Reply to: Stopping Nuisance Calls

[Sysman]

There is only one good solution: talk with them ultil they are fed up with you more then you are with them.

Whenever some telemarketer calls, engage in a conversation. Talk with him. Ask him questions, especially difficult ones. Make him gather data. Ask him to repeat everything twice. When the call is about to be finished, ask him to call again.
Also, ask for the personal data of the telemarketer, his name and age. In a friendly way of course ("Oh, you are 27? I have a cousin who is 27, that reminds me of what my aunt was saying about when she was in Spain and it started raining..." etc.).
Try to make friends with them. Thank them for calling, since they are the only people calling you nowadays. Tell them about your personal problems and ask them for advice.

Bonus points when your talk really has something to do with the product they are trying to sell. Someone offers you a health insurance? Make a sigh how precius yet undervalued human life is, then ask if the insurance covers a broken heart. Ask the consultant if he was ever really in love.

If you are lucky to be being called by a woman, include some sexist remarks.

The most important thing is to ask them to call again. Again, again and again. My record was about 10 calls from a single consultant, then his boss (a nice resolute lady BTW) and it lasted for about 3 weeks. She was very upset in the end, not sure why.

With that attitude you will end up on every blacklist any telemarketing company has. They will display a warning on a wall in their office not to call you anymore. They will install an alarm bell that rings anytime some newbie tries to dial your number.

You must know that there are not that many telemarketing companies. Often some selling company orders a campaign in a telemarketing company to call as much people as possible to sell their products. If you are blacklisted by one company on one campaign, you will not be included in any future campaign.

If you can not fight the enemy, then at least troll them.

This sounds like a productive use of benchtime.

I sacked the landline and I don't want another.

[oscarose]

Dispatches - Channel 4

Hope this helps.

[xoggoth]

You stalking other CUKers ladies again DP?

[DimPrawn]

OP, if you PM me your ex girlfriends number, I will call her and see if I can help.

[xoggoth]

Now when the phone rings and it says "Unknown" I hesitate to answer

There is a difference between unknown and withheld. Legit callers may select the mobile option to withhold a number but few, if any, unknowns are legit.

[mudskipper]

You what? That looks like line noise.

Latin line noise.

[zoco]

There is only one good solution: talk with them ultil they are fed up with you more then you are with them.

Whenever some telemarketer calls, engage in a conversation. Talk with him. Ask him questions, especially difficult ones. Make him gather data. Ask him to repeat everything twice. When the call is about to be finished, ask him to call again.
Also, ask for the personal data of the telemarketer, his name and age. In a friendly way of course ("Oh, you are 27? I have a cousin who is 27, that reminds me of what my aunt was saying about when she was in Spain and it started raining..." etc.).
Try to make friends with them. Thank them for calling, since they are the only people calling you nowadays. Tell them about your personal problems and ask them for advice.

Bonus points when your talk really has something to do with the product they are trying to sell. Someone offers you a health insurance? Make a sigh how precius yet undervalued human life is, then ask if the insurance covers a broken heart. Ask the consultant if he was ever really in love.

If you are lucky to be being called by a woman, include some sexist remarks.

The most important thing is to ask them to call again. Again, again and again. My record was about 10 calls from a single consultant, then his boss (a nice resolute lady BTW) and it lasted for about 3 weeks. She was very upset in the end, not sure why.

With that attitude you will end up on every blacklist any telemarketing company has. They will display a warning on a wall in their office not to call you anymore. They will install an alarm bell that rings anytime some newbie tries to dial your number.

You must know that there are not that many telemarketing companies. Often some selling company orders a campaign in a telemarketing company to call as much people as possible to sell their products. If you are blacklisted by one company on one campaign, you will not be included in any future campaign.

If you can not fight the enemy, then at least troll them.

Crikey - can I have the potted wersion of that please?

I think the OP was statingvthat it wasn't so much the content of the. calls but no the the mi binnus

[Oh Come On Not Again]

There is only one good solution: talk with them ultil they are fed up with you more then you are with them.

Whenever some telemarketer calls, engage in a conversation. Talk with him. Ask him questions, especially difficult ones. Make him gather data. Ask him to repeat everything twice. When the call is about to be finished, ask him to call again.
Also, ask for the personal data of the telemarketer, his name and age. In a friendly way of course ("Oh, you are 27? I have a cousin who is 27, that reminds me of what my aunt was saying about when she was in Spain and it started raining..." etc.).
Try to make friends with them. Thank them for calling, since they are the only people calling you nowadays. Tell them about your personal problems and ask them for advice.

Bonus points when your talk really has something to do with the product they are trying to sell. Someone offers you a health insurance? Make a sigh how precius yet undervalued human life is, then ask if the insurance covers a broken heart. Ask the consultant if he was ever really in love.

If you are lucky to be being called by a woman, include some sexist remarks.

The most important thing is to ask them to call again. Again, again and again. My record was about 10 calls from a single consultant, then his boss (a nice resolute lady BTW) and it lasted for about 3 weeks. She was very upset in the end, not sure why.

With that attitude you will end up on every blacklist any telemarketing company has. They will display a warning on a wall in their office not to call you anymore. They will install an alarm bell that rings anytime some newbie tries to dial your number.

You must know that there are not that many telemarketing companies. Often some selling company orders a campaign in a telemarketing company to call as much people as possible to sell their products. If you are blacklisted by one company on one campaign, you will not be included in any future campaign.

If you can not fight the enemy, then at least troll them.

[Zippy]

1) Unplug the landline
2) See 1)
3) (assuming you answer unknown nos on the mobile) As soon as you hear "Good afternoon Madam, How are you today?" hang up,
4) Buy a box that blocks nuisance calls

[DiscoStu]

I've installed a blocker on my mobile to block known dodgy callers but have hesitated to block unknown numbers because a lot of agents seem to withhold their numbers. Why?

Now when the phone rings and it says "Unknown" I hesitate to answer because it could either be an agent offering me my next role or a PPI / accident claim scammer.

Because once they know where you're interviewing and who your two references are they don't want you calling to bother them about the imaginary gig they've just been telling you about.

[Kess]

I've installed a blocker on my mobile to block known dodgy callers but have hesitated to block unknown numbers because a lot of agents seem to withhold their numbers. Why?

Now when the phone rings and it says "Unknown" I hesitate to answer because it could either be an agent offering me my next role or a PPI / accident claim scammer.

[mudskipper]

Bought a blocker for my mum. Works a treat.

Problem with TPS is that it blocks marketing calls, not people calling on the pretence of doing surveys, or offering advice on saving energy etc etc....

[xoggoth]

What Pogle and others have said. Get a BT phone or other device that blocks calls by type. I wouldn't block withheld as sometimes reputable callers do that but blocking international or no information calls cuts cold calls in a major way. You can also block specific numbers.

TPS seems a complete waste if time as are similar paid for services.

PS You might find some cordless phones have limited range but you can still plug in a normal phone and switch the ringer off.

[v8gaz]

I'm on TPS as ell, and if anyone does call, ask them if they have heard of TPS. They have been known to hand out large fines in the past, so it normally results in a swift, 'sorry to bother you' and a hang up

[vetran]

About as much use as a chocolate teapot.



All my phones are registered & it makes not a ha'path* of difference.


*For the uninitiated, that's half an old penny, a "ha'penny", as in "tuppence ha'penny" or "three ha'pence".

<ZG in "instruction in obsolete currency" mode>

I must be unloved we have been on TPS for years and apart from some accident claim chancers and once a month PPI i'm pretty good.

I do use the Rape alarm indiscriminately on the worst cold callers.