h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Anybody else getting sick to the back teeth of companies cold-calling about mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance? We get about 2 calls a day to our landline, I've started getting calls to my mobile, you can't walk through a shopping centre without getting stopped by a no-win, no fee company, the advertising on tv and radio is incessant .... AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

We've reported various companies to the Telephone Preference Service, but other companies just take over like weeds. Then there's all the silent calls, made by automated sales lines that can't be tracked back because of withheld numbers

Is there a cut-off date for this payment protection nonsense? Also, is there a campaign anywhere to stop companies passing on phone numbers, email addresses and the like?

I had a text earlier today which said something along the lines of "We've now got the details of your PPI claim. Text CONFIRM and we'll call you back."

For all the world like I already had a claim pending and was just waiting for them to get back to me.

They're a very irritating phenomenon*.

Deb

* doo doo de doo doo . Sorry

I've only had a few dozen of those ones. But the ones that plague me are the ones from people telling me about a new government scheme that will help me to clear all my debts.

The poor bastard5. They're probably told they won't get any Jobseekers's Allowance unless they give this hiding to nothing a go.

I also get calls seemingly every other day from my phone provider - I won't name them, but think blind mice. I have to say that normally they're rather good and possibly they don't know how much they're annoying me. It could be that they're phoning to tell me something important, of course - only I've never actually listened before ending the call.

I don't even answer the phone unless I know who's calling. If it's important, they'll leave a message.

I'm currently being plagued by the phonecalls for 'doing a quick questionaire', and 'government solar pannel subsidy'.... I'm registered with teh TPS, but that doesn't seem to work well these days, and I think* I know why.;

A while ago now... couple of years maybe, I got a small librarys worth of documentation through from my bank, informing me of 'changes to terms of service'.

Because I was boared, or just very sad, I was probably about the only person to recieve this giant epic of a book of new terms and conditions. One of the additions to which, was, 'By having an ccount with us, you agree to us passing on your contact details to selected third parties for marketing purposes'. Or soemthign phrased very much along those sort of lines.

The same clause appears now in my credit card terms of service too.

So, they're strickly speaking not cold calls, and not prevented from happening by registering with the TPS, as you have agreed to recieve such calls, just by having the bank account or credit card.

Oh... my ... bob.

I had to stop writing this, mid way through; the phone rang

Yes! it was an automated, recorded message about my PPI clame balls...

Mind, the strangest call I've ever had was from my mobile phone provider, to my mobile, wanting to know what provider I was with, and wanting me to switch to them... Despite my already being with them as my provider ; I guess they've got no linkage between their marketing department databases and those of actual customers

"Anybody else getting sick to the back teeth of companies cold-calling about mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance?" [swl]

I've never heard of them, but not to worry: there are plenty of other organizations that call me.

I'm with TPS too, but it doesn't seem to work anymore. When I start asking enough questions to fill in a complaint, they hang up! I'm still getting texts telling me I'm due £3250 for an accident I had(I didn't have it, some scumbag did). They have the check to add 'text STOP to stop these texts' which only works for premium lines! Only another year to go and hopefully they should stop anyway.

Just had one on the phone about PPI. As long as businesses sell it, these vultures will bother us, I think you've got 6 years to claim it back, or 3 for accidents.

Since I put the OP up, I've had another one Since this isn't the BBC any more, it should be ok to name & shame.

"Direct Savings", I'm not interested in government grants for solar panels.

The worst cold calls ever:

During a on call shift that is so busy I don't have time to pee, (but it doesn't matter because I don't have time to drink). I get a page that there's an outside call, stop what I'm doing, (usually talking to relatives, treating someone..etc) because an outside call is usually a GP with a sick person who needs admitting.

And it's someone from a locum agency wanting to recruit me. (And no, switchboard shouldn't be putting them through).

I get four or five a day - we still get calls from the previous owners (despite them having moved out five years ago) as well as for us. I refuse to answer a withheld number, but it doesn't stop the phone ringing. I'm considering changing our number, but they'll only find that one too.

If I pick up the phone by mistake I ask which company are calling me, and they just put down the phone. It's like magic. Perhaps if I had the time I would string them along and coax it out of them, but I really don't.

One tactic I've used in the past is to say:

'One moment - I'm just having sex...'


...


'...Right, finished! Now how can I help you?'

if it's a person Joe occasionally puts the phone down in-front of the radio and walks away, I don't know how long they stay on the line for after that....

when it's automated though it's even more annoying
especially when you start getting them after seven at night*


* s bedtime, in my opinion any calls after this point better be personal....

Blimey I get hardly any of these and just ignore them when I do.

Must be doing something right - and I'm not even on the TPS

I find it comes in waves.... A few years back I'd been entirely clear of them for ages, then the T&Cs changed with my bank, credit card, etc., and I seemed to start getting them again... the first lot for some reason were all trying to sell me a new kitchen... Though I've not had any about windows for years and years and years, until just after I replaced all my windows, since when I've had a few calls

As annoying as the cold calls are, the worse is still Virgin Media, who call me periodically to try and sell me their TV package, They clearly don't believe me when I tell them I don't own, and have no intention of owning a TV; You hear their voice do a little 'jump', and their tone comes across with 'bewilderment' for the rest of the call, as they check, double check and tripple check that Isaid what Isaid, and I really, really really, don't plan on getting a TV... then they try again to sell me their TV package, as they're clearly unable to believe Idon't have a TV... three months or so later, often less, their campaign comes aroudn again and they call me..

Recently its been the solar pannel scam, though maybe the PPI one the other day represents a sorely needed change of call, just for variety...
If there wasn't a monopoly in the UK on telephone and broadband, I could consider not having a phone line, but Ican't get cable broadband without telephone, and BT can't provide broadband to me because they're crap in this town Mind, not that not having a telephone line would help, as there seems more calls going via the mobile phones these days

The wife tells me there's a new one. There's four or five seconds of silence then a click and a woman cheerily says "Thank you, goodbye" before the line goes dead. Weird.

If you get an automated call, pressing 9 should terminate it.

I useually just hang up... Though I do occasionally consider the idea of trying to get through to someone and demanding to be put through to their leader, and request removal from their marketing lists...

>especially when you start getting them after seven at night*<

I was working a few years back in Market Research quality control* checks. We could (and sometimes did) call people up to 9pm, normally this would be a prearranged call back, but sometimes not. Legally we still able to make calls up to then.


*the people we were talking to had already taken part in the Market Research and were told that they may receive a call within a certain time limit and were asked if they were willing to do so. If they were they gave a number to reach them on.

2legs is right about the banks being involved. I just set up an online payment and got a text confirming the transaction. Not 30 seconds later I get a text saying "Click to see Scott's photos on Facebook (link) Reply "stop" to stop getting Facebook texts"

Except the "stop" text is going to cost me money, right? And I have no idea how much