Blocking a nuisance caller on my TalkTalk landline

[johne53]

I've read a few things online about how to block a nuisance caller - including dialling certain things such as 1572, or dialling 14258, or *60 or enabling something called Callsafe. I tried them all except Callsafe but none of them worked. Will Callsafe work and is it a free service or payable?

[Arne-TalkTalk]

No simply add the number to the calling circle manually and then do the same in callsafe. 

[johne53]

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So at the moment it's only possible to add Calling Circle numbers if you're prepared to lose all the numbers already in CallSafe? Which brings me back to my suggestion from yesterday:-

@johne53 wrote:

please consider allowing names to be added to the Calling Circle entries [...] it'd be a huge benefit for them to be visible in CallSafe 

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If they were designed to interact properly, these two features could be very helpful. But as the TalkTalk testers already flagged up during testing, these features have waaay too many limitations and it's all been left looking like some badly designed c*ck-up

[Arne-TalkTalk]

if callsafe is off, and then turned ON the numbers currently in your calling circle will be added to callsafe,  if you then add a new number to the calling circle, this does NOT automatically transfer it to callsafe which is already active, you will have to add it to the list in callsafe manually. 

[johne53]

Thanks again @Arne-TalkTalk but I'm struggling a bit with this - in fact it just isn't working...

As an experiment I added my own mobile number to my Calling Circle. The number appears (as my prime number) but it doesn't get shown among my CallSafe numbers so I don't see how I could edit it to add a name.

And worse still... when I then called my landline from my mobile, CallSafe wouldn't let the call through either. So if there's supposed to be some integration between those features I sure ain't seeing it here. Is there maybe some setting I need to tick to enable the two features to interact?

[Arne-TalkTalk]

When you reactivate Callsafe the calling circle numbers are ported back across to callsafe, you would need to manually edit the name for each number via the edit option within callsafe. 

[johne53]

Thanks @Arne-TalkTalk but  that wasn't quite my point... If I disable CallSafe and then re-enable it, I was asking if CallSafe would still retain my Calling Circle entries or would they be gone, along with the others (even though they'd still be in the Calling Circle...)

In any case, please consider allowing names to be added to the Calling Circle entries. Firstly it'd be a huge benefit for them to be visible in CallSafe but most importantly, if I end up with lots of numbers under my Calling Circle and let's say something happens and I need to remove a contact's number, how do I figure out which number belongs to which contact??

[Arne-TalkTalk]

The calling circle numbers are not removed if you stop callsafe.

[johne53]

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@Arne-TalkTalk wrote:

Calling circle numbers will be automatically added to the approved list,

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Well therein lies another problem... CallSafe lists numbers according to their name but if I'm understanding correctly, Calling Circle won't allow me to associate a name with a number so I can't tell easily if they're getting added or not. And more importantly, if I was to disable CallSafe temporarily (which loses all my named numbers) there's no way to tell if it'll retain the Calling Circle numbers or if it loses them too...

Whoever's feeding this back to TalkTalk needs to shout louder. This really needs A LOT more testing ☹️

[Arne-TalkTalk]

Hi johne53 

Calling circle numbers will be automatically added to the approved list, The only other way to transfer the numbers to callsafe is to manually add them. 

The issue with losing numbers when callsafe is disabled has been an issue from day 1, and has been constantly fed back. 

Regards

[johne53]

Woohoo! I've just noticed an interesting message if I select Blocked numbers. It gives the impression that when CallSafe loses my data, it might possibly be retrievable...

Import message

So where can I find Frequently Called Numbers or Calling Circle ?

[Edit...] I found Calling Circle under Settings->Phone->Manage Calling Circle but does anyone know how to import my Calling Circle entries into CallSafe->Approved numbers? I'd like to give this a try sometime...

[Gliwmaeden2]

Staff will be back after the weekend, @johne53, if you need to follow up again. 

Frankly, I find that Last Caller Bar etc does the job, particularly as I teach at home, and it's helpful not to have an obstacle course for new people ringing in.

