Do you answer private numbers?

Dacelonid

Yes I answer the phone, and if it is someone I don't want to talk to I hang up
How are you ever supposed to know who is ringing if you don't answer it

(And I realise now that that sounds a lot like Sheldon Cooper)

MicraBoy

Dacelonid wrote: »

Yes I answer the phone, and if it is someone I don't want to talk to I hang up
How are you ever supposed to know who is ringing if you don't answer it

(And I realise now that that sounds a lot like Sheldon Cooper)

Voicemail? If they don't leave one it really can't be that important.

KoolKid

Dacelonid wrote: »

Yes I answer the phone, and if it is someone I don't want to talk to I hang up
How are you ever supposed to know who is ringing if you don't answer it

If they don't want me to know them there's a good possibility I don't want to know them.
The thing is private numbers generally leave a message saying who it is. A bit silly after going to the bother of hiding who they are...

Micky Dolenz

NoQuarter wrote: »

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 answer is in the question, stalker

NoQuarter wrote: »

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!

Jester252

I had a problem with my last phone were every call I got was blocked and my number was blocked every time I called. I checked everything and I couldn't fix. Two years I lived with that phone where I had to answer every call to see who it was and nobody would answer when I called them. It got to the point where I just texted and had every one text me. So now I answer my phone when a private number calls due to force of habit and pity.
This phone also kept getting voice mails from a 40 year old woman in Dublin talking to her friend

A Primal Nut

How does natural human curiosity not get the better of you people? I'd be dying to know who called me!

Where To

mitosis wrote: »

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?

Na, work actually.

KoolKid

A Primal Nut wrote: »

How does natural human curiosity not get the better of you people? I'd be dying to know who called me!

Again there's voicemail.
This curiosity is the same if you don't know the number that's shown.
I don't get people's obsession with ringing back missed calls in a state of panic.
Hello, I got a missed call from you...??
You can almost hear the panic...
Ehhh did you listen to the message I left?
NO I just seen the missed call....

I don't answer even when they do show their number.

eyeball kid

To the people that don't answer calls from blocked numbers, do you answer calls from numbers you don't know?
If so what difference is there between them?

CodyJarrett

eyeball kid wrote: »

To the people that don't answer calls from blocked numbers, do you answer calls from numbers you don't know?
If so what difference is there between them?

That's like asking what's the difference between talking to strangers and people wearing balaclavas.

KoolKid

eyeball kid wrote: »

To the people that don't answer calls from blocked numbers, do you answer calls from numbers you don't know?
If so what difference is there between them?

There is a big difference between not knowing someone and someone not wanting you to know them.

MJ23

I answer them, but don't say anything. I wait for them to speak, if i don't recognise the voice i hang up.
I also don't reply to texts that are written in text speak.

Medusa22

I like to know who is ringing me, if I don't feel like talking to them then I can ignore the call. I never answer the door if I don't know who it is for the same reason.

Usually it is someone who wants something from you, I never answered the landline if the number was private when I was living with my parents and now I don't have one.

One time my sister decided to answer the landline and it was my uncle asking her if she could burn quite a few CDs for him, she never answered the landline again after that

I don't like people.

Doylers

I never answer them mostly because if your on private your hiding something also the fast that I dont know who it is I need to ask who is it because I cant figure out who is who by voice on the phone.

CodyJarrett

MJ23 wrote: »

I answer them, but don't say anything.

Do you touch yourself?

SuperGrover

I answer them, always have. No harm has ever come of it. It's a phone call, FFS.

mordeith

Doylers wrote: »

I never answer them mostly because if your on private your hiding something also

That makes no sense. All of the scammers calls I get on my landline nearly always have a number show up on the caller id. Yet my mother-in-law's number comes up as private because she is ex-directory. I can't understand why people ignore private numbers on a mobile. If you don't like who it is on the other end just hang up! People are so anal about answering a private number and yet posting all sorts of crap about themselves on Facebook, half the time with their profile public :rolleyes:

Ciaran0

Of course I answer the phone even if it's private or if I don't know the number. Until you answer it you can't have any idea who is on the other end, so it's nonsensical not to answer. It could be even be an emergency, or maybe the caller might not even know their phone is set to private. That happened to me recently when I bought a new phone, I had a private number for about two weeks without realizing it.

If it's a prank call you can just hang up.

Also, if it is a company/business trying to rope you in, and you don't answer then they're more likely to keep calling you. Answer when they first ring and tell them to f**k off and you won't be troubled again. :-)

whiplashed

whiplashed wrote: »

Do you touch yourself?

