Insurance comparison websites & follow-up spam

Hezzawithkids

Back in March/April time I browsed around a few comparison sites to get car insurance quotes. When entering my details I made a point of ticking the "no contact" boxes which I do as a matter of course with anything anyway and go to great pains to seek them out. So far, so normal.

About a month ago I started getting cold calls on my mobile offering (mostly) PPI claims advice (which I dont need), at first just the odd call here or there but it has now escalated to one a day. I asked a couple of them where they got my details from and they have confirmed that its because I used an insurance comparision website. At first I politely said No but now I'm getting on average of one of these calls a day (even over the weekends) and I've stopped trying to be polite. I know its not the fault of the person calling because they are just cannon fodder trying to do a job, but when I've asked them to stop calling me a couple of them have been quite rude, so I just hang up (oh for the days when you could slam a phone down to disconnect!).

Now, perhaps I missed an opt-out tick box somewhere and it serves me right, but I dont think so. Perhaps there are companies out there who just ignore opt-outs? I cant remember which sites I used or who I got quotes from cos I deleted them all once I got re-insured with my current provider, so I dont even know who to complain to. Now if I get a call from a number that's "private" or one I dont recognise I dont answer it - job done but it still interrupts my day and at the moment they just wont seem to go away.

I have now registered my number with TPS so at least I can tell anyone who gets through that they are in danger of being in breach of regulations. Mind you, my landline has been on TPS for some time and whenever I get a marketing call I tell them I'm on TPS and they usually try to tell me that this isn't a sales call!!

Rant over !!

dacouch

You will also find if you enter into some comparison sites that you were involved in an accident and it was not your fault you will start getting calls from ambulance chasing solicitors

Hezzawithkids

Gee whiz, cant wait :cool: So opt out boxes and TPS are a waste of time aren't they?? Especially when they swear blind that "this is not a sales call" :mad:

Torby

that's why I have a PAYG mobile sitting permanantly on a charger in my study, I've told the kids to use that number as well if they're doing surveys etc online, we also have a "generic" email address as well... XXXfamily@yahoo.co.uk

seemple...oh wait, that's one of the sites we got the spam calls from, or was it when we went to go and compare...who cares....:money:

Freddie_Snowbits

dacouch wrote: »

You will also find if you enter into some comparison sites that you were involved in an accident and it was not your fault you will start getting calls from ambulance chasing solicitors

When I came off my bike (MY FAULT) and got really stitched up, they offered to sue the person responsible.

Nice thought that and I could also go bankrupt.

CHR15

Why on Earth would you enter your correct details simply to get quotes??

Just slap the keyboard about.

The only relevant boxes are Postcode, driving info, car details. Everything else is garbage.

If you like the price and wish to proceed, go back and start again substituting mr kfjd jkhdjkhdfjk for your proper name, spam@home.com for your proper email addy and 0221151651351 for your proper phone number

dacouch

01234 567890 is a good telephone number to enter into quote systems.

Hezzawithkids

Good tips! Dunno why I went to such pains to enter all my valid details just to get quotes, guess I just got sucked into the hype, I will know better next time.

Having given this some more thought of course these people would say that as PPI claimning is no-win no-fee technically they aren't asking me to part with amy money so technically it's not a sales call. Which maked the opt-out boxes null and void. What a gip :cool:

vikingaero

dacouch wrote: »

01234 567890 is a good telephone number to enter into quote systems.

I would have thought a nice premium rate number would be better - 0906 36 24 36.

orb_3

Look into spamgourmet for throwaway email addresses. It allows so many through (you choose how many) then anything else disappears into the ether.
It keeps statistics of how many have been binned which are interesting to look at. I've used it since 2003 and over 2800 unwanted emails have not reached my inbox as a result.