Dealing with cold callers

[ColinJ]

It sounds like somebody was winding you up mate

Honestly, this one was thick as FOUR short planks!

My number also happens to be similar to a local C.A.B., a local dentist, a Tourist Information Centre and a local police station! I've had repeated calls for all of those. Once I had a call from a very angry, determined and mistrustful old fella. The conversation went like this:

• ColinJ: Hello, this is ColinJ.
• Old Fella: I want to speak to the person in charge!
• Colinj: I'm sorry, you have dialled the wrong number - this is yyyyy xxxxxx.
• Old Fella: Don't give me that! Put me through to your commanding officer now!
• ColinJ: Who do you think I am?
• Old Fella: I know exactly who you are - you are the person who mans the switchboard at the police station and I want to speak to your commanding officer. Put me through to him now, or I'll see to it that you lose your job!
• ColinJ: I'm sorry that you don't believe me, but you've dialled my home number. This is not the police station. I'm going to hang up now. [I hang up]
• Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring... (damn, the old guy is at it again!)
• ColinJ: You've done it again, I'm hanging up.
• Old Fella: How dare you! I'm goin.... [I cut him off]
• Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring!!!
• Eventually, I unplugged the phone .

 

[Tharg2007]

you answer the phone confirming your name? i wouldnt, I give nothing away to someone calling.

 

[ColinJ]

you answer the phone confirming your name? i wouldnt, I give nothing away to someone calling.

Most of the time now I don't even answer the phone if I don't recognise the number. On the rare occasions that I respond to unknown callers, I now simply say "Hi" and wait for them to say something. If it's a wrong number, I try and help them. If it is a sales call or some weirdo, I just hang up and then I won't answer if they ring back.

 

[Dave Davenport]

I always give a polite but firm 'sorry I'm not interested', it's not there fault they've got a crap job. On a couple of occasions when I've been bored I've had quite nice conversations with people in India.

 

[Plax]

ColinJ, I'd be inclined to change my telephone number!
I changed my number a few years ago. When I first bought my house there was no phone line so I got one put in and requested I be ex directory etc. BT gave me a number that used to belong to a local computer shop and I was fed up of getting calls (or usually answering machine messages) for them. Also had an extremely high number of cold calls. So I complained to BT and then changed my number. Been brilliant ever since. Have the odd call here and there but I have caller display so don't bother answering any International or Witheld numbers. Anyone that knows me usually phones my mobile first anyway. Also disabled the 1571 so no bugger can leave me a message either.

I've registered with the telephone & mail preference service and taken myself off the main electrol roll (so I'm on the one where the council can't sell your details on to third parties).

I only get one piece of junk mail now and then - from a Window company. It used to be addressed to the previous owner, but I sent it back saying "No longer at the address" so they've now just changed the title to "The Owner". Since it is the only junk I get (other than that crap Royal Mail post through your letter box, which I think you can also stop if so inclined) I've not bothered to write to them to tell them to stop.

Giving the phone to the guinea pigs was class though. I'll have to try that next time. My boys have a good pair of lungs on them when carrots or parsley are involved!

 

[MarkF]

I used to hand the phone to one of the kids. That was good. My wife gave me abuse about it but they deserve it.

Me too, I am registered witht the TPS but still get 5 or 6 calls a week, I say "just a mo" and give the phone to my kids. they then sing songs to the caller and think it's great fun

 

[sheddy]

I did something similar to that, someone tried to flog me a conservertory I let them give me all the speil and showed that I would e really interested and would love a conservertory.
Delighted thay asked when they could book an appointment I replied any time, but there was one slight problem....
"What?" came the reply?
I then informed them that I was living on the 13th Floor of a council highrise!

+1, but I told them that fitting patio doors might be dangerous

 

[Graham O]

This one happened a few years ago:

Caller: Hello can I speak to Mrs O?

Me: No, what's it about?

Caller: She filled in a questionnaire a few weeks ago and we wanted to give more information.

Me: I don't think she did

Caller: Oh yes she did, I've got it right here

Me: I don't think so

Caller: It's got her signature on it

Me: I don't think so

Caller: Why don't you think so?

Me: Because she died 3 years ago, now F*** Off.

I really hope I upset the basta*d as much as he deserved.

 

[blue trice]

the cold caller

the last, and there have been very few, was female,
I told I was just about to get in the shower and there is a spot in the middle of my back I can`t reach and I would appreciate
her imminent arrival, there was a few seconds silence-----
she shouts down the line gnikucf pervert and hung up,
situation resolved.

blue trice

 

[byegad]

Ask them who gave them your number and then tell them you've just had it done by their firm. Then ask if would they like to buy some 'gear'? If they say no than say OK and hang up. If they say yes ask them for their name and tell them you'll report them to the drugs squd.