to be hoping to be blacklisted soon

[hopingnothopping]

Despite being registered with the TPS, I have had a spate of cold callers lately: people saying they are from Microsoft and want to repair my Windows computer (a common fraud), and others telling me that they have £x with my name on it due to mis-selling of PPI. I have never taken out PPI.

I have adopted a new approach which has produced interesting results.

I ask if they have a degree (so far they all have), then what they had hoped to do with their lives when they were younger, whether their mother knows what they do for a job and whether she is proud of them? I then calmly and politely suggest that they look for a job where they can do good and be proud of their work, and hold their heads up high with their families.

I have had the following responses:

Edward: Gosh, yes, I feel dreadful, I need to get another job. (I liked Edward)
William: I am doing this because my country didn't invade your country and take all your wealth 35 years ago but your lot did that to us. I hate the British for what they have done to us (he was full of vitriol that came spewing out)
Sammy: shouted at me to stay out of her life (poor Sammy seemed very stressed but her logic was remarkable when you consider that SHE phoned ME whilst I was in my own kitchen minding my own business).

So AIBU to hope I will soon be blacklisted from these fraudsters' phone lists on the basis that I upset their staff? It seems quite effective.

BTW I wouldn't be this mean to an "honest" cold caller just trying to sell me something but these guys were all working for criminal gangs and must have known it.

Yah ok

I did similar to one who phoned me up asking about "your accident that happened four or five years ago" ( apparantly he knew about it because my Doctor or the Hospital told him. But he had no idea exactly when it happened - probably because IT DIDN'T ) .
Any questions he asked me I answered "Well, you tell me, you seem to be remarkably well informed about my life. And as I work for the NHS I know that Drs and hospitals don't give out this (non existing) information "
I said he should be ashamed of himself because some poor soul will have been in an accident for real and might fall for this crap scam.

His Supervisor (who sounded suspiciously like the original caller ) then phoned me back to complain I'd been rude to the caller .....!!

Oh bollox!

Get one of these if it bothers you so much

www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/1062140.htm

BTW... TPS are rubbish, it's run by marketing firms.

www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/1062140.htm

I always tell them that Mr or Mrs So and So has died recently and can we please be left alone to grieve. That shuts them up pretty damn quick!

Don't you think it's a bit sad that the only job a graduate can get is cold calling?

No need to be rude to people.

fancyabakeoff thanks for the link - do you have one of those? Does it work? It seems like a good idea but I don't want to block all international calls as some will be from relatives, nor do I want to block all "withheld" calls as my DH 's office comes through as that but if it would still work then that seems brilliant.

Landofcross why the biscuit? What do you do with those calls? I would welcome a more effective suggestion. Hanging up just seems to mean they call back later and so is ineffective....

magichamster yes, of course it is sad. That is why I am pointing it out to them. Having said that, I don't believe that there isn't a single honest job they could get though. It is sad but not forgivable to go and work for a criminal gang. My FIL has been caught out with one of those scams and lost thousands of pounds that he spent a lifetime earning... I am very careful NOT to be rude to them...I am trying to make them rethink their lives.

Well done, you've made someone probably in an already shit situation feel even worse.
Do you know how hard it is to get a job, any job, at the minute?
Do you know how desperate people are to provide for their families?
Yes, you have been slightly inconvenienced by taking a call you didn't want but seriously, what a graceless response!

slumberingdormouse that is a good answer! I'll try that next time. I guess that is why they always start with "is that Mrs Hopingnothopping" before they say who they are. I hope I don't tell someone I need to speak to that I am dead! Just occasionally my bank calls, or the school ...and the call can start the same way.

perplexedpirate are you recommending sympathising with someone committing a criminal offence? These are not "jobs". These are being part of a criminal fraud on innocent people in their own homes. Yes, I want them to feel bad about it!

Yeah, because they care what some smartarsed tit thinks of their job. I don't believe those conversations happened quite how you've reported.

perplexedpirate I would not take this approach on an honest caller simply trying to sell me something I don't want. I was clear about that in my OP. Only I don't generally get honest callers as I am registered with the TPS so law abiding firms don't call me.

patronising much?

shatnersBassoon It's a nudge. It might make them think. If enough people did it, then it would. They happened exactly like that. Try it yourself.

Fanjo so what do YOU say to them? Do you hand over your computer password and let them hack into your bank account? Or are you rude to them? I thought I had found a good middle ground.

I haven't had a call with them trying to hack me, tbh.

I would just say "no thanks, bye" and hang up.

Seriously, how would all you judgey posters feel if your son worked for a call centre that was attempting to defraud people? Would you shrug and say jobs are hard to come by?

I am also registered with TPS. I usually tell them I am and they shouldn't be calling the number. At that point most tend to apologise and hang up.

If they want to carry on with their spiel I say "Excuse me while I just get a pen".

Then I just leave the phone and let them decide how long they want the call to be!

I have tried the hanging up but have been getting an increasing number of calls lately and realise I need a stronger approach. Anyway, I am not sure that hanging up is any nicer on those callers than engaging them in some soul searching.

I don't want to try it. Hanging up makes me feel better than haranguing a stranger about how they've disappointed their parents.

While I wouldn't have the guts to do this myself, I don't blame you! I had an insurance company call me every day last week, despite me telling them each day (at first very politely, but by friday not quite so!) that I wasn't interested.

I did feel awful yesterday though as I hung up on someone calling from cancer research. I have donated money to them every month for the last 14 years, and they call me every so often to ask for more. I always end up feeling guilty because I can't afford to give any more, and it makes me feel bad. Yesterday my baby was screaming and I was stressed and I just couldn't face being made to feel guilty again. In retrospect I should have just politely explained as I usually do, but I didn't, and now I feel awful for it. So much so that if they called back today then i'd probably increase my payments because I feel guilty for hanging up yesterday!

olgaga good advice, thank you.