Nuisance telephone calls.
 

Nuisance telephone calls.
I have been told to try this below:

Are you, like me, fed up with those constant telephone calls inviting you to order a new kitchen, change your telephone service or informing you that you may have won a holiday?

If you are, you might like to know of a service called the telephone preference service, which allows you to block these cold-canvass callers. It’s a simple to use, free service, and all you need to do is ring the number and select your options. Alternatively you can do the same thing online by accessing the website. The details are as follows:

Telephone: 0845 0700707
Website: www.tpsonline.org.uk

Once you register it takes up to 28 days for the service to take effect – but it does work!

Hope it helps.

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Cheers Len, I hope it works, I wish I knew how they get my number as I'm ex-directory.

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Thanks Len. I've been looking for how to do this for a little while now because I'm fed up of the number of times people phone trying to sell me insurance, double glazing, loans etc etc.

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I have been on this for 2 yrs, worked well for a while but not recently????

I reregistered..........and registered on Fax Preference service(a fax tone at 3 in the morning is very upsetting:("

But they did not stop...... Better but still a few a day.

So I pay a few quid a month to BT for Anonymos(spellcheck) caller rejection. And I have peace :):):) and only recieve calls from people I want to recieve calls from


I got really sick of all those ignorant sod's who dont give up...

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I get anonymous ones who don't even say anything - just hang up when I answer. Now they really do annoy me.:mad:

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A lot of the time those calls are from computers that ring a large amount of No's and when YOU/WE answer the phone it flash's a light on the call centre switchboard. And if there is no LOVELY caring sincere person to tell you how much you need there product..........Then YOU/WE are kept waiting or it hang's up automatically :(

I have not recieved such a call for month's now and at long last I look forward to the phone ringing :) Not dreading it ringing and cursing as I walk toward's it saying "If that Is those.................I'll..........."

I actually found myself being a bit off with family etc at the start of a call :(

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I ahve been on the list for quite some time and the advert calls have dropped by 95% but not fully...

We have caller display and as a house rule we dont answer calls that show up as a witheld number... the concept being that i dont want to talk to anyone who isnt prepared to let me know there number... its also safer with kids in the house... Most people selling will use witheld..

All in all pretty advert free...

Never had my fax go for an advert yet though :)

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Caller Display is worth it's wait in GOLD.... But that 5% you talk about is a lot higher when you advertise you No for business and have Freephone No's(cheepskate's) .. :(

I a long time ago put my home No as a fax No in a add due to having a fax machine connected to it(stop shouting"silly sod") But that came back to haunt me big time...

About 10 attempted advert fax's a day at one time :(

They send them faxes out at night as well when cheaper call's :(:(

Happy now because as you say 99.9 % of "seller's" are No "witheld"...

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We have been getting those calls of late.
Dash to the phone,you pick it up.
They put it down.
Very annoying.

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If youre in the mood for a bit of fun/revenge or just spiteful try this.......

Tell the caller that your number is ex-directory, even if its not
Demand to know where they got your phone number from
Quote the Data Protection Act 1998. Demand a copy of all the details they hold on you
Ask for their name
Tell them they are lying as someone working in an Indian call centre will not be called Gerald
Ask them for their real name
Ask for their home phone number as you have to make an official complaint
Keep the conversation going until their voice has reached falsetto....then
Ask to speak to their superviser
Repeat the above
I know its petty, but if they want to waste my time i`m damn sure I can play that game too

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When you get a cold caller, don't hang up. Put the handset down but don't put it back on the cradle or switch off. Whilst your phone is still connected to that call, the cold caller cannot ring out on their phone until you hang up. You will hear all sorts of banshee like screams and alarms coming from your phone, telling you to hang up, but it's a good feeling when you know that the nuisance caller is getting a taste of their own medicine, and deny them the opportunity to do their job and earn some commision. :D

I learned of this technique from my cousin who works for BT. ;)

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Yeah..that's the way Sparko...just tell 'em you've got a caller at the door and can they hang on a moment.....after an hour come back, ask if they're still there and if they are, tell 'em you're not interested and put the phone down.

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if you have call barring you can enter a code in your phone to stop people ringing you who have a withheld number. we have this service and it stopped these calls dead.

