Not another overseas telemarketer phonecall!!!

[Stickbow Hunter]

Here you are mate. https://www.donotcall.gov.au/

Jeff

[clinton miller]

hello, my name is Yovraj and i'm calling from melbourne (pronounced mel-born and spoken with indian accent)

then there's the- i'm from the computer department and your computer has viruses, log on for me and i'll show you how to get rid of them. what he really means is log on so i can wreck your computer and goodness knows what else hackers do.

we're getting sick of the phone calls too.

[hazard]

Hey Jeff
You have to renew it after a year or so or it stops.

Here ya mate. https://www.donotcall.gov.au/

The most entertainment is when you give the phone to your 4 year old who is dying to talk to someone (anyone)on the phone! It was just brilliant a couple of years ago to just say "Hey Duncan phone call for you mate" One clown was dumb enough to still be on the phone 3 minutes later

But the best thing is after a really bad you just go for a walk outside where no one can hear you and let steam off just giving them both barrels. I get such a bent thrill out of it

Man your missing out on some great therapy

We need to bring out a new show on Radion, funniest telemarketer humiliations, have prizes for keeping him on the phone the longest and giving the most curry

Hazard

[Nephew]

Must be on a roll, we've been getting a ton of them lately, too. I hate it when they try to tell me their name is Steve, and you just KNOW it's Sanjeev or something. I don't care about a name, why should they?

Trouble with givin' 'em stick, Haz, is they start ringing you every night at 3am for a month, then!

[hazard]

I got that windows one as well, They made the mistake of calling right after a tense meeting with someone I really didn't like and had to hold back, and as it turns out I got to let steam off on Sanjeev Ya krapt in mavindaloo Therapy

Trouble with givin' 'em stick, Haz, is they start ringing you every night at 3am for a month, then!

Naah not a chance, Duncan is 10 now and my do not call registration ran out about 2 years ago, maybe your not offensive enough

[Jeffro]

We dont have a home phone anymore but when we did I used to either hang up immediately without speaking or tell them ill get the owner of the house then put the phone down not hung up and go out

[dalbyboy]

I like to scare em off.
Last one I got, I told him that I was the new house owner cos I had just shot the previous owner.
BOOP BOOP BOOP
Hello? Hellllllooooo? That was weird

[Stickbow Hunter]

Hey Jeff
You have to renew it after a year or so or it stops.

It lasts five years mate.

I got a mobile recently and was getting calls on it so we registered it and reregistered our other phones and they have stopped.

Jeff

[muntries]

I loved the telemarketer who called from the USA but said she was in Melbourne and when I asked her how she was enjoying the sunshine she replied that it wasn't sunny and had been snowing for three days solid. Oops it wasn't summer in the US. Yea you can put your name on a register and they are not allowed to call you but apparently some charities are exempt but they are supposed to remove you from their lists if you ask the charity telemarketer to do so, this doesn't stop the beaurea of stats from making their random calls.

[TomMcDonald]

There's something soothing about listening to those Fillipinas talk about the latest optus deals in their Asian/American accent.

[bigbob]

I only seem to get Alex or Rick [aka Sanjeed ] informing me of my computer problems. I have utterly no tolerance for them any more [ I was one of the first to sign for the do not call register] and usually give them both barrels, as in 'I would like to be able to reach down the line and introduce you to five fast folded fingers.' One idiot rang me, got a blast then barely an hour later rang again and tried the same spiel. Think his ears are still ringing!

[Bent Stick]

I just don't hang up and leave the phone for a a day or two (it ties up their line, they can't use it and have to use another) done it three times in a week 4 years ago, haven't had a telemarketer since.

[Steven J]

I might chime in here.

I never promise money or give details to anyone over the phone - Bushfire Brigade, SES, VRA or whoever because you never know for real who it is. Scammers living in Australia are the scum of the Earth. We have a government that can give people financial support so they don't have to resort to stealing.

