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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

received a cold caller and left the phone off the hook

116 replies

crystalglasses · 03/03/2012 16:50

We have registered not to have cold calls but one company just keeps calling - from India by the sound of the accents and I've receved a about half a dozen calls this week - wanting to know if I've had a road accident and need their assistance. I usually just say no sorry I'm busy and hang up. Last time I asked for his phone number so I could call back and he hung up. Today I decided enough is enough and I just walked away from the phone, leaving the caller to talk into empty space. I think this is going to be my tactic in future . I wonder how many more calls I get from this company? What do others think and how tdo you deal with these callers?

OP posts:

BigGirlInASmallWorld · 03/03/2012 23:10

I just fake a foriegn accent and pretend to speak a language. Or I choose two random words and alternate, yes, no, yes, no, constantly. Or say fuck, fuck, fuck very fast until they put the phone down. It is very rare there is a live person making the call as i said before, automated messages :(

NorfolkNChance · 03/03/2012 23:16

Caller: Can I speak to Mrs X?
Me: Can I ask what this is about?
Caller: insert dodgy selling/scam/scheme here
Me: I see... and how long have you been in contact with the deceased?
Caller: ??
Me: Am I speaking to a known associate of the deceased?
Caller: sputter
Me: You see we are investing a disturbing murder here, can I have your contact details please on case we need to....talk again?
Caller: click

Haziedoll · 03/03/2012 23:20

The ones that infuriate me are when you answer and they say "can you hold on a minute" and put you on hold. Yeah I'm really going to wait whilst you chat for 5 minutes with your colleague and then expect me to discuss an accident I have never had.

BelleEnd · 03/03/2012 23:23

This very morning:
Caller: I am calling about the insulation problems you're having.
Me: What fish?
Caller: I am calling about the insulation...
Me: The tuba? Oh no, I can't!
Caller: Can you hear me?
Me: Put the light on!
Caller: I'm calling as a part of a...
Me: That's what Julie said! I thought it was more of an ash blonde, myself...

cakeismysaviour · 03/03/2012 23:56

I get loads of cold callers, I try not to be rude to those who sound like they are just trying to earn a living in a crap job, but unfortunately this does tend to result in being called by them again and again.

My favourite conversations go as follows -

Caller - Hello, may I speak to Miss Cake?
Me - Speaking
Caller - Hello, how are you today?
Me - Well, its very nice of you to ask. You see I'm having a terrible day, the baby will not sleep and I'm exhausted, the washing machine is playing up, my mother is being a PITA, the place is a mess, the landlord is being a tosser and I just need someone to talk to, you know?........................(this can go on for an infinate length of time)
Caller - click

Goolash · 04/03/2012 00:31

I don't rely on caller display, if I did I'd have missed several important calls. My replies depend on my mood, sometimes I hang up without uttering a word, sometimes I pass the phone over to a child, sometimes I engage in fun. I do love the fake Microsoft ones because I used to have the qualifications they claim to have.

My favourite at the moment is to ask straight out what company are you calling from and what are you trying to sell. If it is a reputable organization who have obtained my details legally then I usually get a laugh from them, I then say take me off your contact list please. They say yes, they have to. If they're not reputable then they're confused long enough for me to do what I'm in the mood for.

What I really hate at the momwithdrew cold calls, front door or phone, with the opening statement "don't worry I'm not trying to sell...". What a stoopid thing to say. They are lying, they are trying to sell. Why the feck should I be worried? I am not worried I am irritated, they get to know this.

lovebeinganana · 04/03/2012 00:43

My dd is brilliant with these calls she uses a very slow voice as if she is explaining something for the hundreth time. She is sarcastic but in a way that she seems interested, then just when they think they got sale she says no. They never ring back.

Last wek she kept saying to one man you rang before, he denied kept on with sales pitch dd kept repeating you said that last week you used that voice, over and over in the end the guy said I give up you win.

Tortington · 04/03/2012 00:45

i think most people are missing the point. the liklihood is that these sales people calling you are doing a JOB of work. its a fucking annoying job of work, but still they go to work, like you or i would go to work, they want to make money to feed their families, even if thse families are in india ...shocker.

i either try to be polite or i will immediately hang up, giving them ample opportunity to make another phone call to someone else thereby increasing their chances of getting a sale or lead which would enable them to feed their family.

i dont think its big or clever to be rude or mean. they are doing a job, do you know how utterly fucked off they must be with people doing this to them all the time?

