PITA cold callers about insulation grants

[Mark]

The article seems to suggest that you need a valid CLID for this to work. Can you trigger the torture another way?

[John Williamson]

To quote Tesco's advertising, every little helps. Eventually, the cold calling places may run out of people who are willing to put up with being upset for the minimum legal wage wherever they are. In which case, either the wages will go up, or they'll just give up. If I answer, I keep 'em going for as long as possible before saying somethng that will kill the deal. If I don't, there's a paperless fax machine attached to the line.

[Bob Eager]

At present, calling any of our numbers withholding CLID will trigger the presentation of a menu. The caller can select from telemarketer, survey, free holiday or valid caller. So far, no one who isn't a valid caller has selected the 'valid caller' option - it's too much trouble I guess.

But, if they do, they are treated as below (*).

If they *do* present CLID, they'll get through the first time, but then they are added to a blacklist. That first time, they'll be treated as below. (*).

OK, so what is (*)? I tell them I need to transfer them to a more convenient phone, then key in the code for transfer to another extension. The extension I select is one that is set up to do the 'wait for silence' torture. Having transferred them, my phone hangs up and they continue the discussion with the script! I get emailed a sound file afterwards.

[fred]

In article , Bob Eager writes

Please post links to any that end in profanity or loss of temper when they realise they have been had :-)

I do wonder whether interacting with them at all, even in an automated way, results in your number being marked and distributed on the 'likely mark' list, resulting in more calls. Fine for VOIP but less so fir LL.

[Bob Eager]

Possibly. The ones with withheld caller ID first get the 'line not in service' tri-tone, though.

[Tim Downie]

I have a friend who like to do this but for some reason he thinks it's entertaining for others in his house to listen in to these calls. Personally, I find this as funny as toothache.

There is a much better answer, it's called truecall.

Expensive for an answerphone but worth every penny to me. No use alas though if you have ligitimate overseas callers.

Tim

[Dave Liquorice]

Is that wise? I know hospitals, police etc should be able to present a number but I bet a significant number don't...

[polygonum]

Precisely the problem that we perceive. We *know* some bona fide NHS-source calls appear without a presentation number (whether it says withheld or just announces external call I cannot now be sure). And we really don't want to miss them.

And on this general theme, how do you stop spam SMS?

[Bob Eager]

But only automatic equipment (e.g. autodiallers) actually act on it...

[Bob Eager]

The caller hears the tri-tone, then the menu. And then selects the right item. And gets straight through.

[Simon Finnigan]

My logic is if I've got a few minutes to spare, my waste of their time might be the thing that stops someone else being conned. I once spent 15 minute discussing my 17 trillion dollar debt I wanted consolidated. Turned out they hadn't heard of my space ship I was building (the enterprise), my captain (Piccard), the head of the medical department, nicknamed bones, or the science guy, Spock. I was almost wetting myself laughing at the end of the call, and I don't think the caller had twitted I was taking the piss!

[Simon Finnigan]

But they seem to take me off the list. Plus visitors/the wife love listening to me telling the caller that I'm on the vinegar strokes, if they keep shouting at me I'll get finished sooner.

[Theo Markettos]

I managed three hours:

[Mr Pounder]

[Bob Eager]

[OG]

Well I'm paying 45% less this year for my gas than I was in 2008, so that's 'a lot of cash' for me!