Junk Phone Calls

[enjay]

Junk emails I can live with, junk texts I find annoying (but Vodafone's anti-spam service seems quite good, and since I started reporting senders, the volume has dropped dramatically). Today I received a phone call, to my mobile, from an 0845 number which had a recorded voice telling me to "hold for an important message" and then inviting to me "press 1 if you've had an accident in the last 3 years". Really?! Even if I was in the market for these services, do they really think this is how I would go about contracting a solicitor? In fact, if I ever find out who it was that called me, I will make a point of NOT using them.

[Geoff]

You need to have your number listed in the Telephone Preference Service list.

TPS

There are several caveats with this.

1) you need to re-register every 12 months.
2) If you fill out any forms and are not really careful about ticking and unticking boxes you can get removed from the list.
3) People can ring you anyway (but they've broken the law at this point).

Disclaimer: I work for an Accident claims management company who uses telemarketing.

[glennda]

@Geoff - We tried that here and still get all sorts of cr*p

[Geoff]

Then whoever is cold calling you has broken the law. You should make a complaint.

http://complaints.tpsonline.org.uk/Consumer/

[glennda]

Mainly trying to help me claim on PPI!

Main problem is due to the old age of the phone system we don't know what the number is! We will soon when i replace it!

[enjay]

Didn't think TPS applied to mobiles?

[elsiegee40]

Didn't think TPS applied to mobiles?

It does. We registered all the family ones as soon as they were bought

[Geoff]

Yes it does. As a TPS registered mobile shouldn't get SMS spam either.

[mats]

But there is fun to be had from spam calls. Get a human on, then answer all their questions by saying 'yeees' as slowly as possible. Pause whenever you feel like it. One agent ended a call after I'd answered 'yeees' to the question 'are you an idiot?'. Took about 5 mins to get there though.

Or - if you can't be bothered, say you need to turn a saucepan down and will be back in a moment. Put the phone on the side and see how long it takes for them to hang up.

[enjay]

Maybe my registration has expired then - I'll sign my numbers up again.

[JJonas]

You need to have your number listed in the Telephone Preference Service list.

TPS

There are several caveats with this.

1) you need to re-register every 12 months.
2) If you fill out any forms and are not really careful about ticking and unticking boxes you can get removed from the list.
3) People can ring you anyway (but they've broken the law at this point).

Disclaimer: I work for an Accident claims management company who uses telemarketing.

Do you have to register every 12 months? I only did it the once about 10 years ago and im still registered.

also recently ive had a couple of calls from people conducting surveys who told me that TPS is only for marketing/sales so they can call me even though im TPS registered. Is this correct?

[enjay]

Do you have to register every 12 months? I only did it the once about 10 years ago and im still registered.?

I heard it was 3 years, but like you, I've just tried to register and been told the numbers were already listed.

also recently ive had a couple of calls from people conducting surveys who told me that TPS is only for marketing/sales so they can call me even though im TPS registered. Is this correct?

Kitchens Direct (I think) called me once and also (rather smugly) told me that their lists were exempt from the TPS, so I asked if that also made them exempt from being hung up on? :-)

[sonofsanta]

Do I need to renew my subscription with the TPS?

No, the service is intended for live telephone numbers. As such, provided your telephone number remains active it will remain registered with this free service.

Source: TPS


Cheers for the reminder to add my daughter's new number btw

[Geoff]

Do you have to register every 12 months? I only did it the once about 10 years ago and im still registered.

also recently ive had a couple of calls from people conducting surveys who told me that TPS is only for marketing/sales so they can call me even though im TPS registered. Is this correct?

Well no, it's *supposed* to stay on the list indefinitely. However I would check up on the registration at least every 12 months just in case you get knocked off for any reason.

Strictly speaking you are correct. A call is considered to fall within the TPS remit if it is unsolicited, relates to the sale or marketing of a product or service during a live telephone conversation.

The other people you might want to complain to is the Direct Marketing Association.

http://www.dma.org.uk/content/welcom...ng-association

In particular the Direct Marketing Commission handles consumer complaints.

http://www.dmcommission.com/

[Garacesh]

I had a text not long ago, "You could claim up to £4,600 for your accident, reply" blah, blah blah. I felt like going along with it, and when they asked me details about my accident, tell them no, they already know about it and see how far I could get before they told me to shove off. If they're so certain I could claim, I'm not going to pass up 4.5k.