India calling

[Bushpig]

I am at my wits end... for the last 3 weeks or so I've had 3 (sometimes 4) calls from some company from India... and they ask for me by name and say they're doing a survey for electricty blah blah blah... I was polite at first and asked them not to call me, 'I am not interested', 'please take my number off the computer system', 'I am registered with TPS' (so they can be fined for calling me like they are)... NOTHING WORKS!!!!!!!!:angry: :angry: :angry:

My politeness has now left the building!

Hubby says when I hear the long delay (and so can assume it's them - apologies of it's any of my family overseas phoning! :blush: )... I should set off the little mobile squeeling alarm I carry with me... which I cannot do when the kids are here of course - would scare them half to death! Plus it's not pleasant for me either to have to always do this. It's an awful noise.

Today's three calls got no response at all, I picked the phone up and said nothing... they put the phone down on me. I just cannot carry on like this though... it happens at any time... and is often when I've just got the kids down to sleep or am in the middle of a pooey nappy or something :(

We have two phones and neither have numbers that come up... and they're phone fax systems so would be very expensive to replace.

What can I do to get them to stop harrassing me???

HEEEELP!!!! :panic: :panic: :panic:

[Twinkles]

Oh hun I'm getting similar calls :panic: from an obviously foreign company and everytime I ask who is calling ( if they ask for DH ) or ask where they got my phone number, they hang up.

I'm registered with tps too.
Let me know what you decide to do.

[miffy]

Have you complained to the TPS?

Miffy xx

[sarah707]

I tend to have the answerphone on during the day when I am working.

I know it means I have to pay for return calls but I use www.18185.com so it's not too expensive.

It also means I can return calls when I am ready :D

[Blackhorse]

we had this for a while...ever friday at the same time...

it eventually stopped.
I would be inclined to make a really loud noise down the phone..

or tell them to hang on for a minute ..I need to swtich the oven off...bla bla..and just put the phone down on the table. I was told once (not sure if it is true) that they are not allowed to hang up on you....so you just leave them waiting for absolute ages and waste their time.....

[Mouse]

I had the same problem a few years ago with calls from a mobile phone company. They phoned several times a say, even when I pleaded with them to stop!

I used to carry the phone round & put it right next to the TV (turned up very loud), next to the washing machine & one time I held it near the toilet and flushed it!

In the end I made out I was interested in what they were trying to sell me. I put the phone on loud speaker so I could hear & just let the woman talk. I didn't say anything & she babbled on. You could tell she was quite excited that she actually had someone who didn't hang up on her! When she'd finished her spiel she said 'so, does that sound good?'. I didn't say anything at all & she was going 'hello, hello, are you there?'.
In the end she hung up & I didn't ever get another call from them. I don't know if it actually worked, or if it was just coincidence, but it was such a relief when the calls stopped.

[FizzysFriends]

blow a whistle down the phone! that should stop them

[OrlandoBelle]

I have this EVERY day, at leat 6-8 times a day. Luckily we have caller ID, but more often than not, it comes up as UNKNOWN so I have to answer it incase its an enquiry. I have been thinking about getting an answer phone too. We have 1571 and that usually picks up messages from India. They do hang up when they realise its an answering service. We get calls up to 9pm at night sometimes, and the other night it rang at 11:50pm! Only one ring though and rang off. REALLY annoyed me that time.

I have also tried everything, my DH is always really rude with them and argues with them... especially when they call saying their name is "Fred Smith" (yeah, of course it is!!) Have you noticed how they always have a typically English name too? Lol.

I like Black Horse and Mouse's ideas about leaving them hanging on the phone for ages! I think I will use them next time I get a call!:clapping:

[OrlandoBelle]

blow a whistle down the phone! that should stop them

My Nan always kept a whistle by her phone hanging on a little hook! :laughing:

[Carpet Monkeys]

Any unwanted calls I just let them babble on and put the phone down, at the end of the day it's their bill and not mine, after about 20 mins, they usually hang up!!

[Blackhorse]

Any unwanted calls I just let them babble on and put the phone down, at the end of the day it's their bill and not mine, after about 20 mins, they usually hang up!!

