Virgin Media salesman cold calling

[jfhall82]

I went on the Virgin Media website to see what I could get.

I put in my address and postcode - nothing else.

 

I found the information I needed and decided I'd think about it for a while.

 

Within two days a Virgin media person was on my doorstep.

I have a very clear no cold calling, no sales people sign.

He knocked regardless.

 

I was pretty agitated already by the arrogance and contempt for my no cold calling sign

not to mention the principle of sending someone out to chase up the loosest of enquires.

I assumed he would get the message as he could see us ignoring him through the living room window.

 

He buggered off and I hoped that would be the end of it.

 

I was mistaken, he called AGAIN tonight just as I sat down for dinner. With this I was LIVID.

 

I opened the door and asked him why he was knocking, to which he said "Did you make an enquiry with us?".

 

I pointed to my sign and said "Can you read" to which he replied "if you've made an enqury it's not a cold call!"

 

What!!???

 

I asked him what my name was and he obviously stumbled and looked blank.

"Have I invited you?"

"Then you're a called caller"

 

He made his protests and I got really furious

"how dare you read that and disregard it, wilfully choosing to interrupt my evening"

 

Things escalated and I threw several extremely strong insults his way

and then told him to get off my property in 5 seconds or I would get physical.

 

At some point I also recall telling him he could shove his fibre optic cable.

 

I am absolutely shocked at the arrogance of this company.

To come back AFTER you have read the sign and clearly been ignored. What was he expecting.

 

Now i'm stuck. I don't want to pay BT prices and I don't want a company like Virgin in my life.

 

Gah.

Edited May 11, 2016 by Andyorch
edited

[gregs07]

All as bad as each other. I get at least 1 or 2 letters a month from them "dear householder" there's not even cable on our street

[obiter dictum]

I get them knock at my door once a month, no big deal. He is trying to earn a crust like everyone else

[cchange]

Put in a complaint online and escalate to CISAS if your not happy.

[jfhall82]

 

Seems pretty unambiguous to me...

[dx100uk]

there no backing for you to complain anywhere

TS nor the police will be the least bit interested.

 

 

there are no 'rules' to back up displaying such a notice sadly.

[jfhall82]

You absolutely shouldn't call something silly just because that's your personal opinion. You should be setting an example to others, maybe even the odd constructive post.

Even if there were no legal standing to such a sticker does that make it "silly" or "meaningless"? No, because any decent human being would respect it regardless.

 

If you see a ‘please keep off the grass’ sign do you think, ‘there is no legal standing behind that or anyone they can complain to ‘? – Therefore I’ll walk all over it?

 

Trading standards actively recommend such signage and ignoring it is a breach of Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 under Schedule 1, paragraph 25.

Citizens Advice website asks people to report traders who ignore these signs to them and Trading Standards are also keeping track of firms that break the rules.

Edited May 13, 2016 by Andyorch
edited

[obiter dictum]

It is not illegal to cold call and neither is it illegal for the salesman to ignore such a notice.

 

The only exception will be if the local Council/Police have set up a "No Cold Calling Zone" such as a residential area for the elderly where the police will be asked to attend. Even then there is not a lot that can be done in reality

[dx100uk]

that sign is not recommended by the police nor TS

 

 

its what you have downloaded from somewhere

and is readily available under an image search on yahoo images or alike

 

it is NOT from the Police or TS or like schemes run by them.

you should be absolutely certain what you post is accurate

it is not

 

that's what siteteam is here for.

 

back to your org point that you ranted about..

if I was in a cabled virmin area

i'd grab a deal with them with both hands

their cabled/fibre broadband far outstrips anything

that any provider gives via a phoneline

and far far cheaper.

[jfhall82]

Ok. Three things.

 

1. The point of this post is to not to establish to law. It's to warn others that if they make the vaguest of enquires with VM they will follow up with aggressive sales tactics and you will have a fight to get rid of an unexpected caller that a lot of people won't want. You would like that. Good for you. IF your elderly or just don't like salesman on your door stop you won't.

 

2. Even if you assume there is no legal substance behind it that does not make it silly or meaningless. Any human with the ability to read can establish the sentiment and come to the conclusion it's probably not a good idea to knock.

 

3. The precise wording/design of that particular sign is not a trading standards one - granted. But that wasn't what you said. You said there were NO signs that would be approved by TS when there are and the legislation I mention supports them. Again your wrong. My sign is very similar and contains all the right words. Would you ignore a “height restriction” sign just because it hadn’t been put up by the council?

It doesn't NEED to be endorsed by them to have a meaning!

 

 

Such signs are recommended by trading standards.

Here is just one example of a sign provided by Coventry TS.

http://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/30/trading_standards/1410/doorstep_sellerscallers/5

Plenty of other examples out there from councils and alike.

 

It’s not about the legality. It doesn’t need to be. But if you still want to bark up that tree go and read the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading as indicated above.

 

 

And anyway none of this is the point of this thread, I just wanted to make others aware of what would happen.

Edited May 13, 2016 by Andyorch
edited

[mikeymack2002]

I have to admit I actually agree with the OP on this occasion. Why? I am what the call the block voice and I volunteer my time and effort to keep the estate clean tidy and free from vagabonds and cold callers.

 

I have a post in relation to a certain church group that constantly cold called to discuss their form of religion on my doorstep. I find this very annoying due to mobility isues as they have normally moved on to neighbours by the time I get to the door.

 

I also attend Local Community Meetings ( LCM) run by the Police and with others from around my ward. The Police listen and sent me an Officer in full uniform no less to hand me 36 of their do not call stickers. This had no effect on these callers.

 

Now beng an ardent CAGGER I have access to our library where we all know of a version of a document that stops or tries to stop 'doorsteppers' this is the Shepherd and Short case.

 

I have now twice printed off this case in full and denied them access to cold call on this estate. They chose to ignore it. I then sent a copy of this the my beat Sergeant explained what it means and how they (the Police) should deal with this unsocial act.

 

The result that I was able to get from the Police was for them to send an officer in uniform to this church and TELL them not to cold call anymore.

 

In our case it has had the desired effect. Then I asked the same Officer to do the same for all 'halls' in the Borough which they did as they had many complaints of this nature but didn't know how to deal with it properly.

 

So with this in mind there will be a no cold calling group set up and assistance offered if need be. But, sorry for this it helps if there is an amount of vulnerable adults/residents in the area as these people need protecting from scoundrels.

 

The case I have referred to is useful at times and can be helpful..

 

Also as a customer of Virgin they have a postcode checker service but don't ask for a house number.

 

Finally it's not about what you know it's how you use it that gets the job done...

[SoggyMoggy]

It all depends on what people consider to be a cold/unsolicited call. It can be argued, as the salesman did, that you requested more information. By giving your address out he could surmise that he wasn't an unsolicited call. The issue becomes clouded by you needing to put your address into the website to find out what you could get. You were simply trying to help yourself and needed to input your address to do that.

 

One question that I do have though is why were you so livid about it? Why did you get furious when he argued his point, the same one I'm making above. Why did you consider it necessary to throw insults his way, and threaten violence? You could have simply told him you had looked at the site and were considering what you found. That you can make the decision yourself and don't need any assistance and then wish him goodbye. That way, you wouldn't have got so worked up and your dinner would still be warm.

[AndyOrch]

Thread tidied and re opened.