CHANGING MOBILE PHONE NUMBER

[geek84]

Hi Folks

I am getting a new handset and phone number shortly.

Apart from messaging all my contacts individually, is there a better/quicker way to tell everyone my new number?



Thanks

[paulrockliffe]

No, it takes a few minutes to PAC your old number though, so if you're bothered, the easy solution is to not change your number.

[JQ]

Why not keep the old number?

[geek84]

I want to change my number because I keep getting too many marketing calls.

Also, I want to change provider.

[MustangGT]

geek84 said:

I want to change my number because I keep getting too many marketing calls.

Also, I want to change provider.

Changing provider does not mean you need to change your number.

Register the number with TPO, this should cut down the number of marketing calls, simply changing your number will not, they just cycle through active numbers until they get a hit.

[Ham_and_Jam]

MustangGT said:

Changing provider does not mean you need to change your number.

Register the number with TPO, this should cut down the number of marketing calls, simply changing your number will not, they just cycle through active numbers until they get a hit.

I have quite a few mobile numbers. Some are used as regular phones, and the numbers shared quite liberally with other people / companies / contact forms. They get hit all the time (usually every day) with spam calls.

I have a couple that are used primarily for data use but are connected for voice calls. These numbers are never shared. I’ve never had a spam call (or any call) in over 5 years on either of them.

[Riley Blue]

I'm genuinely surprised. I've always had the same number since I signed up with Cellnet many years ago and I get no more than one nuisance call every two to three months. I assumed it was the same for most people.

[ThingsBehindTheSun]

Riley Blue said:

I'm genuinely surprised. I've always had the same number since I signed up with Cellnet many years ago and I get no more than one nuisance call every two to three months. I assumed it was the same for most people.

Yes. I did have a spate of solar panel calls that didn't stop even when I told them I was not interested. I got so sick of it that the next time they called I pretended to be very enthusiastic and interested about it. Once the guy got to the end of his spiel I said "I am in a rented ground floor flat, is that going to be a problem". The guy disappointingly replied "Yeah it is", I replied "Oh well, never mind" and I never heard from them again.

Same with the automated calls telling me I was going to be arrested for not paying my tax. In the end I pressed one to speak to them and told them how worried I was and would immediately pay it now to not be arrested. I tried to waste their time as long as I could but eventually they hung up on me. Again never heard another peep.

[paulrockliffe]

I don't get spam calls generally, but they tend to happen when you've signed up for something and they want to sell you some other crap as well. I have pretty much a blanket ban on answering calls from unknown numbers, I google them and then block them on the phone if they are spam.

I wonder if these spam services that are supplying numbers are a two-way thing, if you use their numbers, you report back on which ones answer and which don't so other spammers waste less of their time?

If I've signed up for something and they need to get in touch, that's why they have my email.

[mike9009]

I am similar to others. Had the same mobile number for 27 years (?) and get infrequent spam calls - perhaps one every two months.

A while ago I got a few calls from life insurance resellers. They soon lost interest with my list of fake illnesses......

Over the years I have freely left my number on various websites. Maybe I am just lucky?

[dundarach]

YES WRITE TO THEM ALL IN CAPITALS

failing that, email, Facebook, WhatsApp, ask everyone to text everyone else on WhatsApp

[AWRacing]

Riley Blue said:

I'm genuinely surprised. I've always had the same number since I signed up with Cellnet many years ago and I get no more than one nuisance call every two to three months. I assumed it was the same for most people.

Same here, i’ve had the same number for 25years and rarely get any nuisance calls. Maybe thats because I wont usually answer an unknown number unless im expecting a call. I’m of the opinion that if they want me then they’ll leave an answerphone message

[Funk]

geek84 said:

I want to change my number because I keep getting too many marketing calls.

Also, I want to change provider.

Get yourself a Pixel phone rather than changing number, they have the following features:

Caller ID & Spam protection: https://support.google.com/phoneapp/answer/3459196...

Screen calls before you answer them: https://support.google.com/phoneapp/answer/9118387...

Also filters and flags spam text messages as well.

As others have said, spammers are using robo-callers cycling through numbers until someone picks up. Changing your number will be an enormous pain in the backside when you think about how many people and companies (that you DO want to hear from) have that number and ultimately you'll still end up getting spam calls/texts. Usually when you get a 'new' number it's actually someone else's old number that's been out of service for 6-12 months.

Edited by Funk on Tuesday 20th August 03:45

[anonymoususer]

geek84 said:

I want to change my number because I keep getting too many marketing calls.

Also, I want to change provider.

You are quite likely to get marketing calls on the new number too.
As others have said if you really do want to change then register the new number with TPS
A close friend recently did change numbers primarily because he was retiring and he had often used his phone for business calls. As he said it's amazing that I thought I had given it to everyone I wanted to have it but I had forgotten a few
Oh another thing whilst you may want to continue with a change you may need to make sure that if your existing number is used with telephone banking, NHS stuff etc that you advise them of the change.
It can get very painful if you suddenly need to confirm something and part of the confirmation process is them texting a code to your mobile number and you haven't got the number anymore

[Griffith4ever]

AWRacing said:

Riley Blue said:

I'm genuinely surprised. I've always had the same number since I signed up with Cellnet many years ago and I get no more than one nuisance call every two to three months. I assumed it was the same for most people.

Same here, i’ve had the same number for 25years and rarely get any nuisance calls. Maybe thats because I wont usually answer an unknown number unless im expecting a call. I’m of the opinion that if they want me then they’ll leave an answerphone message

Same same. I am SUPER careful when buying online to tick the "don't you dare fking contact me about anything other than my order" (which lots ignore), and if there is the slightest doubt I put a made up landline number in. Only spam calls I get are Eon trying teh smart meter thing, which I put a stop to.

[geek84]

Thanks for all your advice, folks.

Much appreciated.

[RizzoTheRat]

Check what websites you use that have 2 factor authentication, eg banks, utilities, etc. I would be surprised if they didn't need to authenticated via the old number in order to allow you set up a new number.