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General => The Shed => Topic started by: ACE on September 14, 2005, 14:24:41
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I have to tell you about a naughty way with dealing with these phone pests. When they ask to speak to Mr. ????? I tell them to wait while I go and get him. Then I just put the phone down and carry on with what I am doing. They usually hang up after a couple of minutes.
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I have done that too, it makes me feel better anyway ...
Derekthefox :D
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Hi Heritage and Derek,
If you register with the Telephone Preference Service this puts your number on a list which blocks most of the cold calling from the UK (not overseas unfortunately). A few months ago it got to the stage where I refused to answer the phone after 6pm, then a friend told me about TPS and now I hardly get any!
Cheers,
Rob :)
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We registered, but still get calls, same with junk mail. My darling Ava does exactly that Heritage, or starts asking them lots of questions....normally does the trick!
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I would certainly recommend registering with the telephone & mail preference services, our cold calling & junk mail has been cut down to virtually nil. I think all we get are those recorded messages saying we've won a cruise or some such - not much point leaving them on hold!
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;D ;D
I live in a first floor flat. Guy phoned a while ago offering an amazing deal on conservatories. I asked lots of questions and was very enthusiastic. Made the appointment for the "surveyor" to come round, and then the poor chap asked (sounding somewhat shocked) why I was so positive about the whole thing, he said most people hang up on him.........
Well, I said, I am desperate to see how you will fix this conservatory to my first floor flat. He hung up!!
Also have been known to tell double glazing peeps that I am an undischarged bankrupt!!
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Excellent!! Tend to deal with the problem the same as Emmma's OH! Get them to explain the "absolutely no cost to yourself bit....", Have been known to ask to speak to manager, for full explanation, end up with both us being confused, them needing lay down and retraining, me, shrug of shoulders and pootling on my way.... ;)Lottie ;D
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I thank you all for the advice about TPS I registered last friday, but I understand it takes about a month to start working.
I did not realise how bad it had got with the phone until last week when I had to have a few days off due to a slight accident with half a ton of metal fencing falling on me. The phone never seemed to stop ringing. Surely these people can be stopped? I for one will never be sold anything on the phone.
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Hi Heri.,...you can also ask the Post Office to stop delivering there own junk mail. Your address gets flagged at the sorting office, but when I requested this service, my real mail got delayed, so no can win.
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when we get those pain in the bum calls we just keep saying hello hello as if you cant hear anyone, they soon think you cant hear them and put the phone down it works
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Yup must agree, i dont know if i have tps, but i must say i find it funniest to take out some frustration on them with any of these aforementioned tricks, or ask completely irrelevant questions or even just give them a quick outburst of the morality, legality or annoyingness of cold calling, and see how they react ;D
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Don't know if this is true but someone was telling me that in some cases you end up paying for the call, especially some of the pre recorded ones and ones outside this country, so if you just hang on, it could mean more on your bill and not theirs. It is best if you just hang up straightaway.
We have signed up for the tps too and it seems to have really cut down on the calls even the ones from India. They are such a nuisance and these people that ring up are so tenacious and do anything to keep you on the line. busy_lizzie
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We have sorted the junk mail and the landline phone probs, but need a little help with the mobile phone pests, I recently found a number to cancel "Vodaphone" from reminding me (At the most inconvenient time) that I had missed a call, but can't find a way to stop them from trying to sell me their products. >:(
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If you get really desperate, you can also pay BT a few pounds a quarter to block all "number witheld" calls. This still doesn't work with calls from abroad, but it does get rid of the people who pay no attention to the TPS lists.
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I always ask them for their name and the company that they are representing - they generally find an excuse to avoid telling me - but want to know why - so I tell them that I have registered with the TPS service and that they have broken their agreement - this could cost them a large sum of cash for each violation - and eventually result in them losing their telephone service - this usually stops them from calling again.
--Alan
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Phone rang again last night, I could see it was number unnavaliable, so for a laugh I made some beeping noises and said 'if you want to speak with Mr. ??? press 1, If you wish to speak with Mrs. ??? press 2, for any other inquiry SOD OFF. Stunned silence from the other end of the phone.
I hope it was not a prospective customer.
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I enjoy trying to get them to hang up on me!
My favourite was a few years back when Mr Aqui answered, my bank asked to speak to me. Mr Aqui (without covering the phone) said "I think it's another bloody sales call". I answered, Mr Bank man said "Yes this is another bloody sales call. How would you like to save £50?" I said "whatever it is you're selling, I'm not interested." He hung up.
