom customer she said that she couldn't help me.

As for the Gardaí, I spoke to them before and they say that if she's not physically threatening me then they can't do anything. (She makes wild, aggressive accusations, and says she's going to bring me to court or get me thrown out of my university - which she also sometimes calls - in response to imaginary crimes she claims I have committed against her person, but never makes any physical threats.)

Please help. I need to protect my family's wellbeing from this woman. I know she just does all this because she's mentally unwell and I feel sorry for her, but I still need to stop her from being able to have a negative impact on our lives.

I do not see changing our home phone number as an optimal solution, since my parents have many old friends around the world whose only point of contact is that number.

Thanks for any helpful advice you can offer!

dory

Take it off the hook at night? In an emergency tell people to call mobiles.

yeppydeppy

Wrong forum.

AH response: blast her with piss!

Joekers

Blast the bitch with piss

Estelindis

yeppydeppy wrote: »

Wrong forum.

I'm sorry, but this place has a huge number of forums, and I wasn't sure what the right one would be.

dory wrote: »

Take it off the hook at night? In an emergency tell people to call mobiles.

I guess that's a possibility, though she does call during the day as well.

Mr.Biscuits

Get them to change their number. they can let their friends know sure.

_feedback_

Estelindis wrote: »

Thanks for any helpful advice you can offer!

The problem is, you wont get much of that in this forum!

Janey, you'd imagine that it must be possible to block her.

Have you tried looking for a phone handset that might be capable of doing it? (rather than the service provider)


EDIT: Did a search on that and it seems it is possible. This handset allows you to block calls. That link is only shipped to US, but the technology is available.

Block Unwanted Calls
Store the Caller ID info of any and all unwanted callers into your phone's Call Block list so that you can eliminate future pesky calls. After the information is stored, those unwanted callers will receive a busy signal when they call you again.

Doc Ruby

Estelindis wrote: »

As for the Gardaí, I spoke to them before and they say that if she's not physically threatening me then they can't do anything.

That's definetely not true, the guards have wide latitude when it comes to dealing with this stuff. Keep pushing them and make sure your complaints are written down by them.

El Horseboxo

Contact comreg I think. Seen that mentioned about a bit in forums. Probably more so for companies cold calling and that though.

Estelindis

elviscostello wrote: »

The problem is, you wont get much of that in this forum!

Janey, you'd imagine that it must be possible to block her.

Have you tried looking for a phone handset that might be capable of doing it? (rather than the service provider)

*shakes head, smiling* You know, I really did look at the big list of forums, but none of them seemed right, and I got the impression this was a kind of general discussion place. Again, apologies for the mistake.

Your suggestion about the handset is a good one, thanks.

dilallio

http://www.askcomreg.ie/home/links.asp

There's a no for a Nuisance Call Bureau listed in Dublin.

Estelindis

dilallio wrote: »

http://www.askcomreg.ie/home/links.asp

There's a no for a Nuisance Call Bureau listed in Dublin.

That's exactly the number I called, as mentioned in my post, which was answered with a "Hello, Eircom." And I'm not with Eircom, so they wouldn't help me. Thanks, though!

FatherLen

you should find her and beat her face

_feedback_

Estelindis wrote: »

*shakes head, smiling* You know, I really did look at the big list of forums, but none of them seemed right, and I got the impression this was a kind of general discussion place. Again, apologies for the mistake.

Your suggestion about the handset is a good one, thanks.

It's just a bit of a jokey forum, so was warning about the silly replies you'll get

Added bit more info to that post. Seems to be possible alright!

Mr Benevolent

Change your phone number? Stop using the landline?

Estelindis

Doc Ruby wrote: »

That's definetely not true, the guards have wide latitude when it comes to dealing with this stuff. Keep pushing them and make sure your complaints are written down by them.

Hmm. I'm not sure about this, since I got pretty much the same "you're not seriously taking up police time with this, are you?" attitude both times I tried to report this, in different stations and years apart. But perhaps I was just unlucky and/or insufficiently persistent.

Fear Uladh

Have you tried an arrow to the knee?

Estelindis

Fear Uladh wrote: »

Have you tried an arrow to the knee?

Well, you see, she's never been an adventurer... :P

Anyway, if this is the wrong forum, could someone please tell me which forum would be correct? I apologise for not just knowing, or being able to work it out, but this community is huge.

CardBordWindow

Get an answering machine. That way you will have a log of all the nuisance calls that you can present to the Gardaí.

cock robin

Estelindis wrote: »

Hey all. I've suffered phone harrassment by a former friend for some years now. I managed to get her number blocked from my mobile a while ago, but she has since switched to calling my family's home phone. Last night she called three times, at roughly 12:30am, 3am and 5am. My dad is eighty and a very light sleeper, and her calls always wake him.

