Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Do you play along with those 'have you had an accident' cold calls? 😜

96 replies

JFDIYOLO · 04/07/2023 23:44

I usually have some fun … then I spotted a twitter thread and have been taking notes for next time cos I really must up my game!

Some favourites:

'I did the same. Told them I must have amnesia from the accident and I'd like to claim. So they asked me for details, I said I couldn't remember but if they knew I had an accident, they could tell me what happened. Just went round in circles after that till they hung up.'

'I once told an ‘accident’ company during a scam call that my ‘injuries’ had involved decapitation. They continued the call…
I was happy to waste their time and gradually explained that I’d lost my ability to see/hear/speak etc. They just didn’t get it… 🙄'

'Saying you've had both of your legs bitten off by a Giant Crocodile, normally shuts them up.'

What are your favourite answers?

OP posts:
Hiddendoor · 04/07/2023 23:52

Yes, I've often responded with "OMG THERE'S BEEN AN ACCIDENT? HAVE YOU PHONED THE POLICE?!" and then thoroughly "misunderstood" them when they try to explain that they are essentially ambulance chasers.

Sometimes its fun.

Seeingadistance · 05/07/2023 01:37

I used to have fun with these calls, and this thread made me realise I’ve not had one for ages.

As476 · 05/07/2023 01:43

I used to tell them I was driving a mini bus, let them go on for ages and give them fake injury details for 10 passengers, before politely informing them I didn’t have a license, could they still help? One swore before hanging up 😂.

WandaWonder · 05/07/2023 01:44

Someone I know from ages ago says 'which accident is this? I have had more than one"

AppleDumplingWithCustard · 05/07/2023 01:57

Yes, I told her that sadly I’d died. She kept on talking to me. 🙄

LordSalem · 05/07/2023 02:09

"Yes, I was in an accident and unfortunately it was fatal. Oh my god! Have you found the other half of my head?!"

TheCraicDealer · 05/07/2023 02:17

My dad does this- sadly I have been there on a few occasions when he’s played along and I‘ve been seriously concerned I will expire from cringing. I just think a) it won’t stop them, b) it would be wasting my time as well as theirs, and c) it’s probably a really shit job for someone who doesn’t have a pile of other options. Just hang up and block the number!

I’ve not had one in ages either tbf, wonder why they’re no longer so prevalent.

TooBigForMyBoots · 05/07/2023 02:21

I pretend I'm a bit deaf and pass them on to teenage DS. Him and his mates have had an ongoing competition since before Covid to see who can keep the call going longest.

If he's not home, I just hang up.

Furries · 05/07/2023 02:28

No, it won’t stop them, but every second spent on the phone to someone like your dad is time that they won’t spend on someone else.

I am beyond the point of caring if it’s a “shit job” for someone. These types of calls really piss me off. My mum has had a spate recently (not ambulance chasers, some stupid tax rebate guff). She had 15 calls in a day, luckily I was there the following day. I answered her phone 3 times and took great pleasure in telling them to bog off.

DogbertMcDogglesworth · 05/07/2023 02:37

I was once visiting my eldest, who got a cold calling ambulance chaser, literally at the same time, his partners phone rang with the same.
They put their phones on loudspeaker and the confusion of those two callers asking about their accidents was hilarious. Both sides trying to explain that they hadn't had an accident, they were calling about an accident.
I filmed the exchange and every time I want a good laugh, I watch that video.

KissinInAnAppleTree · 05/07/2023 02:39

The best one I ever heard was a manager at work, picked up another managers extension. She was a matron type who took no prisoners. Suddenly, she starts pretending to be a dipsy secretary. The entire office listened as she pretended to try to find the person they called, putting them "on hold", had fake conversations with other people trying to track down their boss who'd had a car accident. She had them on ages. It was hilarious and everyone was shocked she actually had a sense of humour!

Frequency · 05/07/2023 02:46

Not with cold callers but I do with tech scammers. I usually pretend to be very untechy and a bit dense eg "Start? No, I don't see a button that says start on my keyboard..." The PC I'm using is always realllly slow too.

My Dad was caught out by them once. He is genuinely very untecchy. It got to the point where they syskey locked his PC and started asking him for money. That is when he panicked so he very helpfully gave them my phone number and asked them to call me Hmm

We both now get daily calls from various tech scammers.

EvenmoreDetermined · 05/07/2023 05:14

Yes, I usually give them all the details of the accident I had, what happened, where, what the damage was, it takes a while but eventually the ask the date and I tell them it was in 1986. They hang up at that point. I know its a shit job but they are scammers and if it saves one other person getting called that's good.

CherryogDog · 05/07/2023 05:22

I say yes I've had an accident, but he's 32 now and it's all water under the bridge these days.

YukoandHiro · 05/07/2023 05:30

EvenmoreDetermined · 05/07/2023 05:14

Yes, I usually give them all the details of the accident I had, what happened, where, what the damage was, it takes a while but eventually the ask the date and I tell them it was in 1986. They hang up at that point. I know its a shit job but they are scammers and if it saves one other person getting called that's good.

They aren't scammers their employers are. Often they work for call centres which have multiple clients so the same person could tomororw be the lovely person at the end of your call about something you really need to get sorted.

It's not fair to string them along as their pay is based on call rate. You're not punishing the scamming businesses, you're leaving someone with a below minimum wage rate for that hour of work they have the misfortune to call you.

Just hang up.

CapEBarra · 05/07/2023 05:34

Yes, I enthusiastically tell them I had to have my legs amputated after falling off a ladder changing a lightbulb in work, although to be fair I probably shouldn’t have attempted it after drinking a bottle of wine. And then I say, “It’s brilliant you’ll be able to get compensation for me. When do we start and how much do you think you’ll be able to get?”

AuntieMarys · 05/07/2023 05:42

I say it was such a bad accident I died

MaidOfSteel · 05/07/2023 05:56

I just say 'no, thank you' and put the phone down. I feel bad for people having to make cold calls like this for a job; they might've been forced into it by the possibility of Universal Credit sanctions. So I can't bring myself to be rude or have fun at their expense.

EvenmoreDetermined · 05/07/2023 08:36

I just hang up or say no thanks to all the ones pretending to be from Microsoft, EE etc, but somehow the accident ones make me want to string then along. I know it's a shit job etc but I am more concerned about the people being scammed by it all.

newnamethanks · 05/07/2023 08:55

No. I tell them I died in that accident. They hang up promptly.

Deathraystare · 05/07/2023 09:05

@AppleDumplingWithCustard

Terrific!

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 05/07/2023 09:06

No, it won’t stop them, but every second spent on the phone to someone like your dad is time that they won’t spend on someone else

Nope, the rest of the people in call centre they're working in will be doing that. Always amazes me how often this simplistic line gets trotted out - people seem to think this is a couple of scammers in an interet cafe and not a big organisation.

HorribleNecktie · 05/07/2023 09:07

I tell them the accident wrecked my anus and they usually hang up after that.

Gateappreciation · 05/07/2023 09:08

I once had the same person ring me every day at the same time for a week. I turned it around and asked her questions about her life. That foxed her.

EvenmoreDetermined · 05/07/2023 09:09

I don't for a minute thing its an amateur in an internet cafe, I know perfectly well how these things work but the logic is still the same, that caller will hopefully manage one less call during their shift.