Annoying sales calls on your landline?

[Guest Samsonite]

I've just had another sales call from Toucan trying to 'give' me a 'free' mobile phone worth

Edited August 7, 2006 by Samsonite

[Guest Dr Who]

Such a shame you couldn't keep him there all day.................its not the drones fault I guess but it does make one humpy.

[Guest jimbouk]

Or you could just register your numbers with TPS and receive about 95% less calls...

[Guest Samsonite]

Or you could just register your numbers with TPS and receive about 95% less calls...

I have the TPS service regsitered on my home landline but this call came in on my home office line paid for by work...

I do agree with Dr Who that it wasnt the drones fault - hence the composure when trying to reason with him - but i am intrigued by this 'Unauthorised to end the call' approach...

i wouldnt advocate this in any way but how much shouting and hollering have these poor people got to take before they ARE authorised to cut the call off!!!

Edited August 7, 2006 by Samsonite

[Guest jimbouk]

Usually the best way is to tell the caller that you are interested, but would be looking to equip your entire company with phones and contracts - tell them you would be ordering 150 plus phones. He wont be allowed to deal with such a big order and he will tell you he will get someone else to call you - they never do.

I had a US stockbroking service call me a few times last year. They kept trying to get me to buy stocks and shares through them and wouldn't take no for an answer. On the fifth call, when asked what my current exposure on the stock exchange was, I replied approx US$150million. The guy went deadly silent, then hurriedly said he would get a colleague to ring me back...and I never heard another word.

(I would still register the work number on TPS).

[Guest dodding nonkey]

My preferred method is as follows...

Caller "Hello, is that Mr Dodding Nonkey"

Me " No, I'll just get him for you........"

The phone times out eventually!

[Guest Matt Kirby]

Or you could play them at thier own game; if they are reading from a carefully worded script designed to catch you off guard, read one of your own back and start asking them questions! They wont be expecting that!

See here.

Edited August 7, 2006 by Matt Kirby

[Guest Samsonite]

Or you could play them at thier own game; if they are reading from a carefully worded script designed to catch you off guard, read one of your own back and start asking them questions! They wont be expecting that!

See here.

luv the counterscript!! hope i get the opportunity and actually remember it...

The guy i had went thru his spiel completely more than once and at each closure point i declined the offer. Every question designed to move me toward a 'sale' i answered the wrong way but he would NOT end the call...! Apparently he would be insulting me if he ended the conversation - let alone the insult of telling me it wasnt a sales call - and he was unable to end the call as it was beyond his authority!

i mentioned this to a few mates now and they have never come across this one...

i almost want them to call again so i can really test the theory....i said ALMOST.... just in case there are any telemarketers out there reading... :) ;)

Edited August 7, 2006 by Samsonite

[Guest Matt Kirby]

Even worse than a telemarketer calling you, is when the phone rings and there's no-one there.

Some telemarking company's computer auto-dials you, but there's no-one free at thier end to actually talk to you!

Grr!

[Guest w411y]

I usually say "I'll get the home owner for you now he's taking the Rolls for a spin in the yard" by which time I've loaded up an Arnie sound board and talk to them using that. Conversations can get well funny ;)

I once told them I was Co-Owner of Orange and the guy was in such shock he stuck me on to the floor manager... who still tried selling me a contract :)

[Guest kam_]

I once had this call around 4pm after working late the previous night - the woman woke me up while i was sleeping.

I was half asleep and she said, oh you sleeping? I said erm yeah, can you call back another time.

She said SLEEPING? what time is this to sleep

I was half asleep but this woke me up, and i said look, this isnt a convenient time, call back later... in fact i'm not interested, don't call me again.

She said oh well if your not interested in saving

Edited August 8, 2006 by kam_

[Guest goochy1]

I had him on the line for nearly half an hour before i needed the phone and had to hang up!! I kept checking every couple of minutes to see if he was still there and he was!! 'Hello... Sir... are you there??!!'

Good for you, you waste their time and money!

goochy1

[Guest goochy1]

Its a pain that they all appear to be selling simular things - does anyone actually buy what they sell because they don't stop with telesales so some people must. Silly thing to do it gives them false hope that everyone will buy it lol

goochy1

[Guest mavisdavis]

Yeah they really hack me off.

I will use the counter script on them tho.

Ive printed a copy out n stuck it near my phone so I remember. and sent the link to my mates so they can thier revenge.lol

Edited August 21, 2006 by mavisdavis

[Guest Monolithix (MVP)]

Even worse than a telemarketer calling you, is when the phone rings and there's no-one there.

