Once more wildly off topic...

[charlesp]

I get absolutely bombarded with unwanted telephone calls trying to sell me legal services dealing with non-existent car crashes, claims for mis-sold payment protection plans, double glazing, solar panels, roof insulation and so on and so forth.

I have registered with the UK Telephone Preference Service - which theoretically should help, but doesn't.

I have gone ex-directory, which doesn't help.

The worst offenders are Apple Home Improvements, whose door knocking and telephoning almost amount to harrassment.

What do our friends overseas do about this? Do you have strict laws about it? Do you just not feel annoyed by it?

Does anyone else here feel very strongly about it?

[mick r]

I always say it's not me that they want. but I will go and get someone.
This leaves them holding on the line, until they get bored. or realise that they have been tricked.

Downside is that it leaves the phone line tied up.
Upside is:-
1. It amuses me
2. It costs them money to hold on.
3. the longer I keep them on my line, the less other people they bother.

[bychance]

We used to get many of those sorts of calls, usually just as we were about to have dinner. It was most often someone claiming to be from Telstra/Energy Australia/Medicare/AAMI Insurance and so on with an Indian or Philippine accent and a colloquial name like Wayne/Greg/Mark/Lisa/Debbie etc. There was always a couple of seconds delay before Wayne/Greg/Mark/Lisa/Debbie started with their spiel. We don't have laws to counteract these unsolicited calls from happening; there are services that you can subscribe to that are supposed to help, though I've never tried one.

I reckon that the best thing to do is just hang up as soon as you realise it’s a spam call. Don't say anything. It may sound rude, but I think this has helped as the frequency has dropped right off lately.

[skyetoyman]

Very annoying at the moment. I am also registered .....and my case comes up next week .

[Oyster 49]

I'm registered and get no calls at all apart from where I am already a customer, SKy TV, British Gas etc.

[livewire]

Ah the callers....

I have registered with the relevent TPS.

I have been polite and said 'no' then hung up.

Nothing works......

I have read that if you are foul mouthed and abuse them they black list you.

So i have tried the later, oh it's fun. But difficult with kids about, but i have shut myself away in the conservatory before and let loose on them.

I have to say the ones i did it to don't call anymore, but it's only a matter of time till the next company bombard me with calls.

[chris]

in australia we have a do not call register that works extremely well, the only calls it doesn't stop is charity calls

[1650bullet]

We have our numbers on both the house and mobile phones listed as private. Thats means we dont have our numbers listed in the phone book, You say you have done this to, but how long ago. If you have done this before your next phone book comes out you will keep getting calls until then. If you have had open numbers and then gone private it could take up to 12 mths for all of it to stop. As for door knockers. Get onto E-bay and type in (No sales poeple--canvasers etc--etc) You should be able to have a very large selection of signs to mount up on your front door or wall or beam of the house someplace. As much as i respect poeple who go to church, and put in the amount of time to door knock to try and spread the word of god. Its not a good idea to do this on a week day threw the day when im trying to get some sleep because ive got to go and work at night. What i done is copied this of the web and laminated it onto and pre-cut piece of board and mounted onto my front corner of the house. It works and no more J-W's or ultility company salesman. We only had one salesman come to the door with the sign up. He was a little indian bloke who said. Hello sir" Im not here as a salesman. But im here to save you a lot of money so can i have a look at your gas bill please. (Bloody salesman) AS i opened the door to show him the sign that he would of ignored. Both the dogs got threw the door from behind me and went for him . Both the dogs only weigh 3 kilos each. He went running up the street screaming. It was so funny. He then said i take it your not interested sir so we will leave it at that. Get a sign Charles and be patient mate.

[Horsley-Anarak]

I get a few unwanted calls, what I do is pick up the phone and say nothing, just stay totally quiet, the call will be dropped very quickly.

If it is a computer run auto dialler, then perhaps it will log the number as non valid, and your number will not be sold on as a potentially usefull sales tool.

I did get one call that I did not recognise, so remained totally quiet, then a voice piped up "this is the Jury service is there anyone there".

So with a bit of luck they have also logged me on their system as being a person who is unable to answer the phone correctly, possibly a bit mad and unsuitable for jury duty.

H-A

[charlesp]

I'm pretty certain that mild madness is actually compulsory for jury service!

Some good ideas coming up here, thanks. I have work to do in this matter. Would you believe I hadn't actually thought of a sign!

[david doyle]

For the door to door God sellers I ALWAYS invite them into the garden to talk about thier version of god. I'll listen to anyone's cracker jack notions as long as they are on a weeding stool and bent over my carrot row. Once they stop weeding I just drift away.

[phil]

Hang up as soon as you hear the pause indicating a recorded message.

[dandrews]

One of the best strategies I heard of was this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7OgWcwgB50

[atoyot]

We have our numbers on both the house and mobile phones listed as private. Thats means we dont have our numbers listed in the phone book, You say you have done this to, but how long ago. If you have done this before your next phone book comes out you will keep getting calls until then. If you have had open numbers and then gone private it could take up to 12 mths for all of it to stop. As for door knockers. Get onto E-bay and type in (No sales poeple--canvasers etc--etc) You should be able to have a very large selection of signs to mount up on your front door or wall or beam of the house someplace.

This may get a different sort of reaction than you desire, though it's fun to contemplate actually having it up -

[PAULT50]

We were starting to get quite a few so when they got past who they wanted, who they were, i just said quietly that the person they are looking to speak to passed away last night, the tables quickly turn and it's as much as they can do to get you off the phone. Not a strictly nice thing to do but it's worth it for the reaction, i've even had them hang up on me!! and they sure as hell don't call back.