General Discussion

Does the TPS stop scum phone calls? 

No. I signed up a few years ago and still get them.

It's all too easy for the timewasters to circumvent the TPS.  My best defence these days is Call Recognition - I simply don't answer to withheld numbers, overseas callers etc.  They can leave a message if they're genuine.

Thanks for the advice. I'll do that from now on.

Call recognition doesn't always work though. Anyone ex directory or phoning from somewhere with a big phone network, like the council or even your bank, can be shown as number withheld. I also had a call from a lady in Newton Abbott once (at work) that bizarrely showed up as International. Most firms get round the TPS thing by using overseas call centres or just plain ignoring it or claiming you filled in a survey or something authorising a sales call from them, having said that we have TPS at home and work and it really has cut down the number of UK based sales calls.  

A few weeks back we had a call from 01626 code, but it was from Manchester about PPI.

DJ is right, of course, about withheld numbers.  Even Barton Surgery's calls come up as that.