Reading - WGs phones blocked by continuous calls from withheld numbers

[jake44]

Several times over the last few weeks I have had WGs in or visiting the central reading area apologise because their phone is being continuously called by a withheld number. They felt it was so continuous that it had to be a computer program doing it. Seemed to last the whole of a day. I looked at one (before persuading her to turn it off for the time we were spending together) and agree it was probably computer generated calls. They tended to be girls with high AW scores so I presume it is either spiteful or trying to block them so other girls get the trade.

I suggest not discussing what to do about this here, in case whoever is doing this is also reading it. If you have suggestions send me a private message.

[Louise 100% British]

Yes this is true.
I cannot block because I use an iPhone.
If we put our green light on plus phone number then the calls start.
I have now 450 voicemails from Tuesday.
That wasn't even how many times they called.
It's definitely some sort of automated system and it is only in Readjng.
I know of at least 15 girls that this is happening too plus myself.
I would say it is someone pimp trying to block anyone from phoning us.
Drives me mad. I can't use my phone for normal stuff when in Reading let alone try and answer the phone. They called until 11pm Tuesday. Sometimes the calls stop earlier though,

Not just girls who use the hotels in the centre.
I was in Rg30 and they haven't missed me once, I'm always on their list.

[Danj89]

It happened to a working girl I saw in reading on Sunday as well. She was not happy about it.

[ciscoxxx69]

I spoke to a top Reading WG this week who told me about this issue.
I believe she has contacted the Police.

[Veritas]

I've also come across this.  While I was at a recent one hour booking the lady received over 40 missed calls from a withheld and she said that was becoming the norm and that she knew of other Readi g ladies who were experiencing the same.

[Louise 100% British]

The police are not interested.

Nor are the mobile phone providers.
Only thing they offered me was to change my number   

Just thinking it must be a big operation as they phone all of us constantly at the same time.

Has been going on since the end of last year.

Hopefully the new iOS will allow no numbers to be blocked.

[Fact]

why not just answer the call and leave call open? if all the girls did that before starting a booking, thats a lot of open calls?

[Louise 100% British]

No point.

It stays connected for maximum 10 seconds.
And starts all over again.

There is definitely no one listening.

I turned my phone off for an hour and had another 100 voicemails.
It's a machine.
They don't recognise if a phone blocks it or not. Or whether phone is off etc. They just keep calling.

I have got various people to answer including a male, to put them off calling.

If you answer sometimes can hear a faint dial out tone to another phone.

The whole thing is creepy.

They do have a dinner break though. Stops for about one hour of a day.

[pewpewpew]

I'm going to rent a premium rate number and put a reading profile on AW. This time next year we'll be miwionares Rodney!

[dwaynepaine]

have you tried contacting Ofcom along the lines of getting an automated cold-call and see what they say/can do - stressing that the number is used for work so has to be on a website so changing it isn't san option.

[Louise 100% British]

I believe that you have to give them a phone number to make a complaint.
But even then it is just a complaint, unlikely that they would be able to do anything because its not threatening.


The whole thing is beyond frustrating.
It stops you from doing anything on your phone.

It makes us miss genuine callers because we end up putting the phone on silent and check the phone every 20 minutes or so.
Which I assume is the point, along with blocking our line.

I have had girls call me to the point of crying because they think it is only happening to them and take it as a threat.

All I can do is get a sim adaptor and put my sim into an android phone when in Reading.

No where else in the South, just Reading.
And it is definitely Adultwork that they are checking daily.
My friend changed her number she went 24 hours with no calls, then it started again.

It is disgusting that iPhone have no facility to block these calls.
There is no app supplied for an iPhone, only for android.
Even a cheap £10 phone can block it.

Hopefully anyone who doesn't realise that it is happening to everyone will eventually change their phone- as blocking the call is really the only thing we can do as it doesn't look like the callers are stopping any time soon.

[rg41]

<All I can do is get a sim adaptor and put my sim into an android phone when in Reading.>

Carphonewarehouse sell a sim adaptor.

rg41

[russell sprout]

What a shit situation, Louise. Sorry to hear that someboditrying to make it hard for you to earn a living. Can't offer anything more than you already know and some sympathy. Looks like Android.

[Sex Bob-omb]

I'm going to rent a premium rate number and put a reading profile on AW. This time next year we'll be miwionares Rodney!

I wonder if their software recognises a premium rate number, if not this might cost them?

[nestor]

I've never used it, but "Call Bliss" from the Apple iPhone store claims to be able to block anonymous calls on iPhones. Cost around £8

External Link/Members Only

I also saw a suggestion that you can simply create a contact called "Anonymous Caller" with no phone number - and simply set that to "block"

[Louise 100% British]

The way these blockers work on iPhones is to block all unsaved contacts.
As in using do not disturb mode.
They develop a fancy app that does absolutely nothing an iPhone can't do for free.

There really is no known app that blocks a withheld number (solely)
Although the iOS update should bring it in.

I have bought several of these apps, including a free download that 3 recommended me.
Yes it blocks a no number, but you have to block all unsaved contacts.

Self defeating really since no new client would be able to get in touch with me.

Also with regards to a premium rate number,
I think it would work - as a person is physically checking our profiles daily.

Fact. Every time I put my location in Reading pay for the green light and my phone number the calls start from morning until late evening.
When I move my profile to the next location, nothing.

In theory it would deter them from calling, but no client is going to call a premium rate number either?!
When I am out of Reading the following day of stops.

