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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Was I rude... Well yes I was, but was it deserved?

203 replies

PizzaPower · 14/03/2018 00:45

It’s a WIBU rather than AIBU: I know I was rude (the 3rd time), but was it deserved, let me explain.
Mobile rang this afternoon, asking for DW, said unfortunately unavailable and could I help? It was about her accident and they could help with the claim. (Haven’t had an accident and certainly no claim to be made). Explained not interested as hadn’t had accident etc, hung up and blocked number.

Phone rings 5 min later, apparently it was the man who I had been speaking too’s supervisor and I had been rude to his member of staff!! Told him to go listen to the recording and he might draw a different conclusion, and no I wasn’t interested in their services. Hung up and blocked this number.

Five minutes later, another supervisor. I’d had enough at this point and summoned Mumsnet and told him to fuck off to the far side of fuck and when he got there fuck off some more (my God, I love that phrase), but never used in anger until today. He tried to get a few more words in at this point but I just laughed and hung up.

So yes I was rude, but will the Mumsnet jury forgive me?

Oh and if you’re on here call centre bod, no matter what the result, I may remain unrepentant so until I tell you other wise, you can stay fucked off!

OP posts:
MissionItsPossible · 14/03/2018 06:26

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Mumathon · 14/03/2018 06:31

I had a new (to me) one the other day. Ignored the call it went to voicemail. Voicemail was a robot voiced woman telling me “you have been implicated in a serious crime. You, your house and your family are under close surveillance. Call us back now or things will get very bad for you...” - now I was perfectly happy to laugh that off, but it could really freak some people out, not nice at all.

katmarie · 14/03/2018 06:37

@Mumathon that's really awful, it could really upset someone!

I've had these 'we've heard you've been in an accident' calls too, sometimes several a day. They somehow make it look like they're calling from a local number too which I think is designed to make you answer. I full on yelled down the phone at one, I'd had a bad morning and was expecting an important phone call, and they called for I think the third time. They stopped for a while after that but they have started up again now.

LaurieF · 14/03/2018 06:43

Totally forgiven! I have never had chance to use that response IRL but I often say it in my head.
I reckon if you are in the line of work that involves bugging people with unsolicited calls then they need to grow a pair and get used to being told to sod off!

FabulouslyGlamorousFerret · 14/03/2018 06:44

We've had the 'your computer is infected with a virus and we can fix it remotely' a few times, my DH told them to fuck off and they phoned back to say they knew where he lived and we're going to rape his wife and children!

Sophisticatedsarcasm · 14/03/2018 06:45

They ring me
‘Excuse me madam it shows you’ve been in a car accident, we are here to help you make the best claim possible’
No I don’t own a car
‘Oh, well what about someone else’s car’
No I don’t and can’t drive
‘Are you sure you haven’t been in an accident’
‘Omg you are right that’s where my amnesia must have come from’
Dial tone...

That’s how my conversations go down with them, although never had a supervisor ring back.
I once had an argument with a guy calling for my Nan
He asked for her, I said she wasn’t home so who he asked who I was, I told him I was a family member so he asked me my name I said you don’t need to know my name. He was like listen mam you need to tell me who you are, I said well no I don’t its non of your business. He started getting arsy so I asked him who the fuck he thought he was and that my BF was a lawyer and our phone all are recorded. Never heard from that company again.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 14/03/2018 06:47

Friend of mine used to say sweetly, 'Can you just hang on a tick?' - then go and get the hoover, plug it in and leave it blasting into the phone (evil cackle)

Sophisticatedsarcasm · 14/03/2018 06:48

@faboulouslyglamourousferret
I’ve had this many times. They usually say my computer is sending a signal to tell them it’s got a virus. I say to them that’s funny my computer is turned off in a cupboard and hasn’t been on for days (I don’t use it very often) they hang up usually. They almost got my FIL but he noticed something was off by some of the questions they asked.

boilingkettle · 14/03/2018 06:51

I once accused a cold caller of being sexist because he kept calling me ‘love’, and asked if he’d speak like that to a male recipient. He got aggressive so I hung up. He called me back a few moments later and shouted ‘Are you a feminist then?’ I hung up. He kept phoning, so I answered and when he started it again, I asked

boilingkettle · 14/03/2018 06:53

Sorry, posted too soon - I asked to speak to his manager, at which point he shouted ‘Oh just Fuck Off!’ and hung up on me. I thought it was funny but it could be so upsetting to anyone who’s vulnerable.

