back to article BBC-featured call centre slapped with hefty fine for unwanted calls

A company that is currently featuring on the BBC3 television programme The Call Centre has been fined £225,000 for making nuisance calls to Brits, the Information Commissioner's Office said today. The penalty - the first ever awarded to a cold-calling firm offering payment protection insurance refunds - was slapped on two …

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  1. HP Cynic

    Good, I look forward to SafeStyle and their sister company Virgo getting fined for constantly harassing me despite having registered with TPS and having complained about them twice TO the TPS.

    Until this point I was ready to believe the TPS had now powers...

    1. BrownishMonstr

      Don't get your hopes up

      I think they're coasting, doing just enough so it looks like they're doing something.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I actually thought it was a spoof program along the same lines of The Office!

      I didn't realise there were so many people like this that they could fill a call centre with them, so this is what they now call care in the community.

      1. This post has been deleted by its author

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "Happy people sell. Miserable bastards don't. So smile as you dial. Right?"

      Not so happy now are you Nev?

    4. Alan Brown Silver badge

      harrassment is different from cold-calling.

      If you invoke the protection from harrassment act when they call (and record it) you have a pretty good claim against them in civil court - and it gets expensive for them.

      There's plenty of precedent for this if you look around.

  2. Shagbag

    Deaf ears

    "The public have told us that they are fed up with the constant bombardment of nuisance calls," said ICO director of operation Simon Entwisle.

    Yet they only listened to the ICO when they were hit with the fine.

    1. Alan Brown Silver badge

      Re: Deaf ears

      And of course the fine came from the ICO - Not Ofcom.

      Is anyone else seeing a pattern here?

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Twice daily callers

    Wonder if these were the jokes who rang me up with automated messages twice a day for a year. It recently stopped (finally). Always the same pre-recorded message often from numbers from all over the country.

    1. Alan Brown Silver badge

      Re: Twice daily callers

      A pity you don't have a list of those numbers

  4. GettinSadda

    Will it work?

    Save Britain Money, you are an habitual criminal who accepts complaints as an occupational hazard, and presumably accepts ICO fines in the same casual manner. We therefore feel constrained to gently waft this small fine of 0.001% of your operating profit for the year in your general direction.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Will it work?

      Course it won't work.

      Fines for corporate crime rarely work. Costs are simply passed on to punters and/or employees.

      A serious risk of time behind bars might focus their attention a bit more.

      1. Fatman

        RE: Re: Will it work?

        A serious risk of time behind bars a bullet through the head might focus their attention a bit more.

        FTFY

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    > " they hide a bigger problem within the cold calling industry. "

    The bigger problem is that there is a cold calling industry.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      'The bigger problem is that there is a cold calling industry'

      Amen to that! We complain about online ads, but I want to declare war on the bastards who use dialling computers to make mass phone-calls. Anyone gotten those annoying calls that are absolute silence? Take this case. You're travelling overseas in a different time zone, but you leave your phone on for emergencies. The phone rings in the middle of the night. You answer but all you get is silence, it just shatters your sleep....

      I think the problem is this, not that there is a 'cold calling industry', but that these call centres don't phone enough UK or even EU politicians and their families.... We should help them out, and list their private numbers with every nasty cold calling service in the land!

      1. Chris Miller

        Re: 'The bigger problem is that there is a cold calling industry'

        "You're travelling overseas" - and then, just to add injury to insult, you (or your company) gets billed for the non-UK segment of the call.

      2. Peter Simpson 1
        Mushroom

        Re: 'The bigger problem is that there is a cold calling industry'

        They would claim (though for some reason, nobody else would agree) that a small segment of the population actually *appreciates* their calls.

        Our elected officials, for some reason loathe to offend this miniscule segment of the population, and the industry that reaches out to it, refuse to make unsolicited commercial calls illegal.

    2. Dazed and Confused

      Appropriate

      According to the Beeb's story

      Both companies said they intended to appeal, saying the fines were not the "appropriate course of action".

      No, but we'd abolished the death penalty so fines is all we are left with.

      Of course life in prison for all the directors would be a more appropriate course of action. Sadly the human rights court would probably bar the idea of subjecting the inmates to constant cold calls.

    3. Magister

      A whiel ago, I went for an interview at a comapny where the IT director quite proudly showed me their auto dialler.