Some telemarking company's computer auto-dials you, but there's no-one free at thier end to actually talk to you!

Grr!

ISTR seeing somewhere that the computer dials say 100 people at once, and as soon as all telesales people are connected, say 20 of them, the computer cuts off the other 80. Horrible!

[Guest kelv23]

ISTR seeing somewhere that the computer dials say 100 people at once, and as soon as all telesales people are connected, say 20 of them, the computer cuts off the other 80. Horrible!

Yep, I was having this from some phone company, cant remember who it was. I called the 0800 number back and got through to some guy in "business sales" or something and explained to him that I was getting these "ghost" calls from his company. He half heartedly tried to pitch me as he wasnt really that bothered with me as I wouldnt get him any commission but when I cut in with "Im only 1 month into my contract ,can you get me out of it?" he took my phone number and put it through the system to not get called again. Havent had a call from them since.... might do again in 11 months time though

[Guest nickcornaglia]

We have a "Do Not Call" Registry in the US. donotcall.gov I believe.

You register your phone numbers (recently had to register my mobile as well thanks to new legislation that allows them to call cellphones now).

But all calls have virtually disappeared. With the exception of Charities (real or fake) and political recordings & polls during elections.

[Guest jimbouk]

The Uk version is the Telephone Preference Service (TPS). Unwanted calls reduce by about 90% within a month of registering. The worst offenders in my recent experience are independant Orange Resellers who call "on behalf of Orange".

I ask for their company name, address and telephone number so that I can report the call to TPS and to Orange. They either apologise and promise to never call again - or they hang up.

[Guest mcwarre]

Although TPS is cool it covers only UK originated calls. Many are not from here alas.................

I had one a while ago from an american lady that went something like this:

AL: Are you still on your mobile contract?

Me: Who is calling?

AL: I represent 3. (I actually have a 3 contract)

Me: If you are from 3 then you should know.

AL (flustered): Well, Sir. We have an amazing deal for you

Me (interupting): Sorry I am not interested.

AL (continuing): Well we have this amazing deal for you (obviously script bound)

Me (interupting again): Sorry I am not interested in your deal.

AL (now irate): How do you know that you are not intersted until I tell you????

Me: It because I am not.

AL (really annoyed): I am going to tell you our amazing deal

Me: Sorry, I am going to terminate this call as you are now hasseling me

AL (Really, really angry): No you're not going to put the phone down

Me: Trust me I am. Drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Such fun. All free as well :D

Edited August 21, 2006 by mcwarre

[Guest awarner (MVP)]

ISTR seeing somewhere that the computer dials say 100 people at once, and as soon as all telesales people are connected, say 20 of them, the computer cuts off the other 80. Horrible!

About this quality service they offer :D

What also happens is that the call server logs that someone was at home at the time so it then notes that someone is home at that time of day.

[Guest Laser_iCE]

Over here in .au, there is always about a 2-3 second pause before they start calling ... So, irregardless of who it is, if I have to say hello at least 3 times, I hang up.

However.

Next time I'm thinking about putting on an old man's voice and will give them the credit card details of someone from Germany (not that I have them, I mean). THEN, when they try and get the police around here, I will tell them that no one was home that day and some old man must have broken into my house and we can't be held liable, while all in the meanwhile some guy from Germany is getting charged for a phone to nowhere.

I'll see if I can record it <3

[Guest Driekus]

He is not authorised to end the call!!!!!!!!

I had him on the line for nearly half an hour before i needed the phone and had to hang up!! I kept checking every couple of minutes to see if he was still there and he was!! 'Hello... Sir... are you there??!!'

Thoughts and discuss... :D

Your offshore-telemarketeer probably makes an average of 12 cents/hour and was saving up to buy medicine for his daughter, but because he didn't make enough (works on commission of course, couldn't miss the half hour on his 14 hour workday) she probably died, or something like that...

What I'm trying to say is that the only one your bugging with this is the dude whose calling you, not the company that makes him. Not my kind of fun.

[Guest awarner (MVP)]

You are also costing the company money for the call which gets my vote, they want to pester me with calls they can pay for it.

[Guest Samsonite]

What I'm trying to say is that the only one your bugging with this is the dude whose calling you, not the company that makes him. Not my kind of fun.

i understand your point and i did specifically ask him if he would personally be penalised if he finished the call and the response was smarmy and greasy. 'I will be offending you if i end this call'. To which i assured him he wouldnt.... I did occur to me very early on that he might be in the poop for ending the call but i've had telesales before and since hang up in a blink so there was definetely something odd with this character!!

thanks for the ticket to the guilt trip tho..... i'll pass!!! :D