Fun with nuisance caller

[grin grin]

ooops where did the emoticons go, that was brilliant, made me laugh before I go to the dentist, thanks.

I too am so fed up with them and have tried to tell them to remove my number from their database to no avail that I now go down the 'stupid old woman' route and have similar conversations to sunseeker. It's much more fun and doesn't raise the blood pressure !

I did enjoy that- it made me laugh

I usedto get them in UK. For himself

Put on my old lady voice and said the had just died, and the funeral was tomorrow.

Gave lawyers address.

Phone down

I do that sort of thing too - harmless fun.

I just put the phone down on the table and chat to OH till I hear that the call has stopped , but I have been known to say I don't have a computer when I get the "windows " person

20+ years ago when I was making arrangements to have double glazing installed, I was told that my husband's signature would also be required. We were divorced, he was living in Spain so I said that would be a tad difficult as his body had been cremated. That shut him up and he accepted my signature on its own. Flipping cheek.

If I have time, i love to have fun with unsolicited calls. I listen to what they have to say, then tell them how pleased I am that they phoned (they think they have their day made at this point). I then tell them that I live on my own and am very lonely and is is wonderful to have the chance to chat to someone. I then ramble on about how my dog has just died, my children have dis-owned me, no one cares etc etc (I'm sure you get the picture). I don't let them get a word in edgewise, 10 minutes is my record to date before they give up, but if possible I always politely thank them for calling and ask them to call again soon (odd they never do ??? )

I get the joke of course, but I also feel darned sorry for these chaps on the other end. Their calls are being listened to all the time and they are at risk of losing their jobs if they do not respond exactly as they should. What a bloody miserable and pointless way of spending a life, making calls that no-one wants.

As I am registered with Telephone Preference Service, making these unsolicited calls to me is illegal, so I don't have much sympathy.

I have been known to report cold calls, as we are TPS registered. complaints.tpsonline.org.uk/consumer

But I do have sympathy for most of the people making the calls, who are only trying to make a living at some awful call centre. I had a very rude and arrogant one the other week, though, who claimed she wasn't cold calling, she had been down our street and seen for herself that our fascias were in bad repair and needed replacing (!!!), and that she certainly would be ringing again even though she was told not to. Unfortunately the firm withheld their number, so I can't report, and they have rung three times since (not Miss Narky though, who will be getting even more of the rough edge of my tongue if she does ).

I should have said withheld their number and gave a ludicrous made-up name

TPS does not mean you won't get calls, we have been with them for years and we are still bothered. I used to just leave the answer machine on but I have that many hospital and specialist unit calls that I must answer now, they won't leave a message because of the privacy thing.

My OH quite often pretends to be a Chinese takeaway and asks their order in a shouty Chinese voice. Very un PC, but quite amusing ( the first few times)

suzied If I receive an order for a pizza and I am in bed (this usually happens after 11pm) I say that I am a member from my local police station and that gets rid of these late night callers. One of these nights it will be a member of my local police force ringing to place an order and getting me!

Maggiemaybe. Next time explain that you need to discuss with DP and you'll ring them back, it may get you the number!

sunseeker Well done that woman! I bet you enjoyed that.

I'm sure that the person making the call is well aware that they are working for a disreputable company. Many of these calls originate from outside the UK.

I do see Luckygirls point about the poor beggars who work in these call centers They would probably feel obliged to take it or lose their benefit. If you were on the dole and had to prove you were looking for work you would probably have no choice but to take such a job if you were offered it.

I wonder if there are any rules about these small canvassing companies as opposed to the business related call centers for your insurance company or bank.

It seems to me though that most of the cold calls I get seem to be run by small canvassing companies. Double glazing, PPI, hearing damage etc.

I've just looked at some employment ads for call centres, I certainly don't feel sorry for them now -- they are too well paid for annoying me.

Although both are equally annoying there is a difference between these unsolicited callers. I am usually polite to cold callers and tell them I have TPS and ask them therefore to remove my number from the database. However with the Windows scammers I can be inventively difficult and think they deserve everything they get. My favourite is to share how proud I am of my own sons and how disappointed in them I would be if I were their mother. Twice I have then received death threats, including one lovely chap who said he would cut me open - I wasn't too worried as I suspect the air fare from India may be somewhat prohibitive.

Fortunately our answer machine is weeding out most of them now. With the few that do get through I've taken to being the nice old lady whose so thrilled to have someone to talk to, especially when it's such a nice sounding young man. I talk a lot about the weather and if we should leave the EU, but they always seem to hang up