'Free unlimited calls? My !!!!!' Blog discussion

akh43

This weeks email to work has been stopped for the a**e word, on checking with IT they cannot release it due to the content! Quite a few of us have received messages re the unappropriate content.

advanta

With respect, I can't see the point of talking to someone who works in a call centre with no authority. Many people who work in call centres know their company has stupid policies but there's nothing they can do about it.
If you get to talk to someone in authority that's a different matter.

advanta

StumpyPumpy wrote: »

A friend's comment, when hearing me being abusive to one of these callers was "...they're only trying to make a living." My response: "So are pickpockets."

Perhaps, but it isn't going to do anything to change your or our lives for the better by giving them a hard time.

rickbonar

It illustrates that the supposed ways of stopping sales calls doesn't work.

Martin Lewis presumably is registered to all these and has other filters in play.

The telephone preference agency doesn't work and I have heard rumours that applicants in fact go onto a database for marketers.

I know you have to start by removing your details from the phone book and go ex-directory however if you keep you old number it can take years for this to have an effect. The marketers keep old phone books and info disks to use for numbers.

When signing up to internet services often they ask your phone number and what your hobbies are so they can sell to you over the phone. Whether ticking the box for not allowing them and their partners to contact you with items of interest works I sincerely doubt.

What can you do?

I think the idea of giving a mobile number where possible is good. BT used to have a “call sign” service which gave you another phone number which worked in tandem which your main number. But I found you were called from sellers there too.

I would like have a public campaign to ban ALL premium numbers whether it’s 0870 0871 0845 090 etc. And also a public campaign to make illegal cold calling marketing.

Also these computer diallers that were happening to notch absurd rip off calls a few years back. To be made the responsibility of the phone company to refuse to pay until it has been cleared in writing by the customer.

rickbonar

Forgot to add one of the worst offenders for cold calling with their rip off products is BT.

Talk Talk aren't much better .. I'm with them and yesterday I had a call from them with an to "save money" .. I was offered the plus plan.

Now the guy asked me if I wanted more download allowance. I said no because I didn't even use 2 gig per month. (I'm getting 40 gig they were offering 80g)
He asked whether I wanted anytime calls .. I said had it already from the old plan.
He asked whether I free international calls .. I said already had it " " ditto.
He asked whether I wanted unlimited speed .. I said ditto
and it turned out he was offering me exactly what I had already and £6 a month - yes that's right a month MORE than I'm paying already --- and he acted surprised that I didn't sign up! by asking " so you don't want to sign up to the plus plan"!

anewman

advanta wrote: »

Perhaps, but it isn't going to do anything to change your or our lives for the better by giving them a hard time.

Well if you give them a hard time, perhaps they'll get another half-decent job.

Another thing to remember is these places will be target driven. I.e. make so many sales or you're sacked. There will be an extremely high turn over of employees at these places where the creme de la creme are kept and the rest gotten rid of and exchanged for new until there are more new who are as good as those at the top. Remember the employers do not care about employees, they care about the bottom line which is money. Trying to sell something to someone who does not want to buy is not an easy venture. To be as good as those at the top, you have to have a bit of a way about you on the phone, be ignorant, arrogant, and overbearing. Basically all the qualities that will make people who really do not want to know give them the biggest hard time possible - and the best will be able to deal with those people easily, they will quickly wrap up the call knowing there is no sale there and get onto the next one.

So in a nutshell I guess my point is if you're in that job and can't deal with being told to get lost when trying to sell someone something they do not want to buy when they were trying to watch TV or cook something nice for tea etc etc, then perhaps they shouldn't be in that job. Same with people in the Army if they don't want bombs sent their way, or the Police if they don't want to deal with drunks and idiots.

Whenever I put a phone number down for those online things I always try and put a random premium rate number if I can. I'd love to think their computer automatically dials them and it would cost them money, but it probably isn't the case.

profscooter

rickbonar wrote: »

It illustrates that the supposed ways of stopping sales calls doesn't work.

