Model Railway Forum

So do I - sometimes twice a day. A lot of these calls also now use what appear to be mobile numbers - if it comes up beginning 00**** it doesn't get answered - not that many unidentified calls do.

The telephone preference service (free) works well for unwanted calls.

I sometimes get them on my contract O2 mobile, but not very often. Usually an 'about the accident you were recently involved in' type. I expected a deluge of them when I actually WAS involved in a car accident that wasn't my fault (insurers, police and 3rd party all agreed ) but I think I only got two.

My motorcycle was knocked over in the car park at work whilst I was at the other end of the (very large) building. I got phone calls for weeks asking if I'd suffered whip-lash!!!!!!!!!!!!! and would I like to make a claim. A shrill whistle blown down the phone persuaded the person involved that I didn't have whip lash, and no, I wouldn't like to make a claim.

IanS wrote: ↑Thu Jan 30, 2020 7:49 pm The telephone preference service (free) works well for unwanted calls.

I sometimes get them on my contract O2 mobile, but not very often. Usually an 'about the accident you were recently involved in' type. I expected a deluge of them when I actually WAS involved in a car accident that wasn't my fault (insurers, police and 3rd party all agreed ) but I think I only got two.

Doesn’t work if the calls are from overseas and it doesn’t actually stop anybody calling you, they are just not supposed to. Thankfully the majority do take notice. I have a call blocker but they just call from another number.

I now tell callers regarding accidents that weren’t my fault that I was killed. They go very quiet. Don’t get many of those any more.

It's stopped the majority of calls for me. If they do get through, I pretend I'm in hospital as a result of me crashing into someone, they hang up quick! Or I pretend to have amnesia about the accident, but I'm in hospital with a broken neck and don't know why!

I ask them which one. They have no answers to choose from because they are working blind.
Ditto anyone asking for information. I tell they already have that on record.
I then often divert into - This call is being recorded. I am registered with the TPS and I would like your name, that of your MD, CEO, COO and company address and telephone numbers so I can submit an invoice for my time spent on the phone to you, which will be charged at £100 a minute.

For the increasingly rare occasions where the calls aren’t automated, I keep a football referee’s whistle by the phone. Usually ask them to ‘hold’ for a moment then blow the whistle right next to the phone as hard as my decrepit old lungs can manage.
They don’t hang around long after that. Scares the bejezus out of the dog though

RAF96 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 31, 2020 11:46 am ...
I then often divert into - This call is being recorded. I am registered with the TPS and I would like your name, that of your MD, CEO, COO and company address and telephone numbers so I can submit an invoice for my time spent on the phone to you, which will be charged at £100 a minute.

I like it. Maybe an automated version which first of all says 'This message is a recording, all phone calls are recorded to pass to relevant authorities including the police, the information commissioner and the TPS. ' Then moving into the please leave the details of your company address and full company name....etc including the cost of providing this message at £200 for the 1st minute and £100 per second thereafter!

I doubt they'd hear much of the message though!

Not had a scam call in all the years here.

brian1951 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 31, 2020 4:57 pm Not had a scam call in all the years here.

Have you got a phone Brian?