Do you answer private numbers?

Tin Foil Hat

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

Was reading a better another message board :pac: (i joke! i joke!) and the subject of answering private numbers on your mobile was briefly mentioned. Alot down right refuse to answer them

Do you?


For me, I answer them. I dont understand why people have such hatred for private numbers? Like if someone is acting the bollix with you constantly ringing you up via private. Totally understand. But there has been times where I had to ring via private. Them being:

- Landline. My old landline would always hide my number for some reason.
- Borrowing someones phone to make a phone call. Either they would ask to private their number or I would do it automatically.

Until they figure out a way to transmit AIDS/Ebola/Anthrax over a phone line I will answer my phone when it rings. Why wouldn't I? What's the worst that could happen - somebody tries to sell me something? I have the words 'fukk' and 'off' in my vocabulary if it's someone I don't want to talk to.

ceegee

Theres plenty of people whos landline is exdirectory for good reason - gardai, teachers etc. Many of these wont know how to make the number show up by dialling extra digits. Likewise people who work in an office will often show as private - not sure if these can be shown even if a prefix is used.

Personally Id rather answer the phone and deal with the call (and hangup if its a coldcaller) than check my voicemail all feckin day

Pottler

token101 wrote: »

Except for the ones instructing the 'bint' in the credit department :pac:

Yeah, they're the ones that know me and don't trust me:pac: Private numbers! I have a list a mile long of non-private numbers I don't answer!

KoolKid

Deleted User wrote: »

I wonder how phones were much use before caller ID since 95% of people wouldn't have answered them.

Same way as we wouldn't have been able to talk about it on an internet forum.
Times change. Was TV useless because it was black & white on a 14" screen with low definition & no live pause or record ?

token101

Jesus Shaves wrote: »

I normally leave the handling of the emergency up to the emergency services :pac:

Emergencies aren't necessarily matters for the emergency services. If you're a parent, your child could be calling about one of a million things that isn't a matter for the cops/ambulance/fire brigade, but it's urgent nonetheless, like it's late at night and they need a lift, what if they're calling off some friend's phone that happens to be blocked? Or if they ask a stranger on the street? An unlikely situation obviously, but you'd be a fairly sh*t parent if you didn't answer because of reasons like this

Pottler wrote: »

it's my phone, for MY convenience. I'll answer who I want to answer if it's ok with the world

KoolKid

ceegee wrote: »

Theres plenty of people whos landline is exdirectory for good reason - gardai, teachers etc.

KoolKid wrote: »

the Guards numbers show up .. (4 digits)

Any teachers that have ever called me their number or the schools number has shown up.

token101

Pottler wrote: »

Yeah, they're the ones that know me and don't trust me:pac: Private numbers! I have a list a mile long of non-private numbers I don't answer!

Guess this blows this out of the water then:

Pottler wrote: »

I am a professional Mr Wolf, I sort out problems for companies and I am probably the most available person going, just show your number, or I'm not available.

KoolKid

KoolKid wrote: »

Same way as we wouldn't have been able to talk about it on an internet forum.
Times change. Was TV useless because it was black & white on a 14" screen with low definition & no live pause or record ?

That example doesn't work at all unless people would refuse to use old but functional TVs over not having a TV at all.

TheBrinch

No problem answering private numbers. what if it was an emergency!?

hondasam

ceegee wrote: »

Personally Id rather answer the phone and deal with the call (and hangup if its a coldcaller) than check my voicemail all feckin day

How many calls do you get a day?

KoolKid

Deleted User wrote: »

That example doesn't work at all unless people would refuse to use old but functional TVs over not having a TV at all.

Would you but a new smart TV & turn off all its functions & benefits?
But phones now have a great feature called caller ID, that people turn off .
So do you apply the same logic to your smart TV & turn things off saying we managed grand without it. ?

Jaxxy

Two types of people ring me off private numbers:

Credit card people usually when I'm in the middle of my dinner
Ex-boyfriends at stupid o'clock

So no, I don't answer private numbers, and anyone who I actually want to talk to knows this.

KoolKid

KoolKid wrote: »

Would you but a new smart TV & turn off all its functions & benefits?
But phones now have a great feature called caller ID, that people turn off .
So do you apply the same logic to your smart TV & turn things off saying we managed grand without it. ?

I wouldn't buy a Smart TV because I have other devices for it. I would turn off any option about recording my viewing habits etc. etc. if given the option though. If I've no credit and am using someone else's phone I'll stick it on private. The other night I had to help someone who was locked out of their house after they called me on a private number, would've been annoying for them if I wouldn't answer and they rang the doorbell waking 3 people at 2am.

Pherekydes

hondasam wrote: »

It's the height of stupidity having your phone on private imo.