But ... many scammers are employed by big companies overseas where poverty is high. If you are trying to feed 5 kids on a few dollars a day, and you have to choose which one should be the lucky one and go to school, what would you do? You have been offered a job working ONLY 18 hours a day making phone calls and they will give you $10 for doing it. It beats picking through garbage and selling it to be recycled. Now all your kids can go to school, and you get to eat something other than rice 1 day of the week.

Talk to the person. It is surprising what you can get out of them sometimes. Sometimes they will just hang up as they know they have strict quotes to meet if they want to keep their job.

This is another story that I heard first hand. The person in this story is Australian, working in Australia but there is a point to be made.

A young girl was filling in a gap year by working as a telephone support person for OPTUS. She was planning on working for 6 months saving some money then traveling before starting Uni. She moved to Sydney for the phone job, but found living by herself in a big city pretty isolating. She already had a dark personality having dealt with depression for some time. Her depression and isolation were contributing factors to her feeling suicidal. One day she decided to end it all. She came back into work after lunch - sitting on her own surrounded by hundreds of people - and decided that after the next call she would walk out of work and end her life. She had been thinking of this for some time and had the means to do this with her at the time. She took the one last call and it went something like this.

"I am calling because I am having problem X with my phone .... wait a minute I don't actually think that is why I called .... I think the reason that I called is to tell you that you are going to make it.... and that God cares for you".

She did leave work after the call that day, still feeling like garbage but she did not kill herself.

I met this young girl about 5 weeks ago and her story was amazing.

My point is this. Telling someone that they are the scum of the Earth helps no one... they won't change their job because of it. If they hear it 50 times a day they will probably start believing it and then we have bigger problems to deal with.

When you feel like having a rant, go and yell to the sky. Curse God for all I care... he has taken it all before and can take it again. Don't take out your bad day at work on a total stranger, they are probably doing it tougher than you.

Steve

[jindydiver]

I get these stupid calls regularly. I don't get cranky, I just hang up. If I pick it up and it takes more than 2 seconds for them to reply to "hello" you know it is being switched to someone and so you just hang up.
They are pretty unsophisticated really. We all know Microsoft developed the Windows operating system yet these guys ring and say "Hello, I am ringing from Windows operating system" Honestly, the only people they suck in are oldies who are trying to get up to using the current tech, mostly people who can least afford it.
I am so suss on these calls that when I got a call from the ATO I made the lady give me her name and office location and I rang a number out of the phone book and asked to be put through. No way will I discuss anything of a personal nature with someone who rings me, no matter who they "say" they work for.

[Steven J]

Mick,

I had a similar stalemate with the NAB a short while ago. The wanted to 'verify' who I was before they would deal with me about my account. The usual date of birth, address, account number, credit limit, mothers maiden name...

I told them that before I would provide any information that I would have to verify who they were. The bloke on the phone could not understand why it was not good enough to 'say' who he was.

I followed the same course of action as yourself and called the bank directly. Yes it was a legitimate call.

Steve

[Steven J]

Thanks Tony

Darren, I understand that your phone is important in your work, and that no one likes being bothered when you have just got the kids in bed and sat down for the evening with your wife. I don't think that it is possible for the person on the other end to choose the most annoying time, therefore we both must concede that they call us at the wrong time by accident (even if any time is inconvenient).

Some people spend 24/7, 365 days a year trying to stop their kids getting dysentery or malaria. A few extra dollars working in a phone centre might just mean they can buy good water or a mosquito net.

As for the Joho's. Fine get angry if they don't leave when asked - no problem there. However why should they not be allowed to visit to ask the question without getting the shot gun? Why persecute someone for showing persistence. Isn't that a quality that we usually admire.

Back to your original post. Asking for the number shows that you actually would rather go about this in a peaceful manner, rather than with aggression. I do understand your frustration.

Sorry for playing Devils Advocate here, but there are always two sides to the coin.