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Why should you have to pay for call barring to stop these people invading your privacy at least the TPS is free.

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I argued that point most strongly with BT, Bagpuss. It is THERE service that people are using to abuse US, But it did not wash and Pay I do for my peace..:)

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I usually do the 'put the phone down and walk away' routine. I have done it for years. I do get occasional calls but not many. I refuse to pay to have calls barred and am always suspicious when my home phone rings, as most people contact me on my mobile.:)

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With NTL the call barring facillity is free, unfortunately we can only use it when my husband is on holiday from work as he is on call out.

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I actually do this. It's not the caller's fault though is it? I almost feel sorry for them. They are just doing a job after all but I got so fed up with the same calls over and over again when I've already told them I have nothing left to double glaze or no outstanding credit cards debts that I wish to amalgamate into one low monthly payment. So, I started just putting the phone down and carrying on with what I was doing, from time to time picking it up to listen if they were still there and half the time they were! Still waffling on about the benefits of their product!!

A couple of days ago I got really annoyed with Oxfam. I make a regular donation to them, presuming it went to help disadvantaged people somewhere in the world (flood and famine victims that kind of thing) I didn't expect it to be wasted on phone calls telling me what they are spending it on. I told them I didn't want to know, I just wanted them to stop wasting it - but the caller didn't seem to get the point and continued to chunner. So I told him that if he didn't cease I would cancel my donation because I didn't intend it to go towards funding nuisance phone calls. Even then he didn't shut up, so I hung up. He's probably made a note somewhere that I'm a very grumpy so and so.

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Well, it’s been a month now since I registered on TPS Online.
And I haven’t had one nuisance telephone call since then.
I know they say “it takes up to 28 days for the service to take effect” but for me it seems to have worked within days. Brilliant! :)

You must give it a try. :da:

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Thanks for bringing this to our attention Len. I've had some really annoying calls in my time - usually when I'm up to me eyeballs in something. I've kept saying I must get around to doing something about it but never did until you posted the thread on here.

I came across something else recently too which may interest people. If you are pestered by silent calls. This kind of thing:

The phone rings, you answer it. There's no response. You put the phone down and dial 1471 and it says the caller withheld their number.

You can stop this happening by phoning 0870 4443969 and registering your number with them. It will stop silent calls for 12 months and then you need to re-register.

I'm now off to hunt down Mail Preference Service to stop half a forest coming through my letterbox every day.

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I got a canvas caller the other day i was just going to work he wouldnt get the message i wasnt interested then i asked how he got my number (ex-directory) he said off the sun data base i asked how it got there and he was stumped and said err errm i dunno!
so i told him to remove me off the data base and he said ok
he was gutted i wasnt interested in his wonderful offer though.

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Quite often the silent phone calls are because the cold calling system automatically rings several numbers, and they deal with the first one to answer. The others just get the silent treatment.

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CHEERS LEN!!!!!;) I am sick to the back teeth of these people. They take ages to answer when i pick the phone up so In the end I just waited 3 seconds then put it down because i knew it was them cheers again very useful information and YES i have registered and boy will they know about it if they ring me again after 28days:eek:

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A couple of years ago, we had a period of getting junk faxes at 5 o'clock or so in the morning. As David works from home and the fax machine was in the bedroom, this was annoying to say the least. I tracked down the company who sent the faxes (via a friend who is good at that sort of thing - ex-policeman, now a private enquiry agent), got the name of their MD, got his home phone no. and phoned him the next time it happened, YES - at about 5 o'clock in the morning, to say we had received it, and would he stop them coming please, otherwise I would phone him every time.

They stopped.

We now have faxes routed direct onto the PC, anyway, but we haven't had any junk ones!

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I like your solution.

I'm still getting the odd phone call or two but hopefully they will stop soon. I don't think it's been 28 days yet.

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This is going to cover a few points that have been mentioned on this thread.

Can I apologise in advance, as I haven't been here very long!

Firstly, I sometimes get this sort of treatment from people, however, I do not 'cold call', as this is no longer permitted in the industry that I work in. They fill in a form on line with their request and I call them to follow up and make an appointment to come and see them. There has been the odd occasion when the partner hasn't been aware that they have registered, and can be quite rude sometimes.

