Cold calling ideas needed

Georgiegirl256

ValHaller wrote: »

Ultimately it is probably not totally unreasonable once someone determines that it is just another cold call for them to treat is as 'deceitful, dishonest or manipulative' from the outset.

Exactly

I like getting those 'You have a virus on your computer' ones though, and so does my Mam, we play them along, acting the innocent female. But in all seriousness, those people want strung up. When I worked in electrical retail we had a guy come in (wasn't the full shilling admittedly), who started shouting and screaming at us that his computer was faulty and that it was our fault, turns out he'd had one of these calls and he'd well and truly fell for it, poor guy

I especially hate those who prey on pensioners, a lot of us younger, quicker minded folk can give them what for, but it's confusing for a lot of older folk

Tiddlywinks

sillygoose wrote: »

...plus you have lost 10 minutes of your life answering, discussing it with them, logging on to websites, filling in forms..

Why the heck should you have to?

The regulators need people to report events so that they get a broader understanding of the scale of offending. If the majority don't report thir problems then officially they don't exist.

Then they can target their resources towards the companies / areas that cause the greatest problem.

That's why you need to report it... If you don't, how do you expect the regulator to know an offence has been committed? Psychic powers?

sillygoose

Georgiegirl256 wrote: »

I especially hate those who prey on pensioners, a lot of us younger, quicker minded folk can give them what for, but it's confusing for a lot of older folk

Me too, its a scary thought, its easy now to say we would never fall for anything but sadly our abilities do diminish, there are endless people willing to con the elderly especially playing on their insecurities.

The company that keeps calling me (has been reported to various authorities) is known to play on this by installing supposedly monitored alarms with up to £4000 of advanced fees.

You can see how some old people may see this as attractive, someone coming to help in an emergency.

Sadly the web is full of reports on them that the alarms are cheap and often not even connected up, the company regularly goes 'bust' and is reborn so the prepaid monitoring agreement is worthless.

The company has been investigated, featured in newspapers, yet still operates, still calling me every day.

Laughable when people say sign up to TPS!!!!! as if 'muggers' care!

sillygoose

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

The regulators need people to report events so that they get a broader understanding of the scale of offending. If the majority don't report thir problems then officially they don't exist.

Then they can target their resources towards the companies / areas that cause the greatest problem.

That's why you need to report it... If you don't, how do you expect the regulator to know an offence has been committed? Psychic powers?

I understand that but they are very rarely doing anything even if reported and as mentioned above many companies are adept at working around it, they move on.

It needs a system that forces the companies to prove they have cross checked against the TPS - date and time stamped. First verified complaint they have called a number after the date/time it was available on the register - £100K fine, 2nd time £200K fine.... levied against the director/owners if necessary. This is a disease that could be cured.

Pollycat

sillygoose wrote: »

I don't carry the handset on my person so you don't mind trotting off to the phone every half hour to check the caller display?

I don't carry the handset on my person either.

Why on earth would I need to trot off to the phone every half hour to check the caller display?
if I'm in, I would hear it ring. :rotfl:

sillygoose wrote: »

Many of us receive quite a few legitimate (welcome) calls, including from people or businesses that need to have numbers withheld. Many of us can't let it just go to answer-machine.

I wasn't talking about you or anyone else.
I was talking about me in relation to your post #117);

Pollycat wrote: »

Won't make a blind bit of difference to me if cold calls expand massively.

I have caller display plus an answerphone.
Even if I am in, I don't answer the phone if I don't recognise the number or it is withheld.
If someone wants to speak to me or OH, they will leave a message.

So I won't (and don't currently) find it too tiresome to have an 'open' callable line.

I can (and do) let calls go to answerphone.
If they are legitimate (welcome) calls, they'll leave a message.
After all, isn't that what an answerphone is for?

sillygoose wrote: »

And why should I be forced not to answer and phone people back on my bill just to avoid being hounded by cold call?

I have a call plan that gives me free calls all day every day, so it costs me nothing.
Remember, I'm talking about me and how I deal with calls, not how you do it.

sillygoose wrote: »

If you want to modify your life to suit a bunch of unscrupulous scammers that's your right, but I would prefer it if they were just banned!

I'm not modifying my life, it may be that you would be if you dealt with these calls the same way I do - but I'm talking about me, not you.

securityguy

sillygoose wrote: »

Many of us receive quite a few legitimate (welcome) calls, including from people or businesses that need to have numbers withheld. Many of us can't let it just go to answer-machine.

No legitimate business needs to have its number withheld. It's lazy telecoms managers who can't be bothered to use a presentation number.

http://btbusiness.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/7453/~/what-do-i-get-with-presentation-number%3F

There are people who need to withhold their outbound number generally, although not as many as think they do, but they can per-call release it when calling their friends, or get the answering machine.

sillygoose

Pollycat wrote: »

I don't carry the handset on my person either.

