Strange Phone Calls

[IBM]

I've been getting calls all afternoon yesterday and again this morning from two numbers, but when I pick them up, they just beep at me, like they're trying to send a fax. One's a Leeds number, and the other is a Sheffield number, 01133822101 and 01142230499 respectively.

I've tried calling them back and they're always engaged. I've tried hanging on, just in case it's one of those irritating auto dial deals which then connects you to a salesperson. If I answer then press buttons on the handset they go silent then disconnect.

Any idea what's going on?

[htid]

Googling the Sheffield number brings up this website:

http://forum.trosradar.nl/viewtopic.php?t=37433

It's in dutch but it basically says the same thing as you. Gets a call from those numbers and it's just a fax sound - don;'t know if it's connected or anything *edit* but someone does say it's weird since Holland don't have 11 digit numbers like that, so they must be English I assume.

*edit* this is what the first post says:

lately i get harressed buy these numbers, they keep on trying to send me faxes which i don't want, i've been ignoring the phone, keep it ringing, answer, call back but if i do the line is dead, can anyone give me some advice or help me?

Seems the Leeds one is on that list too, albeit with a 3 instead of a 2 at some point but maybe that's a typo

[Howard]

Connect up a fax machine. It might be important!



























Or at least interesting

[dave87]

Jus join the TPS and they will go away

[IBM]

It's a business number the calls are coming in on, and we're registered with CTPS so we shouldn't be getting them. So unless it's a very persistant offender, it's someone we've given our number to.

So I connected up the fax machine, and it turns out it's a fax from FIMI, which is an international children's fashion show, something in which my company deals with. So they've obviously handed their client numbers over to a third party fax distribution centre, which has everything on autoredial, which means that unless a fax picks up (which it's not going to do for a business line) it just going to keep on trying...bloody irritating...

So I called them up and told them off. They were apologetic, but I wonder about all the other companies who are receiving calls like this, and aren't able to link up a fax. They'll just have to sit and take it until the fax sender terminates the contract.