I tend to withhold my number though, as I keep my mobile on at the weekends, and would not appreciate phone calls from clients when I am spending time with the family, but I keep it on as I don't pay for the phone calls and my private mobile has no money on it!

I wish there was an email preference service!!!

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What industry do you work in vorlon?

Unfortunately a lot of companies do "cold call". I have never filled in an online request for calls about double glazing (I've nothing that isn't double-glazed) and neither did my late husband. No-one in this house has ever requested such calls and yet I got dozens if not hundreds.

They seem to be dropping off now but tonight I got a call from my ISP with an advert for an upgrade which was a bit behind the times as I already have the upgrade they were trying to sell me!

I think there is an email preference service. Don't know how effective it is though. If I come across it I'll let you know. I'm not too troubles by spam at present.

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I work in financial services - I am an Independent Financial Adviser, but specialise in mortgages.

As I only started down the advice route in April, I am having to work at the moment from leads, but recently the Financial Service Authority outlawed cold calling, and now we have to have the prospective clients' permission to call them.

I am only starting out, so if you have registered an interest in a mortgage online, please be kind - it might be me!

And as for spam, you should see my Tiscali inbox. I refuse to allow it into my Outlook, as every day it gets totally bombed with Spam.

As soon as I can get away from Tiscali, the better! If they ever send me a correct bill so that I can pay them and make good my escape...

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Do try this it works, it's been 2 months since I registered my home phone number and I can't remember the last unwanted call I received. Unfortunatly they have now started on my mobile so that number has now been added to the list so hopefully that will be the end of the Indians asking me if I'm interested in whatever junk they are trying to sell this month.

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Hey
Lookin for a new ISP, have a look a Plusnet they have some good cheap packages for Homeworkers

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been on it two years or more. another option is to get call barring one of the options is to not allow calls from withheld numbers. no automated system can ring you. sorted.

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Look, if I promise to stop making them will you lot stop complaining about it?
:up2someth

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just do what we did .most companies withhold their number so tell bt you want call barring to withheld numbers.the only way they can then ring your home is with putting 1471 before your number reveiling their number .with use of caller display then just dont answer it

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I also registered with www.tpsonline.org.uk it worked for me have not had any more calls.

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always had call barring, stops kids ringing mobiles, stop ppl withholding their number when they ring you.

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already done it months ago and not had one phone call, also mentioned it in another thread with the junk mail too, http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/

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I have registared but dont know if it will work for me. Bloody NTL must have given us a number used by someone else before because we keep getting phone calls for them. When I say "sorry wrong number" they try to sell me stuff then.

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Ah but no one would ever ring me then....

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Companies you're registered with will be selling your number.

We're ex-directory too and we still get them - Pain in the ass.

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If they ring you at home it is a free for all for you to take the wotsit.

You can either get annoyed or make it into a game.
If you are busy and it is nobody you know - just put the phone down

If you have the time - let's play

Surveys
If they are doing a survey, ask how much you will receive from them for doing the survey. If nothing - rant and rave about why should you work for nothing when they are being paid for talking to you.

If they are selling - tell them you already have one, it is green and has been filtering your fridge magnets for over a year and costs less than 3p per day to run and with the savings in green shield stamps it turns a tidy profit. Perhaps they would like to quit their job and go working for you.
Then proceed to sell them your fridge, car, bed, wife, husband, kids or anything else that springs to mind.
Most of these people work off a script and the measure of your success is getting them to put the phone down - try it - they will not ring back.

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Or do this to them:

YouTube - The Greatest Prank Call Ever

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That was class, need to remember that one next time i get a dodgy

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Haha, you'll have to write down something to say and keep it with you everytime the phone rings so you can do it swiftly without having to think what to say lol

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Thats is so tempting lol theyll soon learn

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lol it'd be funny lol

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I got one asking for mr ***** .... i said theres no one here of that name .. which is true then they said can we speak to mrs ***** i said where she is there is no telephone number ..... but you can write to her ....... i said its grave **** in st johns ... oh im sorry to have bothered you ....... another one one night rang and my brother was here asking to speak to mr ***** i said just hang on .... gave the phone to my brother and he said i dont live here ... what do i want with windows ... and put the phone down ... I dont get that many phone calls now ....... i wonder why?:D:D:D

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Well I signed up to the prefered callers list many moons ago and get very few these days, mostly american pre-recorded blurb saying how lucky I am, any others I just say you shouldn't be ringing me I'm on prefered callers list, they soon hang up

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Has anyone tried the postal preference service, same thing but helps eliminate junk male.

