I very rarely answer my home telephone; either because I'm not there to hear it ring, or if it's at lunchtime I'm 99% sure it'll be some infuriating foreign twat (probably a Nigerian idiot pretending to be from Microsoft). I don't have a mobile (well, I do, but I don't use it).
My true friends all know to leave a very short message on the answerphone, and I phone them back at once.
I am sick to death of bloody cold calls from scammers, salesmen, opportunists, and the like.
It's always the same. The phone rings four times, then silence, then the answerphone switches off. It happens about ten times a day.
Most French nuisance callers understand the traditional English greeting of 'Fuck off', but a few are persistent.
I would never, never, never, buy anything from someone over the phone; nor (I hope) would I fall for some idiotic scam. If I need something I go to the relevant shop.
I really don't know why they bother. The telephone Co must be making plenty of money from these people, but it also makes people like me want to do away with a land line.
Yesterday I did answer a call, and it was an astrologer! Heaven help me!
How people can get your landline number ?
ReplyDeleteYou're not obliged to be in the "pages blanches"listing and only have to ask France Telecom to take off your name and number. Easy .
Actually my name has not been listed for a while, due to a misunderstanding. I have no idea how they get my number.
DeleteThey use random computer generated numbers. They dial three at a time from the computer and the first one that is answered is used and the others terminated. I have a BT (not available in France of course) 8500 phone and have not had a nuisance call for several years because the computerised system knows that the phone will not be answered.
DeleteAn astrologer? Now that's one call we haven't had. We have the same problem even during siesta which eruptions in our household. We recognise the numbers now and don't pick up. Often they are 'post' so our phone says. We never pick up a call where the number doesn't show. But such a damn nuisance
ReplyDeleteWe need a caller ID phone. I must get one!
Delete'private' not post,.why did spell check change that?
ReplyDeleteThat's why I don't have auto spell check. I used to have it, and it always changed the name of my village to 'Lumberjack'. Now I just call it Lumberjack anyway.
DeleteOne of the best things about moving on to the boat was leaving the landline behind.
ReplyDeleteI can think of many advantages of living on water. Lucky you!
DeleteFor this reason I'm glad I don't have a landline phone. It would drive me crazy. X
ReplyDeleteI know more and more people who now do without. A mobile is much more practical.
DeleteWe are just the same here even though we are registered not to get cold calls. We never answer the phone either. Hate them.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know one could ask not to receive them. I shall check my phone book, I quite expect there are ways and means. They drive me nuts.
DeleteHere we have the "telephone preferential service"
ReplyDeleteYou have to register but it certainly works. It's illegal to call a number on the tps list so it generally discourages cold callers as the fines are large. Ask your provider.
My aunt who lives in Adelaide has her own method. She answers the phone and says she can't talk now as she has to clean up all the blood that's spattered everywhere and she has no idea how she's going to get rid of the body.
The caller generally goes quiet then hangs up.
I will try to get something sorted out; it's becoming ridiculous. My patience is running out.
DeleteYes, they're persistent, I also get them to my mobile, really don't know how they get the numbers.
ReplyDeleteSomebody suggested asking for the callers home number so they could ring him back, and was told 'you can't do that'......But you just fuckin did it to me.
I've tried all sorts of responses, but they just go to the next call. Nothing upsets really them; they're a thick-skinned bunch.
DeleteWe have a service in the UK where you can register so as not to get cold callers, in theory. It doesn't work very well. For a few weeks you think it is brilliant, and then suddenly it all starts again. Either Chloe lives in a time warp or a bubble because if it was easy peasey to get rid of cold callers we would have all done so by now. When I moved house and got a new number the cold calls started again about a year after I moved in. As we all know "lists" of names, addresses and numbers are hot property and sell well. At my last house I had my landline permanently unplugged. Now in this house I need it because I have no mobile signal. I have a number display and only pick up numbers I recognise.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I need; caller ID. I think we'll have to get a new phone.
