A private number only means you are not listed in the white pages telephone directory - it is not actually private. As soon as you give it to your bank, your insurance company, certain government agencies, on a raffle ticket or competition or for an online quote - it is PUBLIC. The only way a private number can be private is if you don't give it to anyone except family to contact you on. Otherwise, your phone number is on your credit file, on various databases which are up for sale to anyone and even in the public domain.

SORRY, NO SUCH THING AS PRIVATE ANY MORE.

I have a private number yet they still telemarket to my home phone. Even though the number is private.

Members Alliance. Cold call. Told them I wasn't interested and he kept going on and on. Hung up him.

Cold call, never heard of them before, asked about a hundred questions without actually telling me anything. I hung up on them en the end!

Members Alliance. Unsolicited financial "advice". They cold called. I had never heard from them before and had not signed up for anything.