Reverse directory inquiries.

[Mrs RicheyJames]

I know it's readily available in the states but I can't find one here. Need to trace a phone number. This person has phoned about thirty times plus over the weekend and not left a message. It's a local number. Does anyone know any way of tracing it?

[andymackem]

Ring it and ask them?

[Mrs RicheyJames]

Could do, but I've a funny feeling is about a job I don't want!! I could be wrong though as the number isn't like the three I have for that company!

[Quiff Boy]

if you dont want the job tell them you already have a better one...

i cant see such a service existing as its a breach of privacy - i could just make up a number and ring this "reverse directly enquiries" and find out who lives there.

i doubt they would have such a service

[markfiend]

Directory enquiries don't do it. Like QB says, breach of privacy.

You could try googling the phone number to see if anything comes up?

[Mrs RicheyJames]

I've tried!! Never mind. Can't be that important otherwise they would have left a message innit.

[Quiff Boy]

I've tried!! Never mind. Can't be that important otherwise they would have left a message innit.

yep. thats the tact i usually take too

that way its their fault

[Mrs RicheyJames]

that way its their fault

What a fantastic way of looking at it!! Cheers

[Petseri]

Can you call from a pay phone and just see who answers (copmany name or not)? That way, at least your home number does not appear when you call.

Martin

[andymackem]

Or dial 141 before the number to conceal your own?

[Andrew S]

Ring it and ask them?

Or you could always try something like this. It probably doesn't even quallify for the jokes section let alone this one but what the hell...

I was sitting at my desk when I remembered a phone call I
had forgotten to make. I found the number and dialed it. A
man answered, saying, "Hello".
I politely said, "This is Randy Cordell. Could I please speak
with Robin Carter?"
Suddenly, the phone was slammed down on me. I couldn't
believe that anyone could be so rude.
I tracked down Robin's correct number and called her. I
had transposed the last two digits of her phone number.
After hanging up with her, I decided to call the 'wrong'
number again.
When the same guy answered the phone, I yelled, "You're
an asshole!"and hung up.
I wrote his number down with the word 'asshole' next to it,
and put it in my desk drawer.
Every couple of weeks, when I was paying bills or had a
really bad day, I'd call him up and yell, "You're an asshole!"
It always cheered me up.
When Caller ID came to our area, I thought my therapeutic
'asshole' calling would have to stop. So, I called his number
and said, "Hi, this is John Smith from the Telephone
Company. I'm just calling to see if you're familiar with the
Caller ID program?"
He yelled, "NO!" and slammed the phone down.
I quickly called him back and said, "That's because you're
an asshole!"

One day I was at the store, getting ready to pull into a
parking spot. Some guy in a black BMW cut me off and
pulled into the spot I had patiently waited for. I hit the horn
and yelled that I had been waiting for the spot. The idiot
ignored me. I noticed a "For Sale" sign in his car window -
so, I wrote down his number. A couple of days later, right
after calling the first asshole, (I had his number on speed
dial), I thought I had better call the BMW asshole, too. I
said, "Is this the man with the black BMW for sale?"
"Yes, it is."
"Can you tell me where I can see it?"
"Yes. I live at 1802 West 34th Street. It's a yellow house, and the
car's parked right out in front." "What's your name?" I asked. "My
name is Don Hansen," he said. "When's a good time to catch you,
Don?"
"I'm home every evening after five." "Listen, Don, can I tell you
something?" "Yes?" "Don, you're an asshole." Then I hung up, and
added
his number to my speed dial, too. Now, when I had a problem, I had
two
assholes to call.

But after several months of calling them, it wasn't as
enjoyable as it used to be. So, I came up with an idea.
I called Asshole #1.
"Hello."
"You're an asshole!" (But I didn't hang up).
"Are you still there?" he asked.
"Yeah," I said.
"Stop calling me," he screamed.
"Make me," I said.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"My name is Don Hansen."
"Yeah? Where do you live?"
"Asshole, I live at 1802 West 34th Street, a yellow house, with my
black BMW parked in front." He said, "I'm coming over right now, Don.
And you had better start saying your prayers." I said, "Yeah, like I'm
really scared, asshole."

Then I called Asshole #2.
"Hello?" he said.
"Hello, asshole," I said.
He yelled, "If I ever find out who you are?"
"You'll what?" I said.
"I'll kick your ass," he exclaimed.
I answered, "Well, asshole, here's your chance. I'm coming
over right now."
Then I hung up and immediately called the police, saying
that I was on my way over to 1802 West 34th Street to kill my gay
lover. Then I called Channel 13 News about the gang war going down
on
West 34th Street. I quickly got into my car and headed over to 34th
Street. There I saw two assholes beating the crap out of each other in
front of six squad cars, a police helicopter, and news crew. NOW I
feel better.

[rian]

Nice one

[timsinister]

That's far too creative. Look at the timeline on that thing, you need an immediate return on your investment in today's fastpaced Evil Economics.

[Black Biscuit]

Call your telephone company and make a complaint about nuisance calls.

Tell them that you are repeatedly receiving phone calls from an unknown source for unknown reasons.

They will call the number themselves to find out who it is and relay the information back to you.

If there is more than one telephone provider in your area, mere directory listings may not help - the providers each have a separate data-base. But your own provider should follow up on the matter on your behalf even if the number you've asked them to check is not one of theirs - all phone companies have a special section that deals with telephone air raids.

[nodubmanshouts]

Friend of mine, back in the days before Caller ID, set up a DOS script to get his fax-modem to dial people-who-pissed-him-off at random hours of the early morning

Personally, I never answer my phone unless they're in my caller id list. But that's cause I'm a grumpy ol' bastard

[hallucienate]

Friend of mine, back in the days before Caller ID, set up a DOS script to get his fax-modem to dial people-who-pissed-him-off at random hours of the early morning

I just send people text messages at ungodly hours of the morning

[nodubmanshouts]

But doesn't that mean you have to be up to do it?

[hallucienate]

But doesn't that mean you have to be up to do it?

not if they live in a different time zone to me