What is the point of private numbers??

happyviolet

I really don't see any positive benefits of them, they are always abused for pranks, stalking, trying to catch people in cold calls to sign up for whatever s**te they are selling :mad: ....I really wish mobile providers would get rid of the option of having a number on private.

we'llallhavetea

...... psychoooooo.........










:P

Seachmall

My father has his personal phone on private because he sometimes doesn't have access to his business phone but needs to make business calls.






He's not a drug dealer before you ask.

Conmaicne Mara

I never answer private numbers so they don't bother me.

kerry4sam

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

I never answer private numbers so they don't bother me.

I don't answer them any more either. If people phoning me via private number want to speak urgent, then they can leave a voice-message or show their number to begin with!

Lad Of Banter

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

I never answer private numbers so they don't bother me.

I don't even answer numbers I don't recognise, let them leave a message

The Backwards Man

My landline is ex-directory so comes up as private number.

If you're too scared to answer my call, it's your tough sh1t, not mine.

super_furry

I froze my phone in a block of carbonite and burried it in my back garden. No private number muggers are going to get me!

kneemos

Before mobiles every number was private.

happyviolet

aya startin wha wrote: »

...... psychoooooo.........










:P

It would the creeps not showing their numbers that would be psychos, not me. :P

Rho b

I never answer private numbers, simple. Freggin banks always block their numbers - bad news if they have to phone you

Mr Benevolent

People who never answer private numbers tend to be terrified of real life.

Mike 1972

The Backwards Man wrote: »

My landline is ex-directory so comes up as private number. .

Your provider should offer the option of enabling caller ID by default while remaining ex-directory.

The Backwards Man wrote: »

If you're too scared to answer my call, it's your tough sh1t, not mine.

If youre too scared to identify yourself and find that as a result Im not prepared to engage with you I think youll find its YOUR tough $hit.

Rho b

Mr Benevolent wrote: »

People who never answer private numbers tend to be terrified of real life.

Your rational for that statement, please...

Insect Overlord

What is the point of owning a phone if you're not happy to answer it?

The Backwards Man

Mike 1972 wrote: »

Your provider should offer the option of enabling caller ID by default while remaining ex-directory.




If youre too scared to identify yourself and find that as a result Im not prepared to engage with you I think youll find its YOUR tough $hit.

I don't want anyone knowing my landline number, I don't want them ringing me when my work number is turned off. What's your excuse for not answering me?:)

Lad Of Banter

Insect Overlord wrote: »

What is the point of owning a phone if you're not happy to answer it?

Watching porn in the toilets in work

Fr_Dougal

Insect Overlord wrote: »

What is the point of owning a phone if you're not happy to answer it?

To make calls and speak to people of your own choosing.

Femme_Fatale

I don't know, but I don't understand why they anger some people so much. If you answer to find out who it is, you don't have to stay on the line once you know.

Conmaicne Mara

Lad Of Banter wrote: »

I don't even answer numbers I don't recognise, let them leave a message

Yeah, same as that. I'll be looking at the number while the phone is ringing wondering who it is Sometimes wonder a few days later was it important, but no message no care.

professore

95 percent of them are people you don't want to talk to. If it's important they can leave a message. If not they can f**k off.

Conmaicne Mara

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

I don't know, but I don't understand why they anger some people so much. If you answer to find out who it is, you don't have to stay on the line once you know.

Cos 9 times out of 10 they want you to buy something from them you don't want or need, waste your time, and/or want you to do something for them for nothing.

The 10 time is a wrong number.

Femme_Fatale

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Cos 9 times out of 10 they want you to buy something from them you don't want or need, waste your time, and/or want you to do something for them for nothing.

Yeh I know so before they can even get into their spiel, I just politely say "Sorry, I don't have time to talk at the moment, thanks" and hang up.

crosstownk

The Backwards Man wrote: »

My landline is ex-directory so comes up as private number.

My landline is also ex-directory but an outgoing call displays the caller ID.