No, it's not. My step-daughter won't answer my number (or her mother's), so we hide our number and ring again. She's so dumb she answers straight away. :pac:

I never answer private numbers myself, though.

KoolKid

Deleted User wrote: »

I wouldn't buy a Smart TV because I have other devices for it. I would turn off any option about recording my viewing habits etc. etc. if given the option though. If I've no credit and am using someone else's phone I'll stick it on private. The other night I had to help someone who was locked out of their house after they called me on a private number, would've been annoying for them if I wouldn't answer and they rang the doorbell waking 3 people at 2am.

If they want emergency service they would have left a message..
If someone wants you they leave a message, if they don't it wasn't worth answering any how. Generally I find the same people over & over with private numbers. Again , no good reason for this practice.
If the networks turned on CLI for everyone with no ability to block it what would these people do?
Like I said , most of the same people are happy to send a text & show their number why not just do the same with calls.

LH Pathe

No. Could be family!

Pherekydes

Alaric Flabby Soreness wrote: »

I always do. Telephone calls can't physically hurt you, you pussies.

Em, didn't you see Munich?

Mr_Spaceman

saywhatyousee wrote: »

Unless your a drug dealer you have no reason not to answer a private number

What a ridiculous assertion.

Your phone, you can answer whatever and whenever you like, quite frankly.

KoolKid

KoolKid wrote: »

If they want emergency service they would have left a message..
If someone wants you they leave a message, if they don't it wasn't worth answering any how. Generally I find the same people over & over with private numbers. Again , no good reason for this practice.
If the networks turned on CLI for everyone with no ability to block it what would these people do?
Like I said , most of the same people are happy to send a text & show their number why not just do the same with calls.

The vast majority of texts are part of a conversation, would be a bit of extra hassle to sign each and every one. As for voicemails, why not just answer? It'll be quicker than waiting and checking. If it's something you don't care about you tell them, takes 2 seconds, if it's important it's done.

KoolKid

Deleted User wrote: »

The vast majority of texts are part of a conversation, would be a bit of extra hassle to sign each and every one. As for voicemails, why not just answer? It'll be quicker than waiting and checking. If it's something you don't care about you tell them, takes 2 seconds, if it's important it's done.

The point is why hide your number, what are you hiding it for . The people your ringing or texting know it any way.

validusername1

Nah.. Could be someone I don't wanna talk to, that's why I don't. Why would somebody have their number on private if not for a suspicious reason like they don't want you to know it's them? Back in the day, I always had my number on private for no reason but I took it off eventually 'cause it began to annoy me when other people rang me on private numbers. I answer random numbers that I don't know, though. They're usually just wrong-number calls. I'm not afraid of people prank calling me, I could just hang up on them.. I just wouldn't wanna end up having to talk to someone that I don't wanna talk to which could happen if I answer a private number :l

KoolKid

KoolKid wrote: »

The point is why hide your number, what are you hiding it for . The people your ringing or texting know it any way.

If you're ringing off someone's phone would be an obvious one, as happened with me the other night. Especially with late-night calls there's a fair chance someone wouldn't bother leaving a voicemail if there's no answer, person on the other end might be asleep etc.

nunn351

never answer private number unless I know who it is

ceegee

KoolKid wrote: »

ceegee wrote: »

Theres plenty of people whos landline is exdirectory for good reason - gardai, teachers etc.

KoolKid wrote: »

the Guards numbers show up .. (4 digits)

Any teachers that have ever called me their number or the schools number has shown up.

Their home numbers?? Any I know are exdirectory to avoid getting sh!teloads of prank calls from students.

Same with guards home phones, theyd have good reason not to want there number & home address easily accessible to every scrote theyve locked up

Where To

I'd hate to be a young kid, trapped down a well with only seconds of battery to spare, and have some of you as a parent. . . . . . :pac:

hondasam

Where To wrote: »

I'd hate to be a young kid, trapped down a well with only seconds of battery to spare, and have some of you as a parent. . . . . . :pac:

How young cause I don't think young kids should have phones.

Where To

hondasam wrote: »

How young cause I don't think young kids should have phones.

As young as being trapped down a well would be a bit of a problem.

Oh and I found the found the phone down here and it's set to private in case you disapprove of me having it Mummy . . . .

hondasam

Where To wrote: »

As young as being trapped down a well would be a bit of a problem.

I'd say being trapped down a well would be a problem for anyone regardless of how old you are.:pac:

vyron_xvvx

usually i do, unless i'm busy or in the middle of something.

KoolKid

ceegee wrote: »

Their home numbers?? Any I know are exdirectory to avoid getting sh!teloads of prank calls from students.

