=O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O =O
SUPERB !!
Cheers - Phil.
Have you got time to talk?
Yep, you're paying the bill.
Then leave the phone off the hook whilst they ramble on.
Think I'll use it.
IanS
Great! ;D ;D ;D
;D :D
Way to deal with these people! :-bd :-bd :-bd :-bd :-bd :-bd :-bd :-bd
Only problem is you could be charged with impersonating a police officer. A fairly serious offence! :(
Hello is that Mr G---- (assuming as my partner on their list was Mrs G----- I must be Mr G----)
No
May I speak Mr G-----
I hand the phone to my step-son
Five minutes later
I don't think I can afford that, I only get £5 pocket money.
Yeah, the "hold on a second, ill jut get him...." Then Ieave em for a while, I then pick the phone back up "you still there?..." If they are say, "sorry bout that, hold on one more minuet, ill just get him..." That's a good one, but if I'm in a really funny mood, especially if they ask me personal questions like, who do I bank with etc I like to ask,
"What are you wearing?"
Funny, some hang up, some actually tell me, I call theses guys a challenge, but once I go "oh! That sound really nice, are you wearing a __ too?" If they a sure that I against say "ohhh nice" really fun
You see, Blackadder, I am a colossal pervert.
Quote from: Hertsblue on 02 March 2013, 12:19:16 PM
Only problem is you could be charged with impersonating a police officer. A fairly serious offence! :(
For such a charge to be made the cold caller has to admit cold calling you - and thus accept a 250,000 € fine by European Dictators in Brussels (sic!). In the US you have to sue them for harrassment - not aware they have laws against these pests yet but maybe one of our brothers across the pond can enlighten me?
I actually started insulting those people untill one told me he would sue me. I replied I am happy to see him in court if he fancies the question why they called me without explicit permission. Since that was 4 years ago I guess the gentleman has evaluated his legal stance and chances to win (insulting costs 50 € in Germany - standard rate) in the proposed court arrangement.
I know one older chap who keeps a referee's whistle by the phone.....and if it's a cold call he gives them a very loud blast !
Dunno about that....If he somehow damages someone's eardrum, could he charged with assault ?
Cheers - Phil.
I think so.
IanS
Quote from: sebigboss79 on 03 March 2013, 08:36:33 PM
For such a charge to be made the cold caller has to admit cold calling you - and thus accept a 250,000 € fine by European Dictators in Brussels (sic!). In the US you have to sue them for harrassment - not aware they have laws against these pests yet but maybe one of our brothers across the pond can enlighten me?
Cold calling is not an offence in the UK, provided it's done before 9.00pm. Impersonating a Police Officer is contrary to Section 90 of the Police Act 1996 and quite often results in a custodial sentence.
Quote from: Techno on 04 March 2013, 08:11:47 AM
I know one older chap who keeps a referee's whistle by the phone.....and if it's a cold call he gives them a very loud blast !
Dunno about that....If he somehow damages someone's eardrum, could he charged with assault ?
Cheers - Phil.
Yes. Especially as assault is a "higher" offence than cold calling. Verbal insulting is not. So the choice is yours ;)
WARNING: Threadomancy in progress! :)
<phone rings>
Him: Hello, my name is Kip. I'm phoning on behalf of BT (Yeah! Right!)
Me: I'm sorry I didn't catch that. Who are you calling on behalf of?
Him: BT
Me: Nope, sorry, still not catching that.
Him: BT .. British Telecom
Me: Oh! BT! Sorry, I'm having a problem with your accent.
Him: Sir ...
Me: Seems only fair, you're probably having a bit of a problem with mine.
Him: Sir, we have been monitoring ... blah, blah ... internet ... blah, blah, hacking ... blah, blah ... IP address ... blah
Me: Sorry did you say IP?
Him: Yes, your IP address has been hacked ...
Me: Sorry, what's an IP address?
Him: Sir your IP has been hacked ...
Me: Well, all that IP means to me is Intellectual Property and I can't think that's what you're talking about.
Him: Sir, may I continue?
Me: .....
Him: Sir, may I continue?
Me: I was waiting for an explanation of "IP address"
<call dropped>
Very poor effort on my part. A score of approximately 180 (seconds) is well below my best. :)
I have on occasion managed to wind cold callers up so much they call me some very rude names.
I also know some very rude Punjabi words that they don't like. :d
Never. Ever. Answer. Phone.
Possible interdimensional trap.
As above. I have an answerphone so listen to recorded messages, then swear at them with no comeback. If I am caught off guard my response is usually along the lines of, Brian? that's an unusual name for someone from the Indian sub-continent and leads me to suspect that this is a somewhat nefarious operation. Cheerio!
I insulted one so badly, he called me back sometime later to complain about my attitude. Victory! He received much worse the second time.
As to blowing a whistle at the cold caller, the police advised my wife to do that at some obscene callers we had had trouble with.
