Marketers ringing house phone . . .

DarkShadow · 23 Mar 2006 at 19:51

Is there a way to get rid of them?

I was eating my dinner and one rang asking for my dad, I told him he wasn't available and that I could take a message for him. He then asked whether I was a family member or not, to which I replied yes.

He said "I would like you to take part in a short questionnaire . . . " I told him after that bit I wasn't interested but he insisted, so I hung up.

The call sounded 'important' regardless to say I was a bit miffed.

Is there a way to get rid of these junk calls?

PardonTheWait · 23 Mar 2006 at 19:51

SideWinder · 23 Mar 2006 at 19:52

Had one of those today, my Mum answered the phone: "Now's not the best time, its my birthday, goodbye". :cool:

DarkShadow · 23 Mar 2006 at 19:52

Mohinder said:
TPS

Excellent

I couldn't recall this, t'was what I was after.

Sp!ke · 23 Mar 2006 at 19:52

for the non google savvy (or lazy) thats ...http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/

Works a treat I dont get any now.

S

AthlonTom · 23 Mar 2006 at 20:30

Eat their chidren?

FincH · 23 Mar 2006 at 20:36

Ha I had some woman phone up from Dubai or summat wanting a chat about windows or some crap but I said I was busy so she asked when would be a good time to call back, so I said I was moving to Oz. Bwhaha.

DarkShadow · 23 Mar 2006 at 20:37

AthlonTom said:
Eat their chidren?

gam3r · 23 Mar 2006 at 20:41

I hate them. I've had this same phone call from an indian call center like 3 times...Some indian lady trying to persuade me to buy a T-mobile contract phone. Even when i tell her no thanks she keeps going on blah blah. Best thing to do really is ask them to remove you from their list thing. They have to! Data protection act

Nix · 23 Mar 2006 at 21:03

gam3r said:
I hate them. I've had this same phone call from an indian call center like 3 times...Some indian lady trying to persuade me to buy a T-mobile contract phone. Even when i tell her no thanks she keeps going on blah blah. Best thing to do really is ask them to remove you from their list thing. They have to! Data protection act

Lol! I had that too! Except mine was some bloke. I kept telling him that i'd just got a phone as a present and it was one of the good models at the time (this was a year ago) and he carried on saying "but this one's better", my answer being "I don't care." to which he finally got the picture but then moved on to ask me about my family's phones. I then resorted to just telling him "We're all happy with what we have, we don't want anything." but he still carried on? In the end I said "Look mate, i'm going to hang up because you're an idiot."

I remember one poor girl rang me up once and asked for my Mum, who was cooking dinner at the time so I said she could talk to me. She was trying to sell me double glazing, but we already have it etc and after a while of listening to her script I just said "I have no windows" and I still remember the confused "Whaa?" from her. Haha, bless. I had to hang up though, I couldn't restrain myself from laughing, my mum also had overheard me

Most of the time though I do normally just hang up. "I'm not interested, sorry. Goodbye."

basmic · 23 Mar 2006 at 21:06

Ask them to repeat themselves, constantly.

I had one Indian guy giving me the details of something - which took him some time. I asked him to repeat the details 4 times - after which I muted the phone, and laughed away.

MikeTimbers · 23 Mar 2006 at 21:07

They ring and ask if you're the home owner. Say "No, I'll get him, hang on..."

Put the phone down (don't hang up) and just leave it. After a few minutes, see if they're still there and if they are, just say "he's on his way..." and walk away again. See how long you can keep them hanging on.

Nix · 23 Mar 2006 at 21:10

MikeTimbers said:
They ring and ask if you're the home owner. Say "No, I'll get him, hang on..."

Put the phone down (don't hang up) and just leave it. After a few minutes, see if they're still there and if they are, just say "he's on his way..." and walk away again. See how long you can keep them hanging on.

I sense a new game in the making...

Beansprout · 23 Mar 2006 at 21:14

"Sorry, this is a business line."

Every single time they've stopped their spiel, been apologetic and have not rung back.

I tested this - one group of people rang more than once, on about the third time I told them it was a business line and they haven't rung back since.

Easy peasy

chippie · 23 Mar 2006 at 21:23

Use this

Ask them silly questions. See how long they last.

Goatboy · 23 Mar 2006 at 21:47

I'm really interested but very busy right now, give me your home number and I'll call you back

scorza · 23 Mar 2006 at 21:58

Mohinder said:
TPS

I signed up for the TPS a couple of years ago, and it has got rid of almost all of the cold calls I used to get. However I did still get contacted by people like MORI wanting me to do a poll for them. Eventually I twigged: "Hold on, I signed up to the TPS I shouldn't be bothered by these calls", so I confronted one of them with this. He said that the TPS only stops people trying to sell you something, not people doing polls. I asked how I could stop the polls and he said he'd remove me from the list. Haven't been bothered since (touch wood).

Dunno if what the guy told me was true or not but thought I'd share anyway.

Mr. Brightside · 23 Mar 2006 at 22:15

Another idea for having fun with them:

Them: 'Hello can I speak to such and such please?'
You: 'I'm sorry you can't speak to him/her, he/she exploded.'
Them: (Unpredictable)
You (continue): Yes, we're just scraping the pieces off the ceiling now. The funeral's next week.

My brother's mate does this routinely

Of course for maximum amusement, say it with no emotion in your voice. I tried the same thing with some girl who kept phoning and asking to speak to either me or my brother... 'sorry, he exploded'. She didn't call again!

laiman · 23 Mar 2006 at 22:25

null said:
Another idea for having fun with them:

Them: 'Hello can I speak to such and such please?'
You: 'I'm sorry you can't speak to him/her, he/she exploded.'
Them: (Unpredictable)
You (continue): Yes, we're just scraping the pieces off the ceiling now. The funeral's next week.

fomfcl
Genius!

I tend to go with "I cant hear you could you speak up", they usually turn up their mic, after a few goes they are seriously loud, i give them an earfull for shouting and how rude it is, can be a laugh just to make up loads of guff too though!

Mujja · 23 Mar 2006 at 22:49

A woman rang once saying how they had been down our street and our house was the only one chosen to appear in some conservatory brochure etc.

I replied saying their researcher's done a damn fine job as we live in a flat.

Another tip i picked up from these forums last year, if anyone tries to sell any kind of loan or credit, just tell them you are bankrupt or unemployed, they can't wait to get off the phone quick enough.

Marketers ringing house phone . . .

Man of Honour