Phone in one hand, fleshlight in the other.

CodyJarrett

mordeith wrote: »

If you don't like who it is on the other end just hang up!

You can't hang up on people you don't like talking to - they're family after-all.

KoolKid

whiplashed wrote: »

You can't hang up on people you don't like talking to - they're family after-all.

And usually looking for favors. Much easier not to answer.:rolleyes:

chillywilly

Sometimes I think people don't answer private numbers because it makes them feel like a bad ass.

"Oh it's a private number, better not answer, could be the Feds".

The Jammy dodger

One way of doing it for me is if it is a private number. I will answer it using an indian accent and say ''Hello Punjab house, how may I take your order?''

If the voice over the phone comes back to me as being too formal when they ask for me I will just continue that ''You got the wrong number''.

and then leave it at that. That way it wont drive me crazy wondering who it could have been.

cailinoBAC

Well when I was looking for a job and had sent my cv to loads of recruiters I did, but yeah, generally I don't, unless I'm expecting something. My brother had his on private for a while, (maybe he still does) and sometimes if I didn't answer I'd get another call a minute later with caller id on. I remember when I had sent a psycho ex tenant a text cos the gardai had called up looking for her. She'd finally moved out and I didn't want anything to do with it, but she started ringing me non stop and I didn't answer. Suddenly I was getting calls from a private number. Right, cos I'm that stupid.

Generally I think:
No message left or text sent: Bank/Surveys/Trying to sell you something
If a recruiter is interested enough to call you they'll leave a message. Though they might not try again, so can be good to temporariily answer the calls
Friend who happens to work in bank or place where they block the number: will send text after/leave a message
Emergency: They'll try ringing a few times...I assume, can't say it's ever happened, but if I did get a call straight away and I didn't have anyone to avoide I would probably be answer.

starlit

No, not unless I have an idea who it could be based on the time of call. I am less likely to answer as I feel its an invasion of privacy and bombardment not knowing who the other person is on the line, it bugs me. Its a nuisance those private calls.

saiint

yes
because i enjoy failed prank calls from kids who forget what to say when you answer so they hang up quickly

ComfyKnickers

I won't answer a private number if it rings my mobile, I don't know why! Of course when they then don't leave a message, you're left with the annoying "who the hell WAS that?" question for ages . It's funny when you think about it, years ago when we all got house phones first, there was no such thing as caller ID and everyone just answered their phones! I suppose with my mobile, I feel that's private to me, I've given my number only to whom I want to have it so when a private number rings, you kinda think well it's not one of my 250 contacts so it must be a wrong number or someone trying to do a survey!!

KoolKid

ComfyKnickers wrote: »

I've given my number only to whom I want to have it so when a private number rings, you kinda think well it's not one of my 250 contacts

But that's the one that bugs me.. Someone ringing you with private number when you have their number anyway.

ComfyKnickers

KoolKid wrote: »

ComfyKnickers wrote: »

I've given my number only to whom I want to have it so when a private number rings, you kinda think well it's not one of my 250 contacts

But that's the one that bugs me.. Someone ringing you with private number when you have their number anyway.

Yea, they have their caller ID turned off, really annoying!!

KMFCross

Just got a strange call from a private number. I answered it, there was no sound for a second and then it made the noise it makes when you are calling someone. Then somebody answered, all i caught was good afternoon before i promptly hung up. I checked my credit afterwards and it had cost me .81. Does anyone know what sort of scam is going on here and how can i prevent this?

splendid101

Of course I answer private numbers. It actually annoys me that there are people who don't.

The only reason not to is if you're a drug dealer or something.

PieForPi

Nope, I sure don't.

There are a few people who use private numbers:
A - Children who think it's cool
B - People whose company blocks the outgoing numbers to stop people ringing staff back on them
and
C - Marketers/Spammers

A and C I most certainly do not want calls from. Those lying in B can ring me off a mobile or leave me a message and I'll get back to them. However, private numbers these days are heavily weighted towards C and they can f*ck right off.

I also don't open the front door unless I'm expecting someone. Too many f*cking door to door salespeople/chuggers, church people and the tv license inspector calling these days.

TeddyTedson

Never answer them.
Even before this nutter wouldn't stop harassing me on private numbers I rarely would.

It shouldn't be possible to block your number when you call someone.

MadsL

Private User wrote: »

System Message: This post content is hidden because the user has set their privacy setting to "Private"

Meh