Was this the rudest cold caller ever?

[otchayaniye]

I was at home looking after toddler while husband slept off his night shift (small one-level apartment)

Phone goes and it's a marketing call from Sony, obviously from overseas (from someone called Dayan, so am thinking South India, or likely Colombo), asking if I had a Sony TV. I briskly said I did, bought when I lived in Asia but that I was sorry, I couldn't talk now as I was busy putting child for a nap and didn't want to answer questions (he was reeling off my address to me). I then clicked off.

Phone goes again. It's him. I repeated that I couldn't speak as people sleeping and noise will wake them. He continued to ask for my postcode. I said no and clicked off.

Now you'd think I'd turn my landline off. But since moving back to the country just picked up any old phone and cannot for the life of me work out how to mute it or switch the damn thing off. Really, I'm good normally with electronics but this has a plug I can't reach and you can't mute it on the actual phone itself. Plus I was in a panic trying to run away from all the sleeping people so they wouldn't wake up.

He calls. Says he 'doesn't care about sleepers, I will keep calling 'ma'am' until you give me your postcode'. I click off.

This ridiculous farrago goes on 20 times with him calling back to shout at me that he 'will get my address!' and me saying "no!" and clicking off.

Eventually I go out into the corridor and chuck the phone on the roof!

[otchayaniye]

try to register with TPS. Thanks.

[Nanny0gg]

I take it his number was withheld?

[otchayaniye]

Yes. Am thinking of calling Sony (if it was genuine) to complain. He gave his first name. To be honest I was trying NOT to talk and shout (did raise my voice and tell him to 'go away') but on reflection should have asked to speak to his manager

[SchrodingersMew]

I doubt it would actually have been Sony, sounds more like a scam.

When I was on the phone when it happened to me, I demanded to speak to his manager and he just said no. So doubt that would have helped.

[cory]

We've been registered with TPS for years and still keep getting cold calls, some of them very rude and annoying. But noone has ever been this persistent.

[rebl]

We're registered with TPS and we still get cold calls. They're never as rude as that but some are very persistant. The worst are BT imo.

[MadEyeMoodTEE2072]

Next time, cut the landline cord with a pair of scissors. You can always buy another one.

Why even have a landline if no one ever calls you on it?

[otchayaniye]

Because MadEye very occasionally people will call us, plus its a means of buzzing open the gate outside to let people in, and also my mobile is a work Blackberry.

This isn't so much about how useless I am with a phone, more about asking if anyone had come across such weird, mental behaviour from a cold caller.

[joric]

Otch.. Err, your phone sounds inconvenient... No mute, no lead to pull out of base, can't pull it out of wall because of bookcase, can't leave it off the hook, can't smother it in cushions to dull ring sound ( no cushions)... Well, that leaves the same suggestion made by someone else and that is - answer phone, put phone on side, walk away. Nobody can ring you back until you cancel the incoming call. Even if they put the phone down.
Oh, and buy a new phone.

[otchayaniye]

I will buy a new phone, this was some crap our tenants had when we lived abroad.

[joric]

And vow never to rise to the bait of bored cold caller again- he was messing with you because you were mad at him.

[Empusa]

We had a cold caller like that. It went on for days! We ended up just unplugging our landline and telling everyone to call us on our mobiles.

[otchayaniye]

Sounds like a job that can easily send some people a little unhinged!

[ChaosTrulyReigns]

If you're thinking of a new landline phone, I'd recommend Sony.

And their Customer Service is unparalleled.

[MadEyeMoodTEE2072]

HA! Chaos.

Actually, OP, what kind of phone is it? Maybe we can find you some instructions!

[posterofagirl]

@chaos

[Animation]

Yes - unhinged or psychopathic!

Some good quick thinking there OP - phone on the roof.

[HerHissyness]

When I have had calls from sales people that won't give up. I answer the call, but leave the phone on the side and go off and do stuff, I don't talk to them, merely answer and then leave them talking to no-one.

It's surprisingly effective.

[SchrodingersMew]

NightGarden Haha! Would have had to have been 4Chan! I didn't know that about the PSN.

[otchayaniye]

"but leave the phone on the side and go off and do stuff, I don't talk to them, merely answer and then leave them talking to no-one"

I've done this with my mother.

Interesting what you say inthenightkitchen about anti-Sony behaviour.

[PigletJohn]

Of course register with TPS. That will stop reputable double glazing co's phoning you. You will still get foreign scammers whgo don't feel any respect for UL law.

It's very useful to have a phone with Caller Display. This shows the number that's calling you. Most of them have an Address Book that you can load up with numbers of friends and family, so you can call them, and it will display their name when they call you. Some of the new cordless phones, like Siemens, can copy the Addresss Book from one phone to another. Some can also copy from/to the SIM card from your Mobile phone.

"Number Witheld" means it is a UK company that doesn't want you to be able to call them back. Lots of large companies do that.
"Not Available" means it is an overseas caller, usually an Indian scammer.

If I make the mistake of answering one of these, I usually say "hold on a moment please" and go and do something welse. Occasionally I shout "won't be long now" while they're hanging on. I'd rather waste their time than have them waste mine.

I know someone who, on receiving a call from a scammer, says "Before we continue, let me carry out some security checks. What's my account number, and the first and third characters of my security code?"

[dazzlingdeborahrose]

There's starting to be more and more of these types of call. I get them at work from somebody asking who my energy supplier is. I politely say, this is my work number and I prefer not to answer these questions at work. They answer but it will only take 5 minutes?!!! I then say no thank you and hang up. Last time I was very blunt and told them to take my number of the database and not to phone me again!! We'll see. The idea that I may not want to give personal details to a complete stranger in view of all my work colleagues never seems to cross their minds. At home, I have done the "could you hold while I turn off the stove" thing - put the phone down and walk away. They stay on a hold for a remarkable long time before they twig that I'm not coming back. Generally now if there's a pause after I say hello I assume it's the automated dialler and hang up straight away.

[MummyTigger]

I had one cold-caller at one point who took offence to my stepdad telling him to fuck off and never call again, so the prick took our telephone number and started calling at random hours in the middle of the night. There was this whole thing about "Are you a badger? Because I'm a farmer, and I'm gonna come shoot you down".

No really, I shit you not.

He'd ring up at like midnight and just keep screaming "Badger!!" down the phone. We had to get the police involved before he finally stopped. Some people have absolutely no life...

[Scaredycat3000]

I had one the other day who threatened to marry me!? I had pointed out that he couldn't speak to Mrs. Scardy as I have never married, which also meant he couldn't speak to a Mr. Scardy, etc. He started getting very odd and was starting to concern me. I am registered with the TPS, but this only works for UK companies that have signed up. You do have my sympathies, I also live in a small flat, napping toddler, night worker DP and cold callers.