Steve

[Stickbow Hunter]

Steven,

I too understand and agree with some of what you say. Where I draw the line is with the scammer phone calls - the ones where the callers are purposely (knowingly) trying to get hold of your personal information to steal money from bank accounts or get access to your computer. These people prey on the naive and elderly a lot of the time so I have no time for these types of calls. Our elderly neighbours got caught by one of these mobs recently and they (the scammers) got control of their computer which necessitated them cancelling their email account and spending quite a lot of money to have their computer restored to proper working order. That isn't acceptable IMO.

Jeff

[muntries]

Also worth mentioning that a few of the charities, including some of the larger 'reputable' charities have been caught taking advantage of elderly folk and other vulnerable people to get them to donate money. There was a case of an elderly lady in Melbourne who was suffering from a mental illness and so one charity called and without much pressure she gave them money and eventually a number of other charities must have got her details from one of the others and they were calling her on a regular basis.

[Nephew]

maybe your not offensive enough

Gee mate, gimme a break! I try my best!

[george]

gidday I dont get anymore overseas calls have not had any for years

I am with telstra and pay a small fee per month to block all

overseas calls . You can remove and restore the block

by your handset . hope this helps

george

[Steven J]

Jeff, I think it is such a shame that we are quickly learning not to trust anyone. Scamming is wrong and always will be. I feel sorry for the people that are scammed in Australia, but also for those in poor countries that are scammed into becoming scammers for their wealthy bosses. It is no different to kids being forced into begging for their owners in places like India.

George, do you recall how much this Telstra service costs?

Steve

[george]

hi steve

this service costs around $6.00 per month. had the service for about 4 years

this service with the do not call regeister means I am no longer troubled by tele marketers

hope this info helps

george

[hazard]

Steve , You mean you had to pay money? Thats an outrage!!!

The 'DO NOT CALL REGISTER is free I didn't pay one cent! If telstra charged you for that its just another blow against a long list of grubby business tactics I have heard of or suffered This should be free!

this service costs around $6.00 per month. had the service for about 4 years

Moreton, I can give you a few pointers but I absolutely cant post em here Jeff would never forgive me

maybe your not offensive enough

Gee mate, gimme a break! I try my best!

Every year I contribute to many different charities, but I try to make sure the charities are only in Australia and try to make very sure it isn't one of these representative companies as they only pass on a mere percentage of the money you donate or not at all.

Hazard

[Steven J]

hi steve

this service costs around $6.00 per month. had the service for about 4 years

this service with the do not call regeister means I am no longer troubled by tele marketers

hope this info helps

george

Maybe Telsta is SCAMMING all of us!

Steve

[Stickbow Hunter]

Maybe Telsta is SCAMMING all of us!

I don't think there is any doubting that one Steven.

Jeff

[george]

gidday again I wish to clarify my last post

I am on the DO NOT CALL REGISTER I have not been charged for this is a FREE service

It is my understanding that Overseas companys are not bound by the register so I asked

Telstra for options they explained the Easy Call Control service and charges to me I up took the service that was 4 years ago

sorry if I caused any misunderstanding

george

[looseplucker]

Simple. "Excuse me while I go to the other phone"

Make a cuppa, grab a brewksi, spine test some arras, go for a wee, pat the dog......15 minutes should do it.

[hazard]

You surprise me LP I would have thought Charlotte would have appreciated some quality time chatting with Sanjeev Ya krapt in ma vinderloo. The poor girl is missing out

Hazard

[looseplucker]

Ahhh, the Master can read the human mind. Yep, we've done that one too.

But here is a thing, if your caller is male and from the sub-continent, ask him about the latest cricket scores....and you'll have a great conversation and he'll forget in 1/2 a micro-second about the purpose of the call. I've had some lovely discussions about the Ashes, whether Ponting was past it, can Pup Clarke step up to the plate....

[rodlonq]

Thats funny John