... to be fed up about these telephone calls?

[BensonRiley]

I am fed up with cold callers. I am fed up with people telephoning, trying to find out about my missold PPI, or when I am going to get my insulation sorted. This happens on a daily basis: it seems to be the only time my landline rings and, yes, I am registered with the telephone preference service. I am particularly fed up with my wretched credit card provider ringing me, then saying they will not go any further until I answer their security questions, but will not answer mine to verify who they are. Short of changing my 'phone number and not answering the door, how do I get rid of them all?

[cardamomginger]

YANBU. I share your frustration. I am also signed up with TPS. I fondly remember the days when the only people who were people you'd actually given your number to and had thereby given permission to call you. Similarly for letters.
Have no idea how to get rid of them .

[ArtfulAardvark]

I dont get many, we are ex-directory but H runs his business from home so we do get a few who get the number from his advert. I am registered with TPS so if I do get one I cut them off VERY quickly and say "sorry I dont mean to be rude can I check where you got my number I am registered with TPS" I have only had ONE who persevered and I hung up.

You dont HAVE to speak to them, other than we were bought up to be polite, honestly if it is that intrusive just say "sorry I am hanging up"

[ArtfulAardvark]

Oh and I dont answer "security questions" for anyone, they can e-mail and write if they need to know something...on the phone they could be anyone, they should appreciate that.

[cheapskatemum]

We don't get that many because we are ex directory & registered with TPS. Those we do get tend to be from abroad & in the evening. ArtfulA, it's all very well saying "Sorry, I'm hanging up", but by then you've dropped everything & bounded across the kitchen to get to the phone before it stops ringing.

I've been at friends' houses when the PPI brigade have phoned 3 times in the time it takes to down a cup of tea! I think so many people are TPS the pool of people they can call is getting smaller, so they get called more often.

[LexiLoganberry]

I hate it too and I seem to be unable to just hang up on them, It's there job and I just don't want to end up feeling like I've been rude to them, but I'm sure they can sense when they've got some like me on the end of the line who's reluctant to hang up.

I hate when people knock on my door much more.

[Mrsjay]

we are registered with TPS but still get them DH asks to speak to supervisors and asks HOW DARE THEY PHONE HIM AT HOME blah blah, I just put the phone down on them

[aquashiv]

Also with TPS and have reported cold callers/marketing calls but they dont seem to be able to stem the flow anymore.

[BeckAndCall]

It is really intrusive for us - we too are registered with the TPS but that doesn't cover the Indian cold calling centres.

More often than not there is a 'pause' when you pick up the phone when they are waiting to connect you to their next available operator. I wait just long enough to check its not a genuine overseas relative and then hang up before they connect.

Or, if they get thru, at the point when they say 'how are you today?' (which is the usual opening line) I say 'fine, thank you, but I haven't got time to talk to you' then hang up.

We had 8 of these calls day before yesterday - seriously, 8 - but none yesterday. It seems to go in waves here....

[CailinDana]

I just disconnected my home phone. I couldn't be doing with it any more - I used to get 4-5 recorded calls a day, not even a living person. I only use my mobile now.

[eurowitch]

I now ignore my home phone and have switched off the answer phone. We only use the landline for the internet. We are ex-directory but appear to have a recycled number that previously belonged to a business. If I'm passing the phone when it rings, I pick it up and say "This is a private ex-directory number. Please take us off your list" and usually get an apology but it is annoying. Otherwise it just gets ignored. Everyone I want to hear from has my mobile no.

[GangstaGranny]

Quite a few of these callers dial random numbers until someone answers, once the phone has been answered then they know they have a genuine number and will continue calling. So many call types are not under the TPS exclusions as they aren't actually selling you anything.
I spoke to someone at BT some time ago about this for advice, even changing your number, theyll start again. On the advice of BT we now have caller ID, iy we don't recognise the number then we don't answer. The phone will go to answerphone and they can leave a message for us if it's a geniune call.

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

YANBU - I had the day off yesterday and was amazed at the amount of phone calls we had!! I am also with the TPS - I just say to them all I am registered with the TPS and you are breaking the law by calling this number - they usually hang up after that.

However, yesterday some chump from a fine wine investment co called about 4 times.....politeness didnt work so I told him to piss off!!!

I am however, thinking of buying a whistle.

[flyoverthegoldenhill]

Betty you should have asked him to send you a free sample.

[JamNan]

I've had six from India this morning. Stupid man kept calling back after and after a couple of polite no thankyous he got a very unladylike mouthful in the end. I get a call at least once a day and as I work from home it really is so annoying and ruins my concentration.

I am with the TPS but it doesn't cover calls from abroad. Does anyone know if you can you block calls from India on a landline?

[JamNan]

Ah hah! I will try that GangstaGranny
BTW luv your name.

[steppemum]

don't answer security questions, They then have a record of your security details and if they are no not who they say they are then they have information about you.

I answer and if it isn't someone I know I say Are you trying to sell me something? They then usually hedge, so I cut across and say I am not interested please do not call again, and put phone down. You don't have to actually follow the conversation, or answer anything, or listan to anything. The only reason I ask, is it gives them a chance to say 'no mrs x it is your dentist I am calling to remind you...' If they aren't genuine. Cut them off.

[EmpressOfTheSevenScreams]

Betty, while I know the whistle is tempting it can get you arrested for assault.

We have caller ID like GangstaGranny, if we don't recognise the number we don't answer.

[grimbletart]

I've been plagued more than usually for the last week with the Sky TV scam and the Microsoft scams.

Although I usually just tell them they are crooks and put the phone down I am actually quite amused at the number of men with Indian sub continental accents called names like Roger, Nigel, John and - I kid you not - Humphrey.

If I am in a good mood I tell them that if they want their scams to be successful they would stand a better chance if they weren't called Roger, Nigel, John, Humphrey etc.

I cannot believe anyone is stupid enough to fall for these low lives.

[OneWaySystemBlues]

Get a caller display and then don't answer any calls that aren't a number you know. That's what we do.

[flyoverthegoldenhill]

I have TPS. Empress do you think scammers are really going to go to the police, as that is what we are talking about for most of these calls. Legitimate calls, such as Doctors, school, etc will not come up with a number on caller ID. I have been polite, I have tried everything. When it is 6 times a day its harrassement. Once when I was polite and said I didn't want whatever and hung up - they rang me back. I've also had one swear at me because I said I couldn't hear him properly. Some people say they hang up if the caller doesn't speak straight away - well several of my family don't speak straight away - guess I just can't win.

[BoulevardOfBrokenSleep]

I know the Microsoft scam, what's the Sky TV one?

I was being plagued by recorded calls going "This is an URGENT MESSAGE!!!! ....about your PPI claim" and I kept hanging up on them. Until it occurred to me one day that if I hung on, there might be some way to contact the company and get them to bugger off. In fact, at the end, it said 'Press 1 to speak to an operator, or 2 if you have already claimed your PPI'. And it was as simple as that.

[ivykaty44]

it seems to be the only time my landline rings

I thought the same 3 years ago and so unplugged the phone - got broadband on cable so don't need a phone line for broadband and have never ever had a cold call since on my landline.

I had to phone an aged aunt and give her my mobile number and explianed I would call her back if she phoned me.

haven't looked back and now have save 612 pounds, which goes a long way to help paying for the heating over the last three years

[freddiefrog]

YANBU

I've discovered a block function on my landline phone and have been merrily blocking them as they ring.

[cheapskatemum]

We have caller ID, but international calls just come up as that, "International". Since DH works abroad & also calls in the evening (usually just to say go on Skype), those are the ones I dash to answer!