How to Stop Nuisance and Sales Calls in Hull
The most effective first step is to register your number with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS), which is free. Allow 28 days for it to take effect. If unwanted sales calls carry on after that, report them to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The TPS only covers genuine sales and marketing calls, so for scams you also need call blocking, and that is covered below.
Step 1: Register with the TPS
The TPS is the official register of people who do not want marketing calls. You can add a landline or a mobile number free of charge at tpsonline.org.uk. The ICO advises allowing 28 days for your registration to take effect.
Be careful of websites that charge a fee to "register" you. The real TPS service is free.
What the TPS does not stop
- Calls you have agreed to. If you gave an organisation permission to call you before you registered, it can still call. You need to tell that organisation directly to stop.
- Scam calls. Criminals do not check the register. Use the blocking options below.
- Silent and abandoned calls are dealt with separately, by Ofcom rather than the ICO.
Step 2: Report calls that continue after 28 days
If marketing calls keep coming once you have been registered for 28 days or more, report them to the ICO using the online reporting tool on its nuisance calls page. The ICO says that reports help it investigate and take action against those responsible. It does not resolve individual complaints one by one, but it has fined companies for unlawful marketing calls.
Keep a note of the date, time, the number shown and what was said. That makes your report more useful.
Where else to report
| Type of call | Report to |
|---|---|
| Unwanted marketing calls (live or recorded) | The ICO |
| Silent or abandoned calls | Ofcom |
| Scam or fraud calls | Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud), reportfraud.police.uk, 0300 123 2040 |
| A business's sales practices | Trading Standards, through Citizens Advice |
| Calls pushing you to ring a premium-rate number | The Phone-paid Services Authority |
Step 3: Block what gets through
On a KCOM landline
KCOM, Hull's phone company, says it screens calls coming into its network from other providers and blocks those that fail its checks, including numbers identified by its Nuisance Calls Team. On its help pages KCOM also lists these features for customers, which you request through its contact page:
- Reject Withheld Number, which stops unidentified calls reaching you.
- Caller Display, so you can see who is calling before you answer.
- Silent Callgard, a free service that aims to reduce silent, abandoned and recorded-message calls.
KCOM does not state a price for Reject Withheld Number on that page, so ask when you request it. KCOM also says that if you need a new number because of nuisance or scam calls, it will not charge for the change. You can reach KCOM customer services on 01482 602555. See our page on calls from 01482 602555.
On a BT landline
BT has offered features such as Anonymous Call Rejection and Choose to Refuse, but availability may differ on newer digital lines as the copper network is retired. Check with BT which options apply to your line.
On a mobile
- Use your phone's block and call-screening settings, and check any built-in spam filter is switched on.
- Forward spam texts to 7726, which is free. Your provider can then investigate and possibly block the sender.
- Ask your network whether it offers network-level filtering.
Ofcom also notes that call-blocking handsets for landlines can block withheld numbers and numbers not in your contacts, which may suit older or more vulnerable relatives.
A safe habit for every call
If a caller claims to be from your bank, HMRC or another organisation, hang up and contact them using the number on their official website or your statement, not the number the caller gives you. For more scam guides see our scam alerts.
Checked on 6 November 2026 against the ICO nuisance calls guidance, the TPS website, KCOM's help pages on preventing scam and nuisance calls, Ofcom's scam call advice and BT's help pages.