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lmao.....

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Divorce works too:D

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Signed up to it years ago, I now recieve very little junk mail
and Margatet your being naughty again wrong mail:D Don't giver Margaet excusses Mr. Matthew Mail not Male:rolleyes:

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Why, Oh, why, didn't you read the thread?

Just tagging a bit on the end does you no good, it's even a sticky and mentioned in the first post.

:o

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Just read the first post again, nothing about the postal preference service. Your a grumpy so and so, great way to welcome a newish member

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don't worry, its only Less, he seems to have forgotton his Medication this last few weeks, He'll be back to his normal funnny self soon. :D

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I'm currently holding a 'Nuisance telephone call championships'. Its turning my usual tea-time (Why are they always when your having your tea?) disturbance into a bit of fun. I answer the phone and for one minute show great interest until I tell whoever that there is somebody at the door and I unfortunately will have to put them on hold for a short moment to answer it. The caller who lasts the longest will win although what they will win I have yet to decide.

The current leader is Npower with a whopping 6 minutes and 37 seconds.

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had none fer months, last few weeks have started again 2/3 a week, usually first words are " Congratulations You........... don't know the rest as i just put phone down on fireplace n continue with me life.:D

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well if you read my blog you will know how I treat these calls........I haven't had any for months now......hope I'm not speaking too soon here.

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i get at least one every week day, i just put the phone down but they carry on! if you pick the phone up they are still there, thats annoying!
this hs just reminded me to do the telephone preference thing.. dunno where they are getting my number from, i never give it out, can hardly ever remember it lol and i'm ex-directory (i am now, thanks to neil :D )

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They don't use the phone book they have auto dialers 01254 ??????, it just keeps dialing numbers till someone answers, get them abou once a month, and I've been ex dir since day 1.

Retlaw.

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Many months ago I had a nuisance caller, he was very abusive on the phone & kept ringing back.

I contacted BT & they offered me a free trial of a service called "right to refuse" or something like that, where I can call a number directly after the nuisance call & then that callers number gets banned.

Anyway, he never called back again so a few weeks later I rang BT & cancelled the service, said I didn't want to have it so I should nothave been paying anything for it.

I noticed last week that I have been paying for it since January!
I rang & got them to cancel those charges & refund them.

SO watch your bills if you do owt like this.

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That made me look like a stalker.
I seam to remember you thought you were ex-directory anyway until I pointed out you were not. :p

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If this does not stop them buy yourself a whistle and when they ring up blow it has loud as you can, if this does'nt stop them and you know their telephone number ring them as often as possible at the most unlikely time eg 3am in the morning.

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This new product looks great if a little pricy Buy a trueCall Nuisance Call Blocker, #TRUECALL_001 - eXpansys UK it was featured on Dragons den apparently very clever piece of kit

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An interesting gadget. BBC - Dragons' Den - Entrepreneurs - Steve Smith

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The easiest way to stop nuisance phone calls is to bar Neils phone:D:tongueout

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Recently I have been getting calls about changing my power supply people, Gas Electricity ETC...All the calls are from a call centre in India..They quote a web site that I visited as to where they got my phone No..When I say rubbish, I am told that I did a survey on line. The answer is don't do surveys on line, and NEVER put your phone No in a web site or other such place.....Tony

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There are those of use that wouldn't consider doing that as a matter of course, next time you get a call tell them your on the preferred caller list and see how long it takes for the line to go dead:rolleyes:

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If you are signed up for this service then the caller has to have your permission to call you.
My suggestion when you get one of these phone call is ask the caller if they have your permission, and when the premission was given.
If they cannot respond(because you haven't given permission) then threaten to contact the Information Commissioners office with their details. Tell them that the ICO take a dim view of unsolicited calls as they are illegal, and it may result in severe penalties for the firm concerned.