Does anyone know what I can do to stop this?

I have contacted Imagine (our phone and internet provider) and they say they can't do what Meteor did in blocking her number from my mobile, that it works differently for landlines. They gave me a number for the Nuisance Calls Bureau, but it turned out to be an Eircom facility and when I told the lady on the other end of the line that I wasn't an Eircom customer she said that she couldn't help me.

As for the Gardaí, I spoke to them before and they say that if she's not physically threatening me then they can't do anything. (She makes wild, aggressive accusations, and says she's going to bring me to court or get me thrown out of my university - which she also sometimes calls - in response to imaginary crimes she claims I have committed against her person, but never makes any physical threats.)

Please help. I need to protect my family's wellbeing from this woman. I know she just does all this because she's mentally unwell and I feel sorry for her, but I still need to stop her from being able to have a negative impact on our lives.

I do not see changing our home phone number as an optimal solution, since my parents have many old friends around the world whose only point of contact is that number.

Thanks for any helpful advice you can offer!

Hell hath no fury than a woman scourned. If she is bonkers and we only have your word for it then explain the situation to your family and at least make them aware of it. Otherwise your just going to keep hiding from her. The other solution is to creep up behind her and belt her over the bonce with a spade **'pang'** and then blast her with piss.

Doc Ruby

Estelindis wrote: »

Hmm. I'm not sure about this, since I got pretty much the same "you're not seriously taking up police time with this, are you?" attitude both times I tried to report this, in different stations and years apart. But perhaps I was just unlucky and/or insufficiently persistent.

It would take them about an hour to call round to her and sort it out. Tell them you feel personally threatened and your family is at risk. If that doesn't work take it to the district court and the judge will hand down a temporary safety and protection order at the hearing, the Irish equivalent of a barring order. Then there will be a second hearing with her present at which it will almost certainly be made permanent.

Keep records of every call and everything said. Hell, even record the calls and tell her you are doing so.

Seachmall

You say you're with imagine? Is it a VOIP service? As far as I'm aware their VOIP system should give them complete control when blocking calls coming to you.

If it's not VOIP take a look at the packages they offer, decent prices (for phones and internet) and should, I'd imagine, solve your problem.

Rabidlamb

Set up a redirect at night from your parents phone to your mobile.
You've already blocked her from your mobile so your gravy.

Alternatively, set up a redirect at night from your parents phone to an premium service line, €2.50 a minute call charges should do the trick.

davet82

buy a really loud whistle and burst her ear drum next time she calls?

tigger123

FatherLen wrote: »

you should find her and beat her face

That's very harsh Father.

Estelindis

cock robin wrote: »

Hell hath no fury than a woman scourned. If she is bonkers and we only have your word for it then explain the situation to your family and at least make them aware of it. Otherwise your just going to keep hiding from her. The other solution is to creep up behind her and belt her over the bonce with a spade **'pang'** and then blast her with piss.

My parents understand the situation fully, thanks. I would never hide that sort of thing from them (not that I could as even the staff at university figured our that she was not well after a few calls and they had never met her whereas my parents had).

Fear Uladh

Estelindis wrote: »

Well, you see, she's never been an adventurer... :P

Anyway, if this is the wrong forum, could someone please tell me which forum would be correct? I apologise for not just knowing, or being able to work it out, but this community is huge.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=264

Estelindis

Seachmall wrote: »

You say you're with imagine? Is it a VOIP service? As far as I'm aware their VOIP system should give them complete control when blocking calls coming to you.

If it's not VOIP take a look at the packages they offer, decent prices (for phones and internet) and should, I'd imagine, solve your problem.

No, it's a regular landline service. We thought about WiMax (if that's what you're talking about) but decided not to go with it because we wouldn't be able to make calls if the electricity went out (though I maintained that this was what mobiles are for, but that was dad's take on things). However, if switching to WiMax could allow us to block her number, we would do it in a heartbeat. Strange that Imagine didn't mention this possibility to us when I contacted them!

Seachmall

Estelindis wrote: »

However, if switching to WiMax could allow us to block her number, we would do it in a heartbeat. Strange that Imagine didn't mention this possibility to us when I contacted them!

Give them a call and ask them, I'm 99% sure it allows them to block numbers (as well as a bunch of other cool stuff).

Estelindis

Fear Uladh wrote: »

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=264

Haha. Ironically, I am already qualified in aikido and ju-jitsu, and I have seen her attempt a martial art or two... which is another part of why I feel in no way physically threatened by her. Thanks for the smile, though.

