118 800

[Square Ball]

this is due to launch shortly and I have been trying for the last few days to have my number listed as ex-directory, and guess what! the site is suspended for "improvements" whilst this may be correct it was down on Thursday and Friday fro maintenance, with the message that it would be up on Saturday.

wonder if it is due to the volume of people trying to go ex-directory?

if you do want you number removed the instructions were

log onto 1, http://www.118800.co.uk/ 

2, Click on 'Ex Directory' at top right hand side of page, from there it's straight forward.

thats the way it was working but i cant get onto it to make sure. i will be getting my number off it if possible.

have many done this?

[pintsofguinness]

I got thouse instructions in an email yesterday.

I dont know where I've been but that was the first time I've heard of this.

Am I missing something or how or f**king why is someone allowed provide everyone's mobile numbers?

[Square Ball]

I got thouse instructions in an email yesterday.

I dont know where I've been but that was the first time I've heard of this.

Am I missing something or how or f**king why is someone allowed provide everyone's mobile numbers?

they bought the numbers apparently, wait and see what shite you get to your phone now!!!

[Shortso79]

Thats crazy stuff - will be interesting to see if your own number is listed - think they have 40% of numbers at present

[Square Ball]

From the BBC

A company will begin offering a directory service from next week that allows people to find the mobile phone numbers of people they don't know.

Run by 118800, it will cost £1 and use databases of numbers it said are freely available for purchase and in the public domain.

Anyone searching for a number can type the name and location of the person into the 118800 website.

It claims to have some 15m numbers in its database.

Privacy campaigners have been angered by the system despite it getting the all-clear from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

The ICO ruled that the system did comply with current law and was little different from companies who use such contact lists for cold calling.

It said that opting out of the service should be made easy for those not wanting their details to be used in the directory.

Privacy concerns


Shona Foster says her company is acting ethically.
118800 gets numbers from three sources. First, market research companies who contact individuals and ask if they would be prepared to allow their numbers to be used for commercial purposes.

Second, from online businesses who often ask customers to tick boxes during the normal course of online transactions.

Thirdly, 118800 gets them from brokers who buy and sell lists of phone numbers.

118800 said that has about 15m phone numbers on its databases which is just a fraction of the 40m adults who have one or more handsets in the UK.

Some legal observers are concerned by the precedent the system sets.

"You are supposed to have people's consent if you are going to pass their number around and they need to know where it is going to go," says Chris Watson, a lawyer at CMS Cameron McKenna.

"When people tick a box, saying they have no objection to their number going to the company they are dealing with, they don't anticipate that it could then be sold.

"Not just possibly to trading partners, but to anybody under the sun".

Connectivity - the company operating the 118800 service - said that privacy is paramount to them, and that it's easy to withdraw your mobile phone number from their databases should you choose to do so.

To unsubscribe, you can either click on the ex directory button on the their web homepage, or you can text the letter 'E' to 118800 from the mobile phone you want to be made ex-directory. 118800 will send you an SMS message confirming you've been taken off.

118800 website

"We are accessing data in the same way that lots of other companies do for marketing purposes", Shona Forster, 118800's Marketing Director, told Working Lunch.

"The difference is that we don't use that data for marketing purposes and we don't sell it on to anybody else".

How it works

If the company has it, contact details will be sent in a text message to them.

On the phone version, you call the number, and again they will check whether they have the person's details on their database.


  You are supposed to have people's consent if you are going to pass their number around and they need to know where it is going to go.

Chris Watson, Lawyer
If they do, they will call them up while you are still on the line and ask them whether they are prepared to have your call put through to them.

In neither case is the mobile phone number given over to the person making the request.

Both services cost £1.

For most of the 20th century, the landline was the only phone around. With the mobile you're always available, so it's the number most of us dial first.

So it is perhaps not surprising that a directory service is starting up that allows people to find out someone else's mobile phone number in the same way we've always been able to do for landlines.

[The Watcher Pat]

I got thouse instructions in an email yesterday.

I dont know where I've been but that was the first time I've heard of this.

Am I missing something or how or f**king why is someone allowed provide everyone's mobile numbers?

When someone rings or texts it you will get a text asking...do you want to supply your number to ...so and so?

If you don't want to they wont give their number...

Don't really like that idea because if you dont give your consent then whoever it is will take the hump with you anyway!! Would be better if they just had no way of getting the number ....Then they cant get thick with you for not wanting to know!!

Ignorance is bliss!

[pintsofguinness]

I got thouse instructions in an email yesterday.

I dont know where I've been but that was the first time I've heard of this.

Am I missing something or how or f**king why is someone allowed provide everyone's mobile numbers?

When someone rings or texts it you will get a text asking...do you want to supply your number to ...so and so?

If you don't want to they wont give their number...

Don't really like that idea because if you dont give your consent then whoever it is will take the hump with you anyway!! Would be better if they just had no way of getting the number ....Then they cant get thick with you for not wanting to know!!

Ignorance is bliss!

And if I text back and say no how much will it cost me? 

It's hard to see how it's going to be viable for them - the only people looking for numbers are going to be companies surely and who's going to say yes!  (well a few thickos, but there can't be that many)

[The Watcher Pat]

I got thouse instructions in an email yesterday.

I dont know where I've been but that was the first time I've heard of this.

Am I missing something or how or f**king why is someone allowed provide everyone's mobile numbers?

When someone rings or texts it you will get a text asking...do you want to supply your number to ...so and so?

If you don't want to they wont give their number...

Don't really like that idea because if you dont give your consent then whoever it is will take the hump with you anyway!! Would be better if they just had no way of getting the number ....Then they cant get thick with you for not wanting to know!!

Ignorance is bliss!

And if I text back and say no how much will it cost me? 


It doesnt cost you anything it costs the person asking for the number £1.50

It's hard to see how it's going to be viable for them - the only people looking for numbers are going to be companies surely and who's going to say yes!  (well a few thickos, but there can't be that many)

[Square Ball]

still cant get on their site

Service suspended whilst we make improvementsThe 118 800 service for mobile phone connections is currently unavailable - from this website and by phone - whilst we undertake major developments to our 'Beta Service' to improve the experience for our customers. We'll be back as soon as possible with the new improved service.

All ex-directory requests made by people in our directory to date are being processed. There will be no need to resend these requests. And we will take further ex-directory requests when the service resumes. We will not be taking ex-directory requests by phone or text whilst the service is not operational.

Please do not call us on 118 800 for anything other than landline directory enquiry requests as you will be charged for the call.

For other enquiries email us at contact@118800.co.uk or write to us at 118 800, PO Box 2747, Reading RG30 4ZQ

Sorry for any inconvenience caused.

[full back]

Got this email last week as well

Didnt read it as I thought it was some company trying to get mobile numbers. For eg, when you try to opt out of it they will then have your details

The sh1te coming to the mobile now will be interesting