:clapping: :clapping: :clapping:

[Amaranth]

I have been getting these calls too :angry:
I totally refuse to give them any info at all. I rang my local trading standards and asked for advice. The lady was really nice and logged the info I gave her and even gave me another number to ring if I managed to get any info about who they were.
Every time they called I asked who they were calling on behalf of and they said it was either a company called 'UK survey' or 'we offer you' I asked them for a company address and they said Regent Street London. I have googled both of these companies and nothing matches! :rolleyes:
Same as lots of you, every time I asked for a contact number, so I could call them back to verify who they are, they hung up on me!
They have also been quite angry with me because I would not give them my details and they have even sworn at me! :angry:
I too have had the weekend and late night calls but never as late as yours Aimiev! That is soooo wrong.

The last time they called, I pretended I could not hear them, I just kept saying 'Helloo, is there anyone there' They hung up :laughing: They did try again a couple more times that day and every time I did the same. They haven't called since :clapping: I hope it lasts.
I do have a plan for if it happens again though. I am going to pretend I can't hear them again and then casually say, ''I am fed up of this phone, I can't hear anyone properly since we had the police trace facility put on because of those nuisance calls' and see if that stops them! :laughing: :laughing:

Oops, went on a bit there.....sorry :blush:

[aly]

i had this once, answered and they asked me a question and i asked them if they could hold a mo, went out the back and played with the kids and left them dangling on the phone ;)

[Bazza]

If you do 1471 can you get the number or is it witheld?

If you can find out if the company is in the UK you can complain to the TPS if you are registered and they will take the mater up with them. The compnay must have a UK interest somewhere otherwise they cannot provide a service in the UK im guessing?

Our business uses a company called Vonage to do our phones and they are really good as they an block unwanted calls or filter certain numbers. Cost about the same as BT as well. Only downside is that it had to run through an internet router connection so if there is a power cut there is no phone!

Personally, i would put the radio on and let them listen to that. They will get bored of hearing the same tunes played eventually!:)

[Amaranth]

Yes, tried 1471 and it says number witheld :rolleyes:
The calls come from out of the country, so not able to block them sadly!

The trouble with this company is that even when you ignore them, it doesn't seem to put them off!! they just keep calling back :panic:

[ourmadhouse]

i was very naughty, a company called me one day and i played along took all the info, then at the end i simply said remove my number from your list.

i knew they would call back and the very next day they did, i told them i had talked to someone yesterday, gave all my details and how it should be on file. :D the lady was saying she cant find anything, i asked her how does she expect me to go with this company if the staff can not take care of MY information, I told her i will not be using the company again and contacting the police about my lost information. :laughing:

(wouldnt know what the police would do about it, but said it any way :D )

Not had a call from them again and its been 4 months :thumbsup:

[Hebs]

blow a whistle down the phone! that should stop them

yeah as they all use head sets and cant get the ear piece away quick enough :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

[PixiePetal]

A friend of mine left the phone handset beside the TV while Ken and Deirdre were having an argument on Corrie :laughing:

[Ripeberry]

Just use an answerphone with caller display, if it's no-one you recognise then just ignore. They never leave a message :rolleyes: and eventually they give up :thumbsup:
If it was a client, I would like to think that they would leave a message of some sort as they can't expect you to answer the phone straight away when working.

[Daftbat]

I had this problem for quite a while a couple of years ago and in the end i spoke to my phone company and they agreed to change the number free of charge. I know its a pain when you run a business from home but although i had to spend ages advising everyone of the new number it only had to be done once. Since then my phone has been free of cold calls etc. We also went ex directory - although its only partial since obviusly my number is available to people who are looking for childcare in various places. We were advised not to put a phone number on any forms unless absolutely necessary and even then i tend to put my mobile down and these companies won't spend more than they have to to call you so it isn't a problem. Also, you need to ensure that you tick all the boxes on forms saying that you don;t want your info sharing with ANYONE!

Good luck:thumbsup:

[kindredspirits]

if i get calls like that repeatedly i press all and any buttons on the phone very quickly for about a minute - apparently it confuses their system and throws your number out of it! i had calls like this for months (just beeping when i answered) and afte 3 or 4 goes at pressing all the buttons they stopped so it might have worked! :thumbsup:

[Bitsy Beans]

My Nan always kept a whistle by her phone hanging on a little hook! :laughing:

I just whistle with my fingers. And boy is it LOUD :laughing:

Mind you if I speak to them I say No thanks not interested. They normally persist which gives me the opportunity to get snotty and ask them what don't they understand about the word no. Gives me the chance to use my pent up stress ;)