Giving a cold caller the cold shoulder

[Corgi Kid]

A few years ago a cold caller knocked at my house selling double glazing. Now this really p*ssed me off because I was trying to have a sleep before starting work. I decided to wind the poor sod up and invited him in. He went all through his rehearsed speach and what the company could offer. He asked if i was interested and I said yes. He then proceeded to sell me 13 windows and a new front and rear door all top of the range and fitted free. He even offered a discount if i signed up there and then. The total came out just short of £9000, Go on then I said, He then proceeded to fill out all the forms and asked how I was paying and did I want them using the companies payment scheme. Why not what the hell. When he asked for my employment details i told him I was on the dole and the house was rented. That certainly finished him off. He picked up his sample bag and all the paperwork he had wrote out ever so neatly and left without even a goodbye. That was the best hour and 40 mins ive wasted. Do call again

 

[subaqua]

Go here..


http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/



What is TPS?

The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) is a central opt out register whereby individuals can register their wish not to receive unsolicited sales and marketing telephone calls. It is a legal requirement that companies do not make such calls to numbers registered on the TPS.

The original legislation was introduced in May 1999. It has subsequently been updated and now the relevant legislation is the Privacy and Electronic (EC Directive) Regulations 2003.

Who can register?

The term individual includes consumers at their residential address, sole traders and, except in Scotland, partnerships.

How long will it take to become effective?

Once a number has been registered it will become effective in 28 days.

Is there any charge for registering?

No, it's free to register on the TPS.

Who pays for TPS?

No money is received from the Government to run the Service, the direct marketing industry pays for it.

If someone does ring me up i just tell them that i am part of this service and how did they get my number... they hang up.

I like it when the tw@s tell me i have to keep reregistering every month or it goes back to avaialble to call. by that time i usually manage to get the company name and their name which makes it easy for the information commisioner to start a prosecution

 

[Blue_icicle]

If I am particularly bored when I get a cold call I play the reversal game on them...

I let them have their opening script, which usually involves them telling me their name, then I start...

Hello John (or whatever fake name they have given me) - for security purposes, I wonder if if you could just answer a few security questions for me before we continue...

What is the first line of your address and postcode?
What is your DOB?
next I need the card number from your credit card ...
And the 3 digit security number from the back of the card ....


At this point they usually try to determine that they are talking to the person they thought (or their screen told them) they thought they were calling. Now if you managed to pick it up from his opening script, you now tell him that you are John (assuming thats the name he gave you) from the Company name that he gave you...

If he hasn't hung up at that point, you can get into quite an involved conversation about how you are also calling from the same company and you thought you were speaking to a mug on the other end, i.e the computer says you are joe bloggs from wales... how has it connected us 2 together?


I confuses them, and for the duration you are on the line it stops them pestering someone else.

Next time that number calls, if you are really really bored, you can start as soon as you pick up the phone... hello I'm john from xxxxx for security purposes etc.....

 

[Black Sheep]

I've had a spate of the "Accident" ones in the last few days.

was it when rushing to answer the phone to a claims management company?


I have recently asked E-ON's polite sales caller to mark me down as an abusive caller, this confused her until I explained "You're polite, friendly and just doing your job but I don't want to hear from E-ON again after they sent bailiffs round to collect payment on a gas bill from a property with no gas supply. So rather than shout, rant and rave about it, just note down that I swear like a trooper and am abusive and hopefully that'll do the job"

she was trying hard not to laugh and I've not heard from them since.

 

[Manonabike]

I wonder if there is a way one can list all these unwanted numbers in a list with a silent ring tone.... I have asked in the shops for a phone handset like that but so far I can't find one.

Technically, this should be ever so simple to achieve. My phone already allows me to put these numbers with a specific ring tone, so I don't have to rush or stop something I'm doing to answer the phone, however, it would be better if the ring tone was silent

Does anybody know of a land line handset that allows the recording of its own ring tone?

I should invent one a make a million

 

[MarkF]

I am registered with TPS, have been for a few years, yet we still get cold calls everyday. I can't be arsed to be polite, I just hang up, my wife does the same, I don't buy this "They're only doing a job" crap, they are mostly ringing me up, uninvited, to lie. Currently, I'm being plagued with "accident" texts, I don't reply but I'd like them to stop.

If my daughter answers then she likes to sing to them, Beyonce stuff usually, she really enjoys it.

 

[JonnyBlade]

The silent calls are bloody annoying! Also, whilst applauding those that have taken the time and put in the effort needed to learn another language, my hearing is not the best and pidgeon English might as well be dutch!

 

[asterix]

most of ours come from Indian based call centres offering dodgy telephony and internet deals, to the point of persistence. As you know, most of the callers adopt anglicised names such as "Jonathon" and "Katherine", but of course the accent gives it away.
When they identify themselves we've taken to saying things like "Hello Katherine, this is Sanjit" or "You're speaking to Ramadesh" which tends to puzzle them no end so it's easy to get in a "no thanks" and hang up.

I'd have thought 'rustychisel' was confusing enough!

 

[swee'pea99]

I am registered with TPS, have been for a few years, yet we still get cold calls everyday. I can't be arsed to be polite, I just hang up, my wife does the same, I don't buy this "They're only doing a job" crap, they are mostly ringing me up, uninvited, to lie. Currently, I'm being plagued with "accident" texts, I don't reply but I'd like them to stop.

If my daughter answers then she likes to sing to them, Beyonce stuff usually, she really enjoys it.

I have to say I'm really surprised to hear this. As others have said, signing up to TPS didn't stop cold calls, but it did reduce them drastically. Are you sure you're still registered? You do know you have to re-register once a year, yes?

 

[subaqua]

You do know you have to re-register once a year, yes?
[/b]

Oh no you don't if you registered a residential number
http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/faq/

FAQ 16

 

[swee'pea99]

Oh no you don't if you registered a residential number
http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/faq/

FAQ 16

I stand corrected.

 

[chris-s]

When our lad was little we use to tell him it was father christmas on the phone wanting to speak to him or I would just try to sell them chickens, frozen, fresh, free range or not and I'm quite persistent, or at least I was. We cured the problem by unplugging the phone and haven't had a landline phone in the house for several years. Fortunately they haven't tracked down my mobile.

Chris

 

[MarkF]

See'pea, yes, I am registered. I should have said "recently". TPS was an enormous help, the cold calls dwindled away to practically nothing, but, over the past 6 months or so, they've started up again.

 

[Blue_icicle]

I wonder if there is a way one can list all these unwanted numbers in a list with a silent ring tone.... I have asked in the shops for a phone handset like that but so far I can't find one.

Technically, this should be ever so simple to achieve. My phone already allows me to put these numbers with a specific ring tone, so I don't have to rush or stop something I'm doing to answer the phone, however, it would be better if the ring tone was silent

Does anybody know of a land line handset that allows the recording of its own ring tone?

I should invent one a make a million

If you can upload mp3's to use as ringtones on your phone, just make yourself a silent mp3 and use that

 

[vernon]

Fortunately they haven't tracked down my mobile.

Chris

They will.......