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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

or perhaps racist?

61 replies

pingu2209 · 10/12/2012 18:49

I must have 1 call every 20 mins trying to sell me something, at leat 80% of the time it is someone with an Indian accent. If I answer the phone now and the person has an Indian accent I put the phone down. In fact, I have decided not to answer the phone before 8pm, much to the annoyance of friends and family.

OP posts:

Santasapunkatheart · 10/12/2012 19:26

My family are Indian but if I hang up on them, I will soon be very lonely.

peeriebear · 10/12/2012 19:33

I almost put foot in mouth a few weeks ago...
I answered the phone to a man with a foreign accent- I couldn't place where from.
He said "Hello, who am I speaking to?" which made me
I said "Well you should know, YOU called ME!"
He replied "Am I speaking to [DD1]'s mum? (yes)...This is the fracture clinic requesting you bring her back down as she needs putting in plaster"
In my defence, his opening line was a bit off putting!

Selim · 10/12/2012 19:35

I'm with the TPS and I still get a lot of calls, mainly about mobile phones or computers, all are international calls and most, if not all are from people with an Indian accent. I tell them I don't live here, then they phone back the next day. i spent about or 3 years saying "take me off your database' but it makes no difference and 'I don't live here' is quicker and harder to argue with. I tried hanging up once but he phoned back several times over the next few hours saying he was going to come over to my house and rape me. He wasn't, it was an international call, but unpleasant non the less.

Chopstheduck · 10/12/2012 19:36

I'm a hobby comper and get so many of these calls. I google before picking up, the add the sales calls to a contact labelled 'blacklist'. For the ones that don't we the hint, I blast Alvin and the chipmunks singing down the phone at them

Yabu to hang up just because if an Indian accent though. Most of the calls I get are uk based anyway!

Chopstheduck · 10/12/2012 19:37

And yes, tips only blocks uk calls.

iamapushymum · 10/12/2012 19:39

I hang up on Indian callers too because I don't know anyone Indian

BertieBotts · 10/12/2012 19:40

I unplug my house phone. People have to text me if they want to call.

I think phones are going to go the way of emails - we'll just all get a new number when we get fed up of getting too many spam calls

Hobbitation · 10/12/2012 19:41

I don't answer if I don't recognise the number. If it's important, they can leave a message. I have 2-3 calls a day where the caller doesn't leave a message, so I guess it's not very important!

FreudiansSlipper · 10/12/2012 19:44

i have asked in the past to have my details taken off i think once they have a number it is passed on to so many compaines it makes little difference

i have no idea how they have got my number i do not give it out to anyone as i can not remember it

EauRougelyNight · 10/12/2012 19:55

TPS doesn't cover out of UK calls. Tell them they've got the wrong number, I'm sure I've been getting fewer calls since I've been doing this.

LDNmummy · 10/12/2012 20:01

I got a brand new line from BT a few months ago and the calls started immediately.

It would make sense if it was a number I had had for even a month, but the same day it went live was the first day of a number or annoying calls. They are always the PPI companies which have nothing to do with me.

My phone has been off and on depending on whether I am expecting a call for the last month.

lunar1 · 10/12/2012 20:01

Many doctors are also Indian, like my dh, what if it was him ringing you from the hospital to tell you that a loved one was taken in?

Uanbu to hang up on these calls, yabu to hang up because the voice is Indian. If children pick up on this behaviour they won't understand why you are doing it and you will be a racist role model to them even if you don't mean to be

LDNmummy · 10/12/2012 20:02

I think it is racist BTW.

warriorwoman · 10/12/2012 20:04

I have caller id at home & never answer my home phone or mobile if I dont know the number, or it is 'number withheld'. If its important they will leave a msg. I have been getting several a day recently, which is starting to annoy me...

WhenAChildIsBawnTigga · 10/12/2012 20:07

Tell your small child they are Santa and give them the phone.

HasManyWaysOffPissingOffColdCallersTiggaxx

garlicbaubles · 10/12/2012 20:23

Pingu! Don't blow a whistle down the phone! It's intensely painful, can cause permanent deafness and is assault - if you break their eardrum, it's actual bodily harm with intent.

Much safer to use caller ID.

I agree it's even more irritating to get unwanted calls from people you can't understand. I used to be quite nice to them, but have become a shirty old bag in recent years. Most unintelligible cold calls do come from India but I've had the same problem with calls from Glasgow!

tethersjinglebellend · 10/12/2012 20:26

I just don't answer the phone. Ever.

Problem solved.

Hassled · 10/12/2012 20:30

TPS is pointless in these cases - it doesn't apply to calls originating overseas. Also, interestingly, doesn't apply to charities - they can cold call as much as they like.

I'm now at the stage where when I hear an Indian accent on the phone I assume scam. And embarrassingly, that hasn't always been the case - I feel very sorry for people with Indian accents who do have legitimate phone calls to make.

Alisvolatpropiis · 10/12/2012 20:57

I tell any and all cold callers regardless of accent that no I am not the home owner,or the home owners wife (I could rant about that next time though),I'm the dog sitter.

They all hang up immediately. I was so proud of myself when I thought it up on the spot

gordyslovesheep · 10/12/2012 21:02

TPS only covers UK generated sales calls

YABU to hand up on people based on accent - it could be the police or a hospital or anyone trying to contact you

Pingu I think that's a horrible thing to do to someone who is simply doing their job - often for feck all money

Just hang up

northcountrygirl · 10/12/2012 21:12

Loe it Tigga! I'll try that one as my youngest can talk for England!

WholeLottaRosie · 10/12/2012 21:29

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Dogsmom · 10/12/2012 21:37

I was thinking this very same thing today after hanging up on an Indian guy named Kevin!

I always listen to see where they're from first then hang up if it sounds like sales, todays was something about heating grants.

FeistyLass · 10/12/2012 21:38

can I just say 'thanks everyone!' I've been racking my brain trying to remember the name of the company that takes you off the register. I'm now away to sign up with TPS

MrsReiver · 10/12/2012 21:39

Don't do the whistle down the phone! I know it's annoying but these people are doing their jobs and don't deserve permanent hearing damage.

We went through a spate of getting a lot of unsolicited calls from overseas call centres, in the end I started putting the phone down. Unfortunately one of the calls I hung up on was a woman who had driven into the back of DH's car and was trying to contact him to sort out the insurance claim.

I was mortified, and very apologetic. She wasn't impressed.

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