Pre-recorded cold calls with questions and pauses for replies

prowla

Not sure if it's cold-call season, but I had a cold call today which comprised someone introducing themselves and then pausing for a reply, so I replied.

They then asked me something and I replied.

But by the 3rd one I realised I was talking to a recording, so I just said "Potato." when it paused for a reply.

After a couple more it evidently fell through their planned responses and they said they'd call back.

I've added the number to my "Junk" list.

43722

Did you say potato or potato?

IvanOpinion

You should have roasted the caller

GrubbyGirl_2

I had a cold call from someone who said they were O2.  I am with O2 but said I was happy with my plan thank you and was about to hang up.  They said but we can offer you a much better rate than I was paying now.  They then proceeded to ask me how much I was paying so I simply said "you're O2 so you know what I'm paying".  They were really persistent and I kept saying - you tell me.  They eventually hung up.  Complete charlatans 

lincroft1710

I had a call the other day from something like "Doors and Windows". When I asked a question, caller deliberately  ignored me and ploughed on with his script. So I hung up. 

cannugec5

prowla said:

Not sure if it's cold-call season, but I had a cold call today which comprised someone introducing themselves and then pausing for a reply, so I replied.

They then asked me something and I replied.

But by the 3rd one I realised I was talking to a recording, so I just said "Potato." when it paused for a reply.

After a couple more it evidently fell through their planned responses and they said they'd call back.

I've added the number to my "Junk" list.

I’ve had a number of these recently. They are clever because you think you are actually speaking with a human at first. 

‘Debbie’ said she was a local agent. But I asked where did she mean by local ( my phone said the caller was in Manchester and I’m in Scotland!) But Debbie  ignored my question which is when I realised it was a recording. So in response to the next question I gave an inappropriate and super long answer which demonstrated to me the predetermined pauses as ‘she’ started speaking over me… 
I too blocked the number but I just get different numbers calling. 

Vectis

cannugec5 said:

prowla said:

Not sure if it's cold-call season, but I had a cold call today which comprised someone introducing themselves and then pausing for a reply, so I replied.

They then asked me something and I replied.

But by the 3rd one I realised I was talking to a recording, so I just said "Potato." when it paused for a reply.

After a couple more it evidently fell through their planned responses and they said they'd call back.

I've added the number to my "Junk" list.

I’ve had a number of these recently. They are clever because you think you are actually speaking with a human at first. 

‘Debbie’ said she was a local agent. But I asked where did she mean by local ( my phone said the caller was in Manchester and I’m in Scotland!) But Debbie  ignored my question which is when I realised it was a recording. So in response to the next question I gave an inappropriate and super long answer which demonstrated to me the predetermined pauses as ‘she’ started speaking over me… 
I too blocked the number but I just get different numbers calling. 

Why would you get into a conversation, whether with a real person or a bot, if it's obviously a sales call? Why not just put the phone down?

Savvy_Sue

Vectis said:

Why would you get into a conversation, whether with a real person or a bot, if it's obviously a sales call? Why not just put the phone down?

If it's a real person, and DH has the time to indulge them, he'll spin them along to save them wasting someone else's time. Especially Microsoft. He really enjoys winding Microsoft up. They ask him to press buttons on his keyboard, and he obliges, but it doesn't give the result they're expecting, so they ask him to press it again. Eventually they realise he's not running Windows (and knows what he's doing), at which point they usually swear. 

I wind them up by asking "which one?" when they say there's a problem with our computer. They ask how many we've got. It's especially enjoyable if eldest is at home because he has multiple laptops, and so did I. Mine don't all work, mind you, but that might explain the problem Microsoft have identified, mightn't it? 

Our landline was dead for months, and it was blissfully quiet. Didn't know it had been mended until it rang - and the spammers were back!

cannugec5

 Vectis said:

cannugec5 said:

prowla said:

Not sure if it's cold-call season, but I had a cold call today which comprised someone introducing themselves and then pausing for a reply, so I replied.

They then asked me something and I replied.

But by the 3rd one I realised I was talking to a recording, so I just said "Potato." when it paused for a reply.

After a couple more it evidently fell through their planned responses and they said they'd call back.

I've added the number to my "Junk" list.

I’ve had a number of these recently. They are clever because you think you are actually speaking with a human at first. 

‘Debbie’ said she was a local agent. But I asked where did she mean by local ( my phone said the caller was in Manchester and I’m in Scotland!) But Debbie  ignored my question which is when I realised it was a recording. So in response to the next question I gave an inappropriate and super long answer which demonstrated to me the predetermined pauses as ‘she’ started speaking over me… 
I too blocked the number but I just get different numbers calling. 

Why would you get into a conversation, whether with a real person or a bot, if it's obviously a sales call? Why not just put the phone down?

Actually I thought it might be the energy company that had provided the grant for our Heat Pump at first- hence my confusion at the location. 

Ordinarily I would not enter into dialogue with a cold caller. 

gocurlygirl

GrubbyGirl_2 said:

I had a cold call from someone who said they were O2.  I am with O2 but said I was happy with my plan thank you and was about to hang up.  They said but we can offer you a much better rate than I was paying now.  They then proceeded to ask me how much I was paying so I simply said "you're O2 so you know what I'm paying".  They were really persistent and I kept saying - you tell me.  They eventually hung up.  Complete charlatans 

I had a similar conversation and also said that they knew how much I paid. Also asked me for my date of birth so I could receive the £200 they owed me- the caller( man) began to say we needed it to process the payment-I said just refund my account, you already have the details. Very determined and I can see how people get pulled in.Told them they were not getting my date of birth and hung up.

lincroft1710

gocurlygirl said:

GrubbyGirl_2 said:

I had a cold call from someone who said they were O2.  I am with O2 but said I was happy with my plan thank you and was about to hang up.  They said but we can offer you a much better rate than I was paying now.  They then proceeded to ask me how much I was paying so I simply said "you're O2 so you know what I'm paying".  They were really persistent and I kept saying - you tell me.  They eventually hung up.  Complete charlatans 

I had a similar conversation and also said that they knew how much I paid. Also asked me for my date of birth so I could receive the £200 they owed me- the caller( man) began to say we needed it to process the payment-I said just refund my account, you already have the details. Very determined and I can see how people get pulled in.Told them they were not getting my date of birth and hung up.

I have at least on one occasion given my DOB as 31 April 19xx. Took about a minute before they cottoned on