private

FreeIndex News

Cold callers now get banned from FreeIndex!

We have just launched a new feature which we hope will win the battle against Cold Callers who try to use FreeIndex for marketing purposes.

Instead of just displaying telephone number information on business profile pages, users now have to click on a link to view this information. Once clicked, a stark warning is always displayed stating that ‘Cold Calling is prohibited’ alongside your telephone contact details. Users who try to view more than a certain amount of company phone numbers in one day are automatically banned for a period of time. This will definitely stop people going through the site phoning up one company after another.

We hope this will have an immediate effect on reducing cold calls. Obviously it’s a continual balancing act of encouraging business enquiries, but blocking those who ignore the terms and conditions of the site.
Posted : 2 Mar 2009

comment 120 Comments

info Comments on this article are now closed.

25 Feb 2011
Michael Cruise from
MCC Small Electricals
Great idea about time thanks Free Index I should get more work done.
Nice to feel that someone has our interests at heart thankyou.
The best site fro referrals going.
20 Aug 2010
Cole Stevens from
Cole Stevens
I think thats a great idea, i get loads of cold calls I ask them for their home number and i'll give them a call back!
27 Jul 2010
Pamela from
Bronz N Beauty
What a briliant idea, when your trying to run a business the last thing you need is phone calls from people trying to sell something or sell you
25 Apr 2010
Dr Priti Joshi from
The WhiteStar Dental Practice
very good idea
22 Mar 2010
Marilyn Laurence from
Mason Bradshaw Limited
can you check who has visited your site if you have experienced a cold call - I received one the other day and it has turned out to be an individuals and company that does not exist
8 Dec 2009
Ayhan from
Stone Store UK
Hi,
Instate of hiding the contact number of sellers may be it is wise to hide buyers contact number so seller can't make cold call.
Kind regards
29 Nov 2009
Peter Wills from
Peter Wills Photography
Excellent idea!
19 Oct 2009
Martin Dimmock from
Power Rush Ltd
Google pay no attention, they've just cold-called me from my ad
20 Sep 2009
Test from
Distrabit Ltd
what rules are in place to stop businesses using our addresses for mailshots?

Is this allowed?

