General Chat

Most afternoons I seem to have somebody from the Asian continent telephone me. Yesterday it was about my computer but it has been about lots of other things like all that money the bank owes me.

I string them along and sound interested for a bit, just to be sure of who they are. Then I let them have both barrels

I answered a survey with a lot of wrong answers so I know where some of them are coming from, the Sky TV one especially, which I know is not Asian.

I have to be careful and make sure it is a scam before I let go because I would not want to question the paternity of the chiropodist or community nurse.

You can tell immediately when it's one of those calls.

I either just just a minute i will just get my mum and leave the phone on the side, going back 5 minutes later to see if they have gone yet,

or
I say could i call you back because i am driving at the moment then pause to see their response before i hang up.

or
If i just cannot be bothered i just put the phone down

or
If it is a survey i say OK but before we start what address do i send my bill to, if they have not hung up by then i go on to say my rates are £50 for admin and £1.50p per Minuit, that usually does the trick

Just be warned, all these calls that say its a survey are no different to any other survey and they are all collecting info on you, this info will be analysed by companies who will sell info on you to other companies for them to target you with more sales pitches and scams

So even giving wrong info will come back to haunt you.

I NEVER ever do surveys

Roy

I had one recently that asked me to "please wait - I will speak to you in a minute". What was that all about - they rang me :-0

how rude Sue, i think cold calling should be banned, if we wanted/needed anything we would ring them

Just pm me your phone number Sharron and I'll pass it on next time I get one of those calls ;-)

No-one messes with Sharron and gets away with it, I tell you :-D

They have trouble pronouncing our surname so I just say "no one of that name here"
Liz

I worked in market research and feel I must defend the bona fide companies.

If they say they are carrying out research I always ask if they are members of the MRS (Market Research Society) which most bona companies are.

Telephone research is usually carried out bu the big companies. it is not very viable for the small ones, and they will always be glad to give you a number you can call to verify.

Part of the MRS code of practice is to NEVER pass on details, which is not to say that your bank, insurance company and other institutions are as tightly controlled. At least 10pc of all interviews are back-checked, which is why they ask for your name and number but IT STOPS AT THEM.

If a manufacturer or provider gets their service right it is reflected in their sales but they only know how to make it even better by asking. Likewise, if itis wrong you probably won't buy it again but the only way they know how it is wrong is to ask.

Itis much cheaper to commission a survey than to keep making or providing different things that don't work.

I resent that service being hijacked by some devious individual from another economy who is trying to steal from ours!

Too right, you don't mess with me.

Sharron, Well said, But sadly most people have not worked in that industry and there for when met with a caller that you never asked to call you then calls saying its a survey, then the normal response would be to treat the call with suspicion and not worth the risk of giving any info just in case it was passed on,
my mother in law had such a call that started saying its a survey for market research and within 2 minutes it had turned into a full blown hard sell for a new kitchen.

So i stay safe and never do any survey

and further more you don't mess with my mother in law
:-D

Roy

Sharron's my long lost cousin-in-law, so I feel I can mess with her ;-)

Remember Wend, you won't do it twice!

Yes cuz!

Well I'm not holding your coat Wend.

I will hold your coat, I love a good scrap,

Any one want to go to cage fighting this saturday :-D

Roy

Er, I've changed my mind - think I'd be out cold after the first round!

Wendy, I take it you are scared ;-)

Well i am not, I will Fight anyone and their dog plus you can throw the odd cat in for good measure :-D

Who's holding the coats then :-P

Roy

just tell them to Bog off, or in words similar,usually does the trick. :-D

No it doesn't Merlin - they just phone again the next day :-|

Wend, you're not texting the speaking clock are you?

Please, please, be very careful with callers saying that they are from Microsoft or Windows and that there is a problem with Windows in your area. They will then ask you to go to your computer and follow their instructions. They then take control of you computer. This happened to a friend of mine who was taken in and lost an awful lot of money.

An obvious con when you think about it. How would Microsoft have your name and telephone number? But older people and those not very computer savvy tend to panic when somebody tells them there is something wrong with their computer.

Thanks Potty - that's a very good warning to us all.

May I please just go off topic for a second to say to Island that I haven't been texting the speaking clock - just a couple of very good friends :-P :-D