TalkTalk makes stand against nuisance calls

TalkTalk is making all privacy features free for landline customers to help them avoid nuisance, scam and unwanted calls.

The telecoms company claims to be the first and only internet service provider in the UK to offer Last Caller Barring and Anonymous Caller Reject for free to both new and existing customers.

The free features come in additions to Caller Display, Withhold Number and 1571 voicemail services, which are already free to all customers on TalkTalk's network.

The Last Caller Barring feature allows users to block the last number to call or specific numbers of your choice, while the Anonymous Caller Reject feature blocks incoming calls from anyone who withholds their number.

Set to come into effect from 19 January, TalkTalk said the measures would save customers up to 140 a year when compared to BT.

This is because charges for Last Caller Barring and Anonymous Caller Reject can cost as much as 3.70 and 4.50 per month, respectively.

"Nuisance and unwanted calls are a huge source of stress and frustration," said TalkTalk chief executive Dido Harding. "We don't believe that people should be charged for the privilege of protecting their privacy.

"Our customers can now benefit from even more free features to help them avoid nuisance calls, helping to make TalkTalk homes even better off," she said.

Marie-Louise Abretti, telecoms expert at uSwitch.com, said up until now phone users had to make a choice between protecting themselves from nuisance calls and keeping a lid on their bills.

"It's particularly welcome as those who rely most heavily on their landline are often those who require the most protection, but can least afford to pay for it. We now hope that other providers follow TalkTalk's lead and start to protect their customers for free from this scourge too," she said.