To think daytime cold-calling is getting out of hand?

[Chil1234]

Got this week off work for half-term and the phone is ringing pretty much every hour with cold-calls. I'm registered with TPS but caller display shows 'Unavailable International' quite often and the call starts with pause.. click... followed by distant voice pronouncing my name wrong. Normally I'm not in all day so I suppose I don't notice it. And I have several friends overseas so 'Unavailable International' could be one of them. Has anyone found the same thing? And, beyond 'not picking up the phone' have you found a good way to tackle it?

We had the same problem and had to by a Truecall, you can get them on Amazon... It screens all your calls for you, very clever!

Buy not by!

Thanks!!! Will check that out

I just can't believe that anyone ever buys anything from these people. They must be otherwise cold-calling wouldn't exist! There must be some v.gullible people out there!

Really Penelope that never works for me. We have been with TPS for years and also have asked companies to stop contacting us. It is such a pain in the neck the constant ringing.

The problem with the other suggestions is that you still have to pick the phone up and talk to them. With my Truecall it doesn't even ring unless it's someone I have approved. If its a number that is not recognised, a computer lady asks them to state their name (all without ringing) at this point most people hang up... But say it's someone who has not been approved, she says for example 'auntie joan' the phone then rings and tells me it's auntie joan, would I like to accept?

The cheapest option by far is to tell BT you're getting nuisance calls and want your number changed, then make sure you don't sign up for anything or give away your phone number.

The calls don't seem to be made from the UK and I wonder if TPS doesn't extend to other countries?

YANBU I never knew about this until I was home all day on maternity leave! I'm not sure who would buy stuff over the phone but someone must. I also get a fair number of wrong numbers/general oddball calls (must be a daytime thing!) - the other day I had a very interesting conversation with a man from the wheelchair maintenance service who was very keen to come round and fix our wheelchair (and seemed distinctly disappointed when I assured him we had none!)

We are registered with TPS and have suddenly started getting loads of cold callers. Glad we aren't the only ones.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Security Code suggestion - I'm so using that (if I can not spoil it by laughing).

When I was a teenager we used to get lots and we'd just leave the phone off the hook and go away. It was amazing how long you could leave it and then come back and still hear someone chuntering on.

The TPS can only limit your calls, it can't stop them entirely unfortunately - you may have given details to someone else and ticked the box to say you can be contacted (in which case the TPS won't override this), it could be a market research call, it could be a company based overseas selling you their products, it could just be someone breaking the rules - trouble is I can't really be bothered to hang around and find out which it is, I just tell them goodbye and put the phone down.

We get a fair few of these 'international' type calls. I'm very wary of them - a lot of calls we get seem to be about wheedling information out of you, which companies/services you use etc. One chap (who claimed to be from BT) started shouting and swearing at me because I refused to divulge information about my broadband provider to him. BT have assured me that the call didn't come from them...

I usually answer any questions with a question (their name, which company, where they got my number from) and refuse to confirm any information about me at all. That Truecall sounds interesting though, must look into that.

TPS only works for UK based call centres. I had a spate of foreign calls when I was on Mat leave asking for my DH, until I told one person in anger that he had died that morning! He was stood next to me with his mouth wide open as I burst into tears to tell them the full sad story (I was very sleep deprived). Strangely this seemed to stop all the calls for ages...

My Dad works from home and relishes these calls now, his favorite trick is to try and get them to give him as much information about themselves whilst giving as little back. So if someone wants to know what Broadband he uses, he asks them what they use and says its only fair that they share information back! He knows a heck of a lot about people in call centres now.

I used to get mad, now I just get silly

We're with TPS as well, doesn't seem to stop them all. Particularly the ones who say "we're doing a survey" rather than "please buy something".

It's BT selling the details on, because they all ask for my mum (long story, but bill is in her name).

I usually just say "no thankyou" and hang up, but might be tempted to try asking them questions instead.

I am with TPS but recently I've had a lot of calls from companies dealing with something to do wth debt that have had my number sold to them by a comparison website. I ask where they got my number from, most do admit it then I tell them to remove my number and not call again. One did put the phone down o me the moment I asked. Most dont call again but there are more and more companies sprnging up.

The worst though are the automated ones that say. "DONT HANG UP THIS IS A GENUINE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT"

I've been getting international calls from a call centre asking for the lady who lived here before us - she didn't have our phone number! It was changed when we moved in, so not too sure how the 'company' have managed to link her name to our number.

My main problem is with those bloody recorded messages. You don't even get the satisfaction of telling them to bugger off, and unless you listen to the whole damned thing they just keep coming and coming.

I've also been getting international calls asking for the previous resident, for a "survey". I've repeatedly told them she doesn't live here, but they will not take the number off the list until I do their damned survey, whatever it is. Over my dead body will I be dictated to by a call centre.

We've had a recurrent one telling us that our computer isn't working and we need to log on to our computer and follow his actions, blah, blah,
After the 3rd time in a week we just gave the phone to DS ( 2.5 ) who found it a great thrill to yell, "ELLLO!? WHAT YA DOIN?".
The company haven't phoned for a while now,,, i think they got the message.