DeleteIt happens here too Cro. Last Friday in our coffee gang meeting a friend's mobile rang. She was mystified as hardly anyone knows her mobile number. She answered and it was a cold caller. My goodness me did she give him a telling off. The whole cafe fell silent as she poured vitriol down the phone. Me? I just put the phone down without saying a word. We do have the Telephone Preference Service but sadly it doesn't often work.
ReplyDeleteI can assure you I wasn't very polite to the 'astrologer' yesterday. She didn't predict THAT.
DeleteAfter four rings our landline goes to the answer service. Trouble is that it often takes four rings to get to the phone. We then see the number displayed (or not) and can phone back (or ignore it). The answer service will collect all the calls and you have to knock off the messages AND calls not leaving a message. Our landline, internet and mobile are all through the 'livebox'. No doubt we are paying more than the cheapest option but we do have 'free' calls even to the UK.
ReplyDeleteI did use the service from my livebox for a while, but something happened, and I gave-up. I wonder if I can extend the four rings business?
DeleteI'm sure that you can but anything like this defeats me
DeleteWe often unplug and turn off all phones and disconnect the door bell. It's the only way to get a bit of peace. Most people find it odd but that's their problem. Too much communication these days for me and a lot of it is not wanted.
ReplyDeleteBriony
x
I couldn't agree more. Occasionally I'd like to unplug certain insolent neighbours too.
DeleteOh Cro .... don't get me started ...... we are registered with the blocking cold calls service but it doesn't make a lot of difference..... the international ones still get through!! We do have caller i.d though and, like Rachel, I don't pick up unless I know the number and, if it's important, they will leave a message. I pick up and put it straight down so that they have to pay for the call !!! .... and, like you, I would never buy anything over the phone but lots of people must as it carries on. My friend always tells the double glazing calls that she lives in a tent !!! XXXX
ReplyDeleteIt's the age we live in. Who would have imagined it 50 years ago!
DeleteI never speak to these kind of calls..... but occasionally I will say something quite bizarre like " he's dead I hope you are happy now" before putting the phone down
ReplyDeleteYou'll have more time now to be inventive!
DeleteOne call from an Indian went like this:
ReplyDeleteMe: "Fuck off."
Indian: "No, you fuck off."
Mine are roughly the same, but in French.
DeleteI pretend I'm deaf. They don't like that.
ReplyDeleteI don't even have to pretend, the calls are often so crackly, I can't hear a thing.
DeleteThis is true. As if they're phoning from the moon.
DeleteCold calling happens here too, in spite of us being on the Do Not Call register. Annoyingly, politicians and charities are exempt from the cold call list.
ReplyDeleteWhat what I've read so far, the 'no nuisance calls' services don't seem very reliable.
DeleteNothing seems to discourage them. I am on a do not call list and it doesn't help. I have stopped answering the phone and let it go to the answering machine. I detest cold callers.
ReplyDeleteThe best thing is simply not to pick up your phone.
DeleteWe use caller ID and don't answer any calls with numbers we don't know. We also use NoMoRobo which blocks those automated calls. It rings once and stops. These calls are annoying and dangerous to vulnerable people.
ReplyDeleteWe used to have a lot of calls where there was no reply; they would be even worse for vulnerable people.
DeleteWe have caller ID. I pick up and put straight down for numbers I don't recognize. Once I accidently answered and then politely told her I was not well. She answered, wishing me to get sick for real because I'm probably making it up, and she closed the call.
ReplyDeleteGreetings Maria x
Charming. I hope you wished her something similar!
DeleteWe don't have caller ID but a quick slam down of the 'phone has worked so far.
ReplyDeleteSomeone recently asked for me by name. I said I was his son, and that he was in prison. That seemed to work.
DeleteCold calling happens here too, in spite of us being on the Do Not Call register. Annoyingly, politicians and charities are exempt from the cold call list.
ReplyDeleteโกเด้นสล็อต
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