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!

[myob]

I had a cold call once (can't remember what it was selling). I firmly but politely told him I wasn't interested and he screamed SHUT UPPPPPP at me very loudly! I was so shocked I couldn't even answer for a second!

[Andrewofgg]

A useful method is a referee's whistle, blown very hard and as close to the mouthpiece as you can.

[myob]

I read somewhere on here about someone giving the phone to there 3 year old - might try that with my 2 yaer old DS. A few minutes of his gibberish, they'd soon hang up!

[LoveBeingAbleToNamechange]

I have previously told some that I will call the police if they contact me again and have ranted at them for do long they have hung up on me

[fit2drop]

When "philip" from somesoddinwhere rang me I squealed "oh I knew just knew you would contact me once you heard I was pregnant, daddy daddy its philip,.... philip daddy wants to speak to you, hes not very happy about you running off like that .

click

Philip,philip? philip?

made me titter anyway.

[islawhiter]

I had a man from marks n spencers conducting a survey about womens lingerie and would i like to win £50 if i entered survey, the questions were what nickers and bra am i wearing at mo and could i be more descriptive, I said "no" im calling the police, dirty bastard.

[gorionine]

I would think scam if he was so persistant. I had a caller once wo wanted my credit card details I refused to give them several time and when running out of excuses to not give it I said "I cannot find it anyway" to which caller answered " I do not mind staying on the line until you find it!" It was so obvious that I burst out laughing and hung up. He did not call back.

[debivamp]

if i get a sales call i ask them to hang on and put the phone on secrecy mode and just leave the phone - give them a big phone bill :-)).
I also send junk mail back in the prepaid envelops provided. revenge is sweet - always makes me smile.

[gorionine]

I like your style debivamp especially the the junk mail one! Let them do the recycle!

[Starchart]

I dunno about rude, but the one that had me rofling went like this:

CC: Hello, if you were able to have 1,3 or 5 windows replaced for free, how many would you choose?

Me: None.

CC: I'm sorry, that wasn't an option!

[unpa1dcar3r]

"Unplug the phone at the socket?"

Behind a heavy bookshelf - I did try!

Buy a hamster, they chew through the wires. I know this from experience!

[unpa1dcar3r]

I dunno about rude, but the one that had me rofling went like this:

CC: Hello, if you were able to have 1,3 or 5 windows replaced for free, how many would you choose?

Me: None.

CC: I'm sorry, that wasn't an option!

I've had that one. I just say sorry I live in an igloo and it's about to melt.

[catpark]

My mum lives on the 3rd floor of a block of flats and she had someone call about consevatories,

Caller :- We are in your area and have great deals on windows
Mum:- Already got them
Caller :_ What about a conservatory
Mum :- You'd have a hard job, I live in a flat on the top floor
Caller :- Nothing's impossible madam !

[glassescase]

I had one trying to get me to have a new mobile with a "cheap" rate. When I said I was not interested, he ranted "ARE YOU MAD! ARE YOU STUPID?" over and over. Later, he rang to apologise, so I thing it had been played back by a supervisor.

[duchesse]

How about this one:

Cold Calling Man: "Hello, this is XX calling from XX, to talk to you about XXX..."

Me: "I'm sorry to interrupt you, but are you cold-calling me? We are on the Telephone Preference Service"

CCM: "Try telling someone who cares!"

or

Cold Calling Woman: "Hello, this is XX calling from XX, to talk to you about XXX..."

Me: "I'm sorry to interrupt you, but are you cold-calling me? We are on the Telephone Preference Service"

CCW: "Well, since you've been polite, I will take your details off our list" (erm no actuallyu, lady, you will take our details off your list because you are in breach of the law if you continue to call me despite knowing that I"m on the TPS)'

[islawhiter]

Got rid of my land phone now and i love my mobile, every in-coming call is screened and its dead cheap

[M0naLisa]

since registernh with the TPS i have had nothing but nusience calls from cold callers. Grrr

[SchrodingersMew]

UnpaidCarer That windows one if from Weatherseal! I worked in there for a little while and some of the responses you get that don't make you want to kill yourself are really quite funny.

Made the day a bit better. :)

[fit2drop]

islawhiter we got rid of our landline after too many problems and bad customer service from Virgin. And I actually just realised for the most part of the previous 2 years the only calls we ever got on it were cold calls most everyone we know or need to speak with use our mobile numbers. Even hossy appointments leave texts to remind you.
Dont miss my landline one little bit.

[BalloonSlayer]

As far as I understand, if someone rings you, and you don't put your phone down, they stay connected to you and can't use their phone any more as as soon as they pick it up, there you are.

So if you had left him ranting on and on, but put the phone down somewhere with a cushion over it for, oh i dunno, a couple of days, he would not have been able to phone anyone else, and had a big phone bill too.

[islawhiter]

fit2drop -my sentiments exactly

[edwinbear]

I have started handing the phone to my 23 month old when they call me. DS can babble in his own made up language for hours, works a treat.

[islawhiter]

Especially good when the mum in law calls

[unpa1dcar3r]

I had 5 calls recently trying to consolidate my debt.
But I don't have any I said the 1st 3 times. the 4th i let him explain to me what he meant by that for a few minutes.
the 5th one my eldest answered and said quite bluntly "Fuck off" before putting the phone down (she's not as patient as me)
He rang back to beg me not to hang up, claiming he could help me by removing my name from his list blahdeblah.
Ok said I. Gave him more details than I wanted to and guess what? Next day i got another call from soneone wanting to consolidate my debt!

Aaaaaaargh

[skybluepearl]

don't hang up. just walk off and leave them on phone talking!