Why on earth would I need to trot off to the phone every half hour to check the caller display?
if I'm in, I would hear it ring. :rotfl: ...erm if your in and it rings don't you have to trot off to see on your caller id who it? (whether you answer it or not) :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:


I wasn't talking about you or anyone else.
I was talking about me in relation to your post #117);

You were suggesting you are not troubled because you do it your way, the only reason to do this is if your saying its a 'solution' ?

I can (and do) let calls go to answerphone.
If they are legitimate (welcome) calls, they'll leave a message.
After all, isn't that what an answerphone is for?

Ermm.. not really, an answerphone is for when your out, as you say you answer calls if your in. Bit of a contradiction there.


I have a call plan that gives me free calls all day every day, so it costs me nothing.
Remember, I'm talking about me and how I deal with calls, not how you do it.

So your paying for a call plan, to be able to call back people that you didn't dare answer to in the first place because you didn't know who they were? The cold callers have got you on the run then!

I'm not modifying my life, it may be that you would be if you dealt with these calls the same way I do - but I'm talking about me, not you.

Sorry but I think otherwise.

Georgiegirl256

sillygoose wrote: »

Me too, its a scary thought, its easy now to say we would never fall for anything but sadly our abilities do diminish, there are endless people willing to con the elderly especially playing on their insecurities.

The company that keeps calling me (has been reported to various authorities) is known to play on this by installing supposedly monitored alarms with up to £4000 of advanced fees.

You can see how some old people may see this as attractive, someone coming to help in an emergency.

Sadly the web is full of reports on them that the alarms are cheap and often not even connected up, the company regularly goes 'bust' and is reborn so the prepaid monitoring agreement is worthless.

The company has been investigated, featured in newspapers, yet still operates, still calling me every day.

Laughable when people say sign up to TPS!!!!! as if 'muggers' care!

I've never heard of that one, but again, it's just plain wrong :mad: You can totally see how a lot of old folk or the easily persuaded could fall for their sales patter

Pollycat

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pollycat
I don't carry the handset on my person either.

Why on earth would I need to trot off to the phone every half hour to check the caller display?
if I'm in, I would hear it ring. :rotfl: ...erm if your in and it rings don't you have to trot off to see on your caller id who it? (whether you answer it or not) :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

...ermm no.
I leave it to ring and if someone starts to leave a message and I want to talk to them right then, I'll go answer it.
Otherwise, I leave it.

I wasn't talking about you or anyone else.
I was talking about me in relation to your post #117);

You were suggesting you are not troubled because you do it your way, the only reason to do this is if your saying its a 'solution' ?

It didn't say it was a solution. I'm not troubled doing it my way.
Not sure what point you're trying to make here.

I can (and do) let calls go to answerphone.
If they are legitimate (welcome) calls, they'll leave a message.
After all, isn't that what an answerphone is for?

Ermm.. not really, an answerphone is for when your out, as you say you answer calls if your in. Bit of a contradiction there.

Ermm.. not really, an answerphone is for when you don't want to or can't answer the phone, not just for when you're not in.

From an advert for an answerphone on Amazon:

Plug it into the same socket with your phone and you won't miss another message, no matter whether you're too busy to pick up the handset or you are just currently out.

No wonder you don't understand the way I do things, you don't even know what an answerphone is for! :rotfl:

Did I say I answered calls when I'm in?
I said this:

Pollycat wrote: »

Even if I am in, I don't answer the phone if I don't recognise the number or it is withheld.
If someone wants to speak to me or OH, they will leave a message.

So please point out the contradiction.

I have a call plan that gives me free calls all day every day, so it costs me nothing.
Remember, I'm talking about me and how I deal with calls, not how you do it.

So your paying for a call plan, to be able to call back people that you didn't dare answer to in the first place because you didn't know who they were? The cold callers have got you on the run then!

No, I'm paying for a call plan that suits me, based on the people and the times I call them.

I didn't say I don't dare answer the phone, I choose not to.
Are you aware of the difference? Obviously not. :cool:

So, you're wrong - the cold callers haven't got me on the run.
Quite the opposite, in fact.

I'm not the one getting all het up about cold callers. :rotfl:

I'm not modifying my life, it may be that you would be if you dealt with these calls the same way I do - but I'm talking about me, not you.

sillygoose wrote: »

Sorry but I think otherwise.

Of course you do, because you're disagreeing with me.
It doesn't make you right. :cool:

twohapence

So get their number - for example homeinsurer - last 4 is 8304 - has an 0800 number. Call them on this every time you get a call from them and complain - oh, and withold your number. If we all do this they'll maybe get wise and stop calling multiple times.....