What is Anonymous Call Rejection and how do I use it?

Anonymous Call Rejection lets you stop calls from people who have withheld their number. If a caller withholds their number so that you can’t tell what number they called from, they won’t be able to get through to you. They’ll only get through if they reveal their number.

There is a monthly charge for this Calling Feature. Go to www.bt.com/callingfeatures to see how much it costs (click on "Home phone security features".

How do I use Anonymous Call Rejection?

To set up Anonymous Call Rejection, press the star (*) key on your telephone keypad, followed by the number 227 and then the hash (#) key.

To cancel, press hash, the number 227 and then the hash key again.

To check whether Anonynous Call Rejection is set up, press star, hash, the number and then the hash key once more.

What will happen if I withold my number when calling someone with Anonymous Call Rejection?

A message will notify the blocked caller that: 'the person you are calling is not accepting anonymous calls. Please redial without withholding your number'.

Can I release my number if I want to contact someone with Anonymous Call Rejection?

If you are prevented from contacting someone because they have Anonymous Call Rejection and you withheld your number on a call, then re-dial the number without using the ‘141’ prefix.

Are there any calls which Anonymous Call Rejection will be unable to block?

Anonymous Call Rejection will not block calls where the system cannot obtain the identity of the caller and the message 'Unavailable' is delivered. This would mean that the call is coming from a network that does not support Caller Display and Call Return type services. This could be from:

• Some non-compatible exchange types (UXD5)
• Another network provider e.g. Mercury and some mobile networks
• A caller using a Chargecard
• Calls where the message 'Payphone', 'International', or 'Operator' is delivered

What are the potential security and safety concerns with Anonymous Call Rejection?

Many public services such as the police force, the DSS, hospitals, fire brigades and public utilities will not be able to contact customers who use Anonymous Call Rejection.

This is due to the configuration of their private switchboards. This problem will also affect many UK businesses. Discussions are underway to find a solution for these problems.

 Calling Features user guide PDF doc, 163 KB