Only using my landline to ring out for free calls has strangely reduced the number of nuisance calls by about 99%! Strange coincidence.

I really wonder why the pattern seems to have changed.

Anyway, I think as long as you can get Callsafe removed, you'll be able to set up the individual bar one at a time. No hurdles for friends, and it remembers 100 numbers. It doesn't forget the numbers if you have a fault. After 100 numbers, the earliest ones fall off, but no doubt the villains will have moved on by then!

[johne53]

That's what's strange. When other retailers send me a security code they either text it to my mobile or send it by email. Morrisons are the only one who insist on using my landline. But when I complained to Morrisons they told me it's not under their control and to contact Natwest. But Natwest told me that whilst they do send the code, it's Morrisons who tell them how to send it and where. So I'm in a classic catch 22 situation with both sides telling me they can't do anything and to contact the other!

Ultimately I could stop shopping at Morrisons but that's just letting CallSafe off the hook. The real problem is that CallSafe shouldn't be losing someone's data just 'cos they need to enable and disable it occasionally. I hope TalkTalk can find a way to fix this. CallSafe has the potential to be a powerful tool against nuisance callers - but at the moment it feels a bit like a bad joke.

[Gliwmaeden2]

Or get Morrison's to send their security code to your smartphone number  - same with all banking, HMRC etc, @johne53?

[johne53]

I've also found CallSafe good for deterring spam callers but the problem in my case was that we'd some deep snow here so I needed to order some groceries online and the only retailer with a convenient delivery slot was Morrison's (not my usual provider). So once I got to their online checkout, Morrison's insisted on sending a security code to my landline. In reality I think it might've come from Morrison's bank (or maybe my credit card provider) but wherever it came from, there was no way to get my groceries delivered without it deleting all my CallSafe entries, which is stupid. So maybe that whitelist needs to include these security code providers? Or preferably, like I said earlier, users need a feature to disable CallSafe occasionally without it affecting all the numbers they've painstakingly entered. I can't even see an option to save entries or back them up.

[fr8ys]

A horse flogging dead (rearrange as you wish) springs to mind.

I've mentioned many times. I did have a problem with my phone a couple of years ago which meant is was disconnected from the exchange while being repaired and I lost 5 years worth of calls.

I was a pain for a while whilst people I hadn't put back in approved list called but soon sorted out.

Btw, since I've been on Call safe I haven't had 1 single spam call on my landline, so I'm pro this facility. I know it's not for everyone but it works for me.

Oh and if worried that hospitals, etc won't get through, they do as there is a white list of pre approved numbers from rich institutions so they come straight through.

[johne53]

Well please, please mention that customers are complaining about it Steve. I only lost a handful of entries but it could easily have been dozens or more! It's supposed to offer security - so it shouldn't lose a customer's data just because some situation came up where they needed to disable it briefly.

[fr8ys]

I was a tester, and believe me it was mentioned many times!

[johne53]

I understand @Gliwmaeden2 - that's exactly how I lost all my various numbers!

At the end of the day I might need to make a call or do an online chat because CallSafe just seems to come with my package. It's not removable AFAICT (which is a pity... 'cos at the moment, it ain't very good 😢 )

It'd be great tho' if there was some way to disable CallSafe temporarily without having to lose all the data you've entered. It beggars belief that nobody picked up on this in testing...

[Gliwmaeden2]

I'm not going to dig deeper into my own My Account than this for fear of resetting something inadvertently, @johne53.

If you still have trouble adding or removing a service via My Account, call 03451 720088 or use Chat. They come to the rescue when eg calls boosts can't be removed from My Account by the customer.

NB, you may find it listed as Last Caller Barring. 

[Gliwmaeden2]

You need to remove Callsafe completely, @johne53 and update the page after making changes.

Also confirm changes. 

You will lose your list of approved callers etc.

Only then will Selective Call Rejection show among options. Tick, update and confirm.