Is this a new way to get round cold calling?

[iansheff]

Just had a phone call from this number 08451132233 which from what I can find out belongs to Powergen. The caller was a few seconds before speaking to me and said is that Mr **** I said no sorry wrong number thankyou and just as I was about to put the phone down he said do you deal with the energy bills in your house, to which I replied not interested thankyou and hung up. Maybe I am being cynical but it is a way to get around numbers that they shouldn't ring by asking if a person is there knowing they are not, then trying to sell you their product

[melthebell]

Just had a phone call from this number 08451132233 which from what I can find out belongs to Powergen. The caller was a few seconds before speaking to me and said is that Mr **** I said no sorry wrong number thankyou and just as I was about to put the phone down he said do you deal with the energy bills in your house, to which I replied not interested thankyou and hung up. Maybe I am being cynical but it is a way to get around numbers that they shouldn't ring by asking if a person is there knowing they are not, then trying to sell you their product

 

thats what i do with em too

and no i aint encountered that type of call yet, maybe they did call the wrong number and thought theyd try their luck?

[Moosey]

I find the best way to be not having a phone plugged into the landline. It's for the net connection only. I use my mobile for all calls, as it's free and always with me. Never get cold calls on that.

[Mick Sage]

I always say just a minute and put the phone in front of the telly for five minutes , it doesn't stop em calling but I have the satifaction of knowing there phone bills will sky rocket!

[the_rudeboy]

Just had a phone call from this number 08451132233 which from what I can find out belongs to Powergen. The caller was a few seconds before speaking to me and said is that Mr **** I said no sorry wrong number thankyou and just as I was about to put the phone down he said do you deal with the energy bills in your house, to which I replied not interested thankyou and hung up. Maybe I am being cynical but it is a way to get around numbers that they shouldn't ring by asking if a person is there knowing they are not, then trying to sell you their product

Or alternatively you could have said 'just a minute, i'll get him for you' and left them hanging on for a while.

[poppins]

I understand that the longer they can keep you on the line the more credits they get for the call, they'll keep you talking about nothing to keep the line open, hang up fast.

 

ALso for certain calls if you say you don't own the house you just rent, then there not interested in talking to you, eventually you'll get taken of the homeowners list they have.

 

But thats all hearsay of course

[Isabelle]

I don't have a phone connected to my landline either, and I ignore calls on my mobile unless its a number I know, a mobile or a Sheffield number.

I once had a call like that, she asked for Mr C, I said he doesn't live here any more, so she started asking me about something.

[woodmally]

I understand that the longer they can keep you on the line the more credits they get for the call, they'll keep you talking about nothing to keep the line open, hang up fast.

 

ALso for certain calls if you say you don't own the house you just rent, then there not interested in talking to you, eventually you'll get taken of the homeowners list they have.

 

But thats all hearsay of course

 

I had one barking mad cold caller. They were trying to sell me a telephone preference product to stop cold callers. It seams even in Indian call centres they have heard of irony.

[bonus2010]

Oh.. I've had the cold calling / sales calls resolved ages ago -- just don't answer the phone. In fact, the rings even annoy me know. Lift up the handset - put it back down again.

I always do a 1471, and if its any friends I'll ring them back. Usually the message is "from a network that can't supply numbers":)

[liza D]

I have an answering machine with caller ID on it and screen all my calls, the outgoing message tells whoever is calling that the calls are screened, If it's important they will leave a message, if it's important to me, i'll ring back.

 

You call also ask BT to put a stop to companys ringing you, they give you a number to ring and it stops it.