Great 'Best Cold Caller Rebukes' Hunt

brandedcentaur

What is the point of being rude to some poor wage slave who is just trying to earn a living? YES, we all hate receiving these calls and NO they should not be allowed.

I hate them as much as anybody else, but I always remember that, at the other end of the line, there is someone who has had the guts to go out and find a job (ANY job!) rather than sit in the house or pub, moaning about there not being any work!

Either say "No thank you, sorry" or buy a trueCall. There is no need to be rude or waste their time. Those people are paid commission and you are just breaking their will to work at all.

Lugh_Chronain

I agree. I usually just tell them I’m not interested and if they persist I tell them I’m going to hang up and do so. That's it, that's all.

And they other thing is, I have a phone that displays the number of the caller, if I don’t recognise it I don’t answer it, unless I’m in the other room where the phone doesn’t have caller display.

Freegan

I regularly received automated calls. Pre-recorded spiels about some scam to "reduce your debt" that starts "This is a free call. Don't hang up."

I've discovered that if I mute the TV and remain silent when lifting the handset their message doesn't start and the line goes dead. (I presume they've got a circuit that expects a voice to trigger the message and if there is no voice it 'must' be a fax line.)
After a few 'failed' connections like this the number is struck off the list.

When it's a human at the other end you'll hear a hesitant voice say "Hello?".
If you don't recognise the voice try pressing and holding a key on the keypad then hang up.
After a few instances of this they start to think they're connecting to an electronic device and strike your number off their list.

If they're not fooled by this and persist in delivering their spiel, just hang up without saying anything.

Eventually they get the message.

TREVORCOLMAN

ms_piggy wrote: »

If its for any type of home improvement I simply say "do you know this is a council house?" The phone goes dead within a second.

Or if it's one of those calls where you are connected after you answer I just put the phone down-they are paying the bill but I'm not listening

Several years ago when I was in Armed Forces Married Quarters, had a card through the door selling double glazing. I completed the card and where it asked how many windows there were I put "thousands" - never heard anything.

:j

TREVORCOLMAN

A good one is:

Answer phone and say

Hang on a minute - wait a minute then get back to the phone - sorry other phone was ringing.

Then let them say about 2 words and again:

Hang on.........wait another minute there was someone at the door

then ............the kettle was boiling

............the baby was crying

the oven needs turning down.............

etc

And so on

use whatever reason you can.......

They will hang up.

Javert_2

When they start their spiel – if the caller is male, I politely interrupt and say
“Excuse me – my partner deals with this – I’ll just get them.”
Them: “OK”.
Me: “He’ll love to chat to you.”
They always put the phone down – I never understand why!

John

dopher

You could try doing what my boyfriend did. I got a call last week when I was shopping so I asked them to phone back. An hour later we were at my parents house and my phone rang I seen the number and handed the phone to my beloved and asked him to tell them I wasn't there, he then took it upon himself to tell the bloke in front of my parents that he had me tied up in the bedroom! The bloke told him to have a good weekend and hasn't called back lol

greenporker

I got so irate after receiving 5 calls from the same " write off your debts" firm in one day, That I threatened to sue them for harassment.

hungrynurse_2

im a bit busy at the mo, what time do you get off work? Tell you what, give me your home number & Ill call you back later?

luxor4t

I listen for a few seconds and then say:
"sorry, got to go the phone's ringing!"

well, I think it's funny!