The telephone preference agency doesn't work

I would like have a public campaign to ban ALL premium numbers whether it’s 0870 0871 0845 090 etc. And also a public campaign to make illegal cold calling marketing.

Yes I agree the TPS system seems to becoming less effective, I get more and more unsolicited calls in spite of being registered, and not just the overseas ones either; when I tell them this is a TPS registered number they hang up but I doubt if it stops them using the same practice on other list members. A campaign is certainly required, and maybe MSE is the place for it to start?

What I can't understand is why cold calling still works, which it must, otherwise the companies wouldn't do it. If I want to buy something, I go to a shop or Google it to buy on line, which indicates my personal intent and interest. But if you are introduced to a product like "replacement windows" that has randomly entered your consciousness in the middle of the day as the result of a cold call where no relationship already exists between you and the caller, there is no way you can have been intending to buy that product, therefore they must be trying to twist your arm to buy, and I don't see how that's a practice that should be allowed in this day and age. It's all very 70s, doorstep brush-salesmanish. Even if there is a cooling off period where you can revoke your agreement afterwards. If companies want to create product awareness they should do all the right Twitter, Facebook etc. stuff but not be trying to cold-sell direct to the public.

danjourno

Sometimes cold calling can be great!

Orange called me (technical it wasnt a cold call because I had an orange mobile and broadband with them).

They offered me unlimited landline calls anything, unlimited 20Mb internet (i get around 7Mb because of my phone line) and my line rental included.... all for £20 per month. And I convinced them to give me 3 months free by hesitating!

I was paying £20 for orange broadband, and £16 approx to BT for line rental and unlimited calls.

StumpyPumpy

advanta wrote: »

Perhaps, but it isn't going to do anything to change your or our lives for the better by giving them a hard time.

I beg to differ. It does make me feel better and hopefully that person at least, will not call me again.
And I suggest my reaction would not be unique if you were in the same situation as me: namely waiting by the phone to hear from the hospital whether or not my Father had survived his emergency surgery (to the concerned, he did and is on the road to recovery). To be told by some person "only trying to earn a crust", who I had reasonably politely asked to get off the line as I was waiting for an important call, that this would "only take a few minutes of my time" was enough to set me, and I suggest many other people, off.
Let us not forget, I did not ask them to call, they chose, willfully to irratate me. I have registered everywhere possible to say I do not want these calls, my answerphone, under normal circumstances, states I do not want these calls. I consider I have done everything reasonable that I can to warn these leeches off. If they persist in ignoring my efforts they should not be surprised when I bite.
When a boxer wants people to stop punching him in the face he quits boxing. When a cold caller wants people to stop abusing him he quits cold calling.
I just wish the TPS worked the otherway around - that is, anyone who wants to receive these calls registers and coldcallers, autodiallers and the rest can have their fill. But how many would register? I guess the "only doing a job" group would feel obliged to, but who else? The technology exists to trace and ban these callers so it would be a simple matter to enforce, but then, I guess the big telecoms companies would lose a very profitable revenue stream, so I assume it is a long time in the future.
Until that time, if I pick up one of these calls in the future, I will continue to vent, and if I have some free time play the "let's see how long it takes for them to hang up on me" game. If they don't want to play, or to hear me vent, the solution is simple: Don't call me.

ericthelobster

hollydays wrote: »

Any company i do business with gets given my mobile,if they ask for a number,with one digit changed.

That's a little unfair on whoever it is gets landed with all the junk calls intended for you, isn't it?

A much better solution, if permitted, is (online) to fill the box with zeros; or (in person) to decline to provide a number - "I'm ex-directory" usually works. If you have to give a number, then either use a dummy one from OFCOM's "drama range" (http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/telecoms/numbering/guidance-tele-no/numbers-for-drama) or set up a free VOIP number at somewhere like www.sipgate.co.uk - you can get a free landline number usually in your own dialling code area, and have it set up so any incoming calls go straight to voicemail (which then gets delivered to you - if you want - as an email attachment or web link.