Anything goes for Uni

[CreamPuff63]

I hang up on people regularly. I don't ring them so they shouldn't call me with "bad news" or an offer If there is a genuine matter, my contacts will contact me through legal channels eg. In writing, and I can contact them if I phone back on the usual phone number (not the one the sus caller gives). I really don't give a spit in this regard to the 'poor' person at the other end of the line. They are troublesome and don't care about the people they rob even if they have no money or other means of income.

[fundj&e]

 good morning ladies



frightening Marie, i hope we were not at home alone

[Cornish Cream]

Good morning friends.
Good evening DJ and the UK.

[Mama Fergie]

Good morning forum friends 

[Emme]

Goodmorning everyone    A very wet & windy day ahead. Good day for cooking as long as the power does not go off  

Hello CC & DJ  

[obbie]

Good morning all, take care Marie

I had a call yesterday at work, from someone pretending to be from Qld police.
 I told him I was well known to police,if he should  know my name, he quickly hung up...

[mab19]

Good morning / evening everyone.

We had a similar situation here too Emme.  Because I wouldn't buy what he was selling he was going to burn my house down.  I hate these uinwanted phone calls they get me so mad.

Gert, I don't take any notice of use by dates either.  If it doesn't smell and tastes ok then it is ok.

[gertbysea]

I love these phone calls and one kind or another happens more frequently of late. I just consider it a few moments of entertainment when you play along with these idiots. I usually finish off by laughing out loud and telling them to not so politely get lost. The ones who want to take remote control of your computer are best as I keep asking repeatedly how do I do that over and over until they get so frustrated THEY hang up.

They can be a pain in the butt at times but it is always a lot of BS and they are always overseas calls. If you are in the Australian register then you can be sure it is no one in Australia calling.

I saw ion TV the other night some poor bugger sent $10,000 overseas in the hope of getting $170,000 back. Not that is really stupid and you winder how anyone could do that.

Gert

[judydawn]

Recently when I was visiting Mum at the retirement village, I noticed 2 people knocking on the door of the unit opposite hers.  They were carrying clipboards and were soon turned away so they came over to the 93 year old chap living next to Mum and he let them in   I mentioned it to Mum but she wasn't overly concerned and didn't seem to think I should do anything about it but I rang the village Manager and asked him if he knew there were 2 people going around with clipboards and telling them that one chap had let them in.  He came straight over, knocked on his door and said Oh, I see you have visitors, do you know them?  The chap said yes but the Manager asked if he could go in. He asked the people who they were and apparently they were from AGL (Mum is also with AGL so was she next? I would like to think she wouldn't let them in but really, I couldn't be 100% sure).  What they were doing seemed legit to the Manager but he did tell them they should always be cleared by the office before wandering around the village.  He told them if they left any paperwork with the chap that he would come over in the morning and check it out (there's usually a cooling off period with anything you sign with these people) then came into Mum's to let me know what was happening.  He was very grateful that I had alerted him to the problem then went back to his office to ring AGL to put them in the picture.  The callers stayed next door for a short time but then left the village without knocking on Mum's door.  Someone has to look out for our vulnerable oldies and as the chap rarely gets visitors, it wasn't surprising that he let them in for a chat.

Does the Do not Call Register not apply to overseas callers Gert.  I would have thought the clause below from the Act would cover overseas callers. I know a certain number of callers still seem to get through but it certainly cuts down the number if you are registered.  I was told the other day by someone to update my registration every 6 months, not leave it for the 8 years they say you are covered.  I had started receiving more calls but nothing since I re-registered my numbers. It's worth a read and getting yourself on this list. Here's the FAQ list.

'The Do Not Call Register Act 2006 makes it illegal for any non-exempt Australian or overseas telemarketer or fax marketer to contact a number listed on the register. Certain public interest organisations are still allowed to contact numbers listed on the register. Exemptions exist so these organisations and individuals can continue to provide valuable services to the community.'

[Emme]

Judy, I am on the Do not Call register but these calls seem to get through.  I will re-check and update it.  I usually play along with the computer fellow making out I am doing what he wants and using the microwave timer set to seconds and evey time it beeps he can hear it and keeps asking what is it saying and I tell him it says press mode, select, press start.  He keeps telling me it has a virus, in the end I say "What my microwave has a virus" he says "No, ****, the computer. I say, "Oh, I don't have one of those" he then hangs up. Mind you, another lady did something similar and the caller was so angry he kept calling her all hours of the night and early morning for a week or more.  She had to take the phone off the hook.   Like Mab said she has had a similar call, he may have been going to tell me he was going to burn this house down, I don't know as I hung up on him.  This guy was not selling but demanding money.   Telstra told me there is no way of knowing where the call came from as they don't keep a record for privacy purposes, but if I continue to get them  I can ask for a trace to be put on calls for a month (free of charge) and if I want it longer I would have to pay $5 something a month after that.  I read recently on another forum the husband of one of the members received a text message demanding $5,000 so they obviously had his mobile number. 

[judydawn]

I wouldn't antagonise any of these callers, if there's a pause after I've said hello then I just hang up before they even get to speak.  I've also heard how they can pay you back in various ways. 

[gertbysea]

It would be almost impossible with today's technology to bar overseas telemarketers or in fact prosecute them I would think. You can inact all the laws in the world but people would still find ways around technology, telemarketers and the everyday entrepreneurs. There is nothing stopping you or I making random demand calls from various locations or numbers. If caught we may be prosecuted or not.

Making something illegal does not stop people flaunting the law and you can bet the Nigerians don't give a fig what the Australian government  does they will still try to coerce people out of their money.

Laws do not stop or protect anyone from anything. People protect people even from their own stupidity. Pity that guy on TV did not tell his family what he was doing. I am sure someone would have saved him  from sending $10,000 to a stranger. 

Gert

[Bootobethin]

I am on the "do not call" register but callers can still just ignore the list and not get caught especially from over seas. Charities are also exempt so can call you.

[mab19]

We are also on the "do not call list" but it still doesn't stop all the unwanted calls. 

 I had one guy wanting to check my computer so I told him that I don't have one.  He told me I was telling him funny stories and everyone had a computer, I just told him I was one of those who didn't know how they worked so didn't have one.  He told me he was very sorry for me.

As for those wanting to know if I have received my free government water savers and lights etc.  I just hang up on them.

[Bonsai]

I have an unlisted phone number and never get any calls of this kind