To be hacked off with nuisance phone calls from international callers and even more hacked off with EON, Sky and all the companies that they claim to be surveying on behalf of?

[WetAugust]

I get about 5 nuisance phone calls a week. Sometimes several during a single day. The organisation maling the calls is 'Bristish Consumers'.

They are usually from Asian callers who introduce themselbes as 'John Smith' and state they are not trying to sell me anything - just want me to take part in a 'survey'.

This survey wants a whole load of personal data which I refuse to give and also asks if I'm with Sky, Bt, EOn, have paid mortgage protection payments etc - all of which I give ridiculous answers to.

The last one said he was collecting information on behalf of his partner - EON.

It's obvious that they are collecting data so they can pass on to these organistaions so they in turn can ring you about changing power supply company etc.

I joined the TPS years ago to prevent these sorts of calls. My number has also been ex-directory since I got it in 1991.

I rang BT to complain. They told me to complain to the TPS. The TPS tells me to complain to my phone provider - BT. BT tells me there is absolutely nothing they can do to stop these nuisnace calls and invited me to buy a product called Truecall which will block these calls - at a cost of £100!!

So, if TPS can't stop them, going ex-directory doesn't stop them and BT can't stop them I am now going to boycott all these companies such as EON on whose behalf these nuisance callers claim to be working.

Anyone feeling like this too?

YADNBU!!!!!

I have had a few calls from them this week. Apparently his name was 'Martin' but he was calling from India and doing a survey. After I asked them questions and they just hung up on me, the next time they rang they just launched straight into the questions so I just hung up. I too am ex directory and registered with the telephone preference service. It means fuck all tbh as I still get these calls all the time.

I know how annoying these calls are. I have been positively hounded by EON and by a company selling insurance for Sky tv. They will not listen to a polite, "No thank you." and ask for bank details over the phone, when they have phoned me so they really could be anyone.

I feel your pain.

My problem is made worse by having a close friend overseas so if I ignore an international call then I might be ignoring her as she phones regularly.

They always seem to phone when I am doing something tricky, messy and far away from the phone too

TPS used to have an on-line form to fill in, has that gone by the wayside?
Virgin will block any call to your phone with a withheld no, for a fee of course.
Also, I have caller ID, so if it looks a bit 'dodgy', I leave it to go to ansaphone. It does naff me off, yes.

my favourite is the one that calls up and tells you your computer has a virus and that they're calling from microsoft..... dearie me.

The TPS cannot deal with calls from abroad. I've been down that road, too, and made a fuss.

I always ask what they are going to pay me for my time & details, I think because I have gone off script they sometimes don't understand me so I can string them along repeating myself until they get bored!!

Doesn't stop them calling again though

Back to the referee's whistle. Preceded by a warning that if you do not ring off you will regret it.

Brian I asked the caller if they meant the computer I was working on. He said,"Yes ma'am" (as they do). Then I took great pleasure in telling him that that was very strange as I was working on a Mac!

BrianAndHisBalls Tue 15-Nov-11 19:48:07
my favourite is the one that calls up and tells you your computer has a virus and that they're calling from microsoft..... dearie me.

I had that yesterday, Brian. I told him we don't do Bill Gates in this house before requesting to be removed from their database and hanging up.

WHO ON EARTH is falling for all this shit thus perpetuating their existence?

I am plagued by these. I say " I'm sorry i do not discuss anything on the telephone, goodbye" and put the phone down. I talk over them and do not give them the chance to get into their stride.

you need

1. caller display
2. an answerphone

I bet you've got both already.

Before answering the phone, look at the number. If it says "not available" or "international" (depends on your phone) let it to to the machine. If it's your uncle in Australia you will probably hear him say so. If it's a scammer they will ring off.

If you are in the habit of answering, they will make a note of what time of day you are in, so they can call you again.

3. practice saying "No thank you. Goodbye" (click)

I have caller ID and I don't answer them. YANBU: they are a bloody nuisance.

We get millions of these. I've got a nee baby in the house and they seem to have a knack of calling exactly when her and I have just fallen asleep. My landline's permanently unplugged now-anyone that knows me knows to call my mobile if they need me. It is a complete PITA.

New baby that is...

They always ask for Mrs (partners name)- so I usually say ' there is no Mrs blah at this address' - or ask 'what do you want?', followed quite soon by me saying 'no, I don't want to take part in a survey thank you' and hang up. But they do keep coming back..

Those things are no use with older children, who live to answer the phone

I had one tonight,India call centre, wanting to recover bank charges. I said I was with TPS as I have done before, and they just hang up

Beamur "they do keep coming back.."

If you are in the habit of answering, they will make a note of what time of day you are in, so they can call you again.

The Microsoft / virus call was made into DH's office on Friday. Let's just say the air went blue. Their own IT dept is just down the corridor.

I've done everything going to try and get these calls to stop.
At one time I would take the time to wind them up (to amuse myself) - try to sell them something, agree to a new kitchen then anounce I must go as nurse is here now with my meds... all through to telling them exactly what I think of them.

It reached a point where my phone was ringing up to a dozen times a day, from early morning to the late at night.
A Few weeks ago I unplugged my phone.

This is not what phones were meant for!

What I do is answer the call say nothing and then leave it on the side until they hang up, I figure I'll waste their time and money.

If they're calling from a withheld number, your telephone provider should be able to block them. Some may charge a fee for doing so though.

When I worked in an outbound call centre during college, we had different categories for calls we had made. The customers who swore or shouted at us went into an 'abusive customer' type category and therefore their number wouldn't come through on the system to be called again. Those who said 'I'm sorry I'm not interested' or words to that effect (but were polite), were sent into a 'not interested' category but would go round the system and come back out - in the hope a different telesales person could talk them round

So the moral of the story is: if you don't want them to call back, shout FUCK OFF loudly at them

Disclaimer: it was 100 years ago when I worked in a call centre so this may not work anymore!

Just found this on the TPS website - even more annoyed now

Will registering on the TPS stop market research calls?

No, market research calls are not covered in the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 therefore companies conducting these types of calls are still allowed to call a TPS registered number. If you do not want to receive such calls, inform the caller to remove your details from their call lists

Oh yeah - sure thing when I've told them a dozen times to remove my details and the caller also witholds their number.

Last week I changed my phone number at the cost of £25 and went exdirectory.

I shall be very careful who I give the number to.

At the moment it is wonderfully peaceful.

I find that asking them if they are affiliated to the MRS and what their registration number is so that I can check it before proceeding normally gets them to hang up.