Are you in the UK?
We signed up for the Telephone Preference Service and we haven't had a telesales/cold/silent call since
( Peej, Mon 28 Jan 2013, 12:53, 5 replies)

PPI reclaim companies appear to ignore TPS
I find that answering with "Hello, Trading Standards" puts a stop to unwanted calls very quickly.
(gordonjcp, Mon 28 Jan 2013, 12:56, closed)

there are many ways around the TPS
Even if you report a companying for ignoring it they'll do fuck all

I've only seen one occasion where the TPS fined a company for this, and they were making 25,000+ unsolicited calls per day
(quintsy, Mon 28 Jan 2013, 13:15, closed)

Usual way to bypass call preference is to claim they are not selling but are actually conducting a survey, if you say yes to doing the survey, this is taken as an implicit consent to having your details sold to the companies that they ask your opinion about.
I fell for this once and its taken several months to get these wankers to take my phone number off the lists they constantly sell to each other, I still get PPI calls and calls from India attempting to sell me financial services which I assume is a euphemism for PPI claimback.
Allegedly, this implicit consent loophole was supposed to be have been tightened up.
(Finster Ate a cat biscuit for a bet, Mon 28 Jan 2013, 22:08, closed)

you stupid wanker

(quintsy, Tue 29 Jan 2013, 13:08, closed)

^What she said^
It's free, but takes a month to take effect. After that, get the name of the company, tell them you're reporting them. Either they get done, or they remove you from their lists; either way no more calls.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 28 Jan 2013, 12:56, closed)

Got this on my phones but unfortunately
international companies fall outside of English law so they still ring, usually the same time each day. All sales calls involve a question early on. If I don't pick up that it's a telesales by the number recognition I answer their question by saying that the information they request is classified. If they persist repeat ad nauseum.
( edjogs Collared doves are shit., Mon 28 Jan 2013, 14:34, closed)

On TPS I get the occasional PPI text, but that's it
I've had no unwanted calls lately apart from HR companies who are still working from a 5 year-old version of my CV - as an aside, it's quite nice to know that I could have spent the last 5 years doing fuck all and I'd still be employable
( emvee cruor deo cruoris, Mon 28 Jan 2013, 14:44, closed)

The TPS keeps most companies away

(ubergeekian, Mon 28 Jan 2013, 15:43, closed)

Had one of these calls recently.
The guy on the other end sounded African, I had time on my hands so I played along, wasting his time.

After a while I said "Can I just stop you there, I think you need to know that I'm a witch doctor and I can do juju down a 'phone line. I can see you as well"

He had the nerve to tell me to shut up and go away.
(Barnetboy, Mon 28 Jan 2013, 17:18, closed)

Silly billy
You should know that the White Man's Magic is stronger. Tell him his webcam is switched on and you can see him wanking.
(Rsoles, Tue 29 Jan 2013, 0:11, closed)