Moronic cold calls

[Me76]

I had one the other day and once he said he was from a company I don't have an account for and asked me if I had a few minutes I said "No, and actually you shouldn't have my number as I am on the telephone preference service" He went totally quite and hung up after about 10 seconds.

Then remembered I am not any more as I have changed from BT to SKY for my line rental and felt even more smug. It does scare them.

 

[newme]

I just hang up, immediately having ascertained its a cold caller.

 

[berniedicters]

I had a call just the other day. UK number came up on the Caller ID, and then I got the "We're just making a courtesy (WTF?) call about home improvements and double glazing" spiel. When I said, in a nice matter-of-fact way, that we were on TPS, she got really quite grumpy and slammed the phone down. Result

 

[Herbsman.]

I always forget to play around with the fuckers I just say im not interested or 'no thanks' and hang up

 

[DexterTCN]

I always forget to play around with the fuckers I just say im not interested or 'no thanks' and hang up

Oh no....I pretended to have a panic attack when Royal Bank of Scotland phoned me selling insurance I should buy because 'you never know what might happen'.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

I keep getting calls from 'The Telegram Office' yeah, right I am actually old enough to know that telegrams don't really exist any more. They are trying to get me to give info about my neighbour who 'they can't deliver to'. SCAM writ large, methinks, or very dubious debt collectors. I wish they'd just fuck off, and I am registered with telephone preference but I still get at least 5 cold calls a week

 

[berniedicters]

I keep getting calls from 'The Telegram Office' yeah, right I am actually old enough to know that telegrams don't really exist any more. They are trying to get me to give info about my neighbour who 'they can't deliver to'. SCAM writ large, methinks, or very dubious debt collectors. I wish they'd just fuck off, and I am registered with telephone preference but I still get at least 5 cold calls a week

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1697241

Capquest. One of the nastier debt collection agencies.

I think I'd be inclined (now I know) to go for a kind of "Telegram office? I do believe you're telling me a naughty little lie, there. Now why would someone want to phone me up out of the blue and tell me lies, hm?" type line on that one.

My ex used to work for the FHSA (place where medical records were held - I think it's the PCA now), and they were plagued with calls all the time from debt collection agencies and insurance companies trying to scam information out of them. They used to have special training in how to deal with it, but since most of the people working in the place had the cognitive ability of grass, it was a fairly futile business - these were the kind of people whom a timeshare salesman would feel pity for. So debt collection agencies and the like, naturally, cut a swathe through them.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Thanks for the info.....
Well, I emailed trading standards because I resent cold callers trying to wheedle info about my neighbours. I got out of my sick bed to answer the last one

 

[Andrew Hertford]

been done before but still funny...

That was brilliant. I wish I had the guts to do something like that!

I too am registered with telephone preference but I still get calls now and then. Sometimes I politely ask them to hold, go away and then wait ages before hanging up. Possibly a pointless thing to do but it makes me happy.

 

[Badger Kitten]

I am nice to them, as I feel sorry for them. But I don't have a landline so I don't get many callers. I just say, sorry, I'm not a good prospect for you, it's not worth it, becaue [ give a reason]have a nice day and hope you get a few sales. If I have a bit of time I let them do their spiel and then they can chalk me up as ''an effective call'' and not get in trouble with their manager.

(( poor cold calling call centre people))

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Poor Mrs M, off sick with a hacking cough and who is hurting with every breath who has hauled her aching carcass towards the phone five times since 9am to find four of them to be cold callers. I now realise most cold callers ring when I am at work as normally I only get about five a week at evenings and weekends...so much for the telephone preference service. I'm getting a cold call every half hour

 

[Pingu]

despite being on tps we still get the odd one or two

we have decided the next double glazing one we get we are going to get someone to come out... and photograph them when they see we already have new double glazing. this will probably be after they have spent an hour trying to find us and then waited oh so patiently at the gates to be let through whilst we "pop the dogs away"

 

[strung out]

i dont have a landline

 

[Mrs Magpie]

I don't have a mobile. I have had the same landline number, in three different houses for over 20 years. This is good for old overseas friends I see once in a blue moon but bad because I'm sure our phone number has appeared on commercial lists all over the world

 

[Mrs Magpie]

I've just had another one! Telling me I've won a holiday in Florida.
This is ghastly.

 

[Badger Kitten]

(( Mrs M)))

 

[berniedicters]

I am nice to them, as I feel sorry for them. But I don't have a landline so I don't get many callers. I just say, sorry, I'm not a good prospect for you, it's not worth it, becaue [ give a reason]have a nice day and hope you get a few sales. If I have a bit of time I let them do their spiel and then they can chalk me up as ''an effective call'' and not get in trouble with their manager.

(( poor cold calling call centre people))

I agree up to a point. And there's sometimes a kind of vibe when they ring which has me disposing of them politely. But some - and not a few, either - are pushy, cocky, and won't take "no" for an answer. Those people are fair game, in my view, for somewhat more evil tactics.

As far as I am concerned, they have encroached on my privacy by telephoning me at home, often to my inconvenience, and they'd better be bloody polite and reasonable about it if they're wanting me to buy their stuff. If they're not bloody polite and reasonable, and I express my displeasure by wasting their time, then that's fair enough to me. There's probably no call ever for being abusive or downright offensive (though I've been sorely tried on occasion), though.