Have also had that so-called BT call about IP address being compromised and that my service would be terminated (I do not use BT as ISP)
so usually just hang up and surprise surprise still have Internet.
I tend to lapse into the Gaelic. A very belligerent Gaelic.
co' to 'annd ? (who are you?)
cad ma mhaith leat ? What do you want ? Delivered in a sharp challenging tone, like a sentry who had just shifted his working parts to the rear.
After a few exchanges they hang up and go check the dialling codes.
Simple :)
To be honest it depends how I feel, sometimes I might wind them up sometimes I just hang up one thing we can agree on there a bloody nuisance.
Take care
Andy
Totally agree, of course, that they are a bloody nuisance and I confess I, too, have played a few 'pranks' on them myself in 'retaliation' for bothering me. :d
However, although my opinion of these people is very low (and not without cause), now and again I wonder what is going through some of these callers' minds. For example, I've been in jobs that I've absolutely hated (never involving scamming, harassing or tricking people, I must emphasise - that's not my character) but I've put up with them in the short term because I had a mortgage to pay and a family to feed. Perhaps I am being too naive or hopeful that there must be some good in most people but I like to think that surely a small number of these callers are fairly decent, have tried to get respectable employment but found that all they can get is this hellish job.*
*Even so, I'll still treat them in the same way as the other scum and hang up! ;D
I'm not sure whether I've mentioned this before, re the pains in the posterior that interrupt us.
But do the rest of you find that cold/spam/scam calls come in 'waves' ?
I'll go for weeks, or even months, without a single one......Then I'll get 3 or 4 a week, for a few weeks...Then they just stop again.
Haven't had one for AGES.....which probably means I'll be getting a lot of them soon !! >:( >:(
Cheers - Phil
Short answer Phil ... YES!
Currently getting BT IP address calls couple of times a week.
Aha !!
Not just me then, Mike !
Cheers - Phil.
TOO many times! The IP address thing rattles me...until I realise it is a more 'technical' approach to the same old scam. I actually fell for 'Virtual PC Doctor' MANY years ago...(was tired and naïve about scams). I think they use me for TRAINING now...am getting 'Microsoft Technical Dept'. AGAIN!!! :(
Many more years ago, I had to park my car in a free car park in the Toon. Got busted into so many times...nothing left to nick...it was just PRACTICE! >:( Still wish I could have caught one of the *****...invitingly close to the river!!! :d
Problem with the IP address one is that it's from a robot..
Quote from: Heedless Horseman on 21 November 2018, 01:22:38 AM
Many more years ago, I had to park my car in a free car park in the Toon. Got busted into so many times...nothing left to nick...it was just PRACTICE! >:( Still wish I could have caught one of the *****...invitingly close to the river!!! :d
Going further off at a tangent here (well, that's what we do, isn't it?). When I worked as a Broker Sales Consultant in Financial Services, I travelled all over Scotland. When I parked the car to go for lunch I would often leave my briefcase open on the passenger seat so that would be thieves could see that it was just boring pensions and life assurance brochures and applications, ball point pens, diary, note pad .... and a pair of scissors. Ironically, the scissors were part of my kit for breaking into my own car - yes, it was that easy. The reason I had to acquire this dubious skill was that, on occasion, I would return to the car after a meeting only to find that I had locked myself out with the car keys sitting in the ignition laughing at me. The technique doesn't work on modern cars nowadays - car locks are more sophisticated now - but I was still able to use it to help a workmate get into her own car some 15 years after my last sales job
..... at least, I think it was her car .....she did say it was hers .... :-\
Quote from: ianrs54 on 21 November 2018, 07:31:04 AM
Problem with the IP address one is that it's from a robot..
By which I assume you mean some sort of Auto Dialer, Ian ? :-\
To me...It seems that the wonkers (sic) set the dialer to target a particular area code....and keep churning out the particular area's numbers completely randomly, so.......Mike (Ithoriel) is in a particular area code, so it's more likely that he'll keep getting pestered by these peasants...and they haven't reached the SW of Wales yet.
When I do get pestered a few times a week......It's not
apparently always the same scam...It
seems to vary.
But I'm sure it must be the same low life 'firm'...It's too much of a coincidence.
I always look up the number (if it appears) on 'who calls me' (I think) and leave a warning comment about the alleged number that's calling.
Cheers - Phil
17 minutes ... that's more like it.
I think that finally asking where the Start icon would be on my Amstrad 6128 would be may have given the game away that I was taking the piss.
Cup of coffee, doughnut and a nice chat.
Well nice chat until he threatened to come to "England", hunt me down and kill me.
I pointed out that if he had the time, money and resources to do that he probably wouldn't be calling me up to scam me.
He said,"True. F*** You anyway!" and hung up.
So, if I am found murdered any time soon you know where to point the police :)
I had a 6128! Great fun...
Good grief. X_X........Derrrrrr :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[
It's taken me far too long to suss out the 17 minutes comment.
I think that's absolutely brilliant Mike. :-bd
I'm afraid I loose patience VERY quickly with these gits...and usually give them a load of very nasty abuse, so they hang up after a few seconds.