Another one called recently and said blah blah, sales cow manure, etc. I replied "Whatever it is you're selling, I'm not interested." "I'm not selling you anything. You just pay £X and you get this!" "Well if that's not selling, I don't know what is. Goodbye." (Turned into pre-plastic surgery Anne Robinson there!)
And my favourite was one that said "Hello Mrs Aquilegia. I understand you are a mobile phone user." "No I am not. I hate mobile phones. Goodbye." Puts phone down. A few minutes later I picked up the phone to make a call and the guy was still there. I said "Can you please hand up the phone." He did - I think he must've been in shock!
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Excellent katynewbie and wardy !
I had a similar incident with religious visitors knocking the door ...
They asked me how I was ... 'Great' I said
'But what about all the sadness in the world' they said, 'and the wars'
'Just great' I said, 'keeps me in a job...'
'And what job would that be', they enquired
'Sorry, can't tell you', I replied, 'Official Secrets Act', and winked !
They were speechless, and my wife was rolling on the floor laughing !
Derekthefox :D
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We haven't been bothered by the JW since I told them we are Catholics (will I be damned for lying?). I opened the door when we were on our way out one Sunday morning and told them, "I'm sorry we can't talk, we're off to church!" (The stables is my church - I wonder if they noticed my riding clothes!)
Or maybe is was due to the time we were digging in the garden (which is actually to the side of the house and in view of the front (actually side) door!) We'd been finding various rusting nails, which I was announcing in mock Time Team style. "Ah - here's another Mesopetanian ceremonial thingy!" (Only I was using the more technical term for it!) Found a particularly large nail with other bits attached, which I named as a "Mesopetanian fighting thingy". Just then the JW were at the door...
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Ooo great tips ;D
I really should be doing a tma for open uni, but sod it, this is far more interesting than loop invariant conditions, plus tutor is away so has given us a mini extension (should have been in tonight by 23.59 with online submission, but hopefully can finish it by saturday midday).
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I can't stand people trying to convert me to their religions, they ask me whether I'm interested, or some such, and of course I am (I'm a Methodist preacher), then show a total lack of interest in anything but their own ideas. Most of which I've heard more times than I could count.
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Never let on that your are non religious,you end up having to poke them off your doorstep with a Sh*itt*y stick.
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Some inspired tips here, especially Aqui's ;D
Reminds me of OH's method in dealing with political callers, "Oh, yes, I'll be voting - but I can't tell you who for, because it's a secret ballot, isn't it?" ;D
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One the ways I deal with cold callers on the phone is to tell them that I'm busy right now but if they'll give me their home number I'll be sure to call them back later, when they tell me that they're not prepared to give me their home number I ask them why not, they're f***ing calling mine.
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Ha ha Heldi, I will have to remember that method ... ;D
Really tickled me that ...
Derekthefox :D
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Or you could try my most embarrassing moment. I told MBNA that they could call me because I had the phone blocked la la la. They went to hassle of finding out and I hadn't sorted it out yet. However, they had the hassle of finding out and reminding me!!
However, my sister tried one of the best a few years ago with double glazing salesmen- Sorry we live in a council house. Phone goes down ever time!
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My brother is disgusting, he farts down the reciever and puts it down.
It's always amazed me how people can brew one up on the spot for any occasion.
Don't ever use the phone in my brother's house.
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Heldi - shame aroma can't be transmitted down the phone line as well as sound...
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Ha ha Heldi, I love it !
I thought that was only me with that toilet humour !
Derekthefox :D
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Well having been influenced by the likes of my older brother I have a healthy regard for humour of the toilet kind. I posted a joke on the beeb the other day and I guess I'm the only one who found it funny.
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Heldi,
One reason I quit using the Beeb was its lack of a sense of humour. And the language filter which prohibited some basic gardening terms ! But I came here, so it was a blessing in disguise eh?
Have you got a new avatar? Very nice, please keep it !
Derekthefox :D
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I'm bothered by JW every day - I have two in my class. Makes it a right problem teaching RE (although I do think all British schools should be secular and that RE is a subject for the home) and Christmas/birthdays etc. Not as bad as New Lifers though who are just down right rascist. Once got told by a New Lifer that there children weren't allowed on a trip to Leicester to look round a Gurdwara - you can guess the reason - I am not going to restate it. Anyway, whil with JWs it is live and let live, with New Lifers is is f*** off you rascist ****s. Think they are Britain's equivlent of the religious right that currently rules US politics.
