Automated phone calls - Cold calling

wez130 · 4 Oct 2008 at 12:50

How many of you have been getting these, we've been getting them for a while now and they are getting more and more regular - and annoying.

However, i really cannot see the point in them, both because it's the most half arsed way of trying to sell you something and also, who even listens to the messages,as soon as i hear 'this is an autom........', the phone has been put down by me.

Come on businesses, at least put some effort into trying to keep me on the phone to listen to what you're trying to sell me.

semi-pro waster · 4 Oct 2008 at 12:54

I've had a few of these calls and barely let it get beyond the click that tells you the tape recorder has started. I did have a very insistent chap on from 3 the other day though, he seemed entirely incapable of understanding that I didn't want a new phone and was perfectly happy with my current one - because I wasn't doing anything urgent I spent a good five minutes trying to explain this logically to him but the poor lad just couldn't seem to grasp something that simple.

wez130 · 4 Oct 2008 at 12:59

at least he tried, these auto messages don't even do that, i mean , whoever thought of that concept, 'i know, lets play an automated message when they answer the phone, then watch the orders come rolling in after they fall for my ingenious idea mwahhh haha haha'

They must live on cloud cuckoo land

mks2005 · 4 Oct 2008 at 13:32

Used to get loads to my mobile at one stage, it was seriously annoying, sometimes up to 3-4 a day from the same number. I googled the number and found loads of people were getting them. Thankfully after about a month of ignoring them they stopped.

But yeah, can't stand them. Dead annoying.

scorza · 4 Oct 2008 at 13:33

The sad thing is, people do fall for them. Got an automated one the other day telling me if I'd obtained credit in the last few years it was probably sold to me illegally and I could be entitled to compensation. Can imagine quite a few people falling for that one.

Hunders · 4 Oct 2008 at 13:34

We don't get automated messages but we do get callers from India that have terrible English communication skills. I feel really rude asking them to repeat what they said 4 or 5 times because I simply cannot understand what they are trying to tell me.

My landline phone has a display on it and we know when they are calling because the display reads 'Foreign number'. They will literally keep the phone ringing for 5 minutes sometimes so we just pick the phone up and put it down straight after now.

Annoying gits.

McManicMan · 4 Oct 2008 at 14:04

i pick the phone up and then leave it on the side and go back to doing whatever i was.

Jimbeam3678 · 4 Oct 2008 at 16:18

McManicMan said:
i pick the phone up and then leave it on the side and go back to doing whatever i was.

Classic

ElectroBlaster · 5 Oct 2008 at 02:18

We keep getting "YOU HAVE WON AN ALL EXPENSES PAID TRIP TO THE CARRIBEAN" with some woman speaking in an american slang.

Whats the point of all these dam calls.

acevuk · 5 Oct 2008 at 02:22

Getting a few of these - just hang up straight away.

bushmins · 5 Oct 2008 at 02:33

McManicMan said:
i pick the phone up and then leave it on the side and go back to doing whatever i was.

I used to say' Hold on ill pass you to the owner of the house'. Then pass it to my 5 year old. Now hes got older and isnt interested

There a funny on youtube where some guy pretends to be a cop at the scene of a murder and starts accusing the cold caller, its very funny.

Doonhamer · 5 Oct 2008 at 08:57

McManicMan said:
i pick the phone up and then leave it on the side and go back to doing whatever i was.

You ever play the How long will they hold game? You pick up and start talking to them for a few seconds, and once they start there sell you just ask them to hang on while you get a pen and paper to write it down. Then just put phone to the side and see how long they hold on for. One guy waited ten minutes!

AndyC · 5 Oct 2008 at 09:06

frakker said:
Why not sign up to the TPS?

http://www.tpsonline.org.uk

Give it a month or two to kick in and the amount of phone calls you receive offering to sell you magic beans or similar should decrease. And if you do receive any, take down their details and report them through the website. The TPS police will go round and sentence them to life in prison - maybe.

I signed up to something like this caller pref list, hardy get any, if I do the first thing I say is " why are you ringing me as I'm on the call pref list who........." "Click" never fails to work, regardless of where the calls come from,

Another idea I've heard of, is having a block on all withheld numbers but costs a few quit,

Adnams Drinker · 5 Oct 2008 at 10:02

ElectroBlaster said:
We keep getting "YOU HAVE WON AN ALL EXPENSES PAID TRIP TO THE CARRIBEAN" with some woman speaking in an american slang.

Whats the point of all these dam calls.

Yeah, we've been getting loads of these recently - although that said we're usually at work when they ring.

frakker said:
Why not sign up to the TPS?

http://www.tpsonline.org.uk

Give it a month or two to kick in and the amount of phone calls you receive offering to sell you magic beans or similar should decrease. And if you do receive any, take down their details and report them through the website. The TPS police will go round and sentence them to life in prison - maybe.

I spoke to them recently about other sales calls we were getting despite the fact we've been with the TPS for years and I was told that if the call is being made by a company from overseas, there's very little, if anything, they can do ... but being with the TPS will usually wipe out calls from UK-based companies.

Angilion · 5 Oct 2008 at 10:50

frakker said:
Why not sign up to the TPS?

http://www.tpsonline.org.uk

Give it a month or two to kick in and the amount of phone calls you receive offering to sell you magic beans or similar should decrease. And if you do receive any, take down their details and report them through the website. The TPS police will go round and sentence them to life in prison - maybe.

It doesn't work for the calls that originate overseas. I still get recorded messages of various USA people trying to sell me something.

Van Hellseek · 5 Oct 2008 at 10:58

wez130 said:
whoever thought of that concept, 'i know, lets play an automated message when they answer the phone, then watch the orders come rolling in

The orders don't need to come rolling in... If it's just an automated message and you make any money off a few people (out of the thousands that will hear the message) then you win. Even if you only make a few quid, it's not like it took any time/effort, so you're quids in.

Not condoning this btw!

wnb · 5 Oct 2008 at 11:12

I get a few cold calls, despite being with tpsonline since I moved into my current house. One starts with 'this is the Captain Speaking' and hearing a fog horn sounding following me hanging up. Also get a few calls where they hang up, I also get a few calls for people asking for Mr Reed who seems to have had my telephone number before bt "recycled" my number.

Cosimo · 5 Oct 2008 at 11:17

The only ones we get these days show up as ‘International’ and never get answered.

wez130 · 5 Oct 2008 at 15:34

Doonhamer said:
You ever play the How long will they hold game? You pick up and start talking to them for a few seconds, and once they start there sell you just ask them to hang on while you get a pen and paper to write it down. Then just put phone to the side and see how long they hold on for. One guy waited ten minutes!

haha, i can't wait to get the next sales person to do this

R.O.S.S.I · 5 Oct 2008 at 16:21

Weird this has come up because we have been getting quite a few recently. I'm sure I went on some website that removes your telephone number from some directory or something so you stop getting them. Cant remember what it was called, clearly it didnt work though.