A nice young man rang this morning

This thread has really cheered me up on a depressing day! I once shouted 'f.. off' in full to a cold caller during sunday lunch, only to look up at appalled daughter and son in law and surprised grandchildren. I'm sure they've heard that word before I said, But not I was told, from their grandmother!!

Lucky lucky you sunseeker

Woohoo - received an email today telling me the Inland Revenue are giving me a refund all I have to do is click on the link to fill in the claim form!!!

Oh, your Jehovah's Witness story has just reminded me, Elrel! We were minding DGS2 at his house and the doorbell rang. DH answered, and as he did so, banged his head on DD2's very inconveniently placed cuckoo clock. Two solemn JWs looked very concerned as he greeted them with "I'm sorry, I don't live here" while clutching his head, then shut the door. I was stifling my giggles in the background. I'm surprised they didn't ring the authorities.

Seems likely, sunseeker. Never press anything they tell you to.

The ones that are driving me mad at the moment (getting 3 or 4 within an hour) are the ones which come through with a different number each time but with the same recorded message (about people on benefits being able to get a free boiler - yeah right!). When I did listen to the end of the message it said to press 1 to speak to an advisor, but if I did press 1 would it mean I would be put through to a premium phone line!!

I remember hearing Stephen Fry say that when he got one of these calls he would say 'yes fine - but first let me tell you about my Lord and Master.' It worked apparently.

That's a great idea JackyB.

We don't get many of these calls at all in Germany. There is a ruling that all phone numbers have to be shown on calling, but, of course, many of them are just fictitious numbers using technological trickery.

Once we were repeatedly called by various numbers several times over a few days, the numbers were all the same but the area codes were different. We don't answer, then we google it, and if it is a cold call we put "don't answer" as the name in our phone, so we don't have to check again.

I've just managed to find time to click on Crystalgrandma's link - it really is funny! He doesn't leave anything out!

When I told a young man selling double glazing that I lived in a cave and had no windows or doors he just said ..WOW that's amazing!

Crystalgrandma....thank you so much for the link....I'm still laughing after 10 minutes.

Certainly beats my "I'm the housekeeper,madam is out at the moment" routine.

As for computer nuisance calls, one hung up as soon as I asked 'Which computer?'. DD, who knows about these things and was having an idle morning, let one young man keep going for quite a while, giving random rubbish replies to all questions about her computer. Then shevsaid 'You have no idea what you are talking about, do you?' He hung up!

I have two response to cold callers, I either say ,,can't talk now , I am with my social worker!!or, if they are trying to sell me something , I ask them if they would be interested in a lovely table and chairs I am selling ,or a vacuum cleaner I don't need anymore,, they usually hang up quickly,
On one occasion I answered my phone and said, I am not supposed to be here. The wife is out and I am keeping her husband company, (not really)
I enjoy playing along with these nuisances , ?

I answered the door to 2 Jovos just after being discharged from hospital. Told them I couldn't stop to talk as I'd been in hospital and wasn't feeling well. By then they'd noticed I was the hue of a daffodil and then taken big step back. One asked nervously what was wrong with me. I told him Hepatitus A and, looking horrified they rapidly left.

Good!

I'm glad to say Anya the gang that conned my neighbour into giving them his bank details were taken to court as it happened to others in the area. Poor chap, he's a lovely gentleman who is a carer for his wife and they are retired teachers so worked hard for their money and he's always very polite.

Nuisance calls, the kind you feel sorry for stay are just that - a nuisance. People tend to either say 'no thanks' or just put the phone down on them. Not a job I'd like to do I agree - working in a call centre.

Con merchants, on the other hand, deserve any abuse they get IMO.

I feel sorry for people who are doing it as a job when it's all they can find and don't want to be on benefits. They get a lot of abuse on the 'phone and it must be difficult.

I feel sorry also for those who get conned and receive constant calls. My landline just rung and something told me not to answer it as I never get genuine calls. On using 1471 it was a number I didn't recognise with a Manchester code so I've saved my time as well as theirs!

Oh what a laugh! The one I laughed the most at was what Tokyojo3 said about the conservatory 30ft high! I could just imagine the manager thinking about the £££ signs!

I don't answer if I don't recognise the number and wait for them to leave a message, they seldom do! Thank you all!

I had same, 3 calls in one day or was it 4?
I went along and said I was doing as asked. Varying responses none so rude though. I have to say I found it a pleasant distraction in my lunchtime when working at home. Very cruel though to those not able

My elderly neighbour in his eighties fell for a scam and lost about £1600. He's a lovely gentleman too.

I get phone calls every day from the same numbers, at first I used to answer them, most times I couldn't understand what was being said. Now I press the answer button, then just put the phone down, leave it for a minute or so, then find that surprise, surprise, they have gone, without waiting for me to speak. Quite rude of them, don't you think, after all, they were calling me!

I hadn't realised so many people were doing this - how wonderful to know how often the tables are turned. My 'Microsoft' calls had stopped for a while but seem to have started again. Previously I quite liked to play with them and set myself (when I had time) to keep them on the phone for as long as possible. One poor guy ended the call with "madam you are very confused" before he hung up ... it appears they are less polite now.

'Shall we have a few minutes talking about Jesus first' usually gets them to hang up!!