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TalkTalk launches HomeSafe spam call blocking service

TalkTalk has launched a new HomeSafe call blocking service that lets customers report and block excessive marketing spam callers. 

Customers receiving excessive calls from marketing companies and scam callers will be protected, even if the calls come from unavailable numbers. 

If more than 30 calls are made by a marketing company within 7 days, TalkTalk’s HomeSafe will block the number. If over 10 calls are made from unavailable numbers, often used by scammers, TalkTalk will block these as well. 

TalkTalk launches HomeSafe spam call blocking service
‘Hi Mr. Lawrence. I’m calling about your life insurance policy.’ ‘Um, I don’t have one. Please go away.’

Read our guide to spam and nuisance calls and how to block themIn trials of the service, TalkTalk noted that some marketing companies repeatedly called customers over 65 times in one week. 

Dido Harding, TalkTalk’s chief executive says: “Customers tell us that getting calls they suspect are from scammers and fraudsters, along with persistent and aggressive sales and marketing calls, is one of the more stressful experiences they encounter. 

“Now we have the technology, determination and thanks to our customers the help and support to identify and block these calls from reaching TalkTalk homes. This is the next stage in our HomeSafe offering, which we launched two years ago to let customers take control of how the internet is used in their home.” 

The new service will also let customers report numbers directly to TalkTalk, which then collects numbers as part of a database. This is done by filling in an online form which once completed will trigger an investigation by TalkTalk.

If enough customers are repoting the same numbers then TalkTalk will look at blocking them from its network.  

This sort of community-led spam blocking approach isn’t new but unlike TrueCall, TalkTalk’s service doesn’t require you to set up any extra hardware as its a network-level solution. 

The only minor snag is that TalkTalk can only block for customers who are on the TalkTalk network, which covers over 96 per cent of the UK. Similarly, not every company, however annoying can be blocked by the service if they’re abiding by the rules. 

Ofcom has published strict guidelines on how marketing companies can operate and has the power to hand down heavy fines for those who ignore them. Ironically, two companies working on behalf of TalkTalk were fined £750,000 earlier this year for pestering people with silent and abandoned calls. 

Companies that believe they may have been unfairly blocked can contact TalkTalk directly. 

HomeSafe is the latest safety product TalkTalk has launched, following on from the HomeSafe internet security suite and the MobileSafe service for TalkTalk Mobile customers. 

Image: rocketace/Flickr

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