phone scam

[the researcher]

i got a call like that last week asked me what make of tv i had and how old it was but he didnt quote my address i told him it was about 8 years old and had bought it secondhand about five years ago and that it was a toshiba quadryll stereo tv(its got a speaker on each side of the screen and two on top hence quad speakers) seems strange a company phoning about what make of tv you have he identified himself as nationwide tv which i googled its a tv repair business based in wolverhampton so why they are phoning people in scotland is strange to say the least i mean why would a tv repair place in wolverhampton think they would get business from people in scotland also most people dont bother repairing a set nowadays they just take it to the recycling skips then go to argos or asda or somewhere and buy a new one
if they phone me again im going to ask why they need this info a third time when they have phoned me twice already and am not telling them and put the phone down
i wouldnt worry about it though

[the researcher]

Went into O2 this morning for a new battery for my Samsung. The lad said it would be about £24, which I thought rather dear - I'd seen them on the 'net for a good deal less. I think I'd paid something like £30 for the phone in the first place, about two years ago. They're obviously in the business of selling new ones. Anyway, he pulled the battery out of the back and put it back in again and it started working. "Must have been a build-up of static", he said.

Still, where's the best place to get a replacement battery online? I may as well have one spare.

try an independent mobile phone shop not a mobile providers shop as they dont want to sell you a new battery they want to sell you a new phone instead
check yellow pages for a place called fone zone or mega phones they might have branches in glasgow worth a phone call to see if they have a battery in stock for your phone even if they have to order one in it shouldnt take any more than a week for them to get one which is about the same time as waiting for one bought online also if the battery proves faulty at least you have somwhere to take it back to be replaced

[Delmont St Xavier]

I am with TPS and to be honest, sometimes I think since I've joined it the calls have increased. I certainly get a lot of calls marked 'International' usually asking me if 'my Windows Pc that I have reported broken...'

I no longer get annoyed - I get even!
Here's what I do when I get a sales call and it has worked for me ( I use various methods).

I take the call - sometimes I leave them on hold, ask them to wait a minute and then I put the phone on loudspeaker. I leave it for about a minute or so (remember these guys are trying to get calls out to others) and then I pick it up and cause another distraction, assuring them that there call is important to me. I then return to the phone and the line is dead - three regular callers have given up calling me now - cause time is money!

My other method is to ask them 'hunners and hunners' of questions. "Where did you say you were calling from? Can you give me your telephone number am really interested in talking to you more about this? What's your address? I want to write to you?' It works because they usually put the phone down. I've even asked one how their 'mammy was doing' they think you're a nut and down goes the phone.

My personal favourite (and some may view this as racist) but I use various accents when I hear one of these calls, everything from Jock the Highlander, to Wan the Chinese takeaway owner or Sukdeep the Indian restaurant owner. It gives everyone around a laugh and believe me, these tatics have over the last few months, cut down on my inbound 'chancer' calls by over 80%....

Give it a try and as for Mobile Batteries - go to the guy in the Savoy Centre, Sauchiehall St....

[Dot]

[quote="Delmont St Xavier"]I am with TPS and to be honest, sometimes I think since I've joined it the calls have increased. I certainly get a lot of calls marked 'International' usually asking me if 'my Windows Pc that I have reported broken...'

I have to agree with this remark.
For a short time I thought things had improved but if anything I think the volume of calls both silent and
annoying has increased.

They often ring when you are trying to get a meal ready or are actually going out.

May well try a few of your suggestions as some days it really does my head in.

[the researcher]

I am with TPS and to be honest, sometimes I think since I've joined it the calls have increased. I certainly get a lot of calls marked 'International' usually asking me if 'my Windows Pc that I have reported broken...'

I no longer get annoyed - I get even!
Here's what I do when I get a sales call and it has worked for me ( I use various methods).

I take the call - sometimes I leave them on hold, ask them to wait a minute and then I put the phone on loudspeaker. I leave it for about a minute or so (remember these guys are trying to get calls out to others) and then I pick it up and cause another distraction, assuring them that there call is important to me. I then return to the phone and the line is dead - three regular callers have given up calling me now - cause time is money!

My other method is to ask them 'hunners and hunners' of questions. "Where did you say you were calling from? Can you give me your telephone number am really interested in talking to you more about this? What's your address? I want to write to you?' It works because they usually put the phone down. I've even asked one how their 'mammy was doing' they think you're a nut and down goes the phone.

My personal favourite (and some may view this as racist) but I use various accents when I hear one of these calls, everything from Jock the Highlander, to Wan the Chinese takeaway owner or Sukdeep the Indian restaurant owner. It gives everyone around a laugh and believe me, these tatics have over the last few months, cut down on my inbound 'chancer' calls by over 80%....

