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

I'd imagine that most people have heard of the Telephone Preference Service (http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/) by now; and if they don't wish to recieve marketing calls from all manner of businesses, will have registered with the service.

This does not seem to apply to political parties.

About a week ago I got rung up out of the blue by some chap representing the Labour Party, and just a few minutes ago the Tories got in touch. The unifying feature about both of their messages was the sigh from them when I cut them off in mid-flow with, "Why are you ringing me up? Haven't you ever heard of the TPS? Now f**k off."

Political parties are exempt from the Fedral No-Call list here in the US

On the subject of which; the phone number which BV and I had was on the no-call list for about two years, and we were blissfully free of telemarketing interruptions. When I moved into this place I got a new number, and on the very first day I had three of the f***ers calling me, and the local newspaper phoned me four times in three day

My number's on the list now

At least you are gettting actual people calling, we just get prerecorded messages telling us that somebody in our hosehold entered a competition and that we have won a holiday/car/large sum of money. All we need to do is write to them at , but the deadline is the day after tomorrow - to be sure of getting my fighter jet I should phone the claim line...

I am just waiting for one of the addresses to be close enough for me to be able to pop round and claim my prize in person. Hope that happens soon as we are now registered on the list and counting down the 25 days it takes to become active...

k

I hate direct tele calls. It really hacks me off.

However I always enjoy political parties phoning me. I enjoy the fact that by keeping them on the phone for ages I am wasting their resources.

On the otherhand I did some Labour cold calling in 97 as a fresh faced and Ideological 17 year old and most of the other people were similar. So I do have some sympathy for the people doing it.

On a related note, about a year ago my bank -- who I believe *are* entitled to call under the TPS rules, as there is contractual arrangement between myself and them -- called with a marketing call. And this is what happened.

I stopped the girl mid-spiel and said that I was signed up with the TPS and had been for some considerable time.

She immediately went, "Oh no! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'll mark your account as 'no phone contact'. You'll never get another phone call from us unless it is a dire emergency or something similar. Would it be OK if we use e-mail to contact you in future?" I said yes that's fine, and we hung up.

Now get this. A couple of hours later I was checking the e-mails and I found one from a supervisor in the bank's marketing department. It said we're really sorry for ringing you up and disturbing you this evening.

I get on well with my bank

Pre-recorded messages... yeah, we get those here. Before there was such a thing as a no-call list there was one that I used to get three or four times a week (I forget what they were trying to punt out) expressing surprise that we hadn't yet contacted them

As far as I'm aware, certain people are exempt from the no-call list - political parties, charities, and companies you either have, or have recently had business with. While on the list a few years ago we were contacted by Nielsen - the people who do the TV ratings.

I'm on the list too, but I did get rid of my answer phone at around the same time anyway. I got fed up with missing messages because I couldn't be bothered to listen to 6 hangups to see if any were genuine. And one of my friends kept leaving long rambling messages on it.

I'm glad I did if there are people who can still ignore the TPS! I normally tell people that I haven't got a phone attached to the socket so they'll need to call the mobile if they're too old-fashioned to use email. And I tell them that I'll only answer the mobile if their number comes up and I recogise it.

I've grown to hate talking to people on the phone over the last few years...

The TPS only works if one reports those that ignore it

http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/cgi-bin/tps_complaints.pl

also looking at http://corporate.mpsonline.org.uk/CTPSC/html/legal.asp I see no execption for political parties

And the political parties can be dealt with by telling them that thanks to their call you'll be voting for the other side

I'm on the mail preference equivalent too and so far this 'campaign' have had two different letters from a Mr Howard addressed to me. I am also on the list of voters who do not wish their addy to be sold or otherwise passed to a third party.

So this makes me very cross. I have sent an email to the Tories explaining this but have had no reply.

Jules

I did the TPS and MPS last week, though I still have to carefully look at all the mail we are getting for people no longer living here, and add them to the MPS Whats the one for taking your name off the 'sold' verison of the electorial register? If you've done the TPS and MPS does that not override companys being sold your details from the Electroail register? The recorded messageds are a pain, I wish I recieved phone calls from political parties, I could have some 'real fun' with them on the Phone

I don't know whether TPS and MPS override the electoral role opt out bit, so I did them all.

Didn't seem to matter though, as the Tories have got the address from somewhere and have used it twice so far.

Jules

The MPS will do eff all about mail addressed to other people two legs.

In fact the *only* thing you can do is keep sending it back as "not known at this address" and eventually people will stop writing to you.

Writing "deceased" on the junk mail and sending it back gets quicker results

I get really irritated by those who call claiming to be checking on service levels or doing opinion surveys as well as those trying to sell me something

This week though I did have to laugh - I had one one the most stupid ones ever! It was a call to my mobile from the network provider. The girl said they were checking on the quality of service and reception. Now its OK in the house, but not fantastic in some rooms and I get very frustrated when my mobile phone does not work when I am mobile - Yes I use a hands free kit in the car and I am sure it is more dangerous to have me needing to recieve lots of interrrupted calls - anyway that is not the rant I wanted to have! This girl asks me if my phone is pay as you go, contract or a company phone. I tell her its a company phone so she asks the name. I tell her, she has never heard of the name - surprising as its a leading brand name here is the UK, I spell it out for her and three times, she cant find it on her system so she asks for the postcose - which I dont know. She asks me to look it up and I point out to her that I am not in the office which is why the company gives me a mobile phone. She was very upset by this and just put the phone down. Mind you I think the problem was she was calling from a room with so many other people making these calls that she could not hear what I was saying. I know we must be considered a significant customer of theirs since they have a mini office at our site! It made me giggle at the fact she was calling about call reception quality from an environemnt where there was none!

On the MPS website it had a section for 'people no longer at this address' which I've started putting them into I'll ahve to see if it works

I like your style, GD.
I usually say I'm in the middle of my tea, or cooking something that's starting to burn, to get rid of unwanted callers.

I'm far too polite to tell anyone (even someone I don't know) to f*** off.

*goes to sign up to the TPS*