Marketing Calls. A wee rant.

[Karen_D]

Yes, I am registered with the Telephone Preference Service but we still get them dialling random numbers and asking for "The homeowner" and then trying to sell something.

I've reported one this morning for calling about a promotion where they will replace all the soffits and fascia boards (the what?) on my house and cover "most" of the cost. Yeah, right.

The woman on the line didn't know my name or address - and admitted it was a random dial! When I pointed out that we were registered with the TPS she hung up. I didn't even get to the point of swearing or playing Slayer down the 'phone.

As well as the various dodgy double glazing and kitchen companies, it would be easy for someone trying to do ID theft to pitch a story and get details from someone.

To register with the TPS go here

http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/

It is free and usually takes a couple of months to come into effect but it does stop most marketing calls.

Wassail

Karen

[Paddy's mum]

Can totally sympathise with you on this one. We used to have loads but over time, using the following approach, they have dwindled to once in a blue moon.

Caller "May I speak to the householder/homeowner please?"

Me or hubby "Good morning, who is it that you wish to speak to?"

Caller "I'm calling from Bodger, Smashit and Legget - we supply conservatories/window blinds/landscaping services/man&van/scrap metal collection ...... " (take your pick here)

Me or hubby "Yes, I understood that, but this is a slaughterhouse .. who is it that you wish to speak to and I'll be happy to put you through ... oh, is that Mr Smith? .. your order for pig guts is ready for you to collect"

Caller "Sorry to bother you" and down goes the phone. They rarely call again!!!

[Martin]

if they do have the temerity to call me despite being on the "no calls" scheme, I take the opportunity to give them a real earbashing! - it's wonderfully therapeutic!
I usually start with "how DARE you call me when I'm off the list!" - then demand a supervisor, and give her an earbashing too - I usually rant and rave until they've agreed never to call again (and they don't)
Fight back!

[Boots]

I just ask them for their home number and say I'll ring them back..

[glenniedragon]

I've had some annoying calls from BT who seem to get around this telephone preference service, they keep trying to sell me extras as we only have our line rental through them nothing else.......I was curt and aloof with one guy and he hung up on me, I tell ya it felt goood......


kind thougths
Deb

[Paddy's mum]

My French friend swears by asking them if they'll hold while she, the childminder/charlady/mother-in-law/dog sitter, goes to get homeowner to come to the phone. She politely and gently lays the phone down, and walks away 'calling' herself.

She goes back to the phone some minutes later and they've always given up and gone!

What do others do with unsolicited mail? We are on the mailing preference list but still get the blasted things - it seems many of them come via Royal Mail. Quite useful for lighting the fire though, if mixed with newpaper - best place for most of them, in my opinion.

[Sassinak]

If they have an envelope with them you put them into the envelope and post them back - but not in their own envelope!!

So Barclays gets mail about the double glazing
The free catalogue gets mail about a book club
etc
etc

If the envelope provided isn't prepaid they will have to pay excess postage to collect it as well

[the.fee.fairy]

I do that Sassinak...
I had some crap come through once with a prepaid envelope, so they got a whole load of stuff back! They never mailed me again..

Telephone calls - i always ask for their first name, their surname, their postcode and the first line of their address, then i ask them to repeat the fifth letter of their 16 digit security code to get to speak to me about anything.

They do it to me...

[Shirley]

We are ex-directory and on the TPS.

The last call we had came from someone asking about my mobile phone contract with vodafone.... we had cancelled it a few months previously but that bit obviously hadn't filtered through. I asked how they had got my number and they said vodafone had given it to them. I said I didn't wish to discuss my mobile with them and they hung up pretty quickly.... I then contacted V to ask whether they gave out this information and they said no, they didn't.

I had another call from the same company asking the same question a few days later. This time I asked them for their company name... the caller had to ask his supervisor what it was... and whether he was allowed to give it to me. I then asked him for the address... so that I could write to them... he again had to ask the super, I asked whether they had a website... he had to ask... and a few other things too. I told him that I wasn't impressed that they had called me again, after my telling him that I wasn't interested in a upgrade to my phone... I didn't care whether it was free or not... I didn't need one! The poor guy said his goodbyes (he was very polite and I don't hold a grudge with HIM.. he's just doing a job after all)

A couple of days later... yep, I got another call from the same company. I told him to ask his colleague about the conversation that we had a couple of days ago. He hung up.

Did I contact the company - did I heck.. forgot all about it until a couple of days ago. Lots of sites are discussing this same topic, perhaps January is a busy time for telesales.

[Milims]

My Sis (who is completely bonkers!!!) once had a call from a kitchen sales company. She let them launch into their sales pitch and uh hummed appropriately and then after a while said "I'm very sorry my husband has just come in for his tea - could you call back tomorrow night at the same time?" They did and she pulled a similar stunt - in fact she did the same thing several times and had them calling every night for a week. By the end of the week and several very long telephone conversations she thanked them politely for the very nice chats but she already had a hand made kitchen that she had no intention of changing. Funnily enough she seems to have been removed from every unwanted calls list!!!
Me - I just scream frantically when they call!!!

All that said I did once, in my student days, work for a burgler alam sale company and was frequently on the end of some abuse. On one occasion I was threatened, abusively, with a written complaint so I said to him" you know what you can do with your complaint dont you? You can STICK IT down on paper, SHOVE IT - in an envelope and then RAM IT into the letter box and I'm sure the company would give the appropriate response!!!

I guess you can't win either way!!!