How to stop spam calls, texts, junk mail and cold callers
It’s an invasion of your home and private time. Spam calls, texts, junk mail and cold callers top many people’s list of pet hates. There is no perfect way to stop them, but our spam buster, Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis is here to talk through the latest techniques available…
How to stop spam calls
Landline: Register your number with the Telephone Preference Service(TPS) or call 03450700707 and it’s then a criminal offence for firms to make unsolicited calls to you. It takes around 28 days to start working, after that if you get a call, tell them you’re on the TPS and most legit companies scarper.
Mobile: While 85% of people have registered their landlines, only 3% have registered their mobiles. Now a new service allows you to register it by free text. Just message to 85095 with ‘TPS’ and your email address (needed to verify your identity).
However the TPS is only a register for reputable EU companies. Firms from outside the EU, and rogue firms from here may still contact you. And if your number is targeted, the TPS may feel totally ineffective, so see registering as a way to reduce but not stop calls.
There are things some people buy to add on to their phone like True Call’s call blocker that further reduces calls by screening unknown numbers first before connecting them, it costs around £100 (though there are cheaper alternatives they may not be as effective).
How to stop spam texts
If you get a spam text – don’t be tempted to reply back to the text, even if it asks you to text back STOP. That’s fine for legit companies, but if it’s a spammer, it can just indicate to them that your number is real and it may target you more.
Instead forward the message for free to 7726 (spells spam) to your provider – if enough people do it the number is investigated and blocked.
You should also always block the number on your mobile too. If you’re still receiving calls/texts after you’ve done the above, you can complain to theInformation Commissioner’s Officer (ICO) on 03031231113 and give it as much info about the call/text as you can so they might be able to do something to stop it.
I’ve had so many people ask me whether the text they’ve received from a PPI company saying they’re owed £1,000s is legit or not. I’ve even had similar texts myself, and I’m definitely not owed a penny. These texts are spam – they neither mean you’re owed or aren’t owed PPI. It’s just a shotgun approach, spraying messages to everyone in hope of a response. On aside, if you do want to check if you’re owed PPI, you don’t need to pay anyone, there are free template letters available online that will help you do it for free.
How to stop door knockers
There’s nothing more frustrating than people knocking on your door when you don’t want to be sold things. Remember, you don’t have to let them in. Put a no cold-caller’s sign up. I’ve designed a free one you can download, print and stick on your door at Martin’s ‘No more junk’ guide.
If they still knock (and political parties and charities especially tend to ignore these), just open the door, point at the sign, and then politely close the door.
If they persist, in some cases it’s a criminal offence, make a formal complaint to the company they’re from and to the Trading Standards viaCitizens Advice.
How to stop junk snail mail
Addressed mail: To stop unwanted snail mail coming through the letter box, join the Mail Preference Service register and after about four months the bulk of letters should have stopped (though unlike the others it’s a voluntary scheme by a trade association, so those still sending aren’t breaking the law).
Unaddressed letters, flyers, and other junk: The Royal Mail has the online door-to-door opt-out system, which means they’ll stop delivering it to you. You’ll need to print the online form and post it back to ‘Freepost Royal Mail Customer Services’ or phone 03457740740. It’ll take about six weeks for mail to stop and lasts for around two years. You’ll need to opt-out again after this time.
But not all junk mail is bad, and this will stop all unaddressed mail, including Government leaflets. Plus some junk mail can contain some top promo deals, so when choosing if to do these, balance hassle against opportunity.