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Cold callers

(20 posts) (14 voices)

Started 9 months ago by Scroat
Latest reply from Crow

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Scroat

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I'm very concerned about my father in law, who is border line Alzheimer's, but still managing to live at home with some support from various quarters.

I was at his house recently doing some work in the garden, when a cold caller rang trying to sell something. They got short shrift from me, but it struck me that an elderly person like him would be very vulnerable to this sort of sales approach. Also, once committed to buying some useless solar panels or similar, he would forget about it and it would be impossible to trace.

Is there a way of registering somewhere so he doesn't get this type of call?

Posted 9 months ago #
Perks

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The easiest thing is this. we registered and 3 calls every evening became 0. Its free and should solve the issue

Posted 9 months ago #
waylandsmithy

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You could report nuisance calls and ask for a new, ex-directory number. Then only share it with friends and family.

Or switch to short-wave radio?

Posted 9 months ago #
Scroat

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Thanks chaps - I'll do it now.

Posted 9 months ago #
dvo4fun

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@perks - that worked for most of ours but we still get the automated dial calls. For any residual actual live callers my plan is to say 'could you hang on a minute?' and then leave them for 5 mins. Then repeat as necessary.

@Scroat: "..who is border line Alzheimer's, but still managing to live at home ..."

Mr 4fun senior was in a similar position some years ago and managed to get signed up to an alternative energy supplier on the doorstep. Never did figure out a way to prevent that sort of thing; there is a cooling-off period for sales at home but he wouldn't have remembered signing up.

Posted 9 months ago #
charlies_hat

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I called BT and said "I want to report a nuisance caller please"
The guy at the other end said "not you again..."

FYI - TPS gets rid of some, but by no means all 'cold' calls, and 0% of calls from abroad I'm afraid, it's a UK thing only.

Posted 9 months ago #
beau-jolly

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I get at least one call a day from Eon energy. I started warning them politely that the next time they rang I would play a loud, high pitched whistle down the line which may temporarily deafen them. It back-fired a bit as I immediately got a call from the same call centre but from a shy-sounding girl. I could hear her colleagues sniggering in the background, the bastards!

Posted 9 months ago #
Al OPecia

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I thought "what a good idea" went on the website aand found out I was already registered. It's not working.

Posted 9 months ago #
medici2471

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Remove the phone attached to the landline, get a mobile , ID the people you want to talk to and ignore the rest

Posted 9 months ago #
The All New Jeni B

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I seldom answer the landline, and use the answermachine to screen calls.
I only ever answer calls to my mobile from numbers I know or am expecting.
My voicemail message is to that effect too, so if callers whose numbers I don't know don't leave a message, I don't call back.

Posted 9 months ago #
Iscariot

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@ beaujolly - never, ever threaten to blow a high pitched whistle/loud noise etc. These are low paid employees just doing their job and it constitutes assault or threatened assault. They're only doing their job and you could have your collar felt for it - they record everything and Mr Plod is only too keen to be seen to be doing his job. These days Tweeting "You let your dad down" gets you arrested.

I agree with the rest of the postings.

Posted 9 months ago #
dvo4fun

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Strangely, I'm now quite looking forward to the next such call. Though as we tend to generally adopt some of Jeni's approach to 'incoming' (i.e don't answer it) that might be a while.

If it's that important, I assume the Police will call round shortly anyway.

Posted 9 months ago #
charlies_hat

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Jeni never answered any of my calls....

Posted 9 months ago #
Al OPecia

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I usually start of with "what species of tree can you see outside your office window?" and take it from there.

Posted 9 months ago #
Not Amused

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I like to vary my answering to them. My favourites are
- start to sell them something. Ask them a load of questions about where they live and do they pay their bills.
- Every 5 seconds or so just say a word you like. I tend to say potato. They get very confused and usually hang up fairly quickly.
- Pass the call on to a child in the house

Posted 9 months ago #
Clucksy

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Funniest string of replies to callers was in this...yes it's very very long but if you have time to peek at this stroke of genius I guarantee it'll bring a smile! One man's battle against call handlers - just pick a page and giggle! Still makes me laugh after 4 years!

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=741653

Posted 9 months ago #
dvo4fun

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Clucksy well worth the time scrolling down, thanks

Posted 9 months ago #
Quaz

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I get lots of sales callers at work, so I took to giving them a false name so I could screen the possibly useful from the timewasters when they called back 6 months later. It worked well for a while, until the switchboard at work figured out who Mr xxxxx xxxxxx was, so now they helpfully put the calls for him straight through to me, giggling.

Posted 9 months ago #
Crow

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Hello Scroat, here's the answer: register with the Telephone Preference Service. For junk mail there's also a mail preference service. I registered with the TPS some time ago and now rarely get cold calls. Some slip through the net but on the whole it works very well. Here's the TPS link...

http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/index.html

Posted 9 months ago #
Crow

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Oops, just noticed Perks gave you the same link. I'll phone myself up now and tell myself to bugger off because I'm registered with the TPS.

Posted 9 months ago #

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