many thanks
17 Sep 2009
Julian Rowe from
Business Support Finder
Sounds a good idea.
8 Sep 2009
Matt Hulsey from
Home Testing Yorkshire Ltd
Sounds good
7 Sep 2009
Mr Ashley Hall from
Hall Maintenance
great news that you have banned cold callers! keep up the good work.thanks again.
6 Sep 2009
Noel Deegan from
Noel Deegan
good job thank You
5 Sep 2009
Michelle Reece from
Ignis Photography
Thank you.
24 Aug 2009
Julie Kershaw from
Liverpool Entente Cordiale Tours
Great idea!
22 Aug 2009
Richard Warner from
Iron Vein
Good move!
10 Aug 2009
Edwin Senjobe from
Freshpangolin Ltd
The cold callers solution does not seem to be working, we are being harrassed by one particular company via email and phone calls despite numerous and clear clarifications we do not need their services. What a shame.
25 Jul 2009
Tracey Bell from
Tracey's P.A.T
yes about time it seems all i get is cold callers that have come through various directorys . thank you
19 Jul 2009
Jim Waldron from
Complete Solutions IT
An excellent idea, has I had been plauged by these before
7 Jul 2009
Alison Williamson from
Entirely Airports
I've just had a cold call from a Company called Matchmaker Marketing (0161 839 1987) who found us through the FreeIndex site
6 Jul 2009
Karelia Scott-Daniels from
Manse and Garret Property Search
Very good idea - I hope it works but they just sell our numbers on anyway!
29 Jun 2009
Georgina Peacock from
Merlin Industrial Products Ltd
good idea
28 Jun 2009
David Linford Williams from
David L Williams
I get multiple contacts every week from other web directories the most I have had is 19 in 1 day, I guess you cant do much about that
27 Jun 2009
Diane Hall
Great!
25 Jun 2009
Ian Sutherland from
Design Tiling
this is a good idea
16 Jun 2009
Kevin Davies from
Herts Digital TV Aerials
Great idea, well done.
9 Jun 2009
David Cronshaw from
2Men1Van Sheffield
good idea
6 Jun 2009
Charles Sturge from
Corporate photographer Charles Sturge
I think this is an excellent idea, congratulations.
6 Jun 2009
J Tunstall from
TilePlans
Excelent Idea , Great work - Many thanks
5 Jun 2009
Sandra Benson from
A Swedish Home
Yes its a great idea - well done
4 Jun 2009
Rod Campbell from
Rod Campbell
This is definately a good idea. Congrats
31 May 2009
Rossi from
Dilys The Sheep
Excellent idea, saves unwanted phone calls.
Good luck with your mission
Best Wishes
Dilys the sheep
27 May 2009
Toby Warren from
Tricky Toby
I do not like this feature, I think some potential customers may miss my phone number,
Toby Warren
thanks a great idea, I am fed up of cold callers from another directory site. Glad to say, none from here yet. Good job.
18 May 2009
Tina Broughton from
Roachvale Hotel
Thank you in advance for 'cold calling prohibited' info.As we need our telephone line available for taking bookings your article should put these people off.
18 May 2009
Derek Godridge from
DeeGee Photo
This is a great idea to try and prevent the dreaded spammers !!
15 May 2009
Jason Craine from
AD Tiling
thanks
14 May 2009
Joseph Burge from
Onetimeixuk
Excellent idea
12 May 2009
Kay Heeley from
Angel Couture by Kay Heeley
Good
12 May 2009
Margaret Gammons from
MG Business Support Services
Sorry to be late replying. I think this is a brilliant idea. I have been cold called in the past and realised that the only way they have got my number is from your site. So, great! I want business from yor site not sellers.
11 May 2009
Martin Granger from
Your Web Designer
Sounds like a good idea!
8 May 2009
Eileen Evans
sounds like a good idea but i dont know if it stop them
6 May 2009
Michael Taylor
Ty for this info. I am constantly badgered by 0800 numbers claiming to have genuine quiries and quoting FREE INDEX as their source of info and then attempt to sell me advertising. this had led me to totally ignore ANY 0800 numbers on my phone
1 May 2009
Mark Holland from
Business2Exchange
Good idea
28 Apr 2009
Alan Cooper from
Home Search Consultancy
Are cold calls such a bad thing?
They may have a service or product which could save us money!
In this economic situation climate, this could be unfair to stifle proactive companies who are actively looking for business!!
28 Apr 2009
Aimee Greenhill
i think this is an excellent idea as they are a pain and waste peoples time
28 Apr 2009
Andrew Sowden from
Your Bookkeeper Ltd
Good Idea ! :)
22 Apr 2009
Angela Wheat from
Gemini Beauty
What a good idea,sham there is not a way to stop them permanenly from cold calling.
22 Apr 2009
Alan Bigg from
ECU Clinic
here is the email address of a company who told me that YOU supplied my name and mail address.