Pure Sound

I have a friend who is a social worker and require to use a private number. They once forgot to put it on private and they were getting calls about all sorts of things and had to change it. My dole was cut - Can you mind the kids while I go out - Can you lend me some money etc

So there certainly is a point in having them for certain professions

Muise...

crosstownk wrote: »

My landline is also ex-directory but an outgoing call displays the caller ID.

my landline displays neither outgoing nor incoming call numbers, so I have to be good at recognising voices, as it's not good to excitedly greet the wrong gentleman caller.

Conmaicne Mara

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

Yeh I know so before they can even get into their spiel, I just politely say "Sorry, I don't have time to talk at the moment, thanks" and hang up.

Nah, disrupts my day, wastes my time. Not answering the phone, ignorance is bliss.

SpaceTime

kneemos wrote: »

Before mobiles every number was private.

No they weren't
We had Caller ID on landlines and mobiles at about the same time

UPC has a very handy function:

http://support.upc.ie/app/answers/detail/a_id/339/~/anonymous-call-rejection

You can reject anonymous calls (private numbers). If they call you they just get dumped to an automatic announcement "The person your are calling does not wish to receive calls from people who block their numbers. Please display your number and try again" or something to that effect.

To turn on dial *90.
To turn off dial #90.

drumswan

Insect Overlord wrote: »

What is the point of owning a phone if you're not happy to answer it?

Do you spend your day reading through your spam folder too? Whats the point of having email if you arent interested in all the mail you get?

thecatspjs

I find unknown and private calls to be exciting.

vicwatson

I love p*****g people off by having private number - they always answer as curiosity gets to them.

thecatspjs

vicwatson wrote: »

I love p*****g people off by having private number - they always answer as curiosity gets to them.

It's the excitement ya see

galwayrush

I have an ex directory number but when we ring someone, a simple 142 before the dialled number displays ours . I never answer private numbers, they can use the 142 code rather than being sneaky.

Cody Pomeray

Insect Overlord wrote: »

What is the point of owning a phone if you're not happy to answer it?

They same reason you have a door with a lock on it.

Potential-Monke

I don't hide my number unless i'm making a work related call on it, in which case i #31# the number. I'll answer private numbers too, and just do the whole "Hello??? Hello??? Fucking E-Mobile!!!" and hang up if it's someone i don't want to talk to.

Insect Overlord

Cody Pomeray wrote: »

They same reason you have a door with a lock on it.

I pity the fool who gets burgled just by answering a phone call.

dimal

I am getting phone calls from private numbers only from my Bank of Ireland with stupid questions about their performance. Since they call during office hours when I cannot really talk for longer than one minute, I ask to call me back later and they never do.
Nobody ever called me to sell anything. Probably my number is not in the proper directory.

Cushie Butterfield

I don't answer my front door to anyone wearing a mask or withholding a view of their face saying 'speak to me speak to me' & I don't answer my phone to a blocked number.

I've noticed that some numbers show on my mobile as blocked or withheld, but the number shows on HulloMail missed calls list. Does anyone know why this is?

Mike 1972

I dunno why some telecom provides assume that if one asks to be ex-directory that they want caller ID disabled by default ?

Many people dont know how to enable it or just cant be bothered.

SpaceTime

Eircom in particular!

canadianwoman

I need new glasses. I read this thread as.....What is the point of private members??

sigh

I answer but if its anyone I dont want to talk to bank/cold caller etc I just hang up.

The Backwards Man

Mike 1972 wrote: »

I dunno why some telecom provides assume that if one asks to be ex-directory that they want caller ID disabled by default ?

Many people dont know how to enable it or just cant be bothered.

Or don't want it enabled.

anncoates

Insect Overlord wrote: »

What is the point of owning a phone if you're not happy to answer it?

Making creepy videos of crying babies on public transport.

confuseddotcom

I feel as if I have to answer them but sometimes wish I didn't. I find that Recruitment Agencies Agent's ring me on private numbers.

