Any repercussions for telling a cold caller to **** off?

BillHicksRIP · 5 Jan 2009 at 18:40

I've been called most working days for the last month with a company trying to sell me a new mobile phone. Depsite me telling them I'm not interested, or that it's a work phone (which it is), I still get a call every evening. Apparently it's Phones4U based on the hits for 08450264331 in Google. I can't just ignore it as my work phone receives a few calls a day from unknown numbers and I have to answer them. I wonder where you'd stand legally if you just repeatedly swore at them without saying anything else. Not even hello. :-)

uv · 5 Jan 2009 at 18:41

repercussions? what are they going to do, send 'the lads' round for being uncouth?

J.B · 5 Jan 2009 at 18:42

Im sure they wouldnt take you to court. Why dont you ask to speak to their supervisor and ask to be taken off the calling list?

gumbald · 5 Jan 2009 at 18:42

Leave them silence.

Ken · 5 Jan 2009 at 18:44

Just ask for the full name of who rings and say you'll hold him personally responsible for ensuring no further calls are received.

Edit...as per J.B above

Zico · 5 Jan 2009 at 18:46

Contact your operator and get the number barred.

Wiggins · 5 Jan 2009 at 18:46

If its a Center running on a Dialer, which from your continuous calls it probably does, if you tell them to **** off and hang up, it just goes back onto the queue and redials you again later.

Best thing is to request that they actually remove you from the database.

Hxc · 5 Jan 2009 at 18:47

Talk in french. They hang up pretty fast.

BillHicksRIP · 5 Jan 2009 at 18:48

I've asked to be removed several times and still get called.

arknor · 5 Jan 2009 at 18:49

add your phone number to that site that makes it illegal for any tele comunications companies to phone you? (illegal as in they can be fined)

Amp34 · 5 Jan 2009 at 18:50

Start heavy breathing down the phone, if that doesn't make em put it down quick ask them what underwear they're wearing. That'll get em...

Marf · 5 Jan 2009 at 18:54

Register for the TPS

Begbie · 5 Jan 2009 at 18:57

Technically your phone providers can cancel your account, well BT can cancel your account for abuse given to anyone via their lines. Doubt it would ever happen though.

Klytus · 5 Jan 2009 at 18:59

Marf said:
Register for the TPS

The man speaketh the truth.

http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps/

Richdog · 5 Jan 2009 at 19:00

BillHicksRIP said:
I've been called most working days for the last month with a company trying to sell me a new mobile phone. Depsite me telling them I'm not interested, or that it's a work phone (which it is), I still get a call every evening. Apparently it's Phones4U based on the hits for 08450264331 in Google. I can't just ignore it as my work phone receives a few calls a day from unknown numbers and I have to answer them. I wonder where you'd stand legally if you just repeatedly swore at them without saying anything else. Not even hello.

No it's fine, I do it. At one point I got so sick of being cold-called that i'd whisper all kind of messed up and twisted crap down the phone at them to listen to their reaction, it provided much amusement.

Seriously though I have ZERO tolerance for cold callers, just as i have in real-life for the sales types who stop you in the street. They either get ignored point blank or a very pointed "get off me now" look if they touch me. Human spam.

monkeygremlin · 5 Jan 2009 at 19:01

Marf said:
Register for the TPS

This doesn't really help that much. We are registered and still get some calls. Luckily our landline phone is set up to not even ring if the caller isn't known to us, so it's just a case of deleting the silent messages.

mattyrigby00 · 5 Jan 2009 at 19:01

Just answer the phone then do nothing so their money gets wasted.

thesubstitute · 5 Jan 2009 at 19:12

Next time you get called, first of all stay calm and polite. Be friendly as well. Ask them for their name (full name) and address them in firstname for the rest of the conversation.

Ask them how they are etc. If they're calling late, sympathize with them how they have to work a late shift etc.

Don't antagonist them though, explain that you appreciate they're just doing their job. However explain how frustrating it is for you and how fruitless it is for them to keep calling you anyway. Ask them politely if they can take you off their list, joke about it as well like "if you could take me off your list that'd be great, unless you really want my company on the phone of course!"

Before you end the conversation, address them by full name again but in a way to show that you're keeping record of it "Well you have a nice evening John erm... Smith?"

I was "harassed" by several companies a while back when my phone contract was up, and I just kept it friendly with the people on the line and explained that I'd be investigating myself on upgrading my phone etc. Didn't get called back again

Richdog · 5 Jan 2009 at 19:22

thesubstitute said:
Next time you get called, first of all stay calm and polite. Be friendly as well. Ask them for their name (full name) and address them in firstname for the rest of the conversation.

Ask them how they are etc. If they're calling late, sympathize with them how they have to work a late shift etc.

Don't antagonist them though, explain that you appreciate they're just doing their job.

Yeah that maybe works for the first few times... but after that you would have to have the patience of Mother Theresa to keep that sort of pointless charade up. The cold-callers do not give a **** about you, your privacy, or your comfort. Fact is cold-calling turns you into a soulless git, and after a while calling person after person you just switch your brain off and stop giving a damn about what anyone thinks. Abuse is the only way I could get them to react in a human way, and yes, I found it satisfying. But then again i've never been the Ned Flanders type.

Quint · 5 Jan 2009 at 19:23

This thread deserves "THE" Greatest Prank Call Ever -