to be annoyed at toddler club acquaintence passing on my mob number to telesales companies?

[GetDownYouWillFall]

Someone I met at toddler club has my mobile number because we arranged to swap some toys about a year ago.

I have never met up with her socially or called her as a friend. We are just acquaintences really.

Then today I get a call out of the blue from some photographic studio in London giving me the "hard sell" for their latest "offer " (which sounded a complete rip off).

I asked how they got my number and they said, from your friend XXX, who "recommended" you.

I am a bit

Don't know if i should say something.

So she's given your number to get some free stuff for herself.

Bang out of order IMO. i would always ask people before dishing their numbers out for anything like that.

No no no no no no no ... I'd never give a friend's mobile even to another friend without checking it's ok first.
You are definitely NOT being unreasonable. Pretty miffed on your behalf actually GDYWF

yeah I kind of feel a bit angry about it. She didn't ask me if it was ok, and we are not even "friends" really...

Just wonder if she's freely passed my number to anyone else.

Yep, I have it and I'm going to call you endlessly to see if you'd like the latest chocolate teapot! They'll all the rage!!

All joking apart, I'd ask her what she got out of it and ask for half!!! I'd never give out any number without checking first, how rude.

YANBU! Give HER number to some awful company and see how she likes it!

YANBU.
A 'friend' did that to me once - for some educational package. I was fuming too.
I would never do that to anyone, and actually I wouldn't purchase from a company with such an aggressive sales pitch.

YANBU

Same happened here, phone call from some place in London offering make-overs, I was fuming.

they wanted me to put down a "deposit" of £99.99 over the phone there and then!

I was about to hang up but she persuaded me to "think about it" and she would be calling back before 8 this evening.

It was a very aggressive sales pitch. I do feel quite annoyed I have been put in this position.

When the sales person rings back I am going to say that I have no intention of placing my "deposit" and I don't much like their sales tactics.

that's terrible

Don't do it - they're a complete rip off

I think you should say something to her. WTF was she thinking?

personally i would just say 2 the telesales person "no" and then 4get about it.. yeah it is a bit out of order 2 give out the number but there are worse things 2 do

Is it possible someone else was pretending to be her?

I doubt someone else was pretending to be her.

I suspect she got swindled by their horrible pressure tactics herself and was then "forced" to recommend a friend in order to get a "free" photo or something.

Do you really think I should say something to her? I am quite tempted, but maybe I should just leave it and forget about it.

Maybe if you see her again and anything vaguely to do with phones comes up you could ask her nicely if she minds not giving out your number any more as you've had a couple of sales calls (assuming they do ring back!) from a photo company, that you don't don't buy things from sales people over the phone anyway and it can be difficult to stop the other company then selling your number on to other people.

Not sure what the regs are any more but it is probably worth asking the callers if they will take your name off their database for all purposes (ie so it can't be sold on), that you don't give them permission to use it and will be reporting them to the [can't remember the name but the phone people that you can register with to stop getting junk telephone calls]. They should be registered with them and I think they are quite strict about stuff like that so they might take you off.

Telephone Preference Service

thanks zipzap and also to gmtbst for the link

I had something similar - I had a phone call from a company trying to sell something (can't remember what it was, something crap anyway) and they said "your friend L gave us your number and said you'd be interested" - I told the sales rep to leave me alone and, since then, have further distanced myself from L. Fortunately our children are at different schools now so I rarely see her.

I think it is out of order to pass people's personal contact details onto companies with hard sales techniques (or any companies for that matter) wihtout checking with them. She did it to get something free for herself, obviously. I would be really pissed off, I would.

When they call back just say "sorry I'm not interested" and put the phone down. I have learnt that I am crap at saying no the longer they get me chatting (I think they know this as well which is why they often try to engage you in conversation and "make friends with you" so you don't feel you can be rude) and just saying no at the start and putting the phone down is the best thing. I mean they have already talked you into having another phone call so they must be quite good at it - don't be sucked in.

I'd say something. I'd have been straight on the phone to her. This is very, very rude!

YANBU. Cheeky cow.

Of course you could give her a taste of her own medicine... How about a few discrete cards up in phone boxes in the seedy part of town with her number on?

I'm sure she'd be just thrilled to get a phone call from some of the "gentlemen".

Do make sure you put your first name on so she knows you recommended her...

Or just ring her up and tell her to stop giving out your number without having the courtesy to check with you if it's ok first.

JustAnotherManicMummy - I think that's a bit harsh!! I would never do that to my worst enemy.

But yes, I do feel annoyed about it.

The sales techniques are indeed very crafty, they did exactly as you described ImSoNotTelling she was really "chatty" on the phone at first and used my first name every other word

I am not very assertive so find it hard to say "no"

YANBU. Bang out of order IMO.

I'd be straight on the phone politely asking her to please not give my phone number to anyone else (politely because I'm a wuss and hate altercations - but I'd have to at least say something!!)

The studio will have presented the "invitation to recommend a friend" in a convincing and attractive way. These things never look like something which would annoy the friend you recommend. It might not have occurred to your friend that you would be annoyed by it, if she is not familiar with this sort of marketing ploy.