To be a bit rude to cold-callers?

[Vagabond]

I loathe being cold-called at home. You get up from your comfy position to be propositioned by a foreigner (who can barely speak English) who wants to offer you cash-back on PPI insurance. Drives me mad. I used to be polite. I'm now a demon. I demand to know where they got my number, I tell them they've woken my baby up with the call and I tell them to never, ever phone me again.

Hmmm, I suppose that's quite tame! What do you say?

BTW, even if you register with that hotline number to never get cold calls, it's entirely legal if they call you from foreign call centres. That must be why I get so many foreigners (or computerised messages) calling me at home. Drives me crazy!

YANBU. I hate them. I doubly hate the bloody recorded messages! Does anyone EVER press 5?! I'm usually polite the first time they call and ask them not to call back. When they invariably do I point out that I am not stupid and am perfectly capable of sorting out my own PPI claim. One man called me so often I threatened to report him to the Police for harassment (not sure if that's even possible!). Seriously, he called me 5 times in a day AND woke the baby up. Twice.

When they simply NEED to know which washing machine I have, I like to question shy they need to know. They eventually hang up.

I know they are doing their job. I'm never rude first time but there is a limit to how much you can reasonably be expected to take.

CC - Hello can I speak to Mr Bonkey please

Me - I knew it. I KNEW IT!! Hes having a affair. Your the other woman!!!!

CC - Ermm....

Sorted.

I have a bit of fun with cold callers

When I get "hello, Blah blah blah about your accident" - I say something along the lines of "Ohh I'd forgotten all about that accident... blah blah" and then go along with them until they realise I'm pulling their leg. One of them once said "How dare you fucking waste my time"

Btw, the Microsoft helpline IS a scam. They're trying to upload a virus on your computer and steal all your information. Abuse them at your leisure/ pleasure..

Also had a calls from people selling double glazing and conservatories. i let them chatter away for a while before I ask them if it matters that I live in a 3rd floor flat that is listed.

Say thank you for what exactly, NorthWhittering?
Making me run through the house tripping over the bloody dog or down the stairs almost killing self and said dog, or dripping wet from the bath or exercise machine, hoping it's the office with a new job for me or fearing it's family with a new drama and then having to fend off something insurance, double glazing or what not.
Fuck no.

if they ring the house phone say "sorry I'm driving , I'll call you back.

That'll confuse them

DH got the Microsoft one, and because he'd been having trouble with his broadband speed was persuaded to let them gain access to his computer! In fact he had me (he's useless) follow all the instruction to get them onto his laptop - I thought he'd called them!!!!

They were remote controlling his laptop when I suddenly realised they'd cold called and pulled the plug!!!

He ended up cancelling all his online banking etc immediately just in case.

twat

I just say I dont take cold calls and hang up but am going for the password!

I had a job selling double glazing while I was at college. It was all i could get, I hated it, and almost nightly I was reduced to tears by absolute arseholes who thought it was 'fun' to abuse me.

I sincerely hope none of your kids have to go through that if they ever work in a call centre.

Love the password idea! My hubby likes to pretend he is the toddler and yabbers away til they've had enough. Little things ...

Really? Really? Almost no one on MN has call display and can't simply screen a call?

I would rather do any job in the world than work for minimum wage in a call centre. That's why I refuse to be rude to them. I just don't pick up calls when I don't recognise the number. If it's "the office with a new job for me or... family with a new drama", they always leave a message, and they also know my mobile number.

Skype calls have the same display.
I gat a lot of those, so cannot use that.
I'm not rude.
Just a bit brusque.
I cannot afford to miss an office call.

And I get my mobile phone calls forwarded to the landline.
And I'm registered with the "no call service ".

I like to use cold callers as a free therapy service if and when any of them are stupid enough to ask how I am........

I think its fair to be as abusive as I please, I'm TPS registered, barely makes a difference. Recently I've had 2 callers being abusive to me I now keep a whistle by the phone for the abusive ones. Sometimes I like to see how long I can keep them on the phone, I had a woman from LA on for 30 minutes. I told her I was a burglar, and I'd just murdered the householder. My family were crying with laughter. I have asked if the call is being recorded & if they are allowed to hang up, but now I'm going to use the password, the dying relative, and the deaf old lady and any of your other brilliant ideas.

Fair enough, coffeeinbed - but I'll bet that doesn't apply to 90% of the people on this thread.

We spend a lot of time on MN reminding each other that these are "real people" on the internet that we are responding to, and to consider their feelings when responding to threads. Why can we not do that with callers as well?

Because we feel they invade our homes and privacy.
I have to get my phone calls or someone else will get my jobs.
And when I get an automated cold call it makes my blood boil.
Sorry.

Recently, I just shout 'Dd2! Mr Tumble's on the phone for you!'

It's the highlight of her day.

We get around 5-10 of these calls per day. I just dont answer the phone. I have call screening, registered with tps and am ex directory! If I dont know the number I dont pick up and if its someone who wants me then I call back.

Normally I dont even switch the volume on so dont even hear the phone ring.

On the odd occasion i have got caught out nd picked up, I give the phone to my 2 year old mindee who loves to chat for ages, then he presses the red button and says "gone now" before handing the phone back to me :)

if everyone on MN starts asking for a password they'll be so confused, i like it!
im always polite byt it really bugs me when you say no thanks and they hang up. A simple thanks and goodbye isnt too much to ask is it?

LalaGabby - ''Just don't have a landline, tbh I am not sure why anyone does? ''
Because some of us live in areas with appalling mobile signals.

On the subject though, I have recently found that continually asking 'why?' - rather like a 5 year old - gets them off the line sharpish.

Ooh these really bug me. I don't get the PPI ones so much; I think the TPS does filter them out for me, but lots of the Microsoft ones.

I tell them I don't speak to criminals on the phone. They say "but Madam I am not a criminal", and I say "Your name's not Dave, you don't work for Microsoft and you are telling me lies so you can steal my money. You are a criminal and DO NOT CALL ME again." And hang up.

Next time I get "Tom" from "Microsoft"... Sigh.

hate them!! Especially when they start with 'our records show you may be owed money'...er, what records? Just piss off!!

I get quite perturbed by strangers demanding to know if I own my own house, who owns it, who supplies my fuel, details of my computer, etc, and tend to say "No, I can't" when asked to provide information. I'm awkward that way. If pushed further, I tell them I work from home and that they are preventing me from earning a living and will have to be invoiced. I don't, generally, but they are not to know that.

But I LOVE the password one!

I just put the phone down as soon as I realise who it is. Simplest and quickest way to deal with it without being rude or breaking someone's ears.