Goolash · 04/03/2012 00:52

I sit besides a team of people who have to cold call and I deal with letters from people often saying they don't want contact from an organization. I'm not rude straightaway, if its notna scam, but have no qualms about being short tempered if the situation deserves.

Dolcelatte · 04/03/2012 05:26

Depends on my mood and how busy I am. Either

1 Like OP leave them talking into thin air
2 Ask them where they got my number and say that I am ex directory
3 Ask them if they are trying to sell me something - for some reason they find that a difficult question to answer - and then just say I am not interested and hang up

Also, when they say is that Mrs X, I always ask who the caller is before committing myself

MargaretOfFanjo · 04/03/2012 06:06

I was starting to think I had lost the plot until I read custy's post. These people are just doing a job and there is no need t be so rude. I am very shocked that someone would blow a whistle down the phone .

NCIS · 04/03/2012 06:37

The Microsoft ones are not 'just doing a job' well not a legal one. THey are trying to steal your credit card details.

MargaretOfFanjo · 04/03/2012 09:55

Well yes if they are doing something illegal that is clearly different. But taking delight in tormenting someone for doing a job, which is a rather crap one , is a rather shit thing to do.

IslaMann · 04/03/2012 10:10

I tend to respond to the "we are calling in regards to your recent accident" ones by saying in a surprised voice "oh my goodness, that explains everything. Ive been wondering why I can't remember anything. I thought I was old age but now I know I've had an accident and must have amnesia. You'll have to help me out here I'm afraid as I simply can't remember it. Can you give me details?".

They usually hang up....

Bunbaker · 04/03/2012 10:51

I keep getting text messages about the "recent accident" that I haven't had. How do these people get hold of our mobile numbers? I never give mine out.

PigletJohn · 04/03/2012 11:31

sometimes they just text to random numbers.

If you are on Vodafone they have a scheme where you can forward spam texts to VSPAM (87726) and they might do something about it

never reply to spam texts as this confirms that your number is live.

see forum.vodafone.co.uk/t5/iPhone-4/Spam-texts-to-VSPAM-76787/td-p/856755

Lilithmoon · 04/03/2012 14:44

Please don't blow a whistle... I am shocked that someone would do that.
I worked for a market research company while I was a student. I know how irritating it is to get the calls, just hang up!

TalkinPeace2 · 04/03/2012 14:49

Lilith
when they are calling from overseas carrying out actions that would be a crime if they were in the UK,
sorry I have no sympathy.
There are ethical companies in India. Choose one of them.

BettyPerske · 04/03/2012 14:57

I agree with Custy to an extent though I think unless i was literally unable to survive without doing cold calling, I wouldn't do it as a matter of principle as I think it's terrible.

However I am not rude, I just say no thankyou and hang up, no discussion, no messing about wasting my time and theirs, no childish games.. just say no and hang up.

if it's a UK company I tell them I'm registered with the TPS so please remove my details from their system. They usually do. I rarely if ever get a UK call though.

We had a load of indian calls on our old number and they can be brutally rude, persistent etc and so I lost my temper once or twice but was never awful - they were though. When we changed our number we never got any more calls from overseas.

Is it true btw that Facebook sells on your details like this? Bastards I had no idea. They only have my name and email though I think...

BettyPerske · 04/03/2012 14:58

and fwiw you don't need a ploy to get them to hang up...you just hang up yourself. I don't get why you would need to make them do it first.

TalkinPeace2 · 04/03/2012 15:02

Betty
its logged differently in their systems
ones where the call centre has to end the call are less likely to be called again

TheresaMayHaveaBiscuit · 04/03/2012 15:04

I give the receiver to my dog ... he loves it, thinks someone is really talking to him, and it's really funny to listen to

boaty · 04/03/2012 15:24

If it is someone trying to sell something I ask if there are discounts for long term unemployed?

StateofConfusion · 04/03/2012 15:57

I had a ppi one the other day, she was most frustrated when I informed her I've never had any kind of loan that would result in me having ppi.

Her- so, no mortage, car, loans, credit cards.
Me- NO
Her- well where do you live, what do you do for transport?
Me- I rent, and I save and BUY my cars outright.
Her-....
Me-.... Can I go now I have children to deal with.
Her- so you don't even have store cards.

I just hung up.

StateofConfusion · 04/03/2012 15:58

The only reason I didn't hang up immeadiatly was she asked for me buy my FULL name.

That freaked me out a bit.

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