General Chat

The illegal callers who target me are central heating duct cleaners. (I am on the list not to call of course.)

After sometimes daily calls from them, I just had an inspiration.

When the call came, I said Oooh, you'd like to make an appointment! So an appointment we made, for two days thence.

They called a couple of times that day to say they were running late and would 2:30, then 3:30, be okay. Why certainly!

And then the young man knocked on the door. And I said Seriously? After I have been harassed by your illegal calls for a year, you think you are going to clean my ducts?

(Not to mention that I've seen a consumer affairs show about scammy duct cleaners, and how they don't do the job.)

Well he was just a subcontractor, he didn't know about that. That's as may be -- but your bosses are crooks, so make sure you tell them that and they owe you for your time.

He may be an unfortunate victim, but if he's mixed up with the illegal callers, I don't think he's really an innocent.

So the caller called me shortly after, and said So you made a fake appointment? Well duh. After you've harassed me with illegal calls for a year, what did you imagine?

Oh, you don't know what you've done now, he said, sounding a little gleeful. Go ahead, I said, make the threat. But he hung up.

Two weeks and no calls!

I do recommend this.

Not if you're older and home alone, maybe.

But if you can make the appointment with the double glazers or roofers or pavers or whoever is bothering you when they're not supposed to, and have a family member or neighbour there, and a camera to get a pic of their vehicle and licence (my battery was dead, darn, but I got the licence number) and tell them it will be getting sent to the police -- it makes for a moment of amusement in a dull day. :-)

:-D :-D :-D :-D

Hi
JoonieCloonie

iv,e had loads of cold callers like everyone else
kitchens, ppi, etc.

had one off a double glazing company, i told them i already had double glazing and plastic doors, but what id really like would be a conservatory, we can do that the cold caller said, great i said i want one 5 meters by 4 meters with a tiled floor and ceiling blinds and window blinds and two radiators, the caller said we are the best fitters there is, can i take your address and we'll send out a sales man, i told him i live on the 16th floor of a tower block :-) after i listened to a few swear words he hung up and never called me again. :-) i dont know why.

Sadly, nothing I have ever done has worked to get them to never call again ... have certainly sworn at them and been sworn at, but they still call back!

I did have fun with 'I'm calling from Microsoft we need to check your computer'.

I kept him strung along as I looked for things in my computer and acted very very old and confused ... until he decided I was wasting his time, clever boy.

Maybe I'll try being surreal. 'I'm sorry, yes this is my number, but I am not here.'

Had a call from 'Microsoft' recently.

My response was "how nice to hear from you again, I've really missed speaking to you"

Miserable B*st*rd hung up and hasn't called back :-0

When the Microsoft call came last week and I was told there was a problem with my computer I asked how long Microsoft has been looking after Apple computers - he put the phone down on me :-0

I haven't got an Apple ;-)

When The so called Microsoft ring me
I ask why my called ID identifies a call from Nigeria
and they hang up
or when they say they are James brown /smith ect
I say oh no your not I recognize your voice your called Moogibar
and you ring here every week
and I don't even have a computer
and they hang up :-D :-D

http://home.bt.com/news/bt-life/bt-offers-breakthrough-service-to-divert-huge-numbers-of-nuisance-calls-11364039280071

In our home landline we use a call blocker a small box that hooks up to the phone socket. It gives a choice of blacklisting numbers or whitelisting which only lets numbers on the list through. We use white listing.

Most of our calls in/out come via mobile though and there are plenty of apps which will keep cold callers frozen out.

These days being plagued by cold callers is only possible if you arr unwilling to do something active about it. Maybe being nasty to the cold caller brightens a dull day. Who knows.

I'm afraid I could not 'whitelist'. My telephone (I don't use a mobile) is also for business, and I have to have it accessible to any unknown caller who might call to offer me work. :-)

Even if that were not the case, I really just would not want to limit calls to those I have whitelisted. What a chore to identify all the numbers one's clinic or vet or hardware store might be calling from!

Probably my service provider offers a blacklisting option ... the numbers being called from change so often (and are spoofed most of the time), but I should look into it.

These days, all I really do is hang up when the spiel starts, without engaging. The duct cleaners had just got up my nose enough that I decided to waste 10 minutes on them. And, knock on wood, it seems to have worked.

You freelance and don't have a mobile ?
Be serious.

Um, whatever, I guess.

I have a cheapo mobile phone that I take with me on intercity travel. Otherwise, I am not out wandering around, I'm working at my desk at the PC with the giant monitor, or somewhere in the vicinity ...

I'm just a tad elderly for devices, I'm afraid. And since eye surgery gone wrong left me non-driving with a non-driving partner, I don't tend to just nip out to the shops when the mood strikes.

If you had a point, be sure to let me know what it was!

Hi Ya, Joonie

I thought you must have been busy as I hadn't seen you posting for some time.

Microsoft seems to have bye-byes for me, after I told about 4 of them that it was a scam!

We are pestered by realtors here, both by phone and at the door ................. I tell them all that I keep a list of all who contact me and they will not be contacted if and when we ever want to sell..

Amazing how fast they hang up or turn tail. :-D

One at the door last week did ask me why I kept such a list ........ "because I hate to be bothered". He turned tail at that

Your fault for living in such a mansion, Sylvia! :-D

Yup, same with me. Irritate me (like calling me 'Mrs' anything) and you can be sure that if I do want services, or need somewhere to donate my money, or whatever, I won't come calling on you.

(Yes, extreeemely busy. Summer ended, old clients came out of the woodwork ... luckily, since the six billion dollar bionic cat has just had another weekend at the spa for her high colonic ... otherwise known as having the vet anaesthetise her and dig impacted poop out of her deformed bottom ... my cat's poop pays the vet's mortgage, I think.)

I don't answer my landline anymore. Anyone of any importance has my mobile. But if my grandson comes round his eyes light up if the phones rings. I have to leave the room as he winds up who ever it. x

had a call from microsoft a while back i said hold on a minute while i get my daughter she knows everything about computers as she works for the police forensic science department, the phone went quite straight away :-)

Joonie ............

you do have weird cats!!!

Good that you're busy though, that'll keep the pennies flowing in so you can pay for the cat's errrrrrrrr needs :-)

Yep ............... you'd think we all lived in mansions here the way house prices have gone up into the stratosphere! :-(

The house we live in is worth exactly what we paid for it in 1972, trouble is the land it is built on is worth much much much more!

We're off on our travels again in 2 weeks, by train of course :-D

Got a call at 7am this morning

"This is Kathy from the technical dept of.." I crossly cut off !

later did 1471 and got this number

0016013641058

Tried it "this number is not taking calls at the moment" -American accent

First time I have had a call so early in the morning !! :-|

A lovely, friendly chap rung me yesterday. All chummy, he asked me how I was so I told him.

I told him alright, all about my arthritis, constipation, prolapse, piles, ingrowing toe-nail, wind, halitosis.

He rang off.

:-D :-D

omg Sharron I could not stop laughing. xx