What to do about nuisance calls?

[Yo_Yo]

I'm getting fed up of getting calls from call centres chasing a woman named Louise! When I say you have the wrong number, they start questioning me like they don't believe me!
One even had the nerve to ring back after I hung up. It's always withheld number, so I don't know what I can do about it? We even had a call at 6am. Not sure if these are all the same company or not.
We have had this number for 6 months-since we moved.

What can I do about this?

 

[modified]

Stalking because I'd like to know too... several debt companies call looking for a few different people every day and several demand I take measures to prove I'm not who they're looking for... also get several PPI etc calls a day. It's got to the point that I've unplugged my phone

 

[Yo_Yo]

So annoying isn't it!!

 

[lindseymw]

Register on TPS.

We were at one point getting 5-6 calls a day. Once I registered, it took around 3 weeks for the calls to stop

 

[BellaBoo0512]

The same thing is happening to me too. We got a new number when we moved in January last year.. Was getting 20+ phonecalls a day. In the end I rang virgin media and requested a new number. They assured me it would be a brand new number. Within a day of changing numbers we were being bombarded with calls asking for someone else. We get at least 5 phonecalls a day now.

I have registered with the telephone preference service but it isn't making much difference. Now when people ring I just answer, press the mute button on my phone and leave them to it. Hopefully they will get bored soon.

I did try to get another new number from virgin media but they said I would have to pay for one.

It's so annoying!

 

[Pearls18]

Register with TPS and after a month if they call again ask for their details and tell them you are reporting them because what they're doing is illegal.

 

[bumpy89]

I put it on loud speaker, say "hold on, I'll just get her for you" then hand the phone to one of my boys to chat. I was getting up to 5 phone calls a day and now I very rarely get them. I don't know whether that's really bad, but it works

 

[Loui1001]

I'd never heard of the TPS until this thread, we get so many nuisance calls it's actually laughable. Thanks for the info, I've just registered so hopefully that'll put a stop to them soon

 

[BellaBoo0512]

Register with TPS and after a month if they call again ask for their details and tell them you are reporting them because what they're doing is illegal.

I've tried this many of times but they just slam the phone down! I've done 1471 to try to get their number but they always seem to ring off withheld. Grr!

 

[BellaBoo0512]

I put it on loud speaker, say "hold on, I'll just get her for you" then hand the phone to one of my boys to chat. I was getting up to 5 phone calls a day and now I very rarely get them. I don't know whether that's really bad, but it works

That's a good idea I'd do the same but my little man can't talk yet lol!

 

[sue_88]

Omg mine is the same......."hello can I speak with Mrs Ball?" Errr NO FOR THE FRICKING 50000000000000th time!!!!!!

Never heard of the TPS, doing that now thanks.

 

[Lucasmum]

I often had them to my son for a chat, most recently we were getting one from windows support the last time they called I got all their details and said that I was a Police Detective and thanked them saying I would be with them shortly havent heard from them again

 

[Wriggley]

We had this problem back at our old house it was so annoying

a few times I asked them to hold a minute then put the phone next to one of my son's noisy singy toys he he

 

[Abz1982]

My dad just answers and speaks Jibberish, or does the whole "omg, I am SO glad you called, its ever so lonely here, in this box, this big black box of dispair............" He just keeps talking till they hang up...

 

[Incubus]

OH worked in a call centre for all of 3 days once… anyway, the only thing he actually gained when working there was how to stop these calls, if you say that you do not want them to contact you again and that you want your details to be removed from there database they have to do it, we used to get loads of call a day but after saying this a few times they competely stopped and we haven't had any for months!

 

[supertabby]

If you register for TPS it's supposed to stop the calls (after one month) but even without it if you get a call you can ask them to take you off their database - they then must legally do it. Both methods however don't always work - at our old house we got an international call on a regular basis asking for a name of someone who didn't live there, frequent warnings that we had TPS didn't work.

If the calls continue, act interested and go along with the sales patter in order to establish who the company are. Then you can report them or complain to their head office (chances are they are outsourcing to a call centre business so won't be happy to hear of harassment complaints).

As for leaving the caller waiting, putting onto a child or saying weird things etc - all amusing but tbh if you're doing it to p*** off the caller I wouldn't bother. I've worked in a call centre and had to do a stint on cold calling for a while (hated it!), the staff are not only measured on deals they secure (they're probably aiming for about 3% of their calls to become deals) but also how long calls last, how long they're on the phones/toilet breaks etc. It's all computerised and as soon as one call ends the next one dials. If someone leaves you hanging waiting for 5 mins they won't care, it's a 5 min breather and is helping their stats look good.

 

[Pearls18]

TPS doesn't cover international calls unfortunately, it's out of their control.

 

[tommyg]

I read somewhere the other day of some when getting the International cold calls, saying "oh I'm glad you've called, I'm looking for advice on how to make a curry" which apparently bemuses them before they hang up!

 

[Button#]

I just say please remove my details from your calling lists.

 

[SarahP13]

I always sound friendly enough until I know the company they are calling from then I ask them to take us off their database. I make a note of who it was and if they call again I tell them I should not be on their database and they are breaking the law by calling. I don't usually get anymore calls then.

On an amusing note, we have had many calls for the lady who used to live here. I once told a caller that she had died 6 years ago and they asked if there was a better number to call her on!?!