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AIBU?

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Original poster

to have hung up the phone!

27 replies

monkeysbignuts · 13/10/2012 19:55

I got one of those marketing type phone calls today & me being an utter Prat felt sorry for the woman so agreed to answer her questions.
It was supposed to take 5 minutes of my time! after her asking me questions for 18 minutes I asked how much longer (my 5 & 3 year old playing up in the back ground as kids do when you're on the phone!!) another 5 minutes later and I told her I couldn't carry on and hung up the phone!
She actually called me back?! so I told her again I couldn't carry on as it was taking too long, she started telling me it would only be a few more minutes. I said no and hung up again only to get another phone call wtf?
it was all personal stuff about household income, occupants and spending and I am worried that I answered 20 minutes worth of questions.
was i unreasonable to hang up and how do you stop these kind of calls? we are with tps already

OP posts:
CrapBag · 13/10/2012 19:58

YANBU.

I can't stand these calls and I do not engage with them. I am registered with the tps too and we get them all the time. If you tell them you are registered I have found they get off the phone pretty sharpish. Wish I knew how to actually stop the calls though!!

Kalisi · 13/10/2012 19:59

YANBU, I'm such a cow with calls like this. If they give me a timeline I do a countdown every minute and then tell them they have one extra minute and then put the phone down bang on the six minute mark. I would be very pissy if they called back!

Original poster
monkeysbignuts · 13/10/2012 20:00

who are they and why do they need to know all this stuff? I feel really paranoid in a Truman show kind of way :/
my dh went mad at me for even.engaging!

OP posts:
pictish · 13/10/2012 20:02

Yanbu. I wouldn't have entertained her in the first place though. Those calls always get a 'no ta' then a hang up.

ZiggyPlayedGuitar · 13/10/2012 20:04

Do you have the number? Type it in google and see what it comes up with.

ZiggyPlayedGuitar · 13/10/2012 20:04

Yanbu btw

Original poster
monkeysbignuts · 13/10/2012 20:05

doh never thought of that "ziggy" lol will have a butchers :)

OP posts:
Birdsgottafly · 13/10/2012 20:07

"who are they and why do they need to know all this stuff"

So that they can pass on your spending/consumer habits to other companies who will bombard you with 'deals and offers'.

This is how they target junk mail.

I have had calls asking for my husband, i got so sick of them that i answered "you will have to get out the Quija board, he's been dead seven years" (which he has).

I just say no and hang up, mostly.

RuleBritannia · 13/10/2012 20:08

Did you actually tell her what your household income is? Or did you just say that you'd prefer not to answer that question. It doesn't matter who rings me, I tell them that I do not deal with cold calls. If they persevere, I just keep repeating it. (I went on an assertiveness course once don't know why)

British Gas took our telephone number when we took out a boiler service agreement with them. We were told that it was only so that the serviceman could call us to say that he was lost/was on his way/would be a bit late/whatever. BG now uses it to try to flog something to us. I sometimes tell a caller that I am hard of hearing and prefer to have what they want to say in writing.

SoleSource · 13/10/2012 20:11

Telephone preference service stopped all those calls for me. Google it, (cannot do links on this phone), sign up, takes 3 minutes. No more calls for me.

ZiggyPlayedGuitar · 13/10/2012 20:13

OP is already with TPS sole.

What did it come back with OP?

Original poster
monkeysbignuts · 13/10/2012 20:19

rule sorry about your dh :(
ziggy it come back with an American company called opinionology!
I am shocked that they phoned back 3 times, talk about persistent and pushy!

OP posts:
Original poster
monkeysbignuts · 13/10/2012 20:26

here is the number (so you can all avoid it unlike stupid me!) 0018018773867
do not answer.

OP posts:
cheekydevil · 13/10/2012 20:48

Tell them you are dead, it tends to stop them asking questions. Grin

CrapBag · 13/10/2012 20:53

Thats great cheeky I may try that.

Original poster
monkeysbignuts · 13/10/2012 21:00

haha cheeky
If she phones back again I will say that ;)

OP posts:
Snorbs · 13/10/2012 21:00

I had a similar one today albeit from a different outfit. He said they were just doing a lifestyle survey, I asked what's in it for me (I usually ask for a slice of the profits that my personal details would net the company, £25 cash minimum) and he let slip that if, say, E.On happened to have some good offers for me then they'd pass my details on and so that would save me money.

I then argued with him for five minutes about why he felt the need to lie to me as he was obviously doing lead generation rather than a survey, and questioned both his moral character and whether he was this untrustworthy in his personal life.

I was having a blast but he hung up on me Sad. I was tempted to phone him back...

legoballoon · 13/10/2012 21:03

YANBU. I would never give out as much as my name to a complete stranger over the phone. I just ask them who they are, and tell them to remove my number from their calling list and hang up. Or if I'm seriously p*ssed off, I put the received down by the radio speaker.

WorraLiberty · 13/10/2012 21:05

"how do you stop these kind of calls? we are with tps already"

You don't engage with them other than to say, "I'm registered with TPS so please remove my details from your database...goodbye".

Lifeisontheup · 13/10/2012 21:12

I had one of these yesterday, I always feel sorry for them as they're only doing a job BUT one of the questions was 'would you consider supporting a guide dog; I said no because I already do and didn't want more phone calls.
She then said'well the blind people are going to be very sad with you not wanting to support them' I was furious, she has no idea of my circumstances or financial situation, I'm afraid I told her she was incredibly rude.

Original poster
monkeysbignuts · 13/10/2012 21:13

lol snorbs
worral I am registered with tps, this was an over seas call center (America from what I gleamed) & the tps rules don't apply to them Hmm

OP posts:
Original poster
monkeysbignuts · 13/10/2012 21:15

life that's the reason I said yes. I used to work in a call centre and felt sorry for her (its a shitty job) & she said 5 minutes of my time, never thought I would be on 20 minutes and counting.

OP posts:
foslady · 13/10/2012 21:17

Sorry if I look like I'm just pushing this, but my parents have bought this

www.truecall.co.uk/

After getting up to 6 calls a day and my dads blood pressure being affected, it's been a godsend for them

Helenagrace · 13/10/2012 21:19

If I get even a hint that it's a sales call I say the following in a "don't mess with me voice": "this is an MI5 secure line. We have traced your call. Where did you get this number from?".

They usually can't get off the phone fast enough. Hilarious too!

WhereMyMilk · 13/10/2012 21:26

Helen :o