中国网站品牌栏目（频道）
英国利兹一位自由从业的商人因饱受各种推销电话的骚扰，于2011年11月花10英镑为自家办理了一个收费声讯号码，拨打这个号码每分钟收费10便士，而他可以从中分得7便士。这个号码开通后，他的私人号码只向亲友提供，而在银行、燃气、电力等机构预留的电话号码则是这个收费号码。他表示，到目前为止，这个号码已经为他带来了300英镑的收入，而他每个月接到的推销电话也从之前的二三十通下降为13通。
原先很讨厌接到推销电话的他现在却很希望有人来电，这样他就有钱赚了，而且有人来电推销时，他通常会询问推销服务的细节来增加通话时间，以增加收入。他甚至把这个号码发在推特上，希望能引来更多的推销电话。
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The number of calls received by Mr Beaumont has fallen from between 20 and 30 a month to just 13 last month. |
A man targeted by marketing companies is making money from cold calls with his own premium-rate phone number.
In November 2011 Lee Beaumont paid £10 plus VAT to set up his personal 0871 line - so to call him now costs 10p, from which he receives 7p.
The Leeds businessman said that the premium line had so far made £300.
Phone Pay Plus, which regulates premium numbers, said it strongly discouraged people from adopting the idea.
Mr Beaumont came up with the plan when he grew sick of calls offering to help him reclaim payment protection insurance (PPI), or install solar panels.
He said: "I don't use my normal Leeds number for anyone but my friends and family."
I'm, getting annoyed with PPI phone calls when I'm trying to watch Coronation Street. ”
Once he had set up the 0871 line, every time a bank, gas or electricity supplier asked him for his details online, he submitted it as his contact number.
He added he was "very honest" and the companies did ask why he had a premium number.
He told the programme he replied: "Because I'm getting annoyed with PPI phone calls when I'm trying to watch Coronation Street so I'd rather make 10p a minute."
He said almost all of the companies he dealt with were happy to use it and if they refused he asked them to email.
The number of calls received by Mr Beaumont has fallen from between 20 and 30 a month to just 13 last month.
Because he works from home, Mr Beaumont has been able to increase his revenue by keeping cold callers talking - asking for more details about their services.
He admitted, the scheme had changed his attitude, saying: "I want cold calls", and that he had moved on to encouraging companies to make contact.
After a recent problem with his online shopping, he declined to call an 0845 number but posted his number on Twitter in the knowledge that the number could be picked up by marketing companies.
But the premium number regulator Phone Pay Plus says the public should think twice before setting up their own lines.
They say phone line providers must meet consumer protection standards, which include transparency, fairness and complaint handling, which would mean clearly setting out the cost of each call to any organisation that rang.
(Source: BBC News)
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（中国日报网英语点津 实习生 马国佳，编辑 Helen ）
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