I'm quite lucky I suppose. I've had my phone number for years and it is all over the internet (blogs, facebook etc etc etc) and the only advertisment text message is like 1 a month from Papa Johns and i'm sure I can opt out of that if I log into the account online. I also can't remember the last sales call I recieved, even from Vodafone.

The landline in the flat is ringing all the time which we all know is sales calls as no-one uses it - really should just unplug it.

Orange don't pass on any details from your account, it doesn't work like that at all, what can end up happening is you get a re-cycled number, but I believe the recycle period is 3 years after being made inactive, however if people still have the details from the last sub, then they could still be sending out messaged based on that old information.

There is an option in the system to make the number ex directory, but I'm not sure if this is even used anymore, as I'm not aware we even have a directory.. If you want me to double check that flag I can, or alternatively phone in to CS and ask then to check. Are you PAYG or PAYM?

I've had my mobile number for about a million years but I still get random spam texts and nuisance calls (even calls from other phone networks) every so often. Some c**tychops somewhere is farming out the details.

In fact I reckon it's Carphone Warehouse and the like, the only way they could get network beating deals would be to use tricks like this...