[trebor1956]

Louise,

Do you get the calls if you put your location as Reading, but DO NOT pay for the green available tag?

[Cunning Punt]

Seems Sergei has too much time on his hands.

At least it can be stopped by having a non-iPhone for work phone and blocking withheld numbers, but it's case of getting the word round.

Once it has, then Sergei will just be wasting his own time.

[WhattheFlip]

Can anyone be bothered ringing round all the girls/establishments. Surely if you actually get an answer from someone then that's the bastard doing this!? I was gonna be in Reading soon too.

[Louise 100% British]

Louise,

Do you get the calls if you put your location as Reading, but DO NOT pay for the green available tag?

Yes it does still ring.
I did a half day at my place on bank holiday, and they were calling within a couple of hours.

I would say it is the phone number display and wording in the profile-  for example I have a diary on my profile so it is fairly obvious I am working even when my green light isn't on.

Nothing to do with viva street or any other smaller site.
They are 100% adultwork dependent.

If I put my location as Swindon, Reading, Newbury - it will not ring.
Only when it is obvious Reading is your actual location.

I have shared numerous flats this year with English, American, Romanian, Polish, Brazilian etc etc and we all get it.
I don't think it has anything to do with how "established" a lady is and how much feedback our profile has.

It is literally just every body they can do it to.

Thinking someone must have a working house around the Reading area and are trying to fuck up the indies in the area.

[James999]

I cannot block because I use an iPhone.

Why not just invest £50 in another phone, problem solved 

[Louise 100% British]

Can anyone be bothered ringing round all the girls/establishments. Surely if you actually get an answer from someone then that's the bastard doing this!? I was gonna be in Reading soon too.

We will never get an answer though.
It's a machine you can hear the ringing of other phones (dialling out)

Had men answer it. That's enough to deter most people.

It cuts off at the same second each day.

I.e If I decide to answer it on Monday the line will stay connected for 8 seconds and cut off and through out the day it will be 8 seconds, the next day 10 seconds and so on. It's always the same connection time.

It is a machine it doesn't recognise calls being blocked. I switched the phone to air when I was with someone turned it back on and it started straight away with a 100 extra voicemails.

The girls who can block it, I have seen their phones it is literally 3/4 times per minute.

It's insane.

[Louise 100% British]

Why not just invest £50 in another phone, problem solved 

I will get a SIM card adapter for when in the area, of course.

It doesn't 100% stop the line from being blocked though due to the amount of times the people call. If they call at the same time as some one else they will still get user busy.

Lots of girls don't realise that it is happening to everyone not just them.

I am just shocked that it is consistently happening every day for over 7 months and they haven't given up yet.

[pewpewpew]

Why do we think it's sergie? Could be a friendly neighborhood feminist saving girls from themselves or the local councilor doesn't want this in their area

[Louise 100% British]

Hidden Image/Members Only

[Louise 100% British]

From one day in Reading.


Hidden Image/Members Only

[oring123]

Surely one of your client s can help you with this you only have to be in a certain job and you can find out everything ??

[Stiltskin]

Sounds like they have an automated script scraping the phone numbers from Reading profiles. AW could encrypt the phone numbers so that the scraper fails to read them, whilst they remained fully readable to a real person.

You'd have to get plenty of people to put a complaint in. It might be worth doing though, as I'm sure AW don't like people scraping their site.

[James999]

I am just shocked that it is consistently happening every day for over 7 months and they haven't given up yet.

It probably hasn't stopped as it's obviously working for them, as I suppose the reality for you and other affected is that you simply don't bother to answer your phone most of the time (assuming it's another fake call) or that people simply can't get through.

As such you are reliant on AW / E mail bookings, it must be a pain for regulars, but I'm assuming you've sorted this issue by having an alternative number you can pass out to regs etc, that doesn't get published so not spammed?

[Tweedledum]

Found this info on an apple forum. Hope it's helpful.

"I kept getting calls from NO Caller ID. I don't want to limit calls to just my contacts list. So to block this type of call:

 

Create a new contact called something like Non-Caller or No-Caller

Enter 000-000-0000 for the phone number.

Scroll down and select Block this Caller

This should stop calls from calls that come from "zero" numbers."

 

[jimmychunga]

i have had 2 punts in last week where phone just buzzing constantly. Annoying!

Cant the girls at least put on to silent during punts please

It is odd how it is only Reading and has gone on for so long

I am not aware of any collective working regularly in town anyway who would be so organised, presumably costs them too.

I must say though it hasnt seemed to stop the girls communicating to set up meet in first place, resourceful types your average WG

[agent47]

Saw a very popular girl just last night in Reading she had been getting this all day, she rang a couple of other girls working in reading they were getting it to. Seems like only popular independent touring girl are being targeted maybe someone's trying to keep them off there turf. Suggested that she get a cheap android and showed her several ways to block it. she got 45 calls within the hour I was there thankfully it was on silent 

[TonyD]

could it be some religious freaks/puritans  in Reading...trying to make Reading holy than thou?

[vw]

could it be some religious freaks/puritans  in Reading...trying to make Reading holy than thou?

Could be iPhone haters really as you xannoto block withheld numbers on them

[jake44]

This happened to a visiting WG this week and she phoned "everybody" to try to get it stopped.

Eventually the O2 abuse department did help her, they traced the calls to three GiffGaff accounts and had them suspended with a warning that if it started again the police would be involved.

So if you are O2 it would be worth taking that route. (It may help that GiffGaff uses the O2 network.)