For those who don't know, '070' prefixed numbers indicate a calling service where the incoming call can be diverted to another number for a fee paid as a premium rate charged to the caller - I have never heard of them being able to ''unwithhold' withhelds, but since a: people ringing from withheld numbers are 99% timewasters which most of us don't care about answering anyway and b: many of us who are that bothered have Android phones or similar, which can block withhelds by themselves it would appear to be irrelevant. Having a third party recording people's calls without their knowledge is in my view a gross invasion of privacy, but that is up to each individual to consider.

These numbers are charged at a higher rate than normal mobiles and punters are well aware of this and do not phone them - even people who do not know the exact ins and outs would be extremely suspicious of an 'odd' looking phone number whatever it was and are likely to assume whoever using that number is a fake. We have had directories (remember EscortLocator, anybody?) steal our details before and assign us these numbers in the hope of creaming a bit off the call fees when somebody rang the unsuspecting lady, until they were spotted. And I can see ladies being really keen to pay for the privilege of answering their own phone (surely 01 or 02 are landline numbers anyway?)

I don't understand what your 'service' actually consists of? We can all blacklist phone numbers now and most of us don't answer withhelds anyway; if we do not wish to speak to a caller more than once we just store their number with an appropriate prefix/suffix and don't answer it again. Plus, no lady I can think of would be prepared to give up a work number she has been using maybe for years, and have all the associated hassle of changing all her ads, particuarly for a dodgy-looking replacement that nobody will ring. How is this related to safety?

It's your time and your money, but I would personally be heading for the drawing board and starting work on my Plan B.

Thanks for the messages.......

The basic point of the service is that you won't get witheld calls...  You'll get the phone number of every caller every time, and if he's a wierdo/time waster you can just bar his number by pressing the # key.  He won't be able to call you ever again from that phone

In terms of the 070 numbers, from May 2012 these will be charged at a standard mobile rates.  The other option is to provide local area codes.  So you could have a memorable Leeds, Manchester, Bradford number in your advert which would attract more business in those areas, rather than a mobile number

The main point is to stop timewasters and provide a bit more safety.....

Many of us can already download apps which bar withheld and specific numbers chosen by the owner, or have phone handsets with the facility to block them - the rest of us just don't answer them so it's not tremendously problematic and more an annoyance. On the contrary, unless your proposed service would actually alert us to the fact the caller had attempted to withhold their number I could see it being extremely counterproductive as this is one of the easiest ways to spot a timewaster - they can sound extremely plausible.

Most of us don't really care whether an unwanted caller can or can't physically ring us - we just don't answer (and in the rare cases of very persistant callers we would contact our network providers and if necessary the police). Punters are perfectly used to using mobile numbers and most of us make our location extremely clear in our advertising - landline numbers pertaining to particular geographical areas have not been commonplace in the industry since before people had mobiles, and that was also pre-internet when punters didn't have the huge amount of access to different ladies' details - most of my clients travel for an hour minimum to visit me and so a local number wouldn't make a blind bit of difference and I cannot imagine they will be making a comeback any time soon.

I still don't see any way in which any of this relates to safety? Could you please explain very specifically how you think this service will make us safer?

Hi Amy,

I'll try to set out what I think are the main plus points:

1.  You probably get hundreds of calls per month from witheld numbers.  They can't all be timewasters, jusy guys who withold their telephone numbers by default, So your missing out on genuine business.

2.  Any idiot's wasting your time, isn't going to bother you again as there calling you having a wXXk while there wife's gone to Tesco's, when you read their telephone out.

3.  Don't you get sick of saying "please call back without witholding your number"

4.  You have the option of recording the calls and having these sent to your email address.  Wouldn't it make you feel a little bit safer knowing if something did go wrong with this punter, you'd have a recording of the booking ?  If something bad did happen I'm sure you phone would disappear.

5.   You probably have a "work" phone, using our service it wouldn't matter if you lost it.  Your number could be rediverted to anywhere.  