Flomy · 14/03/2018 06:53

I say this is a work phone, for mobile working, would you like to speak to someone in our legal team?

EllieMe · 14/03/2018 06:56

Forgiven.

Lizzie48 · 14/03/2018 06:58

This does make me angry, and I confess that I mostly ignore the landline unless it's a number I recognise. We have an answering machine that can be interrupted if it's someone I need to speak to. We also have caller ID as well. When I do answer (when I'm sick of the phone ringing) I'm in a bad mood anyway and just say 'No thank you' and hang up the phone.

My DB, who is very anxious, gets very worried about cold callers that are obviously scams and I know there are a lot of people like him. Angry

boilingkettle · 14/03/2018 06:59

On a serious note, please warn your family members about that virus one. I work with victims of crime and just this week heard of someone who had their life savings cleared from their bank account this way. We need to arm people with the knowledge that they can’t believe anyone who rings them up out of the blue, no matter how convincing they sound.... Message is, say you’re going to hang up and ring the number for your broadband provider /bank/electricity company etc to check the call is legitimate.

Papergirl1968 · 14/03/2018 07:07

Yep, I nearly fell for people claiming to be from BT peddling the “your broadband has been hacked, please go on to the computer and download this” line, and as part of my job I used to publicise scams and warn people to avoid them!
They were very convincing.

OliviaStabler · 14/03/2018 07:23

I say 'No thank you' and put the phone down. They are still speaking at the phone hits the cradle Grin

NataliaOsipova · 14/03/2018 07:32

I had the best laugh of my laugh when someone phoned "from BT" to "help with my computer". I couldn't stop laughing. The cold caller was rather confused....until I explained that when I'd actually tried to get BT to help with said computer I'd been on hold for 45 minutes every day for the best part of a week and then had to wait a fortnight only for the engineer to fail to turn up because he couldn't reach me on the (faulty) phone. So the idea that anyone from BT would actively call me to help was, well, comedy gold.....😂

He hung up on me.....!

StringandGlitter · 14/03/2018 07:32

I had “ the BT technical team” phone me about my internet connection.

The first time I said, “hang on a sec” then left the phone in front of the TV listening to Fraisier. He hung on for a good 5 minutes before hanging up.

The next call An hour later I let go to voicemail

The next call I asked “Does your family know you tell lies all day?” He hung up. I almost felt sorry for him then.

I’m with TPS but I do t think it works for foreign call centres.

Lizzie48 · 14/03/2018 07:34

I say 'No thank you' and put the phone down. They are still speaking at the phone hits the cradle

This is me exactly!! Grin

FreshStartToday · 14/03/2018 07:37

What's reaaaallly scary is that if you hang up, they can still be on the line. There was a warning recently that if you are phoning your internet provider or bank or whatever to check whether there is really a problem, you should do so from another phone, or at least wait half an hour if you use the same phone. When you put your phone down on someone, they can remain on the line, so that when you pick up your phone they are still there!! Some scammers had even got a bleepy machine so that when you dialled a new number their machine bleeped as if you were making a cal. (This was on radio 4, so unlikely as it sounds, it might be true).

Justdontknow4321 · 14/03/2018 07:38

Forgiven.
These calls do my head in.
I tell them I’m not interested and yet they carry on talking so I just talk over them and say no you are not listening to me I’m not interested remove me from your calling list. Then hang up. Never had anyone call me back tho! I then block all the numbers

DevilsDoorbell · 14/03/2018 07:40

I recommend googling tom mabe and how he deal with cold callers. Very very funny.

Lizzie48 · 14/03/2018 07:41

@Justdontknow4321 it's much harder to block numbers from calling your landline. It's easy with a mobile. Sometimes I think I'd be much happy without a landline.

DevilsDoorbell · 14/03/2018 07:42

here it is m.youtube.com/watch?v=ttrzG5F4R3o

InsomniaInTheMiddle · 14/03/2018 07:44

This is why the landline is in DPs name. The way it’s spelt has little relation to the way it’s pronounced.

On the rare occasion I answer I let them try for a few minutes, is this Mrs kaaa Mrs Kuuu, Mrs Krrr…and then I honestly say Nope no one of that name here. Keeps them from bothering someone else for 5 minutes.