***tard nuisance calls!

Dukesy

I am losing it... Just recently, we have had a MASSIVE surge in nuisance calls. We've had 11 calls so far this morning from some Indian call centre trying to get me to reclaim PPI, telling me they're from Windows Support Team calling about my non-existent computer problems etc etc etc, half of which have just been blank calls :mad:

Signed up with TPS but, of course, this is having no effect on these calls.

Anyone else had a rise in them lately? And any good wind ups? Telling them I'm going to hunt them, their mothers and their children down doesn't seem to have any effect :-p


PS. Had two in the time it's taken to write this! Aaaaaargh!

Faith177

If it's PPI I normally string them along and then ask them how much they are going to charge (usually 25%) I then ask why don't I just go through Financial Ombudsman who are free. Telling them you work for FOS too seems to help them stop calling you.

If they are calling from Windows start talking about double glazing they soon get annoyed

Azari

I find the best thing is to sound interested, then ask them to hold on a moment, then just leave the phone. If you can be bothered, pick it up every few seconds and say: 'I'll be with you in a moment'.

That way you waste a lot more of their time than simply ranting at them for a few moments.

And wasting their time is one thing that will get you removed from their list as if they are holding on for you they can't be harassing someone else.

Mista_C

Last time I had the support call I kept him on the phone for half an hour pretending to follow his instructions... awkwardly. When he got to the point where he needed the code from me to remotely login to my PC I told him I hadn't done a thing he said and instead I'd been for a walk around the garden and made a cup of tea.

He called me all the b******* and sumbags under the sun then hung up. They've not called back since.

The PPI ones I play with by asking "Do you mind if I ask a quick question?" They usually say OK so then I ask them if they like this song. I then proceed to play either some 70s rock or 80s Hip Hop down the phone. If they're still there at the end I'll ask if they like this one too, then do it again.
I don't get so many calls these days.

Dukesy

Mista_C wrote: »

Last time I had the support call I kept him on the phone for half an hour pretending to follow his instructions... awkwardly. When he got to the point where he needed the code from me to remotely login to my PC I told him I hadn't done a thing he said and instead I'd been for a walk around the garden and made a cup of tea.

He called me all the b******* and sumbags under the sun then hung up. They've not called back since.

Oh, I LIKE this I should have thought of doing it!

wary

I received a call a few months ago about some shares which I recognised immediately as a scam as I'd had it before. My son has a hand-held sound machine, and one sound is a long, loud and extremely realistic sounding belch. So I used this to belch down the phone at her and hung up. She phoned straight back:
"Mr XXXXX, DID YOU JUST HANG UP ON ME!" ... sounding EXTREMELY irate.
"No"
"Who is this" she started demanding so I just put the phone on the side and went off.

Well worth investing a few quid in one of these little bags of tricks.

mumonashoestring

I tell them to speak to my representative and hand the phone to my 13 month old to jabber into. Or tell them they've called a dog rescue and start barking at them. Or string them along for a while, ask them to hang on for just a moment and shut the phone in the fridge for a while til they go away. Or tell them they've called a business line and their call is being recorded, and they will be invoice at my consultancy rate per minute...

If they sound like a legit company who've bought my details rather than just a Microsoft scam or similar I ask to speak to a manager, get their name and ask for the name of the data house they bought my details from. My husband manages a call centre so they get nowhere with claiming they can't tell where the info came from or can't give the details out. They HAVE to if asked. Then I write to the data house and tell them to take them off their lists. If they try to ring to discuss it they get the same treatment as the other cold callers (Hello? Fluffetties Sheep Rescue? BAAAAAAAAAA!)...

pawsies

have you been entering loads of comps recently?

make sure to untick/tick boxes, although some of them are really crafty!

mumonashoestring

It may also be that the lists you're on have been dug out and sold again to a company too cheap to buy cleansed, updated data. The previous tenant here was obviously the type who signed up for everything as we get regular flurries of cold callers looking for her by name and sounding a bit despondent when told she hasn't lived here for over 8 years and their data manager needs a slap.

chrisw

I bought one of these call blockers:-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/CPR-Global-CPR104-All-in-One-Blocker/dp/B004BTVQ5E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363980860&sr=8-1

A bit expensive but blocks out all international, unavailable and witheld numbers and 200 known nuisances programmed in. If one gets through because they are using a standard number you can press a button to block them so they can't call back. Very satisfying that one - 'I'm glad you rang as I've just inherited £100,000 that I'd love to invest in your carbon credits. "Click".'

Only downside is that they will also block out others who use witheld numbers eg NHS or have regular calls from abroad, but you can temporarily allow them if you are expecting a call.

nearlyrich

Yes if it's windows(as in the Operating system) I say we just got all new double glazed units if it's sky being broken ( we don't subcribe) I witter on about the rain and if it's PPI I tell them I am in control of my own finances and I don't need their help. I also tell them we are on TPS and they still sometimes go on and on about how they are not selling anything. I love talking gibberish to people who try to waste my time.