Spammers, cold callers and those that accosts you

danothy

Today I received an email telling me that I'd won £3.5 million in the "GM Lottery", part of the information I have to provide to claim my prize is whether or not I have tried "the New Windows 7". I'm sure it's relevant somehow.

I also received a text from SCS (which apparently stands for 'Sprint Communications') regarding my T-Mobile account and asking me to contact someone called Katie.

I don't recall entering the GM Lottery or having a T-Mobile account ...

I'm beginning to find it all a bit harassing, especially when it's combined with being persistently stopped on the street by charity representatives and (the new tactic in Cardiff) people asking you for directions to a shop and then giving you sales material for that shop when you answer.

How can I gently encourage people to leave me alone? I understand why it happens, but I feel violated by my inability to opt out of the onslaught of unsolicited garbage.

anotherbaldrick

Why do you want to be gentle ? is it because you are young ? When you get to be really old like me and possessed of a comprehensive vocabulary of coarse language such opportunities to use it are welcomed

WhiteHorse

danothy wrote:

but I feel violated by my inability to opt out of the onslaught of unsolicited garbage.

Chugger = Charity Mugger.

Respond accordingly.

danothy

I suspect that swearing at strangers is not going to restore my sense of equilibrium somehow. I also suspect that it wont help that much.

I'm considering wearing a sign round my neck informing people not to approach me next time I venture out.

anotherbaldrick

danothy wrote: »

I suspect that swearing at strangers is not going to restore my sense of equilibrium somehow. I also suspect that it wont help that much.

You would be surprised, as for equilibrium , it does wonders for mine. Remember these chuggers are doing it for money so if you wish to contribute to charity ,give it to charity , not the fee earning chugger.

danothy

anotherbaldrick wrote: »

You would be surprised, as for equilibrium , it does wonders for mine. Remember these chuggers are doing it for money so if you wish to contribute to charity ,give it to charity , not the fee earning chugger.

Thing is it seems to be different people every time doing the chugging/marketing so I don't see how swearing at one set is going to help with the next set. Also I sort of feel that if I do resort to swearing at them then the terrorists win as I've had to engage them when this is what I want to avoid.

anotherbaldrick

Thing is it seems to be different people every time doing the chugging/marketing so I don't see how swearing at one set is going to help with the next set. Also I sort of feel that if I do resort to swearing at them then the terrorists win as I've had to engage them when this is what I want to avoid.

These characters are very good at reading the body language of people in the street . If you watch them they will size up the people before they approach them and pick those they think they can influence with their spiel (possibly the caring young). The thing is to adopt a brusque demeanor and just say no thank you in a voice which is guaranteed to deter further advances. I certainly would not suggest that you resorted to language, leave that to us oldies who are allowed such indiscretions.

pricey85

anotherbaldrick wrote: »

These characters are very good at reading the body language of people in the street . If you watch them they will size up the people before they approach them and pick those they think they can influence with their spiel (possibly the caring young). The thing is to adopt a brusque demeanor and just say no thank you in a voice which is guaranteed to deter further advances. I certainly would not suggest that you resorted to language, leave that to us oldies who are allowed such indiscretions.

I never thought about it like this before. It certainly explains why incidents of me being accosted by these folks has reduced as my general surliness has increased.

Moral of the story, look angry all the time and people will leave you alone.

Steer73

I agree. I am constantly angry, and the pretty Chugger girls ignore me. This make me even more angry, which makes them even less likely to talk to me.

fluffnutter

Walk away from chuggers fast or say 'no thanks' loudly. If someone tries to give you a leaflet, don't automatically hold your hand out; let them drop it on the floor if need be. Not much else you can do. With regard spam on your email account and phone, there's a fair bit you can do. Be careful about ever giving your mobile number and email address. Always make sure you read and tick/untick the marketing literature boxes. Make sure you set all your preferences to 'no marketing' re. companies you deal with, e.g. your bank. Get decent spam filters on your accounts. Sign up with the telephone preference service. Re. posted mail, sign up with the mailing preference service and the Royal Mail Opt Out. Stick a note on your door saying 'No cold callers'. I abhor any type of marketing literature. I've got avoiding people down to a fine art now. The only things I can't do anything about are flyers from Virgin Media!

dizziblonde

fluffnutter wrote: »

The only things I can't do anything about are flyers from Virgin Media!

Oh gawd, we moved away from them when we moved a few months back - can't get them to realise they've been dumped. Have had the winback phonecalls, and a few days ago we got a leaflet basically translating to "OK so you've been with Sky a few months now, have they peed you off yet? Come back, please come back, here's my phone number, please call, we're sorry, can we be friends again?"

TPS didn't work for us - the previous owner of the number had got it onto every marketing list going, and because they weren't calling for ME - they kept on calling, to the level we were getting about 10 calls a day every day from 8am to 10pm and it was driving me completely insane. Tried call screening, tried the "we're registered with TPS", tried the "remove us from your records and don't call again", the "that person doesn't live here -stop calling," even tried "she's dead"... nothing stopped it - in the end we had to change our phone number, which hammered my work prospects since I'd built up a tuition bank of work using my house number which got passed around recommending me by word of mouth - but the phonecalls finally stopped which was kind of worth the income hit.