Cold callers

[Simbo]

looking for suggestions on the best way to deal with cold callers. The cold calling at my parents house is beyond ridiculous. They are getting at least 20 calls a day, often right up to early evening. The are both elderly and I’m wary of them ending up getting scammed. Changing the number isn’t really an option. We have tried all the usual ones ex directory, number recognition etc but nothing seems to work. Block one number and an hour later it’s doing it again. The calls are even coming in from mobiles.
Any sensible suggestions?

 

[ScienceBoy]

Truecaller on Mobiles, works a treat but has some drawbacks.

Quote GDPR at them till they go away is my tactic.

 

[larmen]

Get them to sign up to the telephone preference service, then they should reduce a lot.

 

[Imurg]

We have our answerphone set to ring twice before kicking in.
It's enough to alert us to a phone call and listen to what's being said at the other end.
If we don't like what we hear, we don't pick up.
If it's someone we know then we do.
All friends and family know this and start asking if anyone's in. We hear it and pick up.
Ignite from an unknown caller and they have a genuine reason for ringing they'll leave a message.
We find that99% of cold callers ring off as soon as they hear the answerphone kick in.

 

[Old Skier]

Depends how much time you have, I spent a fun half hour with one once just for a laugh.

 

[Lazkir]

My record was 48 minutes. I was bored with nothing to do so just wasted as much as their time as I could.
Their reaction was funny as feck when I got completely bored and told them I really didn't want all those solar panels.

To me unsolicited sales calls = carte blanch to say what I like to these scamming scumbags.

 

[Simbo]

Unfortunately sitting ripping them isn’t really a way I want to spend my time. Thanks for the suggestions I’ll look into them all and take it from there.

 

[Taz]

We've got BT call guardian, so we can screen who's calling.

 

[Robster59]

You can buy phones now with a call blocker built in. You decide who to et through and who to ignore. Most cold callers don't bother when they come up against these and you can program the phone so that known numbers come straight through and unknown numbers are blocked.
A friend of ours bought one of these and it stopped all the cold calls.

 

[SatchFan]

We also bought a BT Guardian handset. Stops everything, even John from India.

 

[User20205]

Just don’t have a land line...who does?
Its easier to screen calls on my mobile.
Anyone who engages with a cold caller for 48 mins really needs to get a life!!
They’re just doing a job. Just say no

 

[Deleted member 15344]

My record was 48 minutes. I was bored with nothing to do so just wasted as much as their time as I could.
Their reaction was funny as feck when I got completely bored and told them I really didn't want all those solar panels.

To me unsolicited sales calls = carte blanch to say what I like to these scamming scumbags.

48 mins ? Why ? They are only doing their jobs as a salesman to try and get business - they are just like all salesman’s but why waste 48 mins of yours and theirs time.

Any time someone phones I will always ask what are they selling if I could want it I’ll listen to it if not I’ll say no thank you and it finishes politely- they Arent “scumbags” - or scamming , just trying to sell to make a living.

 

[HampshireHog]

BT TrueCall on our landline works a treat.

 

[Simbo]

48 mins ? Why ? They are only doing their jobs as a salesman to try and get business - they are just like all salesman’s but why waste 48 mins of yours and theirs time.

Any time someone phones I will always ask what are they selling if I could want it I’ll listen to it if not I’ll say no thank you and it finishes politely- they Arent “scumbags” - or scamming , just trying to sell to make a living.

He didn’t waste 48 minutes of his own time, he said he was bored with nothing else to do so he’s not wasting his time. They are scum bags trying to scam people. my disabled 70 year old mother has to get up and check the phone every time one of these imbeciles ring. If people want something they will go out and get it or contact the relevant company to get it. How would you feel if you’re confused 75 year old parent ended up giving out bank details or buying 4 grands worth of solar panels or something to someone that’s just phoned up trying to “do their job”

 

[Simbo]

Just don’t have a land line...who does?
Its easier to screen calls on my mobile.
Anyone who engages with a cold caller for 48 mins really needs to get a life!!
They’re just doing a job. Just say no

My parents are to old for all the change and hassle of doing away with their landline. Just saying no 20 times a day is nonsense.

 

[User20205]

My parents are to old for all the change and hassle of doing away with their landline. Just saying no 20 times a day is nonsense.

It’s a pain. It’s one of the reasons we got rid of our landline. Not sure there all scammers thought. It’s a bona fide was of selling.

 

[User20205]

He didn’t waste 48 minutes of his own time, he said he was bored with nothing else to do so he’s not wasting his time. They are scum bags trying to scam people. my disabled 70 year old mother has to get up and check the phone every time one of these imbeciles ring. If people want something they will go out and get it or contact the relevant company to get it. How would you feel if you’re confused 75 year old parent ended up giving out bank details or buying 4 grands worth of solar panels or something to someone that’s just phoned up trying to “do their job”

If they’re that confused maybe you should have a greater hold on their expenditure..

Some fellas at the club have call screening. Trying to arrange knockouts, you have to introduce yourself in a pre screening process. They still have to answer the phone tho.
Get her a cordless phone with a caller ID screen, then she can reject the call from the comfort of her lounge chair

 

[jim8flog]

Tell them (and make sure all family and friends know about it) to wait for 8 rings before picking up the phone. Most computer generated calls are set to try another number if nobody answers after 7 rings.

I find it amazing in this day and age the number of people who hang up when a phone is not answered straight away, side effect of the mobile age probably.

 

[Simbo]

If they’re that confused maybe you should have a greater hold on their expenditure..

Some fellas at the club have call screening. Trying to arrange knockouts, you have to introduce yourself in a pre screening process. They still have to answer the phone tho.
Get her a cordless phone with a caller ID screen, then she can reject the call from the comfort of her lounge chair

I was merely making a point about confused elderly people, my parents still have their wits about them.
I get a lot of unsolicited calls on my mobile aswell, mobiles aren’t immune from it.

 

[Tashyboy]

He didn’t waste 48 minutes of his own time, he said he was bored with nothing else to do so he’s not wasting his time. They are scum bags trying to scam people. my disabled 70 year old mother has to get up and check the phone every time one of these imbeciles ring. If people want something they will go out and get it or contact the relevant company to get it. How would you feel if you’re confused 75 year old parent ended up giving out bank details or buying 4 grands worth of solar panels or something to someone that’s just phoned up trying to “do their job”

This all day long. Me mother rang me and said a woman had called round after cold calling. She was going to save them a fortune in not having to pay to go in a nursing home. They have no plans to. It was only going to cost me Mum £1500. When this woman just asked hypothetically how much they had in bank accounts and how much she was gonna save them. Let's just say Tashyboy tripped out.
BT call blocker seems the best, and owt that stops John from India is worth looking at as well.