Cold Callers - Page 2 - Clubhouse

Badly Drawn Bloke

10/11/2011 at 14:27

Yes and no NLR. They are just trying to make a living. Don't know if you've noticed, but unkilled jobs aren't as easy to come by as they used to be, nor skills traiing for that matter. Half of them don't want to be there so a polite no is all that's needed. The ones who are pushy and instant maybe deserve a bit of lip.

Nessie

10/11/2011 at 14:38

Ooh, I had the Dyson one too - didn't realise it was a scam.

I did (politely) tell them where to go though.

Wilkie

10/11/2011 at 15:00

Badly Drawn Bloke wrote (see)

Also, always make sure you know what boxes you are ticking on forms. On the same form there may be a tick to be contacted and leave blank to not be contacted. Sneaky feckers. I only ever give out my mobile rather than home so I can see from caller id if I want to speak to them. Don't get them very often on the mobile either though. Have to say, I don't feel left out.

This is good advice.

I often don't give a phone number at all unless I WANT the person/company to call me.

fat buddha

10/11/2011 at 15:15

any call offering service of a domestic appliance, or help with a computer software issue is a scam UNLESS you requested the call.

yesterday we had a guy call trying to sell us a finance package for the temps and contactors we recruit for our clients.

I asked him if he'd looked at our website - yes, he said.
me: and what do we do?
him: you recruit staff for your markets
me: so does it say we recruit temps or contractors?
him: well, no - but I thought you might?
me: you just "thought" we might? so you made a wrong assumption eh??
him: I guess so.
me: well I'll finish this call and send you off with a flea in your ear.
him: what's a flea in my ear??

at that point I put the phone down. poor ignorant soul doing a shit job.

kittenkat

pirate

10/11/2011 at 15:19

fat buddha wrote (see)

a simple method of getting rid of cold callers at home is to leave the ansaphone on and never take the call.

We've got an even simpler method. The phone line has a fault and most people can't get through. I would have had it fixed but I made one of the most stupid mistakes re my phone line, Broadband etc..

I left BT and went to a shit company who tell me that BT will probably charge me to fix the line.

It's a long story but as soon as we can leave that contract we will.

Friends and family always email of call the mobiles so i'm not worried about not having a land line, just cross with the f/wits we've changed to.

Wilkie

10/11/2011 at 15:50

KK, I didn't have a land line for years - didn't miss it at all!

I gave it up because it had a fault, and BT wanted to charge me over £100 to fix it, if the fault was within my premises. I told them they could keep it.

I had it re-connected, and broadband, a couple of months ago. BT would have charged me £120 to find the fault and re-connect the line, Orange did the same job for £60 (which they still haven't billed me for).

The guy who came to do the job worked for BT Openworld.

SuperCaz

10/11/2011 at 15:55

I once told a cold caller that I sympathised with them having to do that job, but that that they do have options. There are some free or cheap qualifications you can do to help you get out of your deadend job and find something better, because she didn't deserve to put up with the flak that she was getting in her current job.

Hubby was listening in and told me off for being so patronising.

kittenkat

pirate

10/11/2011 at 15:56

Wilkie wrote (see)

KK, I didn't have a land line for years - didn't miss it at all!
I gave it up because it had a fault, and BT wanted to charge me over £100 to fix it, if the fault was within my premises. I told them they could keep it.
I had it re-connected, and broadband, a couple of months ago. BT would have charged me £120 to find the fault and re-connect the line, Orange did the same job for £60 (which they still haven't billed me for).
The guy who came to do the job worked for BT Openworld.

Yeah, this has been a nightmare, and because of this company's inability to work with a direct debit, my internet has been cut off 3 times at least.

Through no fault of my own and every time on a Friday afternoon.

You can imagine how much happiness and good will was flowing through my house on those occasions!

Beware Of The Fish

10/11/2011 at 16:11

We've been on the TPS for many years - I think I registered our current number within a couple of days of moving into the house. As a result we get very few cold calls. As mentioned previously however, if you're a customer of a company then they can cold call you as much as they like unless you specifically tell them not to by ticking the right box or telling them. Make sure you read carefully what you're ticking however as sometimes they'll deliberately word questions the opposite way round to try to trick you, something like 'tick this if you don't want us to phone you' & 'tick this if you do want us to send you sales stuff through the post'. I've even seen ones with so many negatives that it's difficult to work out which way it ends up, but I think that's not allowed these days (tick this if you don't want us not to ring you).

Sussex Runner (NLR)

10/11/2011 at 16:13

If the phone companies don't put a stop to this I can see a day when we all don't bother with landlines.

xine267

10/11/2011 at 16:14

We are registered with TPS, but had problems with the international cold callers a few years back and as mentioned by other posters, TPS has no jurisdiction over the international cold callers.

We spoke to someone from TPS for advice and they told us not to answer the phone if caller display showed an international number (or one of the really weird numbers like 09111111111) - apparently even if you answer and tell them to get lost, they will record your number as 'live' and then sell it on to other companies.

XFR Bear

10/11/2011 at 16:29

On a related subject, I'm surprised with all the drive to be environmentally friendly that there hasn't been more pressure to cut down on junk mail. I don't think I've been particularly keen to give out my details but even so a high percentage of my mail is unwanted stuff - and bearing in mind not only the paper used but the fuel etc to transport it around the country, it seems really un-green.

SuperCaz

10/11/2011 at 16:45

I always leave the phone to ring at least 8 times before answering, unless I recognise the number (we have caller display on the phone). Most cold callers either hang up after 8 rings, or soetimes they are ringing several numbers at a time and hang up on the others when the first person answers.

If someone really wants to speak to you then they will let it ring more than 8 times. Also, if can take at least 8 rings to reach the phone from some parts of our house.

blue steve

10/11/2011 at 17:55

What I do is be polite and have a conversation with them .don't give any personal details out . When the cold caller says " can I as you some security questions " . I respond with " can I ask you some security questions " . " how do I know you are the Halifax , British gas , or who ever ? Gets rid of most !

Bruce C

10/11/2011 at 19:10

Depending upon my mood I quite like 'playing with the cold callers' it can be a good stress reliever at the end of the day ... my favourite is :

Caller: "Hello, can I speak to Mr Bruce C please"

Me : "Hello, its Inspector Jones of Wrexham CID here, can I ask your relationship to the deceased."

Caller (generally if they're still on the line): "errr errr errrr, we don't know him etc."

Me: "Well I'm afraid we're going to have to take your details and ask you to report to your nearest police station as a material witness I'm afraid, as you are the first person to ring following the incident so we near to ensure you'r not a party."

this can then go on for ages .. its best with Indian call centres as they just don't get it and go in to real panic.

Other favourites are; just saying random words in answer to every question until they give up, start getting really really creepily friendly with them and inviting them out for drinks and holidays together, and trying to sell them random household items.

Solent Runner

10/11/2011 at 19:42

I'm with Virgin and am a bit fed up with the cold calling. Seem to get an average of 2-3 calls a week and just feels a waste of time to pick up the phone, hear that it is cold calling, often not a person but automated message then hang up.

I read somewhere once I can pay Virgin to have my number taken off the cold calling list, but do not see why I should have to do that.

Badly Drawn Bloke

10/11/2011 at 20:46

Solent - I'm with Virgin and they have called a couple of times to try and flog their mobile service but nothing else. Call or write and tell them that you opt out of marketing calls from them. They then have to take you off their list. No need to pay them for it. Then register with the TPS. I posted the like on the first page.

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