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Nuisance phone callshad

(45 Posts)
HUNTERF Wed 27-Mar-13 10:18:29

I am registered with the Telephone Preference Service but since Monday I have had 3 calls about PPI, 1 call saying there is a scheme where my debts can be written off and 2 callers saying they could save me money on my mortgage.
I am just wondering how people manage to make a living by making these calls.

Frank

HUNTERF Thu 28-Mar-13 08:22:48

The problem is these calls always seem to happen when you are doing something and do not want to be disturbed.
A little while ago I was doing a 200 mile journey and I was in the car on my own.
I never answer my phone while driving. I had hands free once but still found it too distracting but I keep my phone on and stop at the next convenient point to see who has called.
I was not very pleased to have stopped 3 times for junk calls.

Frank

FlicketyB Thu 28-Mar-13 14:37:41

I had one of these calls from a firm of ambulance chasers saying that not someone, but I, had been injured in a car accident in the last three years.

It just happened that DD who shares my surname and first Christian name did have a serious road accident 18 months ago. She is also gets very distressed about receiving these calls. Anyway I told the caller I hadn't been involved in even a minor accident for about 15 years. He sounded very confused and asked me whether I was sure! I said yes and rang off.

DH constantly gets calls from boiler rooms, those overseas outfits selling dud shares. We always know what they are because they use DH's full Christian name when he has always been known by a shortened version. If I get the call I usually hand it to DH saying very loudly 'I've got a boiler room on the phone for you'. It really annoys them.

We cannot just ignore all international calls or number withheld calls because DH still works now and again as a consultant engineer and most of the work is on mainland Europe, so there is always the possibility that it is a client.

PHM12 Thu 28-Mar-13 14:54:49

A few days ago I was sent a very funny video on You Tube to do with cold callers. I decided to adapt it for myself. I have now waited for 3 days and haven't had one cold caller. Have my thought processes reached the culprits!

Freda47 Thu 28-Mar-13 14:56:55

Love the advice, Moved.
We've just changed our broadband/telephone supplier and have been inundated with junk calls and emails, to my great annoyance. I'll try some of that advice next time - it'll give me enormous pleasure - and yes, I have told callers to F. Off, to my DH's shock...

soop Thu 28-Mar-13 15:41:12

"Nuisance calls" always happen to me when my knickers are around my ankles...and I'm sitting on the lavvy. shock grin

Orca Thu 28-Mar-13 15:48:07

You have a phone in your loo?

Movedalot Thu 28-Mar-13 15:50:11

Doesn't everyone? wink

Ana Thu 28-Mar-13 15:50:57

Apparently, according to a survey, three quarters of Brits admit to using their mobile phones while in the loo......

soop Thu 28-Mar-13 15:55:07

Oh Orca, of course not. It is a struggle to reach the sitting room [pants at half mast] and downright infuriating to discover that a pre-recorded tinny voice on the other end says, "thank you.. please hang up"

Orca Thu 28-Mar-13 16:07:59

Soop TMI grin

HUNTERF Thu 28-Mar-13 16:25:51

Ana

I am amazed that people seem to only ring my mobile phone when I am in the loo or driving.
When I did my last long journey ( 200 miles ) the phone rang 3 times in all cases about 5 minutes after I started driving after having a break and I pulled in to the next lay by. All these calls were nuisance ones.
I had 1 call when I was in the Motorway Service Station loo and that was from a distant relative who I had not spoken to for about 3 months.
He was concerned I had not answered my home phone.

Frank

absent Thu 28-Mar-13 17:07:24

While all these calls about PPI refunds and injury compensation are quite clearly a nuisance, I think the term "nuisance call" usually refers to the heavy breathers and "I should like to pee on you" calls. Somewhat different and very much more of a nuisance.

sunseeker Thu 28-Mar-13 17:11:55

absent I have had the heavy breathers calls and also asking the colour of my knickers (said I didn't wear them!) but never one saying they would like to pee on me shock

absent Thu 28-Mar-13 17:16:45

sunseeker That one happened after a particularly exhausting day on a toddler group outing to the seaside in the rain. A very tired absentdaughter was in the bath, the phone was ringing constantly because I had just advertised cot, high chair etc. for sale in the local paper and my nerves were shredded. It was one of the few times in my life when I have come up with exactly the right answer at exactly the right time. What he actually said was "I would like to piss on you." To which I replied, "Why not? Everyone else has." He hung up.

HUNTERF Thu 28-Mar-13 17:47:12

Oddly enough a call came through to my phone and my daughter answered it and she was asked the colour of her knickers.
I think they may have been dialling numbers at random as I did not get any weird calls like that after.

Frank

Elegran Thu 28-Mar-13 18:10:12

Well done, absent

Frank I don't suppose the heavy breathers would have found the prospect of talking about your knickers anywhere near as exciting as talking about your daughter's. In fact, on hearing a male voice they would most likely say "wrong number" and hang up.

absent Thu 28-Mar-13 18:19:34

There was an occasion when the phone rang and teenage absentdaughter answered it in the kitchen where I was a preparing supper. It was a "what colour are your knickers" call and I was cross that my adolescent daughter should have encountered this. It so happened a school friend was staying with us for a sleep-over and both of them dined out on the story afterwards because I did the 1471 thingy and called back. I began my conversation with the words "Are you the man with the small dick… It turned out, apparently, that a visiting nephew had been using his uncle's mobile while said uncle was in his bath. Whether that was true or not, we had no more calls from that number.

gramps Tue 02-Apr-13 22:44:24

On several occasions recently I have had people phoning from a " computer company" saying that I have a Trojan in my computer.
"I used to say" hello yes, that is about the Trojan horse that has left outside the gates of Troy". Usually these people have no idea wha I was t talking about .
Today the usual things "I am calling from sources such computer company to tell you that you have a Trojan in your computer.
I started my usual fashion, saying that I had worries Trojan horses beautifully carved and at midnight lots of little soldiers came out of its tummy. I have never had such a good result is on this occasion. The man who sounded American, let out a yell of rage and shouting down the phone said "you Bar----d. He sounded really upset so I signed off by telling him to "S O" you stupid old fella! And hung up. It's the best result I've had so far on this particular type call!


"

Notso Tue 02-Apr-13 23:02:02

I get lots of calls from the 'computer company'. I now ask if they want my bank account and credit card details straight away or if they'd prefer to go through their pathetic speech first. They always hang up.