Phone calls from India

I had one of these calls the other day, I was in the middle of decorating the bathroom I had taken the radiator off the wall and had it resting on a small stool (the one the kids use to reach the sink) but it was leaking I told him I couldn't speak as was very busy, he phoned back every 2 mins till at my wits end I yelled down the phone off I do not usually swear at all, but boy did I feel good after that, I haven't had any more calls from him since, fingers crossed!

Sorry that should have read F* off but didn't put the f in as didn't want to offend anyone so the astrerix didn't work

Amber We get two or more such calls a day. As they happen at about the same time, I'm ever ready with a "FAFF ORF!" And still they don't get the message!

If your anwerphone can be set to leave zero seconds before it cuts in, they will get that "the person you are calling is not available or is on another call....." and if turns out to be a real person you can lift the phone and say "sorry I've just come in...."

They don't get the message because it is a different person each time - all self-employed "entrepreneurs" who have got hold of a brilliant idea for a scam and a phone book.

I still think my idea of telling them you are recording this call and will subject it to voice recognition software to identify them is worth a try, but DH has answered all those calls since I thought of it.

If they retort that what I suggest is impossible, then I shall say "Like you knowing that I have a virus when I have no computer?"

And if (as has happened to one Gransnetter) they are angry at me for wasting their time ..... "Your choice to waste time calling, not my idea"

amber they appear to be targeting our area. I am having several a day!

My DH is a telecomms engineer and he delights in winding up any caller of that nature for as long as possible - I think the record is 20 minutes.

Telephone Preference Service makes no difference to calls originating from abroad.

I find it is the arrogance of these callers - they have a script and you are going to hear it. NO! I tend to say something like "how interesting" and quietly place the receiver down and leave them to talk to themselves.

TIP - if you leave them talking and then return a few minutes later the caller has had to hang up, but the call will not disconnect from their system for a time so just leave the phone for 10-15 minutes.

I used to get a lot of nuisance calls and I liked to place the receiver right next to the tv or radio speaker and turn it up!!! They didn't last long.

nanachrissy I shall take your advice

I usually pretend I can't hear them - I say 'hello? hello?' a few times and then hang up. Or else I give them the silent treatment so that they are saying 'hello? hello?'

raggygrannyI used that strategy years ago with a persistent boy friend.It worked!

I had some from India.... I said the person they were asking for.... The Wife...was unknown at this number....and I said how did you get the number as it is a business number.....I said... Who sold you my number, where did you get it from....then asked who he was calling from and their address.... which he gave me...and it was correct to what I had found on the 'net while I had him on the phone..... needless to say he did say he would take my number from the database and I contacted the company concerned via e-mail as well as the Information Commissioner via e-mail.... TPS ( of which I am with) are no good for overseas call centres which Kandor and Consumer Lifestyles ( Data Locators Ltd of Watford) use as they don't fall under the control of TPS....
One thing too..... they always dial your number earlier in the day.....you pick up and it is dead....your line is marked for a call later as live.... I have a caller id on the phone so I see who is calling....if it's anyone in the phone memory their name comes up....it its anyone else their number shows...I also have private/withheld's blocked too..... so In theory...being Ex-Directory....only people I know should call me....for deliveries I give my mobile number...and my mobile has call blocker too...

The only trouble I have with this is the my employers block their no. I am getting calls from a private no, no withheld, trying to tell me I have a claim for misled insurance! Tps can't deal with this!

Supernana and Jeni you were both right they were back on the phone last night. I was going to try Elegran's 'secretary advice' but didnt get the chance as DH took over and asked the oriental gentleman if he thought we (the british) were completely stupid, told them to go away (in his own way!) and then hung up

My daughter used to tell me off if I were short with cold callers - she said they were only doing their job. I suppose you could apply that to wheel-clampers and aggressive debt collectors. If their job entails frightening vulnerable people into wasting money they don't get any sympathy from me.
I have a very loud whistle on my key ring, in case I get into trouble in the mountains and have no mobile cover - I think if I got any cold calls I would give a very loud blast down the phone. Dammit - I don't get any here in France, so I can only pass on the suggestion!

We called a phone number from Silent Callgard, which helps cut out silent and nuisance calls etc, as you mention. It came from the Times last year and it has worked very well although some creep back and then you can do it again, it's all free.
Not sure if I can give their phone number on this thread? If so I will write again!

I registered with Silent Callguard too, but it does not work against calls from abroad. The number of silent calls did improve for a while though.Incidentally the silent calls are usually from an automatic dialling system. It dials several numbers at once and connects with the first one to speak. If you say nothing it stops after a short time.

Interestingly, I had a call a few days later purporting to be someone from Silent Callguard offering to block foreign nuisance calls for a "one-off payment " of £29.99, or some such innocuous amount.

I told him it sounded useful and asked for a number to call back when I had thought about it. Checked it later and found it was fake, as I expected.

Offering to protect you against what they are doing themselves is another great scam.