Automated calls.
I have had a number of these recently. Ok you can just put the handset down....but y ou can be very sure that if you do this they will continue to call.
I stayed on the line and pressed the number as directed and was put through to a debt management company.
The heavily accented voice on the other end gave the name of the company(lovely)......I asked if he knew that these calls were illegal...he spluttered a bit and asked if I wanted my name removing from their calling list......well, of course I did! RESULT....no more calls from this company.
I hope that my suggestions will further help you to eliminate this electronic nuisance from your life.

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The only problem is Margaret there are more and more calls coming from overseas which Call preference can't do anything about. I always 1471 any of these calls and usually he answer is We do not have the number to return the call, which means it as come from abroad

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Jaysay, they are still subject to the regulations set by the ICO....and often a threat of contacting the ICO will do it.......it is worth a try.

I usually ask who the call is being made on behalf of....so I try to get their company name first.......some call centre operators are wise and will try to stall you, but a mention of the ICO and the fact that the call is illegal has worked for me on numerous occasions. This applies to those who come up as number witheld.

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how you handle annoying phonecalls depends on how far you are willing to go.

ask them what sort of underwear they are wearing and before they answer tell them yours are brown because yuo have just soild yourself because your a dirty dirty person and need punishing.

not a perfect solution but it sure works.

ps:

let them say who they are first i once started talking dirty to a number with held on my mobile phone and it turned out to be the C.S.A.

I thought it was one of those annoyong telemarleters

I WAS WRONG:D

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Hope it didn't cost you an extra tenner a week accyman:D

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A girlfriend of mine retired early from CSA due to a breakdown caused by answering irate phone calls from men all day and every day.

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A good old F off usually does the trick for me.....................:rolleyes:

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should you ever ring me i will keep that in mind :D

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thought the UK Govt. Stasi were made of sterner stuff , obviously she had never attended the local Govt. Ilse Koch seminars that you did :D

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Once had a run in with Blackpool Honda, and was reminded about it late yesterday afternoon. About 5 years ago I started getting faxes meant for them and couldn't understand why, it got so ridiculous I actually turned the machine of, but didn't stop the phone ringing, I eventually found out that Blackpool Honda had changed their fax number and distributed it to their customers and supplies, the only thing was the number was the same as mine here in Hyndburn but they had issued the number with the wrong dialling code 01254 instead of 01253, I eventually reported it to BT nuisance calls department who took it up with the firm. Although I don't even have a fax now I still occasionally get the fax tone when I answer the phone, it happened yesterday

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Probably to do with the CSA harassing the Fathers who were making an effort to do the best by their kids, instead of them doing the job they were meant to do & bring the deadbeats to book !!

This I know as fact due to friends undergoing this hounding from CSA.

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Civil servants knew that it was a useless scheme, but it was a job (which she was glad to retire from)
Maybe the wrath of those fathers would have made more impact if it was directed at MPs.

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I sadly doubt that Marge, look how much "Wrath & Hatred" has been directed at MP's over the last year or so !! Net result ??

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It is a fact that when a an MP's letter is recieved, it has to be replied to within a few days.
Whenever you are getting delay tactics from a government department, or being 'fobbed off' - just get your MP involved and it will get immediate undivided attention.

That was the procedure when I was in service, and I recently tested that it still is, when I advised a friend to use that method, and he got instant results.

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Got a cracker yesterday, I pick up the phone voice on the other end is Asian who spoke English very badly, Mr Farrer, I am duty bound to tell you your computer isn't working properly:confused: pardon I say, I am duty bound to tell you that your computer isn't working properly, yes it is I've just been using, it its perfect, I am duty bound......................you get the drift. If you turn on your computer I will put it right, I'm duty bound..............think he got the message when I told him to walk away in wet footsteps, :D

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My dear old Ma(82, and doesn't know one end of a computer from another) had a similar call whilst I was there.....unfortunately it was himself who picked up the phone and he is courtesy personified.....if it had been me the person would have got very short shrift.