davidwelsh@firstsearchconsultancy.co.uk
YOUR comments pleas!
21 Apr 2009
Paul Mnich from
Mnich Design Associates
Good idea - let's see if it works.
21 Apr 2009
Michele Couzens-Eason from
Ki2health
good idea
21 Apr 2009
Lee Jones from
Apple Mac Mechanic
Im pleased, i get far too many waste of time calls from wherever. Your help in this matter is greatly appreciated. Cheers
Lee
21 Apr 2009
Richard Funnell from
Dance Addiction
sounds a good idea
21 Apr 2009
Jay Richards from
Soletrader
good news
21 Apr 2009
Dominic Savio from
Datum Technologies
the action you have taken is really good and much appericated - well done
21 Apr 2009
Jane Ball from
Party Tub Hire Ltd
Thank you that sounds good
21 Apr 2009
Jonathan Wiseman
Great idea - well done. Cold caller can be a real time waste.
20 Apr 2009
Katrina Joseph from
Bideford Wellbeing Centre
Yes, it looks like your cold calling warning is working! It doesn't look as though we have received any. Thank you!!
20 Apr 2009
Barry Clark from
A Class Driving Academy
This is good that you filter these calls.Saves a lot of wasted time ..Thanx
19 Apr 2009
Tara Fisher from
Tara Fisher
What a great idea, as I constantly receive calls from companies, more than I do customers, very annoying when waiting for work to come in.
17 Apr 2009
Charlie Wheeler from
Wheeler Motorcycle Services
good to see something being done, pity BT dosnt do the same!!!
now to tackle spam!!!!
17 Apr 2009
Janie Moore from
Pure Girl Organics
Brilliant! If only all websites were as forward thinking as you guys! Thanks very much.
17 Apr 2009
Julie Gibson from
J's Fitness
This is very reassuring to know.
17 Apr 2009
John Sevier from
First Class Travel of Oxfordshire
Well done. Sounds like a good solution.
17 Apr 2009
Stuart Fletcher from
Holland Hall Hotel
10/10
17 Apr 2009
Dan Marino from
Rainbow Chasers' Motor Home Hire
A welcome improvement. We have noticed a significant drop in marketing cold calls to a level which is almost nil. Thanks to all on the teamn whom have come up with this idea. Seems to be working well.
17 Apr 2009
Graham Lucas from
Spectrum Office Solutions
Excellent idea. Could you sell the concept to Yell?
16 Apr 2009
David Thomson
this is a positive step, a great idea implemented well.
14 Apr 2009
Paul Ede from
Focus Driving School
pleased to see you are taking action against these people as cold callers are just wasting our time. very few have anything we actually need.
14 Apr 2009
Mrs Elaine Isaac from
Convallis Software Ltd
brilliant idea. sometimes I get fed up with the number of cold calls from companied getting our number from directories.
14 Apr 2009
Charles Richardson from
Big Apple Drinks Company
Thanks for adding this as the amount of time spent dealing with cold callers is very time consuming.
11 Apr 2009
Yvonne Anne Sharpe from
Yvonne Anne
Excellent thank you
10 Apr 2009
John Moonie from
HypnoPerth
Good idea - don't get much of that via Freeindex or that they admit, but it will help.
9 Apr 2009
Ann O'Donnell from
Clarron House
Thanks for the halting of cold callers, but i have contacted Telephone Preference (TSP), this has helped a great deal, but yours will too.
9 Apr 2009
Chris Chalk from
Chris Chalk - Art Studio
Great idea folks. Glad you're on to it.
9 Apr 2009
Ian Higgins from
Higgins Cleaning Services
Well done i really hope this helps, i know this will not put a stop completly but its a start.
thanks
Ian Higgins
9 Apr 2009
Brian Smith from
Brian Smith Photography
That will be brill and should stop nonsene.
8 Apr 2009
Guy Tomlinson from
The Marketing Directors Ltd
Good idea. Well done!
8 Apr 2009
David Hance from
TS Internet Marketing
An excellent idea. I have noticed that one of the immediate effects of registering my business with directories is that the phone starts to ring due to cold caalling from companies trying to sell advertising.
7 Apr 2009
Peter P Economou from
Super Goods
smashing idea.
6 Apr 2009
Neville Scott from
Owner Driver Courier
sounds like a good idea hope it works.
3 Apr 2009
Sam Oghene Atugba from
Property Maintenance Services
THIS IS SPLENDID, TO KEEP AT BAY TIME-WASTERS.
3 Apr 2009
Shaun from
Empire Nites Karaoke/Disco
This will be good for honest people like myself who advertise on this site. Thanks for this.
2 Apr 2009
Gail Ward from
Responsible Photography Holidays
I think this is an excellent feature - I have removed my details from other sites because of the indiscriminate cold calling and spam received. Many thanks. Kind regards, Gail
1 Apr 2009
Derek Blackburn
excellent news, we feel more secure already,
thank you


Ltd Company No: 05716323
Made with love in Bristol, UK