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

[PizzaPower]

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!

A colleague got a glazing sales call asking if he’d like new windows, doors or a conservatory. Ooh I’d love a conservatory he said. The salesman said he’d make an appointment to visit, what was the address. Top floor flat left...

I told one of the accident calls that I'd had rigor mortis. He took it absolutely seriously.

I also had a fairly dim attempt at a scam the other day. It was, ironically, based on the fact that we have the bog standard free BT unwanted calls service, and the caller said he could upgrade us so that it would block calls from international numbers. Initially I thought it might be OK, till he started going through checks and asked for my bank address. Instant alarm bells started ringing, so I asked how that could possibly be relevant given that I hadn't had to give details when I set up the service in the first place. He was desperate to reassure me it was all kosher but said they needed to check them against the phone account details. I pointed out that still wouldn't help them as that account isn't in my name and I couldn't give them anyone else's account details. He was still most insistent that he needed the details, and we went round and round in circles whilst he tried and failed to explain how my financial details could possibly be relevant. Ultimately I told him I wasn't going to waste any more time on it and put the phone down, only for it to ring again almost immediately. This time DH picked up and, when asked if we had the call blocking service, said "Yes, and it's supposed to block dickheads like you, so fuck off." He still phoned again, but that time we just picked the phone up and left it off the hook.

So people who think that scam artists won't spend time on individual calls need to be aware that they certainly will.

I used to ask cold callers from "Microsoft" to call back to speak to DH,whose job is PC support.
Last time though I was very enthusiastic yet sarky -"Really? I'm sure you are - so,tell me about it then???"
That got them to hang up - I don't think they liked the level of amusement in my voice.
I am working up to asking them how they justify making a living from defrauding vulnerable people

I always pretend to be a child. My voice is high so I can get away with it.
Once I had a cold caller still persist when I told her I was 9 and she was asking me to confirm my address and phone number. I told her I wasn't allowed to speak to strangers and she told me that we could be friends if I gave her the information. I then put on my big girl voice and told her that I recorded all my phonecalls and the police may be interested in her techniques

Lol, DontDrink, I think your colleague might be my DP!

He kept a salesman on the phone for about 20 minutes, and at the end of the call, when he was asked if he had any questions, he said "Yes, can you explain how you fit them on a top floor flat and will I need permission from my landlord?"

I can believe that a bored employee would ring back.
I have enough to answer withheld numbers on my mobile as I use it for potential clients to contact me.
I'm usually polite, say I'm not interested and please remove this number from your database.
Same bloke rang back 2 minutes later. I was less polite and hung up.
Phone rang again and I didn't answer it.
Now all spam numbers are blocked after the first call.

I've used the 'I died after that terrible accident' too.
Very satisfying, and they hung up on me!

I had to change my (TPS registered) landline number a few years ago after I was off with one of these fellows after the call got me out of the bath. He phoned back about 3 times to call me a whore! I unplugged the phone after the first callback but the calls persisted for a couple of days so I just changed the number.

I'd be very surprised if you were called back by a real 'supervisor' btw. It was probably more likely the same guy, or maybe one of his workmates. I don't think these places have that much organisation!

We had a horrendous amount of a hassle from a national window company - I'd stupidly asked for a quote when they cold called at the door and told me they had a Govt scheme with financial help for replacing wood windows. All crap, of course. They kept phoning and phoning, and in the end DH told this "area manager" to get stuffed..... he actually phoned back to say "how dare you speak to me like that, I haven't finished the conversation" to which DH told him to carry on, took the phone out into the garden and left it there.......... .

Years ago I was plagued by people pretending to be from Sky. Wanting to give me a refund but needing my account details. Scam.

Told them I knew it was a scam, to stop ringing, that I'm registered with tps. Kept ringing, few times every day.

One time I lost it and started screaming "fucking scammy cunt, cunt, CUNT " down the phone. So loud my throat hurt all day. They've never rung back.

I bet it was someone doing it work from home and the ‘supervisor’ was their Mum.

I'm amazed at the cheek of them to ring you back to tell you off for being rude during an unsolicited phone call that they made in the first place.

OP, you were super polite by my standards, most of my cold callers get told to fuck off within 10 seconds

I have a relative who is in her 80s sharp as a tack. She gets the microsoft ones a lot. She goes along with them 'switching on the pc', doing whatever they say and when she has got bored she says "is it still serious if i havent actually got a computer?" They hang up😀 she says it stops them bothering someone else for a while😀

I use "this is a government number and we have tracked and recorded this" they always hang up sharpish

We are on TPS, but we still got the occasional call from scammers. And even after having the number for three years, from people asking to talk to three different women. However, at one point our landline stopped working and as BT told us it was free if it was outside our house but would cost us +100 if it was inside our house. As we were in the process of moving, we didn't do anything about it (We also suspected that even if the fault was outside our house BT would pretend it wasn't and charge us). Well, our move was delayed so you couldn't call our landline for almost 6 months and we haven't had any cold calls since we moved.

I had this once, person was trying to trick me into believing she was from my actual life insurers (rather than fishing for business) and I called her out on it and told her I wasn’t interested and to take me off their list. Got a call back again 5 mins later trying the same thing, told them where to go, “supervisor” called accuszing me of being rude - I tore strips off her, she ended up apologising.

They really are stooping to new lows.

Op if it was a landline don't bother with tps foreign criminals aren't going to abide by that - put a block on the phone. Everyone that rings is blocked, you are asked if you accept the call and press if you do. Once someone has been accepted twice they get through automatically.

I work at home and was getting 2-3 calls a day from talk talk scammers and bogus accident fraudsters. Since the block....nothing. It's free everyone should do it.

I've put the phone down on a cold caller before only for them to ring back & ask "why?". Cheeky buggers

By the way a good one for the "we are calling from microsoft about a problem with your computer" is "well that's odd, my computer runs on Unix". Quite a few of them haven't even heard of it

People can't be this naive, surely. Of course they weren't genuine calls.

I’ve found the best technique is to not engage at all. It doesn’t cause confrontation and they don’t ring you back. I don’t get annoyed either as I haven’t had to make any effort to just put the phone on the side until they get fed up talking to themselves. Also they’ve got nothing to argue back with and try and suck you in as I haven’t spoken at all.

You can have TPS on your mobile OP - you can do it on line:

www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/tps_text.html

No new funny stories to add sadly - I bought a BT nuisance call blocker phone which helps but doesn't completely eradicate the problem.

There is absolutely no obligation to be polite to persistent cold callers

Thank you for that, @kaitlinktm I've done that, I wish it was that easy with the landline. I'm trying to convince DH that we don't need one.