Alas.....I've also given a GENUINE caller the same treatment...For which I apologized at a later date.
Cheers - Phil
'Microsoft' on the phone, a guy with a very British name, sounding suspicously subcontinental...
There's a problem with my computer.
Hang on, I'll start it up.
(This takes minutes, I utter reassuring sounds every now and then)
Nearly there...
Another minute or two (sorry it's a really old one!)
Ah, there it is!
I now have a screen that says 'Linux Ubuntu', what would you like me to do?
Line gets disconnected...
Next time they call, I'm an OAP who thinks 'Windows' is something to do with double glazing.
Love it !!
I still wish I had the patience to pee these wonkers about, like the rest of you. ;) ;D ;D
(I really must have a go next time.)
Cheers - Phil
Mind you: it's not just for fun. Every minute you manage to take from them cannot be spent on tricking some gullible soul. It's a 'holding action', if you get my meaning... ;D
Quote from: Techno on 22 November 2018, 05:43:52 PM
Love it !!
I still wish I had the patience to pee these wonkers about, like the rest of you. ;) ;D ;D
(I really must have a go next time.)
Cheers - Phil
Start off with the, "Could you hang on while I go and get Mrs Techno, please?* She handles this kind of thing."
..... then leave them waiting
forever.
* She is good, by the way. I once tried a hoax call on Phil and she was sharp! ;D
Depending on which phone she picked up, Davy....She might have even read that it was your good self !! ;D ;D ;D
Quote from: Cavillarius on 22 November 2018, 06:01:09 PM
Mind you: it's not just for fun. Every minute you manage to take from them cannot be spent on tricking some gullible soul. It's a 'holding action', if you get my meaning... ;D
That is a VERY good point, C. :-bd
Cheers - Phil
I ask them how they can go home and sleep at night, knowing that they have spent their whole working day lying to people.
I have had one or two people apologise to me; I've also had one or two call me some choice names.
There is a difference between cold calling and scams
Most of the caller's are just kids trying to make some extra cash by selling insurance etc. So a "I'm not interested thanks" I think is sufficient.
Maybe annoyance is better redirected at the companies that sell your details to the calling companies
If you have a cold collar iron the shirt just before putting it on. :)
OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW GET OUT NOW !!!!! :D :D
Quote from: Fenton on 25 November 2018, 08:13:26 PM
Maybe annoyance is better redirected at the companies that sell your details to the calling companies
Totally agree, F...But once the details are out there......... =)
Been hearing on the radio that the 'Tax Man's' warning about a big increase in scam calls, reputedly coming from them.
"If we don't hear from you or your solicitor.....blah, blah, blah......"
Just as a matter of interest......Do our friends from all around the World (Who don't have English as their country's first language)......
not suffer as many scam calls ?
Cheers - Phil
These are the 'friends' the Brexit twonks want to set up trade deals with.
Stop the 'B' word, Andy...It'll only cause 'angst'. ;)
Cheers - Phil
Good - it ought to!
Stop it !!!!! ;D
Cheers - Phil
Just received my regular call from the Indian Subcontinent about my BT router and gave my usual response of
"How do you go home each evening, knowing that you have spent the whole of your day lying to people. Is that any way to earn a living?"
Whereat I was advised that what I needed to do was "take a stone and stick it up your arse!"
:-
Before I try that, can anyone confirm whether that will improve my speed on the internet?
Quote from: Techno on 29 November 2018, 10:27:00 AM
Totally agree, F...But once the details are out there......... =)
Been hearing on the radio that the 'Tax Man's' warning about a big increase in scam calls, reputedly coming from them.
"If we don't hear from you or your solicitor.....blah, blah, blah......"
Just as a matter of interest......Do our friends from all around the World (Who don't have English as their country's first language)......not suffer as many scam calls ?
Cheers - Phil
There's a price to be paid for speaking the "International language of commerce".
Of course we'll soon be an independent trading nation.
This will unveil excellent opportunities for boiler rooms staffed with Brummies or Aberdonians to cold-call the subcontinent and scam their telecomms connected middle classes out of their tiffin-money.
Stop it (again)......But I like your thinking !! ;D ;D ;D
Cheers - Phil
Quote from: capthugeca on 29 November 2018, 01:58:36 PM
Just received my regular call from the Indian Subcontinent about my BT router and gave my usual response of
"How do you go home each evening, knowing that you have spent the whole of your day lying to people. Is that any way to earn a living?"
Whereat I was advised that what I needed to do was "take a stone and stick it up your arse!"
:-
Before I try that, can anyone confirm whether that will improve my speed on the internet?
I think you should at least give it a try and let the rest of the Forum know, so if it does improve your internet speed we can all benefit. :d
So when you test you should make a careful record
Type of stone
Size of stone
Shape of stone
How far up etc....
Just be careful with the flints :d :d
X_X X_X X_X X_X
Cheers - Phil