I love Cold Callers....

Neil · 10-02-2011, 14:31

Just had a nice chat with with Roger on the phone, what a good honest Indian name I thought.

It went something like this.

Roger: How is your day
Neil: Well it was ok
Roger: I am calling from xxxxxx about your gas and electricity.
Neil: We don't have gas and electricity in this house
Roger: You buy your gas and electricity from British Gas yes?
Neil: We don't have gas and electricity in this house

And that's when he put the phone down on me, I was disappointed, I have another 3 minutes to wait while this wallpaper softens ready for sticking on the wall.

I will have to try harder to confuse the next one

One called a few days ago asking for me by name, I told him that I was very sorry but Neil was dead, he hung up as well.

lancsdave · 10-02-2011, 15:25

I had one ring the shop on Tuesday telling me he had been appointed the Legal Advisor for the BB5 area. When I asked him what he was legal advisor for he said he could reduce interest rates on credit cards

. I just put the phone down on the counter and left him rabbiting on, was a good few minutes before he realised I wasn't there

flashy · 10-02-2011, 15:33

it's ok for you two, i got one the other day and it was an automated call, at least you two could answer them back

Eric · 10-02-2011, 15:40

Don't you guys have a "do not call list"

The largest fine handed out to a Canadian company for bugging folks on the "list" was Bell Canada, the phone company

Eric · 10-02-2011, 15:42

It goes something like this https://www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/index-eng

shillelagh · 10-02-2011, 16:12

we do eric .. thing is they just ignore it ... ive been on it for years but still get them cold calling ... what bugs me though are the ones who have started ringing my mobile ... got one from claims advisory the other day automated saying if i needed them to ring this number ..

Margaret Pilkington · 10-02-2011, 16:14

We have the Telephone Preference Service....it does dramatically reduce the number of calls you reeive, but doesn't get rid of them entirely.
I'm sure that I read somewhere that they have difficulty in filtering the calls from the Asian Sub continent.

I have had quite a bit of fun with some of these callers.
One asked to speak to my husband and I pretended to be the Coroners officer...investigating his sudden, violent death....wanted to know how the caller knew this man and if they had been in contact with him over the last 24hours.......was nearly weeing myself with laughing.

Margaret Pilkington · 10-02-2011, 16:15

I don't leave my mobile switched on.......I only switch it on when I want to phone someone. My mobile is for my convenience, not theirs.

Eric · 10-02-2011, 16:25

And is there nothing in the UK like the CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) which will gather complaints against telemarketers and levy penalties for non-compliance?

Margaret Pilkington · 10-02-2011, 16:30

Yes Eric, there is......it is Commissioners of Information Office....if you subscribe to the TPS and a company cold call you, they are breaking the law, and hefty fines can be levied against the comapnies who persistently break the law.
I tell cold callers this (having got the name of the company first)...surprisingly when they hear this the phone goes dead.

Eric · 10-02-2011, 17:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Yes Eric, there is......it is Commissioners of Information Office....if you subscribe to the TPS and a company cold call you, they are breaking the law, and hefty fines can be levied against the comapnies who persistently break the law.
I tell cold callers this (having got the name of the company first)...surprisingly when they hear this the phone goes dead.

Ok ... that clears it up .....

Still, I do feel a tad sorry for the poor sods who have to work as telemarketers. It's the modern equivalent of being put in the stocks

I'll have to check my Dante, but I'm sure there must be a circle of hell where bad sinners, like those who support tory parties, spend and eternity as telemarketers calling creatively insulting people.

Gordon Booth · 10-02-2011, 17:37

When you move house and change to a new phone number and ISP(so new 'e' mail address) the peace is lovely-no cold callers, no spam-yet! I'm waiting to see how long before they catch up with us.

Barrie Yates · 10-02-2011, 17:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gordon Booth

When you move house and change to a new phone number and ISP(so new 'e' mail address) the peace is lovely-no cold callers, no spam-yet! I'm waiting to see how long before they catch up with us.

Good for you Gordon - we keep getting one that is No Witheld and when we say "Hello" they hang up - averages 5 or 6 calls a week, but nothing else yet other than 2 calls saying we had booked a wedding venue and we needed to call them back to finalise arrangements - Really

Less · 10-02-2011, 17:53

I had one the other day perfect English, announced straight away where they were based,
Sorry I said, can you repeat that, they did, sorry I'm not quite getting what you are saying, I replied.
I'm speaking English, how can you not understand me? Came his reply.

Well I'm sorry, but after more than 10 years getting used to all the other cold callers, it's a language I no longer understand on the house 'phone.

Gordon Booth · 10-02-2011, 17:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barrie Yates

Good for you Gordon - we keep getting one that is No Witheld and when we say "Hello" they hang up - averages 5 or 6 calls a week, but nothing else yet other than 2 calls saying we had booked a wedding venue and we needed to call them back to finalise arrangements - Really

Perhaps it's a secret admirer who just likes to hear the sound of your voice, Barrie. The wedding venue booking is just a broad hint!
See what Feb 14th brings!!