Cold Calling

[clapham_gull]

Probably done to death on here, but does anybody else think that ringing somebody up at home to sell goods or services should be banned ?

Was rang up by a company this afternoon (insurance I think) and was asked to give my date of birth and confirm my address.



It's annoying because I'm registered on the Telephone Preference Service.

I'm very, very rarely at home during the week, since if I'm on holiday I'm usually out and about. I had 5 or 6 calls that were dead when I picked up the phone.

Anyway I refused - and after a little digging found the company was linked to the Halifax.

Rang the Halifax (with which I used to have an account) and it was explained to me that the TPS database is quite useless because if in the past I had forgotten to explicitly say I didn't want my details passed on to anybody, those details are around for other companies to ring up.

I've now wasted a phone call making sure the Halifax inform all their partners not to ring my number.

We got rid of out answer machine because of it, because it was always full of short burts of nothing when we got home from work.

Just make it illegal - anyone else agree ?

The most bizarre call I had was last year from Barclays asking me whether I wanted to change my mind about not wanting them to ring me at home.

 

[nail-Z]

I quite agree. It's an invasion of privacy. I find those that knock on your door equally as intrusive. I tend to be quite blunt with them these days...

 

[SNOOBS]

Never understand em anyway

 

[hitony]

Its more than intrusive...........downright bloody rude!!

BAN IT I SAY !!!!

 

[bhaexpress]

Agreed, a regular pain in the arse especially when you're at home watching TV. Can't see the point as I have never been the remotest bit interested in having anything to do with that sort of business anyway. I can't say I know anybody else who has either.

 

[dannyboy]

by far the worst i find are those catalogues you get through the door (bettaware?) we get about 4 a week form various companies. then you have to put it on your doorstep on a specific day for them to return to pick it up. Now if you forget they start to annoy you by leaving notes through your door asking for their f***king catalogue back. then they start knocking on your door. Listen mr f***kwit i didnt want it in the first place. i just throw it in the garden and let it get wet a few days.

had someone ring me up the other day aswell. i answered said hello and the first thing the person said on the other end was can i confirm my name. hold on a second, no hello? no hi im mr blah blah ? no just asked me my name. whats that all about? they got a lot of abuse either way.

rant over

 

[Jimbo26]

I am just waiting for the day I get a cold call and I have a celebrity soundboard running on my computer. Someone like Samuel L Jackson would be good !!

 

[Gully]

I had someone phone me up on my mobile the other day, the bloke on the other end confirmed my first name and then the line went dead...gawd only knows what that piece of information will be used for, probably set myself up for loads of nuisance calls. Somewhat bizarrely the number phoned from wasn't witheld but began with 0208, which I believe to be London, was half tempted to phone it back and ask what they wanted...maybe that was their aim.

 

[dannyboy]

I had someone phone me up on my mobile the other day, the bloke on the other end confirmed my first name and then the line went dead...gawd only knows what that piece of information will be used for, probably set myself up for loads of nuisance calls. Somewhat bizarrely the number phoned from wasn't witheld but began with 0208, which I believe to be London, was half tempted to phone it back and ask what they wanted...maybe that was their aim.

yeh 0208 is an outer london number

 

[scooter1]

Probably done to death on here, but does anybody else think that ringing somebody up at home to sell goods or services should be banned ?

Was rang up by a company this afternoon (insurance I think) and was asked to give my date of birth and confirm my address.



It's annoying because I'm registered on the Telephone Preference Service.

I'm very, very rarely at home during the week, since if I'm on holiday I'm usually out and about. I had 5 or 6 calls that were dead when I picked up the phone.

Anyway I refused - and after a little digging found the company was linked to the Halifax.

Rang the Halifax (with which I used to have an account) and it was explained to me that the TPS database is quite useless because if in the past I had forgotten to explicitly say I didn't want my details passed on to anybody, those details are around for other companies to ring up.

I've now wasted a phone call making sure the Halifax inform all their partners not to ring my number.

We got rid of out answer machine because of it, because it was always full of short burts of nothing when we got home from work.

Just make it illegal - anyone else agree ?

The most bizarre call I had was last year from Barclays asking me whether I wanted to change my mind about not wanting them to ring me at home.

