Cold caller, rude, but ...

We have been registered with TPS for donkeys' years. I checked we were still registered as such a couple of years ago, because of the number of cold calls we were getting. We were/are still registered, but continue to be plagued by them, though the number of them seems to come and go in waves.

One that really bugged me was a call wanting to know if I had had an accident that was someone else's fault. Yes, I had - as i went to answer that untimely call, I got my foot caught up in my very complicated, intricate knitting, pulling stitches off the kneedles - it took me hours to sort out the resulting mess! ?

Blinko I agree not answering numbers you don't know is a good idea - however, I have family in Australia and although I have my brother's number programmed into my phone his adult children seem to change their numbers as often as they change their socks! My brother is unwell and I can't not answer an international call in case they are calling from their mobile phones with bad news.

First of all, get your phone number registered with the telephone preference service.
Secondly, if you haven't done the above, say: 'there's someone at the door, hang on, I'll be back'
Go and make a cup of tea, do some ironing or something similar. It will rack up their phone bill and might even get them to leave you alone.

We have caller display on our phone, so if it's not someone we know, we don't answer. We're also with TPS. As has been said, they have limited powers.

My logic is if it's someone I want to speak to or who needs to contact me, they'll either leave a message on the answerphone or text me.

As a result, we receive hardly any cold calls.

I did one day in a call centre when I was temping, and yes it is a soul destroying job. The other people in the room were constantly refused and abused, and sat looking really miserable after each call. I hated it and refused to go back. For a long time I was more polite to cold callers after that, but now just put the phone down on them. Some people have no choice but to take a job, any job, to pay the bills. I don't think anyone can do this job by choice.

Someone told me to say to cold callers "I did not ask you to ring me. Do not call this number again" Apparently it has some legal force - and I do say it, politely , and ring off. I have no idea if it really has any effect! And I do sympathise with the people who make cold calls - it must be an awful job and they do deserve courtesy.

Unfortunately Johno they seem to get round this by using the same recorded message from different numbers and not giving a company name

It is illegal to continue a repeat cold call. The law now is such that the actual company director is personally responsible and court action takes place against the CEO or top manager. That is the law.

They can be irritating and if they cannot accept a no you are not interested then a 'disconnect' is the only answer.

We have them here too. They are a pesky nuisance. When they call, always reply with a long yeeeeeessssss. After which they ask "vous parlez francais" to which I always answer "not really, especially if you are selling something". Hang up!!!

If it’s utilities I say I am in rented property and to the computer virus ones I say I haven’t got a pc, laptop or tablet. But sometimes if I’m feeling naughty I string them along pretending to be a bit dim and taking as much of their time as poss before they realise and then they slam the phone down.

We have given up a landline because of this problem of cold calls. We do get some on our mobiles. My favourite is when they say they're ringing about the car accident I had recently which wasn't my fault (which, needless to say, never happened). I dive straight in with "Oh it was terrible, the car's a write-off and I've got the most awful whiplash ....." at which point they ring off.

If you don't recognise the number then don't answer the phone or do as I do & pick it up & hang up immediately without saying a word..
I have only one person I know who uses my mainline- everyone else uses the mobile & you can see who is calling.
Never put your mobile no. on any forms you have to fill in or you will start getting nuisance calls on that too.

I think TPS only covers calls which originate in the UK. As a result, nearly all the calls I get are from abroad, usually India.

I have been with TPS for years - hasn't stopped them calling. If I get any repeatedly calling I report them to the Information Commissioners Office (you can do this online).

My phone displays the number so I just don't pick up.
Joining the TPS doesn't seem to stop them either. I've had times when it goes quiet for a while then starts up again, ten calls a day sometimes.

If this helps anyone about cold callers. Register you number with the Telephone Preference Services (TPS). When you are registered it is against the law for anyone to cold call you. Their phone number is 0345 070 0707 or you can do it online. The cold calls stop then within 30 days of registering.

I am always polite to cold callers, I usually explain that as I have never had any dealings with their company and I have not given them permission to ring me they are, in fact, breaking the law. They usually just hang up.

Some time ago I had a cold call from someone, told them I wasn't interested said goodbye and hung up. She rang me back - demanding to know why I had hung up on her!! I'm afraid my reply was not polite.

I think we often forget that some unfortunate people are forced (financially) to accept such jobs. It is not their fault that the company uses these methods to communicate with their customers.

I hate cold calling, but do try to be relatively polite while refusing to engage with them. I can think of nothing worse than making endless calls and having the phone slammed down time after time.

These are often the only jobs available to people in areas where all the industry has been delocalised. On the other hand no-one welcomes a cold call. I don't have a good solution, but obviously we need to remember that we're talking to a human being.

It is about as soul-destroying as being on the help desk of an unpopular utility. No-one wants to hear your pearls of wisdom, you are on the receiving end of all their resentments at every other call centre they have experienced, and your boss listens in to the call and reprimand you if you deviate from the prescribed script whatever the provocation.

My son spent a few months on the help desk at Telewest answering very stupid questions and bitchy complaints from people who couldn't be arsed to be polite to him and said that all around him fellow workers (mostly students or other temporary youngsters) were cracking under the strain and being impolite to rude customers, and finding themselves sacked on the spot.

Your caller had probably had enough and was planning to ditch the job before it ditched her.

Yes, it must be ghastly. One of my dds once had a holiday job in telesales - there was a script they were supposed to follow to the letter, so whatever objection anyone made, you had the 'correct' reply - and the supervisor would listen in on and off, to make sure you were adhering to it.

She only lasted about 10 days - as she said, it's not much fun being told to f**k off all day long.

Since then I've always tried to say no thanks reasonably nicely - but will just hang up if they persist. Thank goodness we get very few cold calls now.

my home phone only ever rings from cold calling and my brother ringing once a week! It's ridiculous don't know why I bother to answer it really!

Poor girl, and so honest for once. Made me chuckle.