Stopping marketing/ telescam phone calls

Leeum

Leeum

Leeum

Associate
Joined
19 Sep 2005
Posts
1,242
Hi,

How do people stop marketing/ telescam/ survey phone calls? We're registered with the telephone preference service, but still get plenty of them. Whenever I ask them where they got the number from, they always say from publically available databases etc.

Just had the third one in two days - the latest call being someone who said there was a problem with our computer. He asked me to turn the computer on while he guided me through a simple test to remove the 'malicious software'.

I can always identify these dodgy calls but I'm not sure about the others in the house.

Any input appreciated. :)
 
I was watching dragons den the other day on dave and there was a automated device to filter calls for things like this.

Carn't remember for the life of me what it's called or if it even made it onto the market :(

Sorry
 
Neodite said:
I was watching dragons den the other day on dave and there was a automated device to filter calls for things like this.

Carn't remember for the life of me what it's called or if it even made it onto the market :(

Sorry
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an answering machine. I have seen it too on DD
 
Leeum said:
Hi,

How do people stop marketing/ telescam/ survey phone calls? We're registered with the telephone preference service, but still get plenty of them. Whenever I ask them where they got the number from, they always say from publically available databases etc.

Just had the third one in two days - the latest call being someone who said there was a problem with our computer. He asked me to turn the computer on while he guided me through a simple test to remove the 'malicious software'.

I can always identify these dodgy calls but I'm not sure about the others in the house.

Any input appreciated. :)
Click to expand...

Just respond with, "this number is TPS registered", you'll either get hung up on or an apology and then hung up on, why on earth did you let him guide you through the simple test if you knew it was a dodgy call? :confused:
 
FC-PJA said:
What was the simple test he wanted you to do?
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Something along the lines of this I expect:

Go to the start>run menu and type in

“p as in peter, r as in romeo, e as in echo, f as in foxtrot” – etc etc, to cut a long story short, he wanted me to type in

“prefetch virus” in the run prompt. As it happens, I know exactly what that would do – it simply opens the windows prefetch folder. The word “virus” is ignored

(For a bit more info on what this normal windows folder is, click here. As a rule, however, unless you know exactly what the result is going to be do not start following instructions random strangers tell you to do!)

“OK sir, can you please tell me how many files there are?”
I told him 30.
“Oh my gosh, this is a sign of very heavy infection. You must not touch these files. [about the only truthful part of the call]. Please now clear this box and type ‘temp’ and press enter”.

Again, “your computer has very heavy infection with so many files”. He then babbled some crap about how these file were your f-a-t32 system files and that “at any time these files could scratch your hard drive”. Riiiighhhht…..
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Dano said:
Just respond with, "this number is TPS registered", you'll either get hung up on or an apology and then hung up on, why on earth did you let him guide you through the simple test if you knew it was a dodgy call? :confused:
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We've had similar ones before... I'm a computing science student so I thought I'd have a bit of fun before I hung up. :p

Whenever I asked him what he thought the problem was, he started mumbling haha. If they ring again, I'll see what this 'simple test' is - i'm intrigued.
 
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I tell them all to **** off and die as soon as I hear that its a telemarketer, or if I am in a good mood I will tag them along for as long as possible (20 minutes was my record) before saying "**** off, now you know what it feels like when someone wastes your time."

I know its a job and everyone has to make a living, but I hate the buggers!
 
Find out the company they are calling from, not the company they are calling on behalf of. They may say "It's a call from Natwest" for example, but it will be a call center, so get the name of the call center. Then you can either e-mail them or talk to a manager. I presonally e-mailed the company which kept calling me this:

To whomever this may concern,
From my understanding it is your organisation who has been feeding my phoneline dead calls for the past 2 weeks every single day, every time the phone rings it is answered, held on to for 20 seconds, and then the line just goes completely dead.
I am disgusted and appalled that a telemarketing company would not even have the common decency to talk to me after they've persisted on calling countless times, to which every one I have answered.
After 3 occasions I have also rang the number back, gone through to another free phone number, to which I was told my number would be taken off of the call list.

Must I refer you to the ofcom rules about silent calls?: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2005/10/nr_20051031
Quote: "Telephone numbers dialled then abandoned should not be called again by that organisation’s automated calling system for at least 72 hours, unless a dedicated operator is available to take the call;"
If I have received a call every single day, every time for it to be a dead line, then this is an infringement of the law, and my privacy.

I am not an ignorant or unreasonable person, if your organisation rang myself to talk, tell me about an offer, I would listen. The fact every time I pick up the phone it goes dead, just causes a nuisance to me and others in my home.
As such, I request that you remove my telephone number from any lists you have in your company for now and the future.

My details / The details of people in this household are as followed:

xxxxxx

I hope you can understand my frustration, and will do the decent thing by removing my number off of your database.
Thank you.
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They e-mailed me back within a few days and I haven't had a call since.
Be firm, but polite.
 
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