Herb Powell

She can't call you if she's dead.
If you get what I mean.

Fear Uladh

Estelindis wrote: »

Haha. Ironically, I am already qualified in aikido and ju-jitsu, and I have seen her attempt a martial art or two... which is another part of why I feel in no way physically threatened by her. Thanks for the smile, though.

That forum should help you find a useful martial art then.

Estelindis

Doc Ruby wrote: »

It would take them about an hour to call round to her and sort it out. Tell them you feel personally threatened and your family is at risk. If that doesn't work take it to the district court and the judge will hand down a temporary safety and protection order at the hearing, the Irish equivalent of a barring order. Then there will be a second hearing with her present at which it will almost certainly be made permanent.

Keep records of every call and everything said. Hell, even record the calls and tell her you are doing so.

I have kept records of the last few years of her texts and typed them up into a document; the guards didn't want to see it.

I don't want to lie about what she's done. However, I think you're right in saying that I could go much further with this than I have, possibly even to (civil) court. Thanks.

Patrick2010

Rabidlamb wrote: »

Set up a redirect at night from your parents phone to your mobile.
You've already blocked her from your mobile so your gravy.

Alternatively, set up a redirect at night from your parents phone to an premium service line, €2.50 a minute call charges should do the trick.

Do the trick as in landing the parents with a big bill? (You do know redirects are paid for by the person placing the redirect, not the caller)

Estelindis

Fear Uladh wrote: »

That forum should help you find a useful martial art then.

Ah yes, lest I forget that the martial arts forums on Boards.ie are dominated by MMA folks who insist on trashing all other arts even if we don't do the same to them...

Nothingbetter2d

sign her up for every possible mailing list you can find. have her home and email so flooded with spam she cant get out the door.

Estelindis

Seachmall wrote: »

Give them a call and ask them, I'm 99% sure it allows them to block numbers (as well as a bunch of other cool stuff).

Thanks, I will do that.

This seems like it will probably (er, overconfidence effect?) solve the problem. Thanks to all for their suggestions (even the amusing, non-practical and immoral ones!). Unless anyone has a genuine suggestion for the forum where I should have posted this, I'll leave it there. Thanks again!

Fear Uladh

Estelindis wrote: »

Ah yes, lest I forget that the martial arts forums on Boards.ie are dominated by MMA folks who insist on trashing all other arts even if we don't do the same to them...

Are you asking me out?

Nothingbetter2d

Patrick2010 wrote: »

Do the trick as in landing the parents with a big bill? (You do know redirects are paid for by the person placing the redirect, not the caller)

upgrade the phone so it has an inbuilt voice mail recorder on it.... and set the phone to divert to mailbox at night..... once she has filled that mailbox up hand it to the gardaí. that will be all the proof needed to charge her for harassment and get a restraining order. Be sure to add that it is causing your 80 year old father undue stress which is affecting his health.

Estelindis

Fear Uladh wrote: »

Are you asking me out?

I already have a stalker, but I appreciate the thought!

biko

Many good suggestions in here OP, record calls, block number in handset or turn off ring signal at night.

Many companies has help/contact forums in here but I don't think yours is there yet.

Anyway hope you'll be able to use some of the better suggestions to sort this out.

aujopimur

This sounds like my ex wife, the telephone witch.

Mossess

Get a Whistle, actually I must get one myself. We keep getting phoned just after 9am by scammers. I contacted Eircom and was told “We can’t block numbers but we do advise people to be vigilant” Seriously.

lastlaugh

Give me her number, I'll give her a shout later on and explain how it's gonna be from now on.

Run_to_da_hills

You can purchase an in-line phone recorder with a 1/8" or PC compatible output socket very cheap on Ebay. Record the culprit and threaten to report them to the Gardai for harassment.

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Telephone-Phone-Line-Calls-Voice-Sound-Recorder-PC-/280811856692?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4161b0e334#ht_5478wt_1185

Ishmael

Would it be possible to get Imagine to change the phone number for you. Only give out the new number to people you know won't pass it on to the crazy biatch.

DarkJager

Get your own back. You have her number so use it. Write it in every toilet cubicle, every bus stop, every single place you can and make sure it clearly advertises all manner of deviant sex acts for the people who call it. You won't be getting called again any time soon.

Estelindis

Ishmael wrote: »

Would it be possible to get Imagine to change the phone number for you. Only give out the new number to people you know won't pass it on to the crazy biatch.

