Phone Harrassment: Tracking Down a Company

[illonavamp]

Hullo,

 

I've put this in "General Consumer" - however please feel free to move

 

I keep getting calls from foreign-accented people asking me to complete a survey. I ask their Company name and was told "Consumer Centric" and I also asked for their Company registration number (and asked her to read it back in case she was giving me bogus information) and was given 02034754049 and, she tells me, they are registered in the UK.

 

The only company I can find with that name was incorporated in 2010 and dissolved in 2011 and has a registration number completely different. If it's a UK company using a call centre in India... not sure what to do.

 

They've called me three times this week - despite the fact that I AM a member of the telephone preference service (I've told them this three times). 1471 does not give me a phone number.

 

Not sure where to go from here.

 

Anyone in a similar situation or have any suggestions?

 

Thanks

 

Sam

[stu007]

Hi

 

That number you were given is not a Company Registration number but a telephone number and it is a SPAM CALL - IGNORE THESE they will probably try numerous times to pester you even like me if your registered with TPS as outside the UK they get past TPS my advice get a loud whistle and give these pest what they deserve.

 

There aint really much you can do and as I said TPS wont stop this number as its outside the UK I used whistle some months ago after I had had enough of there harassing calls amazingly not one call since.

[snugs1235]

I ask calls like this to hold on while I get the homeowner and then I put the phone to one side and leave it until they hang up. Funnily enough they dont normally call back!

[Bang!]

I found asking them what colour of underwear they were wearing tended to end most of the calls almost immediately.

[unclebulgaria67]

I ask calls like this to hold on while I get the homeowner and then I put the phone to one side and leave it until they hang up. Funnily enough they dont normally call back!

 

Exactly. I normally have my phone on answer-phone and have not spoken to any of these cold calling companies for ages. I used to pick up the phone and just say no thanks. Anyway, if people show total disinterest, I am sure that eventually your number gets deleted from the database that keeps getting sold to various cold calling companies.

 

I have also stopped entering my phone number on any comparison sites or any online site. I am sure that some of these companies just sell on phone numbers, even though you have opted out.

[caledfwlch]

Exactly. I normally have my phone on answer-phone and have not spoken to any of these cold calling companies for ages. I used to pick up the phone and just say no thanks. Anyway, if people show total disinterest, I am sure that eventually your number gets deleted from the database that keeps getting sold to various cold calling companies.

 

I have also stopped entering my phone number on any comparison sites or any online site. I am sure that some of these companies just sell on phone numbers, even though you have opted out.

 

I am considering using a special email address or telephone number different to my normal & take screenshots to prove a company has passed my data on without permission. Might be a nice bargaining position for some compo or go to court.

 

I am absolutely sick of the refusal by BT and the government to stop foreign spam calling. They could easily bring in a scheme where you can "opt out" of receiving phonecalls from outside the UK. Some people claim this would be discriminating against non EU Companies.. so? No law against it as far as I can see, and its a personal choice and right as to whether your contactable by phone or not.

[illonavamp]

Thanks for the posts guys, this quite encouraging, even though we can't do that much about it. I think it's because I've been working from home of late and am noticing the calls, though I have had calls at 8am on weekends and as late as 9pm.

 

I have done the "hold on a sec" and left the phone on the table before, I might just do that, it must cost them something to call me right?

 

The overseas spammers seem to have us right where they want us and the situation feels very helpless. However, if it's a UK company outsourcing (surely must be?) then I'd love to give that company a good "£$tch-slapping - so here's hoping there is eventually some kind of regulation....

 

Sam

[Stokkers]

Just come across this forum and like to let you know that I bought an attachment for my landline that filters out these annoying toe rags. It will let your callers through until you press a button on the top of the device and then it'll store that number. Will save with held, Anonymous, International and silent calls. Cost me £60 and I think it's worth every penny. It's a gaget called the CPR Call Blocker, and no, I don't work for them or associated to them. Just a retired truck driver that's fed up with nuisance calls.

 

HTH.

 

Ken

[illonavamp]

It saves withheld numbers?

[scotgal68]

I go through periods of indians ringing me ( I know they are indians because they are the main service users where I work and I'm familiar with the accents and language they use) they phone me to tell me I have a virus on my comp/laptop/android. They ring to tell me they they can write of my debts using new government legislation (tell them I've no debts, they say they have a database that states otherwise). They offer me free loft insulation, help to claim compensation for my recent accident. I get these calls from 8am til 9pm. I'm sick of it and feel like giving my landline up.

[illonavamp]

The "virus crowd" are the worst, I had the same phonecall. Unfortunately I am a IT tekkie by trade. They basically take you through a number of clicks and since they count on no one knowing about computers they basically enable sharing so that they can take control of your computer. Very very dangerous indeed.

[sillygirl1]

Wouldn't it be nice to have an app where you could divert this call to another call centre! Would love to hear the frustrated conversations!

[caledfwlch]

It saves withheld numbers?

 

I am a bit dubious too - I doubt the device can distinguish different withheld/anonymous numbers, thats the point, only BT could likely trace the actual real number. With 1 post, and instantly saying "I dont work for them" I think that post is in fact a Sales post by a member of staff of the company.

 

Wouldn't it be nice to have an app where you could divert this call to another call centre! Would love to hear the frustrated conversations!

 

I believe True Call which CAG supports can do that, somebody, was having major fun diverting debt collectors to each other, trading standards, or back to their own number. The makers really should consider making a smart phone App version, I reckon it would make an absolute mint!

[Stokkers]

With 1 post, and instantly saying "I dont work for them" I think that post is in fact a Sales post by a member of staff of the company.

 

Like I said in my post, I do NOT work for them, nor am I connected in any way to Global. In fact, I have been retired fo 12 years. My call blocker blocked two International calls last evening. i knew nothing about them. Checking up on the other blocker mentioned in the forum, Teleblock, or something. Does exactly the same as mine, but is twice the price.

[SPinDerbyshire]

I've been getting a lot of marketing calls just lately and I've set myself a bit of a challenge to see how many times I can get them to repeat the same spiel. After the first time, I leave a bit of a pause and say 'Sorry, there was someone at the door, can you go through that again?' Second time it's 'Sorry, what? Can't quite hear you, this is a very bad line. What was that again?' So far I've only managed to get them to do it three times before they hung up, but I'm working on my technique. I think this has the makings of a new competition sport, and I'm having tremendous fun with it. Of course, I should point out that I am a very, very, very sad individual, I have no friends and I don't get out much...