How one man turns annoying cold calls into cash

BBC News ^ | August 29, 2013 | Joe Kent

[perfect stranger]

Once he had set up the 0871 line, every time a bank, gas or electricity supplier asked him for his details online, he submitted it as his contact number.

He added he was "very honest" and the companies did ask why he had a such a number. He replied: "Because I'm getting annoyed with PPI phone calls when I'm trying to watch Coronation Street so I'd rather make 10p a minute."

He said almost all of the companies he dealt with were happy to use it and if they refused he asked them to email.

[perfect stranger]

Simply genious!!!

[nickcarraway]

Why he would want to watch Coronation Street is another question...

[2ndDivisionVet]

Please explain what an 0871 line is.

[dfwgator]

Is that like 0118 999 881 99 9119 725......3?

[2ndDivisionVet]

I just sue them when they keep calling me. I’m over $4,000 since the 90’s.

[moose07]

Premium rate.
The line subscriber is payed when you call them.

[2ndDivisionVet]

A sort of toll number, huh? Is it just in Britain or do we have it here?

[PlateOfShrimp]

Nice screen saver!

[dragnet2]

It’s a pay line...You call it, the caller is billed.

[2ndDivisionVet]

So we have it here? How does one go about getting one?

[dragnet2]

The phone sex freaks use some of the same methods

[dragnet2]

Not sure how you get the line ...never had one...

[okie01]

Please explain what an 0871 line is.

It appears to be like a 900 line over here. Caller pays a per minute toll.

[dragnet2]

You can bet the rent here the solicitor auto callers likely are programed to block calls to any pay lines.

[Squawk 8888]

In North America the pay lines are 1-900.

[perfect_rovian_storm]

[Two Kids' Dad]

Do they have an equivalent for U.S. phones? I get telemarketer calls all the time and have taken to holding the receiver up to the speaker on the TV or radio so they can hear what’s entertaining me. Making money off of them would be a much better option.

[Blood of Tyrants]

I think it is the equivalent of a 900 number where the incoming caller has to pay a flat fee per minute of connection time.

[Fred Hayek]

I need to find a way to have those “Rachel from cardmember Services” calls routed to such a number.

[Standing Wolf]

I need to find a way to have those “Rachel from cardmember Services” calls routed to such a number.

Yeah. Too bad we don't still have law in the United States.