Getting really p*****d off now with constant INTERNATIONAL CALLS, anyone else have this problem?

[cleverclogs]

My phone rings constantly with people from India trying to get me to switch bank accounts or phone providers. They dont take no for an answer and I got to swearing point with one caller. (they had tried to ring my number 11 times that day)I run my business from home and use my residential line for calls so it's really annoying.

Complained to BT, but not much they can do ....

anyone else get this?

[NomDePlume]

I get peed of with cold callers, can't say I restrict my annoyance to those calling Internationally or from India, though.

[FairyMum]

Yes very annoying! I have also noticed they now use local numbers as in 0207-numbers to fool people who don't normally pick up when it's says "international " on the display.

[DissLocated]

We get this all the time as well. We registed with the Telepone Preference Service but this only stopped UK based calls, now we are bombarded with calls from India.

Haven't found any solutions though, we normally find that after swearing at them they leave us alone for a few weeks.

[deegward]

Yes me too, although since I todl them to bog off the number has reduced. We can't not pick up as have family & friends abroad at times, it annoyes me as usually happens when bathing boys!

[babyonboard]

my dp always says..'very interesting, give me a sec to grab a pen', then puts phone down on table and leaves it for an hour or so..

[Windermere]

Yes, they want to speak to dh though and when I answer they just hang up! Without fail they will always ring when ds is having a nap

[Gumdrop]

I found registering with the telephone preference service (and mentioning it to every erk who called since) worked well with the UK cold callers. [Perhaps someone kind and knowledgeable will add a link]?? Please?

I don't think it works well for the o/seas ones, and it doesn't get rid of my personal bug bear ...........

(Adopts American accent)

Hi, this is Stacey / Becky / Nancy.
You are the lucky winner of a trip to Florida / a trip to the moon / a trip down a treacle mine

Just dial (insert rip off phone number here) to claim your prize.

Go on, what do you have to lose?..........

Erm, my money? my privacy? my temper?

[cleverclogs]

It' not in my nature to be rude but I really let fly at some poor bloke the other day. I jst feel that they have nerve ringing me up like that, it feels like an invasion of privacy.

Constant phone calls from my mum are bad enough

[gingernut]

We are registered with the Telephone Preference service too which is definitely worth doing. Any calls that do get through are usually from abroad. We have caller line i.d. as well and as they usually say `withheld' I don't answer them (I don't answer any withheld calls...if they are genuine they can leave a message). Any that we do answer we put onto speakerphone, put the phone down and get with something else while they witter on. After a few mins we go back and replace the phone on the hook without saying anything (they've usually given up by then anyway). Once my dh did put ds2 (now 8.5 months) on. He was in a very gurgly mood and the person at the other end was quite confused .

[lemonice]

Have you signed up for the telephone preference service? This works pretty well if it's a residential line but not allowed on a business lineTPS

I work from home but have 2 lines, don't get these calls much on home phone but do on work one since i signed up...

[QueenOfQuotes]

I try to be as polite as possible to the people who call - it's not them that decide to cold call people - it's the people that employ them

[cleverclogs]

baby on board what a great idea!!!!!

[foxinsocks]

I have just started letting ds (3) and dd (5) answer the phone because I was so pissed off with it ringing constantly (something I swore I would never do because it's so irritating when you call someone and the child answers and doesn't get the adult!).

This, however, has done the trick with the international call centres and we have had only one call so far (this week) in the evening when normally, the phone would ring every half hour or so.

[Chandra]

I'm registered with the telephone preference service and since then the number of calls has been significantly reduced, the few ones that I get are normally shorter as as soon you inform them that you are in a list not to receive calls and tells them that they will get a fine, they appologise and hang away.

[cleverclogs]

QofQ, it doesn't work!!!! I had a call from OneTel and I politely explained that was I wasn't interested but he wasn't having it. He was practically arguing with me! so in the end I hung up and he RANG BACK and was so smug and condescending, in the end I really let rip and was in tears afterwards.

The thing is, I have caller display on my phone so I know whats coming but if I dontpick up they keep ringing (hence 11 attempt in one morning) so i have to answer and say no bt they still wont listen

[DissLocated]

Chandra - I do that but they tend to back off for a week or two and then start up again.

[ChaCha]

We had this for a while. I find the international calls frustrating as when i pick up the phone there's a long pause, an echo and the person on the other end sounds like an automated answer service rather than a human being. I also don't like to be rude on the phone but it always seems to happen when you:
a) are waiting for an important call
b) have just flown up/down the stairs in an attempt to answer before the machine picks up
c) are up to your eyeballs in something or other

I remember how frustrating it was when i tried calling '3' customer services..needless to say, did not stay with them for v.long.

Ahhh...its nice to rant sometimes

[babyonboard]

Does anyone else get the thing where you answer and the line is silent? thats evenmore annoying..we had it every day at exactly 1pm and 8pm
for a while i was quite worried, as the number was withheld, but my fdad said they had the same thing and often call centres will use an automated dialler which saves staff having to call and get no answer. the computer is meant to pass it on when you answer, but they do it so often that the staff are all busy and you just end up with a dead line.
this practice is apparantly in the process of being outlawed..and rightly so!

[cleverclogs]

YOU ARE NOT GONNA BELIEVE THIS, I have just had another call from Kays (?catalogue) wanting to provide me with a phone service I think (why on earth would they do that?)

they said this was a special offer reserved for priviligd customers only (not a customer actually - huh!)

They must think we were born yesterday, but then obviously some people fall for it, so it must be worth their while

[Chandra]

We have had that with Space kitchens, they are a living nightmare. But in general the volume of the cold calls is so low that is not stressing any more. We have also decided not to pick up the phone between 6-8 but that was out of the need of an interrupted dinner/family time rather than the cold callers.

[babyonboard]

and ChaCha...omg 3 customer 'service'
i won't get into that as i could rant for days...

[lemonice]

Cleverclogs..I've had them ring back too.

I don't get them much on the home phone because of TPS but the worst culprits are Cordwell Communications, and One Tel I think.

[Chandra]

Have you signed up with other companies (any companies) recently, if you didn't specify that you want them not to sure your details with other companies that may be the root of all the problem.

[cleverclogs]

it was the guy from onetel who started arguing with me! I will never-ever buy any of their products or serices because they have made me so angry, perhaps they should read this thread.

Should I email them with a link

[moondog]

Iscreen all my calls.
Funnily enough,am never bothered by these...