How do you get rid of cold callers on the phone?

[StephenH]

I have before now told them to f*** off, but I'm usually politer than that. One solution I've thought of but haven't got round to trying is to buy a very loud, aerosol-operated horn or hand-held alarm of some sort and give them an earwax-shattering blast from it.

[Alison]

Since registering with TPS or whatever it's called we get very few and as already said, most say sorry when I point out that they shouldn't be calling us. The few that we do get are treated politely and respectfully as I would wish to be treated myself. I don't put the phone down on the mid sentence unless they really won't go (very rare) and I always wish them a good day. It's just a job for them, they don't make up the scripts or decide to call you, you're just one on a list. Their job is rubbish enough in any case without me having to make their day worse, just think myself lucky I don't have to do it myself

[jacob marley]

I would imagien asking them what kind of underwear they have on would work even quicker.

It do's done that one a few time's....jacob

[TonyF]

Great here, suddenly I've forgotten all my French - and when they start in their English I just tell them I can't understand them

[BilboWaggins]

Telephone Preference Service works a treat on decent companies. There are still some, Kitchens Direct is one of the worst offenders, who continue to call regardless.

We have the Caller Identification thing on our phone so if it is a number I don't recognise I just don't answer it. If it's someone selling they don't leave a message, if it is a genuine call they leave a message and I call back when it suits me.

[di]

On a similar theme...how do you deal with the ones that come knocking on your door???...I've been persuaded to change utilty suppliers twice in a year because of their doorstep sellers...they all seem so sincere & nice,it's just so hard to shut the door on them!...almost got caught out by the BG one this arvo...thankfully I could honestly say I needed to be going out straight away,without lying!...just never been any good with lying to someones face!

[Hilary B]

On a similar theme...how do you deal with the ones that come knocking on your door???...I've been persuaded to change utilty suppliers twice in a year because of their doorstep sellers...they all seem so sincere & nice,it's just so hard to shut the door on them!...almost got caught out by the BG one this arvo...thankfully I could honestly say I needed to be going out straight away,without lying!...just never been any good with lying to someones face!

I am fortunate there, OH pays the bills and has made it quite clear he is not interested in using any but the 'original' energy suppliers. British Gas for gas, Southern Electric for electricity. I can blame the lack of interest in saving a few pennies on him! He says it is to keep it simple for the accounts (since we work from home) but I reckon it is simply his personal prejudice against all these weird companies....

[Comfreyfan]

We say we're tennants and the landlord deals with all the utility bills!

[allotmentlady]

i still laugh when i read this lol...............bernie does have a posh telephone voice lol

[sharonr]

OH registered us with the no cold calling register (I don't recall the proper name), she reckons it takes about one second from "Why are you calling us, we are on the <no cold calling register>" to "So sorry, goodbye."

We are signed up to that service, we haven`t had a cold call for years.

[dogsbody]

TPS is brilliant, there is also a Postal Preference service for stopping junk mail (limited success with that one).

To anyone thinking of loud noises etc. to discourage such calls, please consider the legaility under telephony laws....... (it's probably even illegal to swear at them!!!)

[Rocketron]

As Comfreyfan pointed out, tell them you are tenants and they soon disappear.

[percy charlie]

i use the following
for windows i say i rent the house and that im currently in a legal dispute with the landlord who hasnt fixed a leak that started 2 months ago so i dont think he will pay for windows they hang up.
im in servere debt and the house is about to be repossesed so cant afford to buy anything.
also if they have really old records like the number belonged to an old lady 8 years ago (happened at old house with regard to phone number) is that mrs so and so i say no she been dead x amount of years and as you cant be bothered using updated records im not interested in anything from your company i never give my name the number was x directry so if they had used updated records they would not have called. nearly all the ones we get now are bt the very company who should know better.

[toastie]

Agree with Bilbo - When I had a BT landline/phone (upto about 12 months ago) used to have Call Minder where all caller numbers came up on the display of the handset. As most cold callers ring from an 'unknown' number never used to answer the phone. If by any chance it was a 'real' call they always had a chance to leave a message (something that cold callers never did).

[Alison]

To anyone thinking of loud noises etc. to discourage such calls, please consider the legaility under telephony laws....... (it's probably even illegal to swear at them!!!)

Whether it's legal or not isn't really irrelvant, it's just plain rude and disrespectful to fellow human beings.