I just put the phone down on Amalgamated Pest. We used them once a few years back and weren't impressed so went back to the people we'd used previously. The woman said that she noticed we were behind schedule from her records so I pointed out we'd only used them once and that was three years back. She asked why we'd left so I said I wasn't happy with the service and put the phone down. I had the same conversation with someone from them a year ago. Their records are crap.

They are but you can ask them to put a "Communication Excludes Phone" (or Mail, Email, or All, or whatever) on your record in their database.

Or so I'm led to believe

We're getting a lot of the "problem with your computer" calls too. I have fun with them if I've got time. Try telling them you have no computer and they are completely stumped .

I like that one.

Ah not just me then - I like your response and will be using it sometime, I also have fun if I can be bothered normally on a Friday night after a couple of glasses of Sav B!

I ask which one of my seven computers they want me to check, I ask them to detail their microsoft authorisation details/no etc. etc Actually any old bull I can think up at the time, even to the point of asking them to explain to me what I do but that I can't switch on the computer I have a power cut.

in fact I usually bleat on asking so many questions the poor dears get frustrated with me and put the phone down...me usually PMSL. One got so frustrated she started shouting at me, I am sure that went down well - funny I haven't had any calls since then.

I did that to them last week, he kept saying of course I had a computer because it was registered to my phone line, I told him my dog had one but it used a mobile wireless system not the phone line. I hung up when he asked to speak to my dog about his computer - I kid you not, he really did
I'm going to ask the next one if he has passed the IELTS exam and if not could he call back when he has......

When I first arrived in Australia I got a job in a call center in Bundall. Worst few weeks of my life. They got people's numbers by putting stands up in shopping centers and telling people that they would be entered into a competition if they gave their details. We were then given their details on call lists to call and say that they were still "in the running" for the prize which was either food or petrol vouchers, but that for completing the application form they were being "awarded" a visit from a financial adviser. I then had to take the caller through some "qualifying" questions before booking them in. So, the person on the other end had literally just picked up the phone but was then expected to tell me their wage, super, mortgage amount and loan details so I could assess if they had any spare cash for an adviser to sign them up for a property to let out.

You would be amazed at the number of people that fell for it. Also, we were told to get out of a conversation quick if the person was a single woman (can't make up their minds), chinese (they stick within their own culture for investments) and lesbians (too strong minded).

Also, we were expected to ring a bloody bell when we booked an appointment and high five everyone on the way to the bell. I was slowly dying inside.

Never, ever again.

Ren shen! That sounds hideous!!

I had Jimmy ring today, from Tampa USA to tell me that I had won a fantastic holiday, No Thanks says I and hung up.

30 seconds later Jimmy rang again and I left him on the breakfast bar while I went and had a shower. Hopefully wont be hearing from Jimmy again......

One of the reasons that, "do not call", or a private number (ex-directory) doesn't always work is that these companies use auto dialers which ring ten numbers at once. But there is only one operator. So if your phone rings only once or twice and then cuts off it is because some poor unfortunate answered their phone quicker than you could.

An example of the numbers dialled would be 03 5555 1000 to 03 5555 1009. So if your unlisted or do not call number falls within that range, your phone will ring.

Once the sales person has dealt with a call within that number range, his machine will dial 5555 1010 - 1019 and so on, or whatever the machine is programmed to do.

These machines are in blatant breach of the rules but as most are offshore, they don't give a stuff.

However, for all that, I kept a Telstra sales girl on the phone for 45 minutes the other day (I was just in the mood for it!) and totally wasted her time.

I hung the reciever out of an open window the other week, some bloke trying to flog his dodgy computer gear again. the neighbours two dogs were running round outside barking and the guy was swearing at them at the top of his voice, must have sounded good in Mumbai or wherever. I'd just got in from work so I hung the receiver over the window ledge and went to bed. When I got up 5 hours later he'd hung up, such a shame......!

I had my first scam "Your computer's Windows operating system is running slow due to malware" call the other day. Hilarious. They tried a few times where I hung up but the last time I started talking. I sounded really serious and asked them to explain exactly what was wrong as my husband is a Microsoft expert and would be interested in what he had to say. Needless to say he hung up pretty quick.........

Haven't had any here as I don't have a landline.

I have worked in a few call centres both here and in the UK. The dodgy ones will just go through lists of numbers so it doesnt matter if you are ex-directory or not.

I can also tell you that if people were unnecessarily rude (and a lot were) we used to continually ring them back with prank calls in revenge. Just be polite or, even better, have a bit of humour. Politely asking your number to be removed will serve you a lot better in the long run. I used to love getting the old dears who just wanted a chat and would tell me all about their grand kids.

It does seem though like most of them these days are regimented machines belching out numbers from computers which takes the fun out of it I reckon. Not that it was ever actually 'fun' but you know, you made the best of it.

DD works for one of Amalgamated's competitors. They have to book annual inspections with previous clients in order for those clients to "keep their 25yr guarantee" A lot have been suckered in by amalgamated who are a few bucks cheaper on the annual inspection but void the other companies guarantee.
It's her ideal job, she spends 6 hours a day on the phone & someone else pays the bill! Just like living at home again

We had a call the other day at about 7.30 AM we were just heading out to work & the Indian/Asian voice on the other end was very hard to understand first thing in the morning I tried for a few moments but only made out the odd word before handing the phone over to Deb & telling her loudly "If it's some bastard call center flogging a shit holiday tell 'em to ram it, we're late"
It was actually a "very nice Lady" from the ATO wanting to know why my BAS statement was 3 weeks late

An indian lady just rang and told me she was from Microsoft. She said she was from the Sydney support centre and said they were getting error messages reported from my firewall. She asked me to open Internet Explorer and type in www.AMMYY.com and click "run this software". I told her I wasn't happy to do that and she said wait and I will get a technician to talk to you. Cut a long story short I said I wasn't going to run anything and he hung up. It was obviously a scam, who knows what sort of virus I would have downloaded, so be careful.

Has this happened to anyone else?

There was another thread on cold-calling earlier this week, mentions this kind of thing.