MSE News: Action needed on PPI cold-callers, Which? says

Former_MSE_Helen · 19 March 2013 at 10:16AM

"Which? found seven out of 10 consumers have been cold-called by companies in the last three months..."

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Action needed on PPI cold-callers, Which? says

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Steve_xx · 19 March 2013 at 11:37AM

These callers are getting far more frequent. I receive, on average, one per day now. I make a note of the number if it's not witheld and I call it back. But usually it is unobtainable. Sometimes when I start to tell the caller that I don't want to receive further calls from them, they hang-up before I complete my rant! I'm going to start keeping them on hold while I ostensibly try to find the person they want to speak to.

Telephone network service providers must be able to provide clearer calling line identification than they do. They must know where calls are originating because they have to levy a charge to deliver the calls. Therefore the onus to provide useful calling line identification information must be down to the telphone network service providers, and proper scrutiny of the originators of these calls could serve to stop them.

kendie · 19 March 2013 at 1:03PM

These are getting more frequent. Some days I can receive four or five of these calls but thankfully I'm out at work. Some leave messages on my voicemail. I'm registered on TPS but I still receive them. I've been taking a note of the numbers, where available and reporting them. I think telephone providers should allow you to "block" a call. I can do it on my mobile - come on BT allow me to do it on my landline !

WestonDave · 19 March 2013 at 1:26PM

Trouble is - they only keep phoned because it gets results - if people blanket refused to buy or sign up for anything as a result of a cold call they'd pack it in.

I'm getting hounded at present by Zenith Windows who seem to think the fact that they sold us windows over ten years ago on a previous property (we kept the phone number when we moved) gives them the right to keep calling us despite being asked repeatedly to remove our number from their database and respect our TPS registration.

What they don't seem to understand is that their actions are in fact counter productive - we will probably be looking for new windows soon but the thought of signing up for another stint of hassling means they are totally blacklisted from our considerations.

I had another idiot trying to sell us solar panels (he'd have a job to fit them round the set we already have!) who just laughed when I said we were TPS registered. They all know that the sanctions if ever invoked are totally pitiful so its worth just flouting the rules.

Steve_xx · 19 March 2013 at 1:34PM

Yes there is often a double-edged sword in operation when it come to regulation. On the one hand the regulator professes not to want people to be hassled, yet on the other hand the regulators are often reluctant to reign in on errant operators because they believe it stifles business, and therefore there is a cost to the wider economy.

Blackpudlian_2 · 19 March 2013 at 3:06PM

When I get cold calls from double glazing companies or solar panel salespeople or PPI irritants, I tell them I have a relative in the family that is in the trade & now looks after that sort of thing for me.
I don't mind telling fibs when they have interrupted my lunch.;)
It seems to have reduced my cold calls except from all the Marys, Justins, Raymonds, Georges etc who call from International numbers for surveys.

magpiecottage · 19 March 2013 at 3:38PM

WestonDave wrote: »

I'm getting hounded at present by Zenith Windows

I always tell them I use linux.

I had another idiot trying to sell us solar panels (he'd have a job to fit them round the set we already have!) who just laughed when I said we were TPS registered. They all know that the sanctions if ever invoked are totally pitiful so its worth just flouting the rules.

On the other hand, series of complaints to the Information Commissioner that they are misusing personal data can result in some very large fines.

tentimes · 19 March 2013 at 5:50PM

The problem is that nearly all these calls are coming from overseas call centres. I get at least 2 a day and have had to spend money buying a new phone that blocks these calls.

Between this and debt collectors I am getting to the stage where I am frightened of my own phone.

tentimes · 19 March 2013 at 5:55PM

I should also say that when I tell people that I am part of the TPS or ask them to take my number off the list, they hang up on me before I even finish the sentence from these foreign call centres. They don't give a toss about the TPS.

In fact, I have actually had more calls since I registered for the TPS a couple of years back. The proof is in the pudding and TPS it totally useless.

OFCOM should demand on our behalf, the intimidated consumer who is hounded in their own home, that the TELCO's provide a free service to blanket drop calls that are overseas or from dialler. This can be done at ZERO cost by just programming an extra rule in the call transfer system. At present some of them do do this, but at about £5-£8 per monthy, which is outrageous.

Steve_xx · 19 March 2013 at 5:59PM

tentimes wrote: »

The problem is that nearly all these calls are coming from overseas call centres. I get at least 2 a day and have had to spend money buying a new phone that blocks these calls.

Between this and debt collectors I am getting to the stage where I am frightened of my own phone.

It ought to not to be a problem, the fact that they originate from overseas. All telecoms companies levy a charge for delivering calls and therefore it must be that the likes of BT will know where calls are originating in the first place. It must be fairly easily possible for these telcos to be able to prevent inbound calls from originators when a threshold of complaints have been reached. But there's no real impetus for them to do so because that would mean reduced call revenue.

CashSaver_2 · 20 March 2013 at 9:19AM

Whenever I see International appear on my caller display, I no longer answer. My sister who lives abroad now has to send a text message before she calls me so I know its her. The annoying thing now is that previously these callers hung up if it went to an answer machine. Now they leave a recorded message. I come home to 4 new messages, only one of which is from a human being.

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MSE News: Action needed on PPI cold-callers, Which? says

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