AIBU to be rude to cold callers?

[Yambabe]

Seen a few topics on the subject of people being telephoned for various scams, selling purposes etc recently, and I am amazed at how many people engage with the caller. I assume this is mostly because of good old good manners?

My phone is registered with the TPS but I still get cold calls (I think the foreign ones aren't subject to the regulations and some UK companies know that they can be hard to trace so just don't care) so to me they are fair game. I am perfectly happy to cut them off, speak sharply to them (although I never swear) or sometimes if I'm bored string them along for a bit for comedy value.

DH is even worse than me.

My Dsis works in a call centre (although it's for one of the big energy providers so she doesn't cold-call) and says I should have some sympathy for the people making the calls, they are just trying to make a living. I kind of get this but my perspective is I have opted out of having to deal with them and if they persist in still calling me despite this they certainly don't deserve my respect or any more of my time than I care to allow them.

AIBU to not care about the person, just get rid of the call?

Tinks I assume you didnt read the Beans post above, so I have C&P'd it.

" I was made redundant from a great job and I had rent to pay. I signed on to job seekers who got me an interview with a small telecoms company, I couldn't turn the interview or the job down or I would have lost my benefits. So I took the job. I hated it when it was selling telecoms, but after a couple of months they brought in a load if guys who told us we'd be doing personal injury. It was awful. I was in tears every day, but didnt feel like I could leave because again, I wouldn't have been entitled to any benefits. You honestly think I should have lost my home and started begging instead of working there?"

As I said above when talking about my disabled son, it was the only job he could get. Some people do not have choices. If its trying to sell crap to people who dont want it or no job at all, and possibly having your benefits taken away so you cant feed your family, are you honestly telling me that you wouldnt do it?

Easy to sit in judgement when you dont actually have to make that choice isnt it?

On two occasions I have had cold callers who just wouldn't take no for an answer, so I decided to hang up.One of the sales people actually accused me of lying when I said a relative of mine owned a double glazing company I wouldn't want a quote from my them (it's true). They then proceeded to call me back to tell me how rude I was for doing that. "Who the hell do you think you are" . Of course when I tried to get the number they were calling from it was unavailable. I don't know why a company should be allowed to call you and know your number but you can't know theirs.

Bogey

Am very sorry to hear that your son has been put in this position. I think this is a serious issue that should be taken up with whoever forces people- however abled - to take these jobs.

Please forgive me for making these suggestions. But here goes. Would it be worthwhile raising the matter with your MP? And with disability campaigning organisations? And with consumer/civil rights programmes on Radio/TV?

How is this not a personal rights issue? No-one should be forced to work in a job that puts them in a position where they have to do something that the majority of people (to go by this Mumsnet thread) would class as socially unacceptable and/or exposes them to the (justified but still very unpleasant) anger and insults of others.

I would hope that you'd get a lot of support. I, for one, would willingly write a letter/sign a petition.

Florascotia - I couldn't really give a fuck tbh.

I'm not talking about 'normal' people who sound irritated and hang up. Or, to the pp, am I talking about little old ladies.

As a rough guide - about 1 in 20 would be the people I classed as 'proper arseholes' who got their name on the special list.

Those that scream abuse at you, shout that you're a worthless lowly fucking cunt and the like.

No it's obviously not mature, but hey, I was 18.

I speak to every person I come into contact with like...you know...an actual person. With feelings and everything. It's really not difficult and if you can't manage it then expect karma to bite you in the ass.

Also, don't feel too sorry for all the people working cold calls. It is a shit job, in parts and I'd never choose to do it now because it's not stable - but for the two years I did it when I was doing my A Levels I was earning £400 a week for 25 hours. Not all of them are badly paid.

I had a cold call on Friday. The guy said he was calling about an accident I'd been in.

Of course that was a complete lie and yes, I did say that and then told him he should be ashamed of himself for trying to con people.

If they want to put me on a database and call me 5 times a day, then fair enough. I'm out of the house 11 hours a day normally so it's just going to be their own time they are wasting!

Cold callers trying to con people deserve to be told how morally bankrupt they are. They don't care if they con some little old lady out of her savings so she can't afford to heat her house. They just don't care full stop. I think they are despicable.

I hate it when they try to argue that 'TPS doesn't cover them as they're a market research call' or some bullshit. The whole reason I signed up with TPS is because I don't want to be bothered by anyone I don't know. I'm not going to suddenly be ok with their call because they excuse it on some technicality! "Oh you're not selling me anything! you just want to ask me 'reasearch questions' having stated that any answers I give may be passed on to particular companies for 'market research' Go ahead then" grin.

I either ignore the call or ask to be removed from their mailing list, although they often hang up on me before I can even finish asking. I'm polite but firm. No screaming or swearing here.

I do like to string along the 'Microsoft Technical Department' scammers though, I figure the more time I waste talking to one, the less chance they have of getting through to someone who might fall for their spiel.

Im very sorry for the instance that you're trying to make me feel bad about. Its a terrible predicament to be in BUT i still dont want to be called, end of story

I say they've called me at prayer time and shall we pray together?

The blame lies with the government and the big cut throat companies (two very similar things here) not me.

Waiting - that is sheer genius!!

I think I'm going to adopt that one too.

It depends. With me I have 2 approaches

Scammers - abrupt but polite end to call.
Cold callers- I used to do your job. I appreciate it's hard. So thanks but no thanks. Best of luck to you.
Surveys- if I have time I'll do them. Usually with false answers.

Of course that was a complete lie and yes, I did say that and then told him he should be ashamed of himself for trying to con people

You're ridiculous.

Yes it's annoying and they have a sales pitch to draw you in. But a lot of the accident calls are 'genuine' not cons. They're not going to ask you to pay them money then run for the hills, just recruit you to their 'no win no fee' company for claiming compo if you've had an accident.

You told him he should be ashamed? The self importance of some people astonishes me...who are you to tell him he should be ashamed? The guy was probably sitting with you on loud speaker and sniggering over what an idiot you were with the person next to him.

I got a lot of accident comp calls after I had an accident, never had a single one before then. I assume my insurance co sold on details of my accident which they shouldnt have done as I always opt out, but it was a genuine call not a "scam".

I cant really see how someone who is calling about something that wont cost you anything is scamming tbh. Fishing for leads at best.