Give it a try and as for Mobile Batteries - go to the guy in the Savoy Centre, Sauchiehall St....

i got one of those your computer has a fault calls told him to hold on while i went to the bathroom and played the ying tong song by the goons down the phone to them and went and made a cup of coffee when i came back they had hung up god knows what they made of the ying tong song!

[the researcher]

yet more phone scam calls one from either an india or pakistan call centre wanting to do a survey asking if i had sky tv which power supplier i had etc told them i wasnt interested and hung up
less than an hour later same lot again and told them the same then to top it all they phoned again the following day
today i checked 1471 after having been out for shopping and number was withheld this was at 1250pm then the phone rang at 1656 and it was a computer problem call i asked the person how do you know i have a computer or if i do have one how do you know its switched on and online? at this point they hung up
one thing though the last call i got they were able to tell me vodaphone were my isp how they knew this i dont know but its frightening to know that they know who your isp are if they say this to me again im going to tell them im with talk talk or usernet that will fox them
be warned about these calls all they are after are your credit card details and to con you out of £100 to remove a supposed virus from your computer what they do is take control and infect the computer but although you pay them money they dont remove the virus which renders it unusable which means a trip to the computer shop and more money to sort it out

[oddjobby]

I am with TPS and to be honest, sometimes I think since I've joined it the calls have increased. I certainly get a lot of calls marked 'International' usually asking me if 'my Windows Pc that I have reported broken...'.

Also I agree. We are with the TPS and we get at least 3 calls a day. I normally just hang up, but sometimes the cheeky feckers phone back asking why you hung up. Which makes me raging!!

So... I heard somewhere that their computers don't understand the star and hash buttons on your phone, so sometimes I answer the phone, don't say anything and start pressing buttons really fast. I'm definately going to try putting them on hold though and playing music for ages and say in a posh voice 'please hold, your call is important to us'

[Dexter St. Clair]

Does you phone display the caller's number? Does it say WITHHELD? Let them leave a message on your answering service.

[yoker brian]

I have a small display on my home phone and usually screen calls before answering them, but I have been known to answer unsolicited calls and greeting the other person with the words "City Mortuary, how can I help?" it usually results in them apologising and hanging up

[The Egg Man]

That's a good idea.

Answering in the name of the Sheik Ma Tadger Sauna and Massage Parlour or Paedophiles Anonymous, press button 1 to confess might well ensure no further unwanted communication.

[BrigitDoon]

I have a small display on my home phone and usually screen calls before answering them, but I have been known to answer unsolicited calls and greeting the other person with the words "City Mortuary, how can I help?" it usually results in them apologising and hanging up

Reminds me of Jim Morrison who used to annoy his mum by answering the 'phone, "Hello, Morrison's Mortuary - you stab 'em, we slab 'em..."

[hungryjoe]

That's a good idea.

Answering in the name of the Sheik Ma Tadger Sauna and Massage Parlour or Paedophiles Anonymous, press button 1 to confess might well ensure no further unwanted communication.

I had a stalker for a while and had to keep changing my user name on forums. For a brief period I was Sheik M'tadger on Mojo and on BCB. I was also Juan Kerr and Juan King-Champion.

[yoker brian]

That's a good idea.

Answering in the name of the Sheik Ma Tadger Sauna and Massage Parlour or Paedophiles Anonymous, press button 1 to confess might well ensure no further unwanted communication.

[the researcher]

I am with TPS and to be honest, sometimes I think since I've joined it the calls have increased. I certainly get a lot of calls marked 'International' usually asking me if 'my Windows Pc that I have reported broken...'.

Also I agree. We are with the TPS and we get at least 3 calls a day. I normally just hang up, but sometimes the cheeky feckers phone back asking why you hung up. Which makes me raging!!

So... I heard somewhere that their computers don't understand the star and hash buttons on your phone, so sometimes I answer the phone, don't say anything and start pressing buttons really fast. I'm definately going to try putting them on hold though and playing music for ages and say in a posh voice 'please hold, your call is important to us' ::): ::):

a few weeks ago i got one of the computer scam calls and asked him to hold on and then played the ying tong song by the goons to them by the time i had made a cup of coffee and came back they had hung up and the song hadnt even finished (running time 3m 20secs) in case your wondering i made the coffee in the microwave (takes 1 minute)

[the researcher]

got another of those computer fault scam phone calls the other day when i asked him what the problem was so i could
get the computer shop to sort it out he hung up
next time im going to tag them along and wind them up havent decided what am going to do but iam working on that