mobile insurance cold calls

profligate_2

Hi I just got an iphone yesterday and so far today have had 7 calls regarding insurance all purporting to be through the carphone warehouse. Only after stupidly giving out some personal information did I realise that if they already were my insurance provider they would know these details. When pushed I finally got a company name from them (fonemedic) and they claim to have got my number as all new mobiles had their number 'pinged' from a transmitter to test them!!! The next caller when pushed for details beyond being 'my' insurance provder (which they are not) said he worked for Bugaloo Express. When asked how they got my number he put his manager on the phone who said twice that he made up the number before saying they had an automatic dialler. When advised I would make a complaint said he would lose his job and wouldn't be able to feed his kids - would I be able to sleep at night!!

I phoned Carphone Warehouse customer services to make them aware of the situation and find out how so many companies had my temporary number. After speaking with his supervisor I was advised that there is a public directory which all new mobile numbers go on, but neither of them knew how to access it. However, this still does not answer how these companies know I had just purchased an iphone and that it was through CW??

I need to dig out my paperwork to make sure I have ticked/not-ticked the data protection box - which was not brought to my attention when I purchased the phone.

Apologies for the extensive rant or if I have posted this in the wrong place.

Is anyone aware of this public directory of mobile phone numbers or had similar experiences?

Cavey

Register your new number with the Telephone Preference Service (http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/).

As far as I am aware, they get your number by finding out which is the most recent block of numbers that has been allocated to a company. So they know that (say) 07895 1***** were allocated to (say) Orange in May (I can't remember where the list was, but someone posted a link to it and it made for interesting reading and explains why I get junk texts thinking I am still on Orange), so they just start ringing those numbers at random (078951111111, 078951111112, 078951111113 etc....) and when one connects, they know it is a reasonably new number and try to sell you insurance. They also have a fair shout at not landing someone who is yet registered to the TPS and once they know your number is live it is like spam - the more they ring, the more chance they think they have of success.

I don't like telemarketers and am on TPS, so when they ring me I don't bother trying to be pleasant any more. I just interrupt them, demand to know how they got my number, demand they remove all records relating to me (data protection etc...) and inform them that I subscribe to the TPS making it an offence to contact me for marketing purposes.

Anyway, if you are still feeling stressed and feel like a giggle, have a listen to this -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un_PjRXV5l8

profligate_2

thanks Cavey, the you tube post helped assuage my rage a bit. Best thing was the ultra professional manager at 'Bugaloo Express', while begging for me not to complain and get him fired so he couldn't feed his kids, claimed not to have heard of the TPS!!

Abbafan1972

the utube thing is good but quite old now

MoscowFlyer

They buy a phone from CPW.

Now, all CPW numbers are consecutive, it doesn't matter what network you're on, you get the next number that's available unless they ask you to pick your own.

So, the scammers dial 500 numbers either side of the one they've got, they call up and ask if you're happy with your insurance. If you haven't taken out insurance and tell them this, they apologise, say they'll amend their records, and will move on to the next one. If you have taken out insurance, they'll work on getting some card details off you. It's amazing how many people fall for it. They word everything very carefully so that it seems they are who they say they are, and they extract details out of you by their carefully worded questions.

mutley99_2

Hi

I came across this post during a google search.

I have a policy with this company and was contacted in the same manner and took out one of their policies on an iphone.

Unfortunately I have need to claim as I lost the handset and have tried contacting them and the phonelines are down until Thursday (Monday now), this is quite worrying that the one time I ring them that I am unable to contact them for a few days, I'm beginning to think I've been scammed and was wondering if anyone had had positive dealings with this company to put my mind at rest.

I have emailled them but have not received a reply yet.

Thanks for any advice / feedback.

twhatmough

I was caught by this in exactly the ways described. I contacted my credit card company. They tried to contact Fonemedic, but there was no answer. They said that as Fonemedic had not fulfilled their contract by sending me the insurance documents as promised, they would chase them and reimburse me. This should happen next week, so I'm waiting to see. I have emailed CarPhone Warehouse to suggest that they ought to warn people.