I see this as an absolute last resort and would prefer to exhaust all other possibilities first. Some of my father's friends are aid workers in very remote places and he isn't always able to reach them, plus at 80 years old having lived in many countries over the years and being one of ten children (with that family having spread out in many directions) there are literally thousands of people he'd have to contact to give them a new number. I understand the constructiveness of this suggestion, but for us it isn't very practical and we're really prefer anything else.

Just explaining this a bit more, since a fair few people have posted this suggestion and I don't want people to have to post in vain.

lastlaugh wrote: »

Give me her number, I'll give her a shout later on and explain how it's gonna be from now on.

Anything anyone says to her is only treated as fuel for later harrassment. I have not spoken to her or answered a text in years. I always hang up when I hear her voice. There is no reasoning with someone like this. As for threatening her, which I get the impression that you're implying...? Given that she has made up in her head that I've done all kinds of terrible things to her with no stimulus from me at all, how would she react to an actual threat? (Besides, that would then, ironically, make one guilty of the very threatening phone harrassment that she doesn't commit, even though what she does commit has had a very negative impact by itself.)

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

You can purchase an in-line phone recorder with a 1/8" or PC compatible output socket very cheap on Ebay. Record the culprit and threaten to report them to the Gardai for harassment.

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Telephone-Phone-Line-Calls-Voice-Sound-Recorder-PC-/280811856692?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4161b0e334#ht_5478wt_1185

Thank you, that's a very reasonably priced item! Could be very handy. I already threatened to report her for harrassment years ago (and did, but as I said the guards wouldn't do anything), but as you can see that didn't solve the problem. However, it would be useful to have recorded material if this ever went to court. I did record mobile voicemail from her, but after a while it seems that gets deleted (though I did transcribe it).

Run_to_da_hills

Estelindis wrote: »

Thank you, that's a very reasonably priced item! Could be very handy. I already threatened to report her for harrassment years ago (and did, but as I said the guards wouldn't do anything), but as you can see that didn't solve the problem. However, it would be useful to have recorded material if this ever went to court. I did record mobile voicemail from her, but after a while it seems that gets deleted (though I did transcribe it).

There are other more user friendly types available. One that plugs into a tape recorder or IPod would be the handiest. I am not sure about the legality of them in this country whether the usage would hold in court or not.

cade

Damn that's kind of annoying that you can get numbers blocked on mobiles now. I went through a phase of about two years where a bunch of ex-"Friends" kept calling my mobile at odd times during the night. Now I was using the phone as my alarm for college so I'd to leave it on at night and didn't really scrape the money together for an alarm for a while, shocking I know considering they're only a tenner. Despite contacting Eircell via numerous methods about it I was always told there was no way to do it.

So I'm glad things have taken a step in the right direction, always thought it was foolish that it wasn't possible.

Estelindis

cade wrote: »

Damn that's kind of annoying that you can get numbers blocked on mobiles now. I went through a phase of about two years where a bunch of ex-"Friends" kept calling my mobile at odd times during the night. Now I was using the phone as my alarm for college so I'd to leave it on at night and didn't really scrape the money together for an alarm for a while, shocking I know considering they're only a tenner. Despite contacting Eircell via numerous methods about it I was always told there was no way to do it.

So I'm glad things have taken a step in the right direction, always thought it was foolish that it wasn't possible.

Well, actually, it was a bit of a struggle for me too. I was originally with Eircell->Vodafone, and they told me that they couldn't block the number without a Garda letter, and when I tried to get one the guards wouldn't give me one. Years later, I tried again with Meteor, and they told me the same thing. This time I prepared a letter describing the exact problem and typed out reams of pages of the woman's transcibed texts; I thought I'd have a better chance if the Gardaí already had a pre-made document to stamp, as opposed to getting them to write the letter, but the guard on duty told me they absolutely couldn't stamp something they hadn't written. However, she then went on to tell me that the phone companies were not telling the truth about needing Garda permission and they were basically fobbing customers off on the guards. She recorded my complaint and gave me a Pulse ID for it, saying that might help to give my case some force when I got back to Meteor. So, anyway, I call Meteor straight away and say I'd like to block a number from calling my phone and the rep immediately replies, before I can even marshall my arguments, without the faintest bit of objection: "Sure, what's the number?" in a friendly fashion. After all that, I really couldn't believe the obstacles were vanishing, but I didn't look a gift horse in the mouth!

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

There are other more user friendly types available. One that plugs into a tape recorder or IPod would be the handiest. I am not sure about the legality of them in this country whether the usage would hold in court or not.

Ah. Didn't think about that. Hmm. A friend of mine in regard to a wholly different issue has told me that if you tell the person on the other end that you're recording them then it's legal, but I'd have to check that out. (I mean, I really don't want to speak a word to this woman, even these few words, but it could be for the best in this instance.)