More scamming cold callers

Mentalguy2k8 · 2013-08-13T18:26:27+00:00

Alzheimer mother was getting pestered by some company (I wrote the name down but can't find it now). They phoned up and presumably went through a list of building items before they hit upon a back door, which she wants replaced. Most of the time she tells them to ring back on a specific day and time when she knows I'll be here. Anyway, they phoned back and spoke to me, the lady said they were a "Government Approved" company who fitted doors and windows, and that because mum is over 65, it's "subsidised" for about a third off. She kept using the words Government, scheme and subsidised in the same sentence. So I asked what specific Govt or local council scheme this was part of. She couldn't answer. Long story short, she admitted that the "subsidy" was just that their supplier sold them doors and windows at bulk discount because they bought huge amounts. The "Government scheme" didn't exist, the only link to the Govt was that their windows and doors met efficiency standards. She disappeared and passed me on to her manager in the end, who pretty much repeated what the saleswoman had said. I asked them not to contact again, and touch wood they haven't yet. But to a (confused) elderly person, it must have sounded like this was an official scheme, backed by the Government and subsidised for old people like the insulation/central heating stuff used to be. Disgraceful.

Aug 13, 2013 26 Replies

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The Natural Philosopher 12 years ago

what normally happens is the git programming the hospital PABX has the option of 'present a single number, present actual callers DDI, or present nothing (default) '

I actually had think about that, but being a commercial company we opted for 'give our main number'

But lots of people never even get asked the question.

And as long as it is not an 'issue' on some 'manaqement' radar, it doesn't get (trivially) fixed.

Same thing happen when email starts getting rejected for 'invalid sender' reasons. people fix it, or bugger off. . Of course the NHS can do what it likes with your money.

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charles 12 years ago

[Snip]

It prbably depends on how big the organisation is. The caller will ring back and say "you rang me?". With a small organisation a good swichboard operator will be able to make sense of this call, but a big place, it's open to doubt.

I recall in the dim and distant past, tryong to contacta colleague who worked at Alexandrra palace which had a manual exchange. I asked for the extention by number, to be told, "he's having coffee in thecanteen at th moment, shall I page him?" That sort of thing only works with small sites.

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polygonum 12 years ago

What worked in Ayrshire?

Have to say, it is the unpredictability of such calls that makes them difficult to manage. Might be many years between calls from a hospital so you might not even have questioned whether they have a presentation number. When they need to get through urgently is too late.

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Tim+ 12 years ago

Hospitals gave up withholding their number.

Tim

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John Williamson 12 years ago

Mine doesn't, and nor do the other medical teams I deal with.

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Mark 12 years ago

Do you/anyone have a link to any article that reports this? I'd like to show it to some doubters.

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Tim Downie 12 years ago

Alas no. My wife works in one of the hospitals concerned and it was only something she heard whilst at work.

Tim

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