Mobile phone numbers

[DulwichGnome]

You may already have heard about this but early next week all UK mobiles will be on a directory which will mean that anyone will be able to access your numbers. It’s easy to unsubscribe but it must be done before the beginning of next week to make sure that you are ex-directory. You may want to suggest it to all your friends and family who have UK mobiles or they could be swamped by unsolicited messages and calls. Removal is recommended by the BBC - see link below.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/working_lunch/8091621.stm

To remove your number click on the link below, you need your mobile phone with you to do this as they text you a code

1, http://www.118800.co.uk/
2, Click on ‘Ex Directory’ at top right hand side of page, from there it’s straight forward.

The site was down when I tried just now but worth doing.

Mike.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Here is the direct link. listed this last month

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1515

 

[DulwichGnome]

Sorry for double posting, My only excuse is I was not on this forum last month.

Mike.

 

[Brosville]

it's not as simple as that...... all that does is mark your details as "ex directory" - the details are still there on their database......... I had an exchange of emails with them about this..... I wrote and told them that they were using and storing my details without my knowledge or consent, and that they were to expunge them completely, or they would be in clear breech of the DPA - they replied in "heads we win, tails you lose" mode, insisting that they HAD to retain the details so as to ensure that should they obtain my details again that they would then know to mark it "ex-d".......... By this time, my patience was getting a touch short, and pointed out that all they needed to do was to keep a record of the number, just clearly marked "NO!"...... and that my fears were not just for current use of my data, but what would happen to it when they are taken over when they go down the pan........... They then removed ALL my details.......

 

[BKF Admin]

Sounds a bit like the cable tv guys who come and dig up your front lawn..

 

[Hawklord]

The site says 'service unavailable'.

 

[Frisbee]

's funny really because the phone book was originally so people could get hold of your number.......................

If I google my name, or my post code, guess who it comes up with? So quite why there is such a fuss over the accessibility of the mobile number I'm not sure, we all carry a mobile so people can contact us 24/7, and hand the number out willy nilly. What's the problem with being able to look up your number...........

Now having a service attached to it like the TPS, well that's different.

Frisbee

 

[Brosville]

My mobile 'phone is PRIVATE - a handful of people have the number, so when it goes off, I know it's my wife, daughter, aged parent, local swarm fella etc. - people to whom I am genuinely pleased to speak at all times - for everything else, I have a perfectly good landline with ansaphone attached, and check my email umpteen times a day.
Even using a super-cheap payg like Asda at 8p a minute, it's far too much to pay, except in an emergency, I have "free" bundled 'phone calls on the home phone, so tend to use the mobile very little (so far used about £7 - worth since last October).
This may not be "typical", and I expect most mobile companies would have gone to the wall if all customers were like me, but I reckon if I choose to keep my mobile number "private", that should be my right - I have never agreed to my details being entered in a directory, and my attitude to someone including me in one without my express consent is "how dare you?" - the idea of being lost in thought and birdsong whilst dog walking and the mobile going off to tell me there's a special offer on double glazing this week is utterly repellant

 

[peteinwilts]

tip of the iceberg...

try www.192.com and type in your name and town.

With elevated accounts (which you can pay for or get in naughty places!) you can not only see you, your spouse, your full address and phone number, but details on your whole street and even relatives... many details are taken from census's

with the right sites and passwords you can find Marketing information that also analyses your shopping habits.

if you are unlucky you can find your credit card details or find yourselves on a suckers list!

I few weeks ago I phoned someone about some bees. The guy was pretty shocked when I told him where he lives. I just googled his phone number and it gave the details of where he lives along with his entire street!

 

[DulwichGnome]

The truth is you can never know for sure who has what information about you. I came home today to find a message from one of my wife's 'professional' bodies asking her to get in touch, she passes away 20 years ago!!

PS 118800's website is still down but it has changed to reflect the public concern "We never give out anyone's mobile number. Not even to their closest friend."

Mike.

 

[jean]

Perhaps a question from the middle ages, but if there's all this hassle,do you really need a mobile?

 

[ribblesbees]

As Brosville said, my mobile is private and given out to selected people. Likewise I have their numbers in my directory so, if they ring it, shows who is calling. If the call shows number unknown then I tend not to answer. A genuine unknown caller, rather than a 'Spam' caller, will usually leave a message on the answerphone. OK I know calling mailboxes can cost depending on the package, but at least that way I don't end up taking unsolicited calls, or at least not very often. I also have the facility in my phone to block calls which I can do if I've answered an unsolicited call and have the number.

 

[DrNick]

's funny really because the phone book was originally so people could get hold of your number.......................

If I google my name, or my post code, guess who it comes up with? So quite why there is such a fuss over the accessibility of the mobile number I'm not sure, we all carry a mobile so people can contact us 24/7, and hand the number out willy nilly. What's the problem with being able to look up your number...........

Many years back I was unfortunate enough to be unwittingly involved with a very well known and very bad person, the police intervened and my identity etc was altered for my own safety, in fact last year I was stopped by the police, I gave them my name and address as asked, they could not find any record of me and were told over the radio some sort of code, they then had to ask me certain questions that only I would know the answers to and relay them back to HQ, only then would they confirm to the officer who I was, this is of course to stop a bogus police officer getting my real identity, we live in a bad world with a few bad people, you will not find any record of me anywhere on the Internet or electoral register, I look on a regular basis with some pretty advanced software, nothing so far and long may it continue, this is why these people should not be allowed to indiscriminately hold information etc on law abiding citizens.

 

[Geoff]

Perhaps a question from the middle ages, but if there's all this hassle,do you really need a mobile?

Ah well you can sometimes have fun with a moble. When I was teaching my mobile went off in a lesson. The kids were working away and I am not the sort to talk on a phone during a lesson (unlike some of my colleagues). I looked at the phone and there was no identifying number showing so i put it to my ear. There was heavy breathing. It must have been a random dial cause very very few people knew that number at the time.
I listened for a few seconds until i was satisfied that it was one of those "rude" calls and I then calmly said
"Excuse me, are you having an asthma attack?" At this the person on other end started to moan so i continued
"On the other hand if you are pretending to have sex then may i say that it is a very poor impersonation and obvious that you have never done it with anyone but yourself" They then put the phone down, which i thought was very rude. i must point out that the class were older pupils and I think it enlivened their lesson a little bit.