6.  As for the local area numbers verus your mobile, You have no idea which advertisements are working for you as your advertising your mobile number everywhere.   Using our service you could place a different local number in each advert, this means it would be easy to see where you business is coming from  i.e  Local paper, Adultwork, punternet

Hey if it's not something that would be of help, I'll stick to my day job !  Just a good idea... i thought

Hi Amy,

I'll try to set out what I think are the main plus points:

1.  You probably get hundreds of calls per month from witheld numbers.  They can't all be timewasters, jusy guys who withold their telephone numbers by default, So your missing out on genuine business.

Very few actually, since my site clearly states that I don't answer them. I've had one today and that's the first one in a week or so. I find it extremely hard to believe that somebody would have no opportunity ever to ring me from a non-withheld number, and since I prefer email anyway the effect on my business is negligable at best.

2.  Any idiot's wasting your time, isn't going to bother you again as there calling you having a wXXk while there wife's gone to Tesco's, when you read their telephone out.

Again, I very rarely get this and in the event I do I just hang up and store the number under 'Wanker#5', or whatever. If he had rung from a withheld I wouldn't have answered anyway, so problem solved.

3.  Don't you get sick of saying "please call back without witholding your number"

Nope, because as stated, I don't get many and if I  do I don't answer them. I occasionally used to if I wasn't doing anything much, and I think I have had one person ring back - in eight years. I do believe thats a variable I can live with.

4.  You have the option of recording the calls and having these sent to your email address.  Wouldn't it make you feel a little bit safer knowing if something did go wrong with this punter, you'd have a recording of the booking ?  If something bad did happen I'm sure you phone would disappear.

No, not in the slightest. I have security measures in place already, as do most other ladies and I would never, ever condone the recording of private phone calls without the caller being told - who records this information, where is it stored and who has access to it? This is completely unacceptable, and deeply unethical.

5.   You probably have a "work" phone, using our service it wouldn't matter if you lost it.  Your number could be rediverted to anywhere.

I have my numbers backed up, and it would not take long to get a new phone and have my old number ported across, although I think this is the only salient point you have made thus far, so fair play on that at least.

6.  As for the local area numbers verus your mobile, You have no idea which advertisements are working for you as your advertising your mobile number everywhere.   Using our service you could place a different local number in each advert, this means it would be easy to see where you business is coming from  i.e  Local paper, Adultwork, punternet

Hey if it's not something that would be of help, I'll stick to my day job !  Just a good idea... i thought

My website control panel shows me where my traffic is coming from, and I don't show a phone number on Adultwork unless I'm working away (in which case it is a different one which is never switched on, and callers are directed back to the AW email system). I am not particularly interested in where most callers found my number provided they have followed a link to and read my site, especially since I only pay for one ad and that is Punternet. I do not advertise my number anywhere without provision for a website link.

You asked for feedback and you got it - I doubt it would actually do any harm but your industry knowledge seems to be non-existant and I know I wouldn't even think about using it. I daresay there may be other ladies along later who can put their two-pennorth in as well, but I can't honestly see you getting many takers - you're not the only person who thinks that prostitutes are a licence to print money and you won't be the last, but honestly, most of us are perfectly capable of managing our phone calls by ourselves.


Your hijacking of my mobile number to make a point was done without my permission, and whilst I do not answer the phone after eight pm, I do not want the world and his dog deciding to have a go and see if it works.

I wasn't thinking that at all......

I did think that witheld calls / timewasters were a problem

They are, but one that is easily dealt with by blocking/not answering the WHs and proper management of TW numbers. We know how to do this.

As for recording calls, I'm sure the hundreds of working girls attacked each year think otherwise.

I doubt it - considering most punters (and certainly anybody who was up to no good) would have a separate unregistered/anonymous punting phone which would quickly be binned in the event of wrongdoing, what earthly difference would it make - a call recorded without the other party's knowledge and consent would not even be admissable as evidence in court because this would be a breach of the Data Protection Act. Since you have no way of knowing what any of us think or not, I will thank you to keep your scaremongering and pointless speculation to yourself.

I think we're all more interested in safety strategies which are practical and have a provable effect, not to mention changes to the prostitution laws which would make us all safer. This is neither.

They are, but one that is easily dealt with by blocking/not answering the WHs and proper management of TW numbers. We know how to do this.

Again, this! It is sooo simple.

What's on offer here is 'we'd like to make your life less easy, while making money off you'. And you're surprised people are not falling at your feet begging to sign up...