Get a premium rate telephone number?

[the.fee.fairy]

So...i keep getting spam calls on my skype phone number. Its probably because when i enter cometitions i give that number instead of my actual phone numbers.

I was thinking...Is it possible to get my own premium rate number? At least then when i answer the spam calls, they'll be paying me to take the stupid call!

Does anyone know how to do it?
I did look on Google, but it was all about setting up competition lines and stuff like that, i just want a numnber that i can give when i enter a competition, get it routed to my Skype number and not have a business attached. Just the scam the scammers if you like...

[MKG]

Nice thought, fee - but just about impossible. Premium rate stuff is heavily regulated. For one thing, you must be providing a declared service of some kind. For another, you have to inform the caller that the number they are dialling is a premium rate one. Non-starter for mere mortals, I'm afraid.

Mike

[oldjerry]

So your're to blame Rich, They were both rubbish!

[MuddyWitch]

MW

[battybird]

Great idea fee,even if its not workable.....it should be!! How about a way to send lots of junk mail to Royal mail?? I dont get normal junk mail through the post but the postman personally delivers loads, and I put it straight in the bin. I would love to send it all back..what would happen if I just put it in the letterbox??

[oldjerry]

You used to be able to fill in a form at the post office and not get loads of junk mail,I don't mean when I was young, just a few years ago.Don't know if you can now.Colin our postie gets paid for every bit of junk mail he delivers,so cos he's a nice bloke and he's not exactly well paid,I just take it at the gate and put it straight in the recycling bin,hell of a waste of trees mind.

[battybird]

Thats exactly what I do, Oldjerry! My son used to be a postie and he hated all the junk stuff he put through doors, but, as you say, he got paid so did it as the money was useful! It is such a waste though!

[the.fee.fairy]

I wait until a junk company sends me a prepaid envelope, then i stuff all the other junk mail in it and send it to them at their expense. Every time i've done this, i've not received junk from that company again!

[NaturalBlue]

I wait until a junk company sends me a prepaid envelope, then i stuff all the other junk mail in it and send it to them at their expense

That's what I do to Fee Fairy, takes a little more time than the recycle option, but much more satisfying

[JessieMac]

Off topic but this may be useful to older people who are not happy useing the computer to talk to family abroad.
You dial.........08444626464 and a voice will tell you to put in the number you want and press the hash key and you can talk to most places in the world for about 2p a minute, I spoke to my cousin in Oz for over an hour and it cost me £1-24. hope this is helpful. Jessica

[Shirleymouse]

If you have to inform callers that they are calling a premium rate number, could you just set up a voicemail message telling them they are calling a premium rate even if they are not?! It might put them off although you can prob get in a lot of trouble for doing it!

Love the idea of sending junk mail back in prepaid envelope. When I get surveys and things with a free pen I save the pens to take to work and give to kids who come to school without one. The image-conscious don't like having a pen with Oxfam or whatever written on it so it normally prompts them to go and buy proper school equipment!

[Tru&Ad]

This is the website for the mail preference service. They will block "most" junk mail and unsolicited calls and withheld numbers

http://www.mpsonline.org.uk - for post
http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps/ - for telephone calls

Just enter your address details on the first and your telephone number on the second and in a couple of weeks most junkmail/calls will stop :-)