Nuisance Telephone Calls

Haven't had that one Heather51 so thank you. I quite agree that they have multiplied again recently after they went reasonably quiet for a few months. I had 9 yesterday! Mostly a recorded female voice announcing that this was an urgent message for people on benefits (I'm not). But a new one to me was a strident recorded voice telling me sharply that my credit card had been compromised and to press 1 to deal with it. I didn't, but it was very peremptory and I can see how it might be convincing. ALL the numbers were fictitious and I reported them all via the Information Commission Office site, having checked them on 'Who Calls Me'.

I bought a call blocker. It's a marvellous thing. We hardly get any nuisance calls now, and those that do get through can be blocked by pressing the big red button.

I had that one a couple of times, I just replied "did you mean calls like the one you're making?" He asked what I meant and I said that he was making an unwanted nuisance call so was that what he was referring to. Click.
Another one that annoys me is when you pick up phone and get a woman saying "Nat West, Barclays ....etc" about the mis-selling lot.

I've also noticed an increase in these calls over last two weeks. We have caller ID so anything that shows up 'International Unavailable' does not even get answered. Other unrecognisable numbers get a curt 'who are you' and it soon becomes obvious its some sort of fishing or scam call - so I just put phone down. My OH has a slightly different strategy - if it sounds faintly genuine (very rare) he will say ' well you've obviously got my details - send a letter' and leaves it at that. Needless to say they never do!

I have had to switch my phone to silent to stop the calls all day , every day . Will look up call blocker , it sounds as if it could be a good idea for me .

We've also been bothered again in the last week or two after some blessed time without getting calls. I was very taken aback last week when asked to answer survey questions (oh really?). I politely told the gent that I never answered questions via telephone and thanked him for his call (after all, they are only trying to earn a living), to be told very firmly that I could expect to get further calls from him, Madam, indeed to expect to hear from him again

Yes, he did ring again and again twice the next day, but after OH answered with a loud bell, the calls ceased. I'm not a happy bunny , mainly because I realise that calls like these could be quite frightening to some as I did feel a little threatened.

My conversation last week went like this
Nuisance caller : hello am I speaking to Mrs E
me: yes
NC: you have a problem with your computer.
Me: who is this?
NC: Windows
Me: oh good we need new windows.
NC: oh no no no no no! Microsoft Windows !!(shouting)
Me: oh you're a window cleaner, good I need my Windows cleaning.
NC : oh no no no no no !!( very frustrated by now)
Microsoft windows. Your computer..
Me: oh I don't have a computer
Nuisance caller cuts off call.
He's not bothered me this week, normally calls 3 or 4 times a week.
It's good playing the dotty old woman ?

The most frequent current one is "Stacey" from BT Openreach, I've had her 3 times at home, and twice at work! If you do the old 1471 thing,and then put that number into google, it comes up as a frequent scam.

I'd love to get one of the Windows callers. see how long I could string them along for

hildajenniJ where did you buy your call blocker? That sounds like a good idea. I've definitely seen an increase in calls lately and we belong to the telephone preference service!

I lost it today with a nuisance caller about an accident 3 years ago. Huh? In my defence I had earlier dealt with a serious leak from my shower into the hall below and when this person called my mobile, I just yelled, 'Did I invite you to call me? How dare you call my mobile? etc. She said, 'I'll remove you from our database'. To which I yelled 'Please make sure you do that.'

I immediately felt sorry for her, only doing her job after all, but I had compensation for the accident at the time, so these time wasters are simply dredging up old accident reports to be a nuisance with.

And she probably knew nothing whatsoever about that accident, ginny They ring numbers randomly - they get enough right accidentally to make it worth the effort.

Thanks Heather

Hi.
Also had some of these calls.I listened to background noise,and found other operators in their call centre are taking BT calls.It seems that the call centre works for various companies,and might be accessing bt customer records to use for other businesses.If this is so,data protection is being ignored,and BT should take action.

I tend to just hang up, get a good few calls every day.

You have just made me think that we don't seem to have had any for a few weeks now.

Kittye

Try this one if it happens again. They'll tell you to log onto your computer, so you say it's taking a long time to boot up, because it's very old, ages in fact. That's the first thing to annoy them. Then they'll tell you to click on 'my computer' ...so you ask how you can click on his computer? They'll try to explain that but you just pretend you can't understand and play up the dotty old dear card. If you can pretend to be hard of hearing that's even more fun.

You can string them along for ages. My record is 11 minutes.

I do miss this fun because it seems ages now since they called me

Nice one Anya ! We usually just say" who told you I had a computer?"

Greenfinch I think I'll try Kittye's idea next time, if they ever ring back again.

Yes I like that too.

WE had a call at 7.45 this morning from Microsoft about our infected computer, DH told the Indian lady with a very English name very politely to b****r off.

And the lady who says "now that winter`s here" is finally correct, she was calling all through the hot, sunny summer weather!

When they ask what Windows version you are using say 2.10 (two ten). They will assume you mean 10 and ramble on, when they finally realise there was a version 2.10 back in 1988, they will rung off.

Our main problem is with autodiallers: its just a recording. As soon as the tinny voice says 'hello' we hang up (and often swear especially as I've usually had to hobble to the phone). These can come in batches throughout the day then a gap of days then start again. Grrrr