Any tips for dealing with telephone cold callers?

[Simon Pieman]

Your telephone provider should be able to block unknown numbers or certain numbers for a small monthly fee.

Or buy a device like TrueCall. Or a set of phones which has such a feature built in, like the Panasonic digital phones.

[yeo]

One rang me back and said he was al qaeda and he was going to kill me.

(I had been quite vile to him first though)

[deltaincline]

My address was also owned by people with rather large debts. I just threw it all in the bin and continue to do so. It's nearly stopped 7 years later, but I have no intention of helping bottom feeders by telling them the debt they purchased is no longer here. Fuck 'em, if costs them money to chase it, keep it coming.

Good shout, Baz.

My gaff used to be occupied by some scummy cunt who ran up massive bills with CC companies, store cards and owed the council millions in unpaid council tax.

As much as I despise the scummy fuckers responsible for the debts, I take great pleasure in giving the even lower species that are debt collecters the runaround whenever they knock my door or ring my phone.

I think I've said this before here, but if you refuse to tell them who you are, it fucks them up. They have no fucking right to know who you are - even 'to eliminate you from their enquiry'....

[dave_bambers_right_sock]

reminded me of this,  a fucking classic

[deltaincline]

class 

[janaage]

Went down the opening the letters and calling the companies to let her know she no longer owns the property. Companies were very helpful, especially the congestion charge people, although she said to speak to the DVLA, problem with that is all their services are automated nowadays so chances of speaking to a human is remote, especially as they're based in Swansea ;-).

Love the Tom Mabe call.

[stfcinbmth]

I had the call from Microsoft last month. The lovely Indian chap told me that my computer had been compromised. I announced my shock and yes indeed my computer was not working. I could hear the excitement in his voice, he must get a lot of people hang up on him when all he wants to do is fix their computer.

I explained that the computer screen was black, it wouldn't turn on. I started to panic and he reassured me he would sort it. I couldn't get the thing to work at all, the power button wasn't switching it on and if I couldn't log into Windows this bloke wasn't going to be able to help me.

After a few minutes of relaying my panic to him I finally found the problem - the power socket wasn't on! Once switch to the on position the computer magically lit up and started to work. I thanked the Indian fella for his time and hung up.

My computer has worked like a charm since but I was expecting a courtesy call from Microsoft to make sure everything was alright. I suppose they're busy helping other people though.

I never get any of these calls, I'm mightily pissed off

Might help if I answered the phone once in a while I guess instead of leaving the answer machine to do it for me

[Barry Scott]

I never get any of these calls, I'm mightily pissed off

Might help if I answered the phone once in a while I guess instead of leaving the answer machine to do it for me

I have had one and tried to lead him on, but after a while I lost interest and hung up.

[Baggins]

I have had one and tried to lead him on, but after a while I lost interest and hung up.

That's part of the fun.  I imagine it's the same thrill beautiful women get when they flirt with you, lead you on, and then disappear.

To be honest though, as a teenager in Swindon I did the cold calling jobs.  Every time I went to an temping agency they sent me to call centres.  The person on the other end is not the enemy - which is infuriating, as its your only contact - but ultimately it isn't their fault.

[tans]

One rang me back and said he was al qaeda and he was going to kill me.

(I had been quite vile to him first though)

[tans]

Double glazing.

I got as far as arranging a time and date to the bloke to come and give a quote. He was just about to hang up then i dropped the bomb that it was a housing association flat.

He had a rant saying i wasted his time blah blah

[Batch]

One rang me back and said he was al qaeda and he was going to kill me.

(I had been quite vile to him first though)

GCHQ will be passing his details on to MI6. Take that cold caller

If Carlesberg did phone tapping...

[walcot red]

I've asked someone if they blink 182, and played them a song down the phone

[slinky]

This guy has the right idea.

[walcot red]

This guy has the right idea.