"According to Our Records" - Nuisance calls.

[Border Reiver, Durham (2)]

Regularly, our phone rings, with "unavailable" shown on the caller display & occasionally I pick up the phone, to listen to the recorded message..."According to our records, you have not yet taken advantage of your free loft insulation grant......please press button 2".
Usually, I put the phone down without doing anything, but I was sick of this and decided to answer this time, so I pressed button 2.
I spoke to a pleasant lady who launched into her scripted message & I stopped her. "Who are you?" I asked "and why are you calling me?" She started to explain that they wanted to know if we had taken up the offer of free loft insulation, so I stopped her again. "Do you know who I am?" I asked......."No" she replied. "Well you should" I said, "because according to your records you know that we haven't go loft insulation, so you should know who we are and where we live. What other information do you hold on us? She then hung up without further comment. What fun.
We did have our loft insulation installed 2 years ago.
What do some fellow cruisers do with these pests?

[Cooke, Ashby]

Generally tell them we've got what they are selling, tell them they shouldn't be calling because we're registered with telephone preference (and what a lot of good that is!) and ask them not to call again. Alternatively just say that I don't understand their accent and hang up.

[andyn, Bucks]

My favourite are the 'fault with Microsoft on your computer'. I leave them hanging while I go looking for my computer, then, and it can be 10 or 15 minutes later, ask them what I should do now the 'Apple' is up on my screen.
Loft insulation, they actually came round to do a survey, well they never asked if I had already had it done.
Sometimes I just pick up the phone and say nothing, waiting to see which of us breaks first.

[Cooke, Ashby]

My favourite are the 'fault with Microsoft on your computer'. I leave them hanging while I go looking for my computer, then, and it can be 10 or 15 minutes later, ask them what I should do now the 'Apple' is up on my screen.
Loft insulation, they actually came round to do a survey, well they never asked if I had already had it done.
Sometimes I just pick up the phone and say nothing, waiting to see which of us breaks first.

Andyn, you made me laugh, but you really shoul get out more!

[DACY, Jersey]

I answer the same as Border Reiver - Do you know who I am, how did you get this number, you do know that I am not a UK resident - because I am not, that stops them while they check their records, then they say it is a UK dialling code, but it is not it just looks like it, then I say you do know that all my calls are tracked and recorded for my security - then the phone usually goes dead. The amount we now get has reduced as I think we have been taken off a lot of lists - just in case!

[Bigsis, Waterlooville]

I got a new one yesterday....'This is an important call and we believe that you may have in the past, worked in a noisy environment that has damaged......'
That's where I hung up. So if it's not PPI, free loft insulation or a motor vehicle accident, they are now starting on our hearing. Grr

[cruisedreams, Thirsk]

I have 2 calls telling me I should pay for my funeral!

[Happy, Wolverhampton]

I have 2 calls telling me I should pay for my funeral!

That is absoultely awful and could be very distressing for the elderly.

[annie, Glasgow]

I have 2 calls telling me I should pay for my funeral!

I hope I would have retorted - have you paid for yours??

Annie

[jan lowden, sunderland (2)]

When i get these calls,There is a pause of about 2-3 seconds,Thats when you know its from a call centre,So i just hang up anyway. Jan.

[alandrover, beccles]

Before they get really started into their sales pitch suddenly interrupt and tell them about the fantastic car you have for sale. I guarantee the phone will go dead before you get into too much detail!!!My husband can do a reasonable accent or two and sometimes says why are you calling Australia/France etc

[Taffy, Wales]

Absolutely sick to death of cold callers.I am convinced that your name and number gets sold on, our latest 3 in the space of an hour is over hearing lose .We are now starting to recognize the numbers ,and let it ring out.
If they just want you to answer a few questions ask how much they are paying you ? they hang up.
I had one from a tracing /debt agency who kept phoning about someone with our family surname.After my keep telling them I had no relatives called Lawrence,I Googled there number and learnt they made a habit of making repeated calls.
Next call I told the girl to remove my number from her list or I would sue for Harassment.she said "could I have your name and number" I pointed out she had just rung the number and asked for me by name.I have not had any more calls...Taffy

[Max, Warwickshire]

I'm told by a friend who knows about such things that the best thing to say is 'Sorry I'm a tenant - I don't own the house so can't agree to surveys or improvements'.

He says your number gets removed quickly from all the grant/insulation/improvement databases. I did it in November, and have not had a call since Christmas. Previously we'd get 3 or 4 per week.

[Bigsis, Waterlooville]

I'm told by a friend who knows about such things that the best thing to say is 'Sorry I'm a tenant - I don't own the house so can't agree to surveys or improvements'.

He says your number gets removed quickly from all the grant/insulation/improvement databases. I did it in November, and have not had a call since Christmas. Previously we'd get 3 or 4 per week.

Haha, if only that were true. I wish it was as we are private tenants and we've told them a million times plus registered with TPS. They are a right pain

[Yogini, Waterlooville]

I'm told by a friend who knows about such things that the best thing to say is 'Sorry I'm a tenant - I don't own the house so can't agree to surveys or improvements'.

That's what my elderly father always does. He said that it works.

I have begun to get more of these nuisance calls now that I work part-time, so am at home more.