Im totally fed up with these people who call me up and try to get me to buy from them over the phone.
Despite being regestered with the telephone preferance agency, i still get cold calls.
Today i lost my temper and blew my cool with someone trying for the umteenth time trying to sell me insurance on my sky box,i raised my voice and let fly so the caller actually hung up an not the other way around,
I know the person on the other end is only doing a job,and probably works on commition but they are intruding in my life whithout being asked.
how else do we deal with them your answers on a post card please.
Barbara, I now dont answer if I dont recognise the number. Not good is it, Im with the telephone preference service too but it hasnt made a lot of difference, tried registering with them again too, still getting them.
Dont wonder you lost it. I do too, especially when they try target my son who is more gullible than I am because of his problems.
If any unwanted callers ring, they are told that I died on 17th November last year. I pose as my brother or somebody working on the now empty flat. Suzi wouldnot do this at first, but did a few weeks back and I didn’t die. Apart from a ressurection a couple of months ago ‘they’ have got the messge and don’t phone.
A bit extreme perhaps, but it has worked. My days are very lonely now.
I registered with TPS and their sister company Mail Preference Service and I don’t get junk mail or cold calls at all now, it worked for me - the one time I did get a cold call, I told them that they shouldn’t be calling as my number is registered with TPS, they apologised and hung up.
l registered with the TPS and MPS - but still get lots of junk mail and phone calls. Calls from centres abroad - usually lndia are not - apparently controlled by the TPS. l do like the others and just put the phone down and let them carry on - they soon give up. Or l just press the button to cut them off. No good getting into any conversation with them. l have probably cut off bona fida calls by mistake.
If it is a UK based company ringing you, you need to report it to the TPS. The way to deal with them on the phone is…
Very politely, ask which company they are calling from, ask their name, get a contact telephone number and also where their office is based and make sure you write their answers down. If possible do this in ‘normal’ chatty way. Once you’re happy that you have all of this info, tell them you are registered with the Telephone Preference Service and will be reporting them as soon as you get off the phone and thank them for all the info you require to do this to ensure their company is fined.
It may be that they put the phone down before you get all the info, but you can report them even if you only know the company name. Make sure you do report it (you can do it online) as the company will be fined (can be upto £50,000 I think). Them hopefully they will realise that buying proper number lists which have been TPS checked is actually cheeper at the end of the day.
I keep a pad and pen by the phone with the questions to ask written on, ready for me to fill in when the next one comes along (in case I forget what to ask).
This isn’t such a silly question - even the councils are selling our details on their databases (you can opt out if you remember to tick the box!)
What gives people the right to sell on information given to them in confidence? It’s time the law was changed and you have to opt in not opt out of these databases.
Every time I give out my telephone number for a bona-fide reason I can bet a new round of calls will follow.
I’ve tried various tactics: speak to them and then put the phone into a cupboard while I contnue to prepare dinner; tell them I’m on TPS and they shouldn’t be calling (had a promise they will take me off of their database - funny as I understood they were supposed to check TPS before calling!); I’ve been so tempted to tell them that “Thank you for your call, I’m doing a survey on firms/people who cold-call on the telephone” and then go on to ask some really naughty questions and see how long they stay on the line.
So much for telephone nuisance calls - JUST DON’T GET ME STARTED ON JUNK MAIL.
Someone l know who has worked for Tesco for years told me - she never uses the ‘clubcard’ as Tesco do sell are details on.l know the county councils sell our details - but l think you can tick a box on the election form to stop that.
Letters addressed to “The Housholder”?
Mark them “Not known at this address” and put back in the post box.
I have heard of another technique for dealing with the “foreign” voiced caller who is not selling anything, but just carrying out a “quick survey”. Answer every question with “YES”. So the conversation goes like:
“Mister X ?” Yes
“Are you interested in financial planning ?” Yes
“How much would consider investing ?” Yes
“Do you have children ?” Yes
“How old are they ?” Yes
By now, you have got the general idea. It is their call, they have paid for it, and I am quite willing to help them spend their money.
Keep a very shrill whistle by the phone, then when you get such a call, blow the whistle into the phone as hard as you can.
It will not stop the calls, but you have the satisfaction that you have caused pain to the caller, RESULT.
I understand that when telephone exchanges were manual, with mainly female operators, they were issued with whistles to use in this way, should they be subjected to abusive/indecent calls.
What makes me cross is I have a feeling that some of the people calling know I have MS, they always ask for me by name. I do try and keep calm but sometimes you just can’t be bothered with it and instead of getting cross I just cut them off in mid flow, they don’t call back. Sometimes wish I could do that to people I know, I don’t know about you but I find it very hard and tiring trying to concentrate for more than 5 minutes on the phone these days.
Thanks-I am ashamed to say that I wasnt thinking how difficult it was for them doing their job.
I have never been abusive and would never wish anyone pain/harm but will deal with any calls in a better way in the future-by using a firm no thank you and hanging up.
The same applies if a person was to break in/enter my house uninvited, being an electrical engineer they would find I have a number of bobby traps, that would certainly cause them pain .
Not necessarily. My daughter has friends who work in a call centre because it was the only employment available in our area. In places like India getting one of these jobs is like winning the lottery…they finally have an income to feed their families and put a decent roof over their heads.
I wouldn’t do the job - completely soul destroying.