I was in Boots one Christmas and got a call from Bank lady, of course I answered like an eejit, :rolleyes: she was rabbiting on about a Mortgage which I don't have nor want. But of course she thought otherwise. The place was mad, the tills were hoppin', loadsa chatter about the place and everything so noisy. I was trying to get in and out of the Shop as fast as I could like, and this gombeen on about Mortgages and I screeching down the phone at her like a fecking Banshee. Stoopid lady.


Another time I idiotically answered to a man from Three. India or Africa or Jamaicaman or Netherlands or wherever in the feic he was from. :pac: He was a good 45 minutes trying to get me to go on a Contract and avail of a new free phone but I wasn't really going for it. Pure madness. He kept saying the same couple of lines over and over and over and over again. I was hearing him in me sleep for a couple of days. Then he rang back half an hour later and I said no again. Then he said he'd ring me after I had my dinner / tea and I told him not to bother wasting his time. Jesus. So annoying.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

My home phone is number withheld, if somebody is too paranoid to answer then their loss. Coming from a time before phones displayed numbers I can't understand why people need to know who is calling before they answer. If you don't want to talk with or deal with somebody then just say so and hang up. I would say 70% of the calls I get are from private numbers and they are all calls from family and friends. This notion of not answering private numbers is pure immature nonsense.
My number is private because, like many elderly people, I have had calls in the past from pranksters preying on the fact that I was alone.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

Really can't believe people that dont answer private numbers.

Last time I answered a private number I got a cool job.

One time I got a call from a number that came up as just four digits. It was another job offer, just the guy called from his office phone in the call center that didn't call out properly.

Other time I answered private number, I ended up selling a car.

A lot of house phones are automatically blocked and the people might not know.

Or one time I answered a private number and it was my bank. To tell me my account was hacked. Didnt believe it at first until I checked my account and they called back again to help me.


So yeah I answer private numbers all the time. Can't understand if you don't

SpaceTime

Muise... wrote: »

my landline displays neither outgoing nor incoming call numbers, so I have to be good at recognising voices, as it's not good to excitedly greet the wrong gentleman caller.

You can get Caller ID switched on for free and a caller display phone is very cheap to buy.

kingcobra

confuseddotcom wrote: »

I feel as if I have to answer them but sometimes wish I didn't. I find that Recruitment Agencies Agent's ring me on private numbers.

I was in Boots one Christmas and got a call from Bank lady, of course I answered like an eejit, :rolleyes: she was rabbiting on about a Mortgage which I don't have nor want. But of course she thought otherwise. The place was mad, the tills were hoppin', loadsa chatter about the place and everything so noisy. I was trying to get in and out of the Shop as fast as I could like, and this gombeen on about Mortgages and I screeching down the phone at her like a fecking Banshee. Stoopid lady.


Another time I idiotically answered to a man from Three. India or Africa or Jamaicaman or Netherlands or wherever in the feic he was from. :pac: He was a good 45 minutes trying to get me to go on a Contract and avail of a new free phone but I wasn't really going for it. Pure madness. He kept saying the same couple of lines over and over and over and over again. I was hearing him in me sleep for a couple of days. Then he rang back half an hour later and I said no again. Then he said he'd ring me after I had my dinner / tea and I told him not to bother wasting his time. Jesus. So annoying.

You could have always hung up on them? :pac:

Cantona's Collars

A more annoying trend is people not answering numbers they don't recognise,my missus has a habit of doing this and it drives me nuts.

In a previous job I used to inform people to expect a call within a week at around tea time as an engineer would call them to book appointments.Lo & behold I'd get irate calls that they never heard from him,the case was that they didn't recognise the number and wouldn't answer the phone.Do people just answer calls from those stored in their phone and avoid anything else?

I used to ignore blocked numbers but now answer them all,as a previous poster said it could be important such as a new job etc.

Mike 1972

Monroe Hollow Forceps wrote: »

. My number is private because, like many elderly people, I have had calls in the past from pranksters preying on the fact that I was alone.

How does this stop you recieving prank calls ?