Bellshill CAB says '˜get rid of the phone pests'

That’s the message at the heart of a new campaign launched by Bellshill and District Citizens Advice Bureau, which says research shows Scots get more unwanted calls than any other part of Europe.

Bellshill CAB manager Stephen Rees said: “Nuisance calls are far too common today, and affect huge numbers of people both locally and across the country.

“One of our roles in the CAB is to protect peoples’ rights as consumers, and one of those rights is that you don’t need to put up with calls that you don’t want.

“Nuisance calls include any kind of unwanted sales or marketing call.

“People find these irritating or even distressing, but our message is that you really can fight back.

“There are actions you can take to cut the number of calls considerably, and even stop them altogether.”

“The Scottish CAB service has joined forces with Which? to highlight the simple steps you can take to block nuisance calls, but we want to make sure people here in Bellshill and District are among the first to take action.”

He hopes people will take on board the steps anyone can take to block unwanted calls for good, then pass on the information to otghers - particularly elderly or vulnerable people.

Simple steps which can make a differene include -

This is a free service to opt out of receiving unsolicited sales or marketing calls.

You can register a landline or mobile number at www.tpsonline.org.uk or call 0345 070 0707.

Mobile users can register by texting ‘TPS’ and their email address to 85095.

Report nuisance calls using the Which? Complaint Tool: http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-to-stop-nuisance-phone-calls

Talk to your phone company – your provider may have a service that can help to reduce nuisance calls

Report spam text messages - if you get a text from an unknown company send it to your network operator by forwarding the message to 7726.

Remember to opt out of receiving calls - whenever you’re asked to provide your contact details online, make sure you tick the “opt out” boxes for marketing calls.

Go ex-directory - this makes it harder for people to obtain your phone number.

Consider a call blocking device - you can buy a device to attach to your phone, or get a phone with one built in.

See here for Which? product reviews: http://www.which.co.uk/reviews/nuisance-calls/article/nuisance-calls-call-blocker-reviews/nuisance-calls-call-blocking-options

More tips and further information is available from this public advice site: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/scotland/consumer/phone-internet-downloads-or-tv/stop-getting-nuisance-calls-and-texts/