My gast is really flabbered!

When my grandson listens in, he says, "Granny, you're telling lies again, aren't you?"
I find telling them that I am very ill and likely to die tomorrow gets them to put the phone down quickly. Not in front of the grandson, of course.

Silverfish, nearly all the complaints on this thread are not about cold-calling in connection with double-glazing etc., they're about foreign-based companies whose employees are trying to con us into believing that there's something wrong with our computers and they can fix it, if we pay! (and they say their name is John, or Sally, when it's not really probable...)

I see what you mean, pitticity - as with the spam emails, I'm obviously very lucky that I don't get that many nuisance calls!

Do you get the one that says "You MUST have a new FREE boiler installed before 2015..."
If this is true then why are they not just delivering them to our doors?

Ana I block international calls as we were getting loads from "Out of Area" and when an unwanted caller rings you press a button on the box and it blocks that number. Apparently it uses the Caller display technology to recognise the number ringing so it knows who to block.
We do still get landline calls we do want to take eg. Optician, dentist etc. who have our mobile number but still ring on landline. I would love to get rid of the landline but it would cost us more for our TV/Broadband package without it. I should just turn off the ring really but have never worked out how to do it and have probably "filed" the instructions "somewhere safe"

I had a computerised call this evening and normally I put the phone down immediately rather than listen to the drivel. Tonight I let it go to the end and it was a case of 'Press 1 for more info' or 'Press 8 to have your number removed'. I pressed 8 and was then informed that I would not be rung again. I hope it works and wish now I had listened to the whole message months ago !

How do you know which calls you want to block, though? And how can it only work if you have caller display? Why bother if your friends and family ring your mobile anyway...?

Cold calling is a fact of life....however I think that most of the incidents referred to in here are not about ordinary people trying to earn a living perhaps selling double glazing or energy saving devices etc, and I think you know that Silverfish! Your comments about people being 'socially inadequate or very low intellect' are , at best judgemental, at worst offensive.
We have all heard of deeply unpleasant cold callers who try to trick perfectly decent people into giving information over the phone that can lead them open to fraud. My own daughter had several calls that became threatening and left her feeling very vulnerable.
It costs nothing to be polite, it also costs nothing to be a little more tolerant of people who are fed up with nuisance callers who are trying to get something out of them.

I bought a Call Blocker from Argos. Plug it in to your phone and programme in which calls you want to block. Only works if you have Caller Display but is a godsend. Friends and Family ring my mobile.

I must defend these people, they are just doing a job. They have kids/grandkids just like us and are trying to make a living. The computer makes the calls and they have to take the call not knowing how to pronounce the customers name, there are so many ways to pronounce names its difficult.
I do temp work and have worked in call centres and its amazing how much pressure these people are under.

If you are unemployed and DWP offer you a job you must take it or lose benefits, when you work in these places the management allow a few weeks of leniency to train and then the pressure starts. You are timed to the second so if you return one second late from a break you are penalised. You are given threatening warnings if you do not keep up the pressure (I worked as a debt collector).

You cannot leave these jobs or you will lose benefit. I have seen many people crying at their desks, a relative of mine was off sick with depression, my friends daughter was given counselling and all because of the nasty reaction from the public added to the pressure to succeed.
So I was surprised at some of the replies to this thread, some pretending they are elderly, some being rude. Can anyone defend this behaviour.

I can only think that anyone who is rude or gives silly relies to these calls must be socially inadequate or of very low intellect.

Why not just say 'no thanks' and put the phone down or simply just not reply to a strange number on the display. It cost nothing to be polite.

I have fielded loads of calls when looking after DS2's house - the kind that tell you there's something wrong with your PC. I just tell them (lying, of course) that they have an Apple computer. That takes the wind right out of their sails.

Their, not there (again)

I wish I had the patience to do some of the things that I've read that others do. My favourites, to date, are:

When they start off with being over-friendly and asking how you are, you regale them with every ache, pain, sniffle and symptom that you can possibly think of and don't pause for breathe

or

When they announce who they are, you go into police-mode and ask what is there purpose for ringing a crime scene, ask for their details, how do they know the victim, where did they get the number from

Cruel I know but ... it would be entertaining

I was at the end of my tether one day and when someone called and announced that his name was 'Charles' I told him he was 'bl**dy' liar - I don't think it was HRH

I had one yesterday from 'Microsoft (something)' - very Asian sounding....I just kept saying I couldn't hear him, then told him he must have a wrong number and hung up.
Some good ideas here though!

It doesn't seem to happen to me too often, but when someone rings up and asks 'Is that Ms W....?' I deny it which deflates the caller right away.

Our surname is Smalley, and I`ve lost count of how many times the Asian caller has asked if they`re speaking to Mrs Smelly! I always hang up on them, with a resounding "NO!"

I get very few cold calls, its well over 6 months since I had one. Depending on how I feel I now use 1 or 2 options, If its number withheld I answer with, OH you want the matron!! and shout "matron" The other is, You are through to North (....) police station, I will get the Sargent, then shout Sargent. If its a friend that's rang they laugh, knowing my sense of humor, all others put the phone down and don't ring back

My SIL tied one of these cold callers into knots one day - the caller finished up telling him to f* off! - in an Indian accent of course!

I must admit that in general I feel really sorry for these people who are forced to do such a pointless and thankless job in order to live. I do my best to be polite to them - it is sometimes rather difficult!

A very elegant and articulate lady who was recently retired from an educational profession whom I recently met on holiday, was telling me how useful it can be to switch into what she called 'doddery Grannie act'. Must admit I've told a heavily accented caller that I really can't understand them. I do not wait too long, but after several totally garbled sentences, I politely (and in my best ex-banking 'RP' voice ) say....'look I am sorry, but I really cannot understand what you are saying'. Sometimes the call continues with what I presume is something rude (but cannot understand) or sometimes the call just ends. I work on the principal that if its important then they will get back to me.

Not just British, Elegran but tailored to the area. I have recently been called by several Scotts, a Morag and an Angus. Neither Morag nor Angus could actually pronounce their own name . Do Gnetters in Wales get calls from Daffyd and are they all called John when calling England?

All these African and Asian chaps seem to have terribly British names. I feel like asking what their real name is.

When I could get word in edgeways

The first experience I ever had of cold calling was just like that. This chap (of Asian origin I presume) spoke so fast and with an accent I just didn't understand. I kept trying to tell him to slow down to help me undeerstand him but he didn't keep quiet enough for that!

Eventually, as he finally breathed in, I asked his name. He said 'Walker, John Walker'. I repeated his name to see if I had got it right and my son called from the other room 'Mum, put the phone down, you're talking to a bottle of whiskey'! It was a scam call that appeared in the local press a few days later.

I've been a bit suspicious since then ...

You have to wonder why these Windows Technical Department scam merchants are still operating - surely nearly everyone in the world knows about them by now?

I had a call yesterday from "Windows Technical Department" I usually just tell them to go away but this time I let him get into his stride when I interrupted him and asked him if this was what he did all day, call up people to try to scam them - I then said in a very sarcastic voice "your mother must be so proud" and hung up

We don't get too many cold calls, but one which stands out, my DH answered the phone one morning, he was asked if the caller could speak to the owner of the property..... DH said" NO but thank you for calling",
I had to feel sorry for the caller!!