Virgin Media Community

[rap62]

I wish to remove my home number from the Virgin directory.

Can it be done online? ie: without calling call centre.

I am now, after signing up with Virgin Media, receiving an excessive amount of scam / nuisance calls.

[goslow]

The nuisance/scam calls are an unwelcome annoyance on all landlines from all telecoms providers. Unfortunately, there are pretty much no useful customer-controlled features on the VM landline service to block nuisance calls in this situation.

VM forum staff should be able to make you ex-directory. Being ex-directory may help in general but won't stop the repeated/multiple robo-calls as they are generated as part of an automated bulk dialling process. Blocking individual numbers is no use either as the numbers are usually faked and generally change for each new call.

Instead consider call screening devices such as trueCall or the BT Premium range of cordless phones which incorporate trueCall technology. These filter and screen the calls for you then decide whether to allow your phone to ring or not. Silent calls and other automated scam calls are screened out and rejected by the device and your home phone remains silent.

[rap62]

Thanks for the response.

I think its time that the UK Government came down seriously hard on these scumbag fraudsters.

[HowardML]

Really - perhaps we should send in the troops to India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Russia and the USA to stop the outfits there. A nuclear attack might wipe them off the earth, you as well. Kneejerk reactions like this are not helpful, even if your frustration is understandable.

The truth of the matter is that until the standard phone system moves to a completely VOIP based service in 2025 (both VM and BT) these calls are next to impossible to stop. Hopefully the digitisation of the network will provide the tools to stop them.

But you know the real answer lies elsewhere. The scammers only do it because people pick up and engage with them when in most cases it is clear that the call is a scam. You'd have thought by now there was sufficient awareness of this, but apparently people still respond. And the scammers don't need many victims to make a very decent living.

[rap62]

Very witty, you imbecile *ss wipe.

[rap62]

Fir information, I was with BT previously, and had zero issues with scam calls, so why am I now getting inundated with these nuisance / scam calls, after having signed up with Virgin Media? 

I also now have multiple digital wireless handsets which are not fully working (i.e. only one handset will now work), as I was advised AFTER my TV, broadband & phone installation, that Virgin media is not compatible with many types of digital phones. 

[HowardML]

Well I am glad you have a sense of humour. And also can express yourself so well using the language of the street.

As for BT being scam call free, tell that to me. Inundated with them, every day and every night.  But my VM line is relatively free of them. It's nothing to do with which telco you use and everything to do with whom the scammers are targeting. 

You have a more serious issue that is worth attention in that your phone system is not working in the way it should and in the way you expect. And that is worth addressing here. So in the spirit of trying to be helpful, I will.

First of all on compatibility. While there are anecdotal reports (usually related to supposed differences in line voltage, use of alarm systems or call interceptor devices) of some equipment not being compatible with with the VM system there is no firm evidence that this is so. It more often due to a faulty installation of the consumer equipment. 

You don't say whether your landline service is provided using the conventional VM phone socket (as BT most commonly do) or whether you are getting your service via the telephone socket, on your Hub, which is how VM are providing all new installations.

If you are using a DECT, digital phone system then all that is necessary is to connect the master base station to the VM socket on the back of the Hub and the remaining "slave" handsets should work as normal. The Hub socket is designed to emulate in full the service that would have been provided by the more usual wall socket system. 

It is also fully practical to connect the Hub's phone socket to an already existing home wired system.

Why not set out here details of your set up here? There are plenty of others who are happy to provide the detailed advice you might need. Or you could do a Forum search on how to connect home extensions to a VM Hub and see the posts that have already been made on this issue and the answers provided.

[goslow]

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@rap62 wrote:

<snip>

I also now have multiple digital wireless handsets which are not fully working (i.e. only one handset will now work), as I was advised AFTER my TV, broadband & phone installation, that Virgin media is not compatible with many types of digital phones. 

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There are occassional mentions on here of problems with specific phones but they are quite few and far between. These usually relate to caller ID recognition or the phone not making a ringing sound for incoming calls. Problems usually apply to very old handsets (15+ years old).

What specific aspects of your handsets are not working?

Have you got the base station for the cordless phones plugged into the back of the hub or the VM master socket depending on how you receive the phone service (as opposed to any internal home extension wiring)?

Have you checked that the remote handsets are actually in contact with the base station (may show an error on screen if not)? Can you 'page' the remote handsets from the base station to make the other handsets ring? Have you tried registering/deregistering the remote handsets to the base station in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions?

[pentlands]

I'm not sure why this thread went in the direction it did, suffice that for the first time in as long as i can remember my landline was inundated by scam calls from a number that started 01793274xxx over the weekend.

I have a BT phone with Truecall but it was rendered useless because as soon as i'd blocked the number the last 3 digits changed and the calls persisted... yes, i also have the option for the phone to screen calls but this has caused issues in the past when, for example when my GP or Bank was trying to contact me, so i don't use it.

After 9 calls from the same scammer within two hours, may she rot, i gave up and disconnected the phone from the wall socket.

(Not a great loss because those that know me, including family and friends along with trusted institutions like my bank and GP, have my mobile number)

If i'd thought for a minute that Virgin as my telecoms provider was able to block all numbers from that range i'd have called them in a heartbeat, but past experience suggests they are either unwilling or unable to do so which seems odd given that Virgin can block premium rate numbers?

Even a temporary block on anything from 01793 would have been welcome, it's not like i've ever had a call from 01793 before... I plugged my phone back in today and so far so good, whether in this day and age i should need to unplug my phone from the wall socket is debatable given that technology ought to be available at provider level to stop this.

i.e. I shut down my phone line to stop all calls when Virgin should be able to temporarilly stop a range of numbers.

As a result i am now questioning what the point of having a landline is?

[pentlands]

Oh and btw, i am x-directory.