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I get about 50 cold calls a day at the office. I have 2 options which both work very well.
1. I put the phone down. Sometimes they call back, more often
they don't.
2. I do like Ace and say I am going to put them through to my
boss and then I just rest the receiver on my desk so that
they can hear the typing and I keep them hanging.
I too have registered with the TPS to no avail. :-\ :(
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I don't have problems with JW's in class as round here the parents tend to withdraw them from RE. The only difficulty then is the odd one who thinks they can just play around since they're not doing the lesson. I do think RE should be taught in school, as otherwise many kids would learn nothing at all about religion, which is central to the lives of a large proportion of the human race, and very few indeed would learn anything about anyone else's religion, leading to even more ignorance and bigotry than we have now.
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I too think RE should be taught in school. I have turned my back on religion. I have not had my children christened because I don't want to be a hypocrite and I hope they will get a decent and broad RE education to enable them to make up their own minds in the future.
So to keep in mind the object of this exercise I dont see why any religion needs to do cold calling. I know it is part JW but I find it hard to respect that aspect. I don't want to be approached, I want to find my own way there. Wherever that may be.
What I really want for my children and for myself, is inner peace.
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Well said Heldi, I was in the fortunate position of having had a broad curriculum of religious education at school, and now consider myself not pertaining to any defined beliefs. I uphold that belief is a totally private thing, and individual freedom of choice is to be respected.
Nowt more to say really ...
Derekthefox
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Religious cold calling began in a very different society where people didn't move around much, they knew each other, and a dog collar gave a person a lot of status. Now, 150 years or so further on, the culture's changed drastically, and churches are still using the same methods. The ones which do it are so blinded by their beliefs that they can't see that the resistance they meet is justified.
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Thank you Robert, that does actually explain a lot, and I think will allow me to empathise with the motives of those who carry out this practice, although I have always been perfectly polite.
Derekthefox :D
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Having caller ID displayed on your phone handset (providing you have the right phone) is now free from BT, once you have registered for the service. Now when the phone rings if the number is withheld, I just don't answer it, and switch the answering machine on.
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Now my Governor has the answer and I don't really know how she gets away with it...I work for myself and she turns the tables on them by trying to sell my services to them.
I had a call the other evening from India trying to sell 'Toucan' the phone line service... I realised what was happening and kept repeating "Hello"....."Hello, I can't hear you"... and all I could hear was this frustrated caller trying to get through...after a few more "Hello's" I put the phone down.
I do remember my Uncle many many years ago, one Saturday morning, was chopping sticks for lighting fires (these were the days before central heating) he was in the yard...two JW's came in and tried to sell him 'Watchtower' (their magazine)
"I can't read" he said.
They proceeded to read it to him from the front cover to the back whilst he continued chopping sticks.
When they had finished they asked him if he wanted it, to which he repiled...
"Why, you have just read it to me".
He came into the house to my Aunt and I in hysterics.
Derek
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I've been reluctant to pitch in - but here goes ...
In most religions the follower has to earn their way into the promised bit (I'm trying to avoid any specific religious term). For JW's that means that they have to do things like go door to door in order to convert folk. It's not that they think that you might benefit from being converted (although they almost certainly do think that) it is that they have to do it in order to qualify.
If you study the faiths and learn what they believe you will be much better equipped to challenge them when they knock at your door. I feel that it is my duty to keep a JW at my door for as long as possible by exposing logical flaws in their theology, it serves several purposes; 1) stops them finishing their round (less points). 2) Irritates the hell out of them (they aren't meant to do that). 3) Entertains me. 4) Keeps them away from my neighbours.
My family is one of four practicing Christian families in our street (30 houses) and we all adopt this practice - must be a nightmare for JW's - actually, can't remember the last time they came round.] :)
-- Alan
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When I first got married, my wife had the irritating habit of telling these people to come back and talk to me, and telling them when I'd be in. One day she told me about two guys from the Church of Jesus Christ. So I asked a few questions, they were two white men in identical natty American-style suits, so that had to be the Church (mumble) Jesus Christ (mumble mumble mumble) AKA the Mormons. So when they came back, instantly recogisable for what they were as the uniform is very distinctive, I said 'Ah, you're the Mormons.' You should have seen the look of amazement on their faces. 'How do you know we're Mormons?' So I explained. They were gone in 30 seconds, and never came back.