I had 5 or 6 calls that were dead when I picked up the phone.
This used to happen to us and we had BT put a trace on the call. What it is/was, was an insurance company. What happens is when one of their call centre numpties ends a call their telephone system automatically dials a number from their "prospect" database and rings you. By the time you answer the phone, the numpty has already taken another call from another punter and you are left with a dead line, and if you try 1471 you get a withheld number as its from a call centre. I thought this had now been outlawed by Oftel, but perhaps its still going on

 

[Goodfella]

At first i used to politely tell them that i wasn't interested and could they please not contact me again.
Now, i just tell them to f*** right off, or i'll ram their genitals up their arse.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

I had 5 or 6 calls that were dead when I picked up the phone.
This used to happen to us and we had BT put a trace on the call. What it is/was, was an insurance company. What happens is when one of their call centre numpties ends a call their telephone system automatically dials a number from their "prospect" database and rings you. By the time you answer the phone, the numpty has already taken another call from another punter and you are left with a dead line, and if you try 1471 you get a withheld number as its from a call centre. I thought this had now been outlawed by Oftel, but perhaps its still going on

Ofcom has now set a percentage limit on failed calls that are emanating from power diallers. If the company exceeds the amount of failed calls they are liable to a fine. Normally if you tell the person ringing you that you are on the TPS list they abrupty finish the call. Should they ring again just tell them that their company will now be reported to Ofcom as they are not following the correct guidelines and that they are making a nuisance call.

 

[Arthritic Toe]

The TPS works for me. Since registering about 3 years ago I've had hardly any cold calls. If you are registered they are shuld not call you.

 

[cjd]

At first i used to politely tell them that i wasn't interested and could they please not contact me again.
Now, i just tell them to f*** right off, or i'll ram their genitals up their arse.

I was at my 75 year old widowed mothers house last week, and for the umpteenth time she received a phone-call from a company representing "DEFRA". I listened to him all the way through and then he ran out of things to say and started to laugh. I asked him if he was laughing ,because at this stage I presume most people had told hiim to F*** O**...? He replied.."well, actually...yes". To which I replied, "OK then, I just want you to know, that each time people like you phone, my 75 year old disabled mother has to struggle to the phone and gets truly fed-up of these calls........so would you now please F*** Off ...!"
The result was 5 more calls in the next 10 minutes from this company, calling me a C**t etc etc, the last one being from the female supervisor who said, obviously thinking I,m an old age pensioner..." You stupid old C**t. I expect your w**king in your dirty bedsit right now, aren,t you..?"
Tried 1471 but of course..."number witheld".......lovely people really..!

 

[Kenneth Wattle]

The most bizarre call I had was last year from Barclays asking me whether I wanted to change my mind about not wanting them to ring me at home.

I had exactly the same "I notice from your preferences that you don't want to be telephoned, I am just ringing to see if you have changed my mind"

I told them that I had changed my mind, but had ALSO changed my mind about paying my credit card bill.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

They're even worse if you work shifts.

The number of times I've been sleeping after a night shift, only to get woken up by the phone ringing and a chirpy voice on the other end saying "Good morning, I'm calling on behalf of [for example] Crappy McCrap services, and how are you today?".

The reply being "well seeing as you've just woken me up two hours after I've got to bed, pretty bloody pissed off, as it happens". At which point they offer a guilty pause, then brightly launch into their spiel again as if nothing happened, trying to sell me whatever shite is on their list that day.

Registered with the TPS about three years ago, and it seemed to stop them pretty much, but then I started getting them again this year. Hopefully, having re-registered again this year, it should put a stop to it.

 

[hitony]

Excuse my ignorance, but who exactly is "TPS" as we get loads of calls and i will do anything to try and stop these infuriating calls.

Any advice / help will be welcome

 

[clapham_gull]

Excuse my ignorance, but who exactly is "TPS" as we get loads of calls and i will do anything to try and stop these infuriating calls.

Any advice / help will be welcome

Telephone Preference Service

The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) is the central opt out register on which you can record your preference not to receive unsolicited sales and marketing telephone calls to your home or mobile* telephone numbers. It is a legal requirement that all organisations (including charities, voluntary organisations and political parties) do not make such calls to numbers registered on the TPS unless they have your consent to do so.

heres the catch

Organisations with which you have an ongoing relationship, for example those who regard you as a customer, (or in the case of charities - a donor) may well gather your consent during the early stages of your relationship with them and will therefore be entitled to call you even if your number is registered on TPS, unless you have previously told them specifically that you object to them calling you for marketing purposes.

.. back in the old days, when you had to explicity say you didn't want contact (rather than the other way round), these companies (and others they passed your details on to) can still ring you.

Don't angry, just someone doing their job, but remember to tell them NEVER to ring you again.

 

[hitony]

Telephone Preference Service



heres the catch



.. back in the old days, when you had to explicity say you didn't want contact (rather than the other way round), these companies (and others they passed your details on to) can still ring you.

Don't angry, just someone doing their job, but remember to tell them NEVER to ring you again.

Thanks for your help