Accidents Helpline cold caller told me to get fucked!

[Primafacie]

AIBU to post this here to name and shame that company?

They are calling us all the time. We have tried everything - humour, politeness, hanging up. This time I just lost it, and told the guy " I don't know how to impress on you that we don't want you calling. We don't even have a car. Please put your boss on the line so I can get my message across". To which he replied "Fuck you!", and hung up.

Smooth. Very smooth.

Gah. I was having a good day so far.

[Gruntfuttock]

We've been registered with the TPS for ages, but have been getting so many calls from overseas that we just leave them all for the answerphone now. We always dial 1471 afterwards to make sure it wasn't anyone we know, as a lot of people don't like answerphones, and on the rare occasions there is a phone number I check it on whocallsme.com.

[BoreOfWhabylon]

I've had the Windows PC scam calls a few times. I usually tell them I know it is a scam and they should be ashamed of themselves, then hang up.

Last time, he rang back and called me a cunt

[Gruntfuttock]

Why do people keep bumping zombie threads?

[daisychain01]

This is a great thread!

We have started to research into the legal situation on nuisance calls and found out that the company that keeps ringing us up many times a week has already been fined a 6 figure sum for invasion of privacy and malpractice. I will have to find out the name of the company, it's on the BBC website. Also the regulatory body where to direct complaints. You need to make sure you get them to tell you their company name, before you tell them to f-off!

The mistake we made was to select a "recycled" phone number from our service provider because it was a more memorable number than the pristine number they wanted to give us. Unfortunately the number is still associated with the previous owners who must have had a load of loans, because we get hounded by PPI Claims companies etc. Telephone numbers end up on massive marketing databases that are sold to off-shore service provider. It's a losing battle

Hateful people! I used to think "poor people, they have to make a living". Now I just think they are evil, hard-faced abusers of our phone number, invading our privacy.

[FishesTit]

We bought the BT call blocking phone about a year ago and have only managed to let one spam call slip through. Bloody godsend our house is now very peaceful!

[NetballHoop]

I've just had an idea.

Has anyone tried asking them for a number to call then back on? You could sound all interested then say you have to pop out but will call then back.

Once you've got a few numbers all you need to do when you get a call is to ask then to call you back in 10 minutes and give them the other scammer's number.

We could even share a list of numbers here.

[PongPongPlease]

Oops, somewhat of a zombie thread

[PongPongPlease]

Bumply DH once did that with a conservatory cold call. He went as far as setting up the appointment, then when the time came for the address and the caller was counting his commission, he gave the local high rise tower block and instructions for which lift to use

[Muddledupme]

I'm not sure if this has been suggested but I always say " I have to inform you that all my calls are recorded for monitoring purposes" it instantly ends that call and prevents any further ones.

[ProfYaffle]

Have I named and shamed to the TPS? No, but I did intend to. I found that the more 'legit' companies realised what I was doing, most of them asked "Are you going to report us to the TPS?" and then there were no more repeat calls.

Now I'm just down to the ones who announce their made up name from the get go. There's no point reporting because it doesn't actually exist and TPS can't do anything anyway.

[Trollsworth]

Put a child on the phone. I don't mean an assertive fifteen year old, I mean a child who is still in nappies.

[IgnoreMeEveryOtherFuckerDoes]

I done a high pitched squeal done the phone it bloody worked because my house phone rarely rings now whereas before it was several times again.

The nice approach, the hanging up, the angry approach failed.

It's bit like when sky and all those other companies hound you in street I just tell them I live in a tent, they have no come back to that.

[furcoatbigknickers]

Have you named and shamed? If not please do.

[ProfYaffle]

I've found that if you ask for the name of the company, some of them (not all) get twitchy and know they're about to be reported to TPS so they back off and don't call any more.

I now only have one repeated call, I think it's from one company pretending to be others, they all have vague names like Government Awareness Service ("I'm aware of the Government thank you", "No you're not!") or the Insulation Information Centre. Tbh it's pointless engaging, I just terminate the call as soon as I realise.

Similarly on my mobile I just don't answer numbers I don't recognise.

[Greyhound]

Similar thing happened to me with a British Gas person trying to sell me something. I told him, politely, that I didn't require the item and he got very rude indeed. I was having a bad day anyway, and it really upset me. I told him that he was being very rude and would report him. I did report him and got a letter back apologising for this man's behaviour and was told he was being 'retrained' - hope he got fired.

[MrSheen]

I had rape threats when I said I didn't want to upgrade my mobile. Tossers. Haven't answered the house phone to unknown numbers for about 2 years.

[windchime]

I have stopped answering my home phone and just wait for messages. Scammers and cold callers don't usually leave one

[somewheresomehow]

name and shame and report to ofcom

[Castlemilk]

Yup pharm, if I don't recognise a number on my mobile - I never answer. Never. Never have. I rarely get selling calls...Don't know whether this helps, that they ring so often and genuinely remove your number from the list if there is NEVER an answer.

[Castlemilk]

I heard a really funny response the other day. My friend's sister (she has been getting very annoyed by the volume of calls). They started the spiel and asked her for name or whatever - she responded 'Ooooooooooo'. (in woo voice not sexy voice). Then to every attempt to get her to tell them anything she varied between 'Oooooooo' 'Eeeeeeeee' 'Whaaaaaaaa' 'Ammmmmmm' and similar. They eventually hung up, no swearing, think they thought it simply wasn't worth it - I don't think they were sure they were even through to a human being.

It sounded so funny when she told it. I can see now her sitting patiently trying not to laugh going 'Oooooooooooo' down the phone.

[pharmgirl]

get Caller ID and don't pick up from any number you do not recognise. Also, if the call is from a "number witheld" phone, then the caller ID will say so. It's really simple and has made life a lot easier--I work from home and the calls used to drive me mad.

[MrsWinn]

I just got one of these - supposedly from Accident Helpline, but know from searching the web that they are NOT from Accident helpline, as they don't cold call. I told the 'foreign' chap that I knew they weren't from accident helpline as they didn't cold call and he just hung up.
Constantly getting the ones from the Microsoft scam, unfortunately TPS cannot do anything about these calls as they originate from outside UK. I am looking into getting a phone that does not allow calls from withheld numbers (which these all are).

[DingbatsFur]

I had a call from a company claiming to be the TPS but they wanted my debit card details. Total scammers, the TPS is free.

[BreadNameBread]

Did you do the things suggested down thread? Remove your details from 192.com etc
Also call them on 01536 486218 (this is a Kettering, UK, dialling code which is where the company is based) and tell them to remove ALL your details from ALL their databases and inform them that they do not have your permission to call you. Insist that they confirm that they have done so.
I got this number from the privacy part of their website.

You have to be proactive about nuisance calls. I follow up any I recieve and now I barely get any. It seems a bit OTT but it works.

[Wbdn28]

I'm always tempted to tell the double-glazing ones that we have no windows