I had a call yesterday from BT.......not unusual as I am a customer of theirs, and this gives them the right to call me....except that I had a call just two days ago for the same purpose....I have my line rental with them and my broadband, but not my calls....they have been trying every which way to get me to bring my calls back to them...but I have a decent deal with another supplier(especially for calls to Oz...which BT can't match).......the girl set off on her spiel......until I interrupted and told her to cut to the chase.
It was an attempt to get me to have my calls with BT......I told her that I had had the same call only a couple of days earlier, and at that time I had asked to be removed from their calling list, as I was satisfied with my current provider....and were this to change I was quite capable of making other arrangements.......and that if this were not satisfactory to BT I would remove all my business from BT and go to the provider of my calls.
I asked if she understood what I was saying?
She said she did.......I asked if we had a deal?
She said we did.....so i hung up.
I am not holding my breath though.

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They have come up with another way round PCL, got a call yesterday, hello, Mr Farrer, yes, my name is _________ I would like to give you a quote, stop I say, you shouldn't be calling me I'm on the preferred callers list, oh but we are only contacting you because you filled in a survey, oh no I didn't, I don't fill surveys in, then it stops people like you spoiling my afternoon, well i'm not arguing with you mr Farrer, I know your not, now sod off and don't call me again, think he go the message;)

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Another way that they seem to have got round it is by saying that they are doing market research! I had three calls last night, all from companies who said that the TPS didn't refer to them as they were doing market research.

They might well have been doing market research but their subject matter seemed remarkably like companies that are selling - windows, timeshare and I can't remember what the third was. I suspect that if I'd let them continue with their supposed market research they would have asked at the end if they could contact me again at a later date, thus giving them permission to ring me to 'sell' me something.

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oh i dont know the poll tax riots didnt do too badly, once you start smashing London up Mps respond pretty quickly

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Ya Gayle these calls are creeping in more and more, it would appear that you dealt with yours in exactly the same way as I do:uzi:shoot um down in flames:D

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Just had a phone call from an energy company helpline. Asked for there name and company so i could report them to the TPS and they slammed the phone down on me. RESULT

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thanks len for that info.

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and if you should perchance mention that you are going to contact the Information Commissioners Office,(with their name and details) the person on the other end puts the phone down and then goes to inspect their drawers:D

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I'll bet you were great with the laxatives when you were a nurse Margaret:D:D

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Jaysay,I was pretty damn good with suppositries, in fact I was good with everything:D:D:D(well, I would say that wouldn't I?)

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Suppositries :eek::eek::eek::eek::D

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Yes...... and if you put them in with the plastic still on....you could use them again :D:D:D

Re: Nuisance telephone calls.
 

I have been registered with the telephone preference service for a very long time.
In the past 2 weeks I have begun to get frequent junk calls again, three a day on some days.
I often take daytime naps, so this type of call is more than just an irritation for me.

I have googled for ways to stop them.
'Optout uk' claims to work, but wants cash, 3 rates- £8, £50 and £90, according to degree of effectiveness.

This other link claims that the telephone preference service is worse than useless.
The Telephone Preference Service UK
extract-
The first thing to understand about The Telephone Preference Service is that it is a joke.
It is a wholly ineffectual attempt to pretend self regulation by the junk phone callers and a fairly transparent ruse to cloak themselves in an entirely bogus aura of acceptibility. Supposedly, if you register with this service, then about three to six months later, they circulate your number (only) on a file to the junk phone callers telling them not to call you.

But since only 70 junk calling companies (as of 19/08/96) are part of this scheme and new fly-by-night junk callers spring up and replace existing ones continuously, the scheme is worse than useless. It promises little and delivers less. Most of the junk phone callers have never even heard of the Telephone Preference Service.

The other thing which militates against your local sleazy double glazing company from joining the scheme is that they must pay an annual fee to receive the list of people they shouldn't call. This fee varies from £250 to £3000, depending on the size of the company.

And a more "reputable" example: The Royal National Institute for the Blind junk calls for fund-raising. It has made a policy decision not to join the TPS because it 'would cost us far too much'.

Nevertheless, you may wish to avail yourself of this service and it may slightly cut down on the rate of increase of people junk calling you.

There is no free solution to the problem, other than unplugging the phone when you don't want to be disturbed