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Wednesday 4 July 2012

Get off my line

The genteel image on the left has nothing whatever to do with my current state of mind, temper, attitude.

I am being bombarded with calls from a company which calls itself UK Today.

The opening gambit goes "Hello, is this Mrs Barn ez?" When I growl Barnes, they say, "How are you today"?  I reply "what do you want, what are you selling?" and "Who are you?"

Reply "We just would like to ask you a few questions it will only take  a few minutes"

When I repeat "who are you"? they reply I am calling from UK Today."  When I ask who is UK Today, where are you based"" they hang up.

This has been going on for several days, always  at the same time - around 2.30pm and then again at around 6.00 pm.

A few weeks ago I passed on some advice to a blogger who was complaining of a similar caller, this was, to answer politely then when they begin their spiel simply put down the phone on a flat surface and walk away.

So far, I haven't taken my own advice, but tomorrow I will.

And yes, before anyone asks, I have signed up to  the preference service - it doesn't work!

11 comments:

  1. Telemarketers are on the top of my hate list. Grrrrrrrrrrrr.

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  2. I know what you mean Lorrene.

    I have no hate list but am seriously thinking of starting one!

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  3. We run into similar hassles here in the U.S. The trouble with our telemarketers is that 99% of them are from India and speak very poor English, making it doubly difficult to find out what they're all about. Most are from pharmaceutical companies selling stuff you & I have never heard of before :)

    My husband tells them when they ask for Mr. or Mrs. Fleanayganan (our last name is Flanagan) that they're dead. They usually hang up on us :)

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  4. I do sympathise with this one. Our phone tells us when its an international call. If I answer it goes dead almost immediately....my husband has more patience but less sense and he tries to be polite......last week he was called a racist! His repeated words that he didn't understand them was more to do with being deaf!
    Blow a whistle down the line. They don't like that!

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  5. Hi Kathleen,

    Sorry to hear you have the same problem 'Stateside' but am not all that surprised. It is a much smaller world than it was.
    Not too sure about telling them that Mrs Barn -ez is dead, might just be tempting Providence.!

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  6. "My husband has more patience but less sense".
    Lovely!
    Actually you are absolutely right, we are far too polite for our own good.
    I don't own a whistle and never could do the two fingers in mouth whistle, but I will do as I said, and next time I will put the phone down and let them talk till their breath runs out.

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  7. We have similar problems here, though not the same firm. Our surname isn't particularly easy to pronounce at the best of times so that's always a dead give away! And yes, we're registered with the preference service, too.

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  8. Hmmmm! Nice understatement Judy.

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  9. Hi Greenpatches.
    It really doesn't make it any better to know that the problem appears to be global.
    This morning at 9.35am my phone rang, I answered "Hello", silence, "hello" again rather sharper toned and they hung up.!
    Now what do I think? Was it just a mistake on someone's part, was it 'them' again, or nasty thought, have I got a stalker?
    Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get me.

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  10. For anyone who may read this at a later date, I have just done what I said I would do.
    After hearing the usual "Is this Mrs Barn ez"? I carefully laid the phone down on the hall table and went and cleaned the sink.
    When I got back to it, the line appeared to be still open but there was no-one there.
    The first set to me I think.

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