Same with guards home phones, theyd have good reason not to want there number & home address easily accessible to every scrote theyve locked up

All real poor excuses. I have lots of guards and teachers as customers I don't think any of them have private numbers. Actually our entire customer base of nearly 4000 customers is in our phones. Id say less than 1% of calls are private, even then the private numbers are suppliers or spamming reps.

KoolKid

Where To wrote: »

I'd hate to be a young kid, trapped down a well with only seconds of battery to spare, and have some of you as a parent. . . . . . :pac:

The scenarios people will think up to prove a point is amazing.
Still to hear 1 reasonable excuse for caller ID to be off in the first place.

mud

KoolKid wrote: »

The scenarios people will think up to prove a point is amazing.
Still to hear 1 reasonable excuse for caller ID to be off in the first place.

I'll give you one. I used to work delivering chinese food. Would often have to ring customers for directions. Started to hide my ID for work when two customers took a shine to me and started sending me explicit texts and phoning me to ask me out. That's harassment and that's why I turned my number off.

KoolKid

mud wrote: »

I'll give you one. I used to work delivering chinese food. Would often have to ring customers for directions. Started to hide my ID for work when two customers took a shine to me and started sending me explicit texts and phoning me to ask me out. That's harassment and that's why I turned my number off.

And did they have their caller id on?

mud

KoolKid wrote: »

And did they have their caller id on?

Yep they did.

KoolKid

And did you report them to the Guards?

mud

KoolKid wrote: »

And did you report them to the Guards?

Actually, I didn't. I found out one of the guy's names, found him on FB where all his info was public. Showed him with his partner and child so the next time he tried it on I was able to recite his name, partner's name etc and threatened to tell her if he didn't fu*k off Worked like a charm.

The other guy lost interest after a call from one of my brothers.

Yea I do now cause there's no banks, credit cards etc that can ring me or give me bad news.. Good feeling.

KoolKid

Sounds like their caller id helped so.:rolleyes:

mud

KoolKid wrote: »

Sounds like their caller id helped so.:rolleyes:

I don't follow you there rolleyes. You asked for a reason to turn off caller id, I gave you one.

KoolKid

mud wrote: »

I don't follow you there rolleyes. You asked for a reason to turn off caller id, I gave you one.

You are arguing against sending caller ID but your example shows how it can be helpful.
Re your work situation, I would not use my personal number for work related calls.
If in a job like that ,I would get a seperate number and divert incoming calls.

CodyJarrett

In my experience, the very people who complain that you don't answer their calls or your phone was switched off etc, are the ones who have the number on private. They want everyone to be at their beck and call but yet hide their number.

Then again, maybe the people that hide their numbers, do so because they know if they didn't, nobody would ever answer their calls.

I wouldn't expect someone to answer my calls if I'm hiding my number, so they shouldn't expect me to.

Pushtrak

I answer private calls like this.

Lollipops23

Jesus, there's some very paranoid folk out there. I'd always answer a private number, although it drives me to distraction when I see a missed call from one.

I don't often get hassled by cold callers etc, so it's rare it'd be one of them.

bnt

hondasam wrote: »

Why does anyone have their number private?

"Private" meaning the number doesn't come up on your screen? Some company switchboards do this by default. It doesn't automatically mean "dodgy".

KoolKid

But for personal mobiles ,where the person you are calling knows your number anyway , what's the thinking there??

Pushtrak

KoolKid wrote: »

But for personal mobiles ,where the person you are calling knows your number anyway , what's the thinking there??

Well, I don't think it is people going "Oh, going to make my number private for this call" generally. I'd say its people who keep their number private for whatever reason all the time. I've never been one to make my number private, never saw a reason for it.

mitosis

Where To wrote: »

A lot of elderly people are ex directory so yes I always answer.

Where To wrote: »

Maybe they are elderly and live alone and have been plagued by crank calls in the past and the don't understand the 142 malarkey, just for example.:)

What is it with you and elderly people? Fetish?

NoQuarter

hondasam wrote: »

It's the height of stupidity having your phone on private imo.

I have my number always on private, so much so that I can call my friends and hang up and then get a call back!

A good enough reason for me to leave it on private is for when I go out on the piss, I end up drunk dialling every girl in my phone book, then the next day when i have THE FEAR, I can go through my calls and know the girls that didnt answer and know that they can never prove it was me, muahahaha! :pac:

Cannot for the life of me understand why people dont answer private numbers for no actual reason, one poster mentioned it might be a client, thats fair enough(although you think youd give them a business number and not your mobile) but why on earth would everyone else not answer unless you are a drug dealer!!

The phone companies should block all caller id's for a day , the country would go into meltdown and over such a stupid thing.

KoolKid

I don't answer them because I can't think of a valid reason why someone trying to contact me is hiding their identity. Its more likely they are up to no good rather than the person refusing to answer a hidden number.