OT odd calls

[The Medway Handyman]

Had two calls on the landline today, both asking to speak to SWMBO.

Conversation went like this;

Caller; Can I speak to Mrs Lang please? TMH; Who's calling? Caller; I can't tell you, its against the Data Protection Act. TMH; I'm not putting you through until I know who is calling. Caller; Can I speak to Mrs Lang? TMH; Not until you tell me who is calling. Caller; I'll call back then.

Since 90% of the land line calls are business, I always answer the phone, friends & rellies have a 'code', so who ever this is ain't getting through.

Anyone else had this?

The Data protection bit sounds like bollox to me.

[Bill]

In message , The Medway Handyman writes

We get these quite often for a daughter. Last time SWMBO told them we knew why they were calling - they were a charity that daughter had set up a regular contribution for and they were ringing to ask her to donate more money/make a will in their favour or similar.

They didn't deny it, just said OK then.

I think it's often decent charities employing idiot commercial fund raisers.

[The Night Tripper]

Put on a voice (or not, if you prefer) and say 'I am Mrs. Lang'. They can hardly say "no you're not...". Then you can find out what guff they you to tell them to 'confirm' 'your' details'.

me too.

J^n

[Tim W]

It probably is bollocks, Data Protection act is used as an excuse for all kinds of things. There can however be perfectly good reasons why the caller should not give away his identity. Not wanting to make you paranoid or anything but we might all be grateful for a bit of discretion if we were in trouble with the law or with Barclaycard or had children from a long forgotten night out in Bradford trying to trace us or a lottery win which was going to fund an escape to Barbados... or all sorts of things really, it might be the man from the agency providing the strippers for the suprise birthday party your wife is organising for you crikey I can just imagine them, I had better stop now.

Tim W

[Tim]

It's *probably* bollocks but you don't know that. Since slavery was abolished, your wife has the right to receive calls intended just for her. It could well have been a hospital or other doctor ringing and it would be quite proper for them to refuse to divulge any details to you.

Maybe she's visited an STD clinic? Maybe she's pregnant? Whatever, it's her right to receive calls intended for her without you knowing the content of the calls. I suggest you talk to her.

Tim

[ARWadsworth]

Then she should have given better contact details. FFS.

[dennis]

Cancer clinic, dentist, STD clinic, divorce companies, etc. the list is endless.

[Tim]

Amazingly, not everyone has a mobile or a personal phone line.

Tim

[Dave Liquorice]

Talk to the wife? Good grief man!

[brass monkey]

These days I tell'em all where to get as in "I'm not prepared to give you ANY information". The ones where I pick-up and don't hear a response for ~ 2 secs I just say too slow and hang up. My lil Indian friend (oh no not you again) selling phones hasn't rung for a while, I kindof pissed him off last time, seems I'm the nastiest person he'd ever phoned. Which was nice.

[Chris Bartram]

Personally, I'd expect my wife to have the intelligence to give out her mobile number (which I wouldn't answer as she generally carries it) if she had a phone call she wanted to keep private from me, which is pretty unlikely.

This is clearly a waste of time call, and we both screen each other from this shit.

[hugh]

In message , [e-mail] writes

Bt support called me today. My wife answered and the Asian voice at the other end asked if he could speak to Mr ugh

[The Medway Handyman]

Called again tonight - I used 1471 & got a recording. It's J D Williams, Griffin House, 40 Lever Street, Manchester M60 6ES - "The plus size clothing and footwear catalogue"

Since SWMBO is a svelte size 10 I'm amazed...

[Tim Lamb]

Do you have an upcoming birthday?

Could she be secretly buying you some new trousers?

regards

>

[newshound]

Just beat me to it!

[Man at B&Q]

They got their wires crosed trying to call a Mrs Mason in Hull.

MBQ