      The system was set-up to work on the basis that an agent would come free every 15 seconds; I asked how many calls it dropped because there was no agent availible. He gave me the numbers and when I suggested that this might be a nuisance to a number of people, he indicated that was just tough on them.

      This just seemed to be part of their attitude to their customers and staff. It became clear that they were planning on firing a couple of their IT staff but hadn't discussed it with them and were trying to get someone in to make sure that they had someone to keep things running if the IT staff decided to get pissy.

      I decided to withdraw my application....

      1. a well wisher

        "A while ago, I went for an interview at a comapny where the IT director quite proudly showed me their auto dialler."

        And use of an auto dialer also removes the legal requirment to check the 'random' number against the TPS database

        Bonkers un-joined up thinking we get from the the politicians

        1. Juillen 1

          "And use of an auto dialer also removes the legal requirement to check the 'random' number against the TPS database"

          No, it doesn't.. Any number that gets called by the company must be vetted against the TPS. If a number slips through, the company, as an entity, is responsible for allowing that number through, hence the fine, autodialler or not.

          1. ChrisM
            Boffin

            you misunderstand an auto dialler...

            An Automated Calling System (to use the name preferred by OFCOM) works by taking a list of numbers anmng them in sequence. The assumption you quote above is the pacing algorithm, a known amount of people will not pick up (usually 30%) and along with the average call length this allows the algorithm to 'over dial' for the number of agents. If all goes well there will be, as stated above, no more than a 15 second gap between contacts. If it goes badly you have people on the other end of the phone listening to silence.

            In cases where there is a nuisance call created there are things that have to happen, an information message and callback criteria (within 72 hours must guarantee a live operator).

            The lists they dial have to be checked against TPS unless you have an existing relationship with the company and you have opted in, the call is service and not marketing or they are pursuing for debt.

  6. Anomalous Cowshed
    Mushroom

    Cor, how annoying. You're having dinner with the family. Ring ring! Who could it be? Hello, this is Samantha of Compare your Policies... You're on holiday abroad. Ring ring! Who could it be? Hello, this is Raj of Compare your Policies. You're watching a film with your partner on the sofa after the kids have gone to bed. Ring ring! Who could it be? Hello, this is Mike of Compare your Policies...and so on, sometimes 3-4 times a day. And every time, I kept asking them not to call me any more, forgetting the advice of a fellow commentard here who once wrote: just tell them you're going to fetch the person they want to talk to and keep them hanging on the line for an hour...

    1. Natalie Gritpants

      Best way to get rid of them

      is to cost them money. As you say if there is a live human on the line when you answer getting them to wait is very effective. If it's a recording asking you the press button I always do then give the silent treatment to whoever comes on the line, seems to freak them out as much as it does ordinary humans.

      They eventually learn and go away. Whatever you do don't sound angry or annoyed, they just mark you down on their lists as stupid enough to eventually fall for one of their cons.

      1. Snivelling Wretch

        Re: Best way to get rid of them

        I once put the handset next to the radio which was broadcasting The Archers. They thought they were having a genuine conversation for a little while, but sounded mighty confused by the time they hung up...

        1. Graham Marsden
          Trollface

          Re: Best way to get rid of them

          I can't find a link at the moment, but there's a clip (probably on youtube) of someone who responds to a cold caller by playing sound clips from Family Guy's Peter Griffin...

      2. Peter Scott
        Mushroom

        Re: Best way to get rid of them

        The best way is to record their calls. On the first occasion they call, make sure you get their company name. Then tell the guy on the end of the phone that you want no further calls from them and if any more are forthcoming, you will bill them for your time at a rate of £10 per minute and the cost of this call will be invoiced. Make sure they understand what you said. Note the length of the call and make a record and save the recording.

        On the next occasion they call once again make sure they state their company name. The remind them they agreed to be invoiced for your time if they called again. End the call, note down the duration and then prepare an invoice for the time you have spent on the phone to them at a rate of £10 per minute. Send it to their offices via recorded delivery. They will not respond, send a further letter recorded delivery with a copy of the invoice threatening legal action unless they pay within 14 days. Then sue them in the small claims court.

        Not sure if this will work? It's been done already.

        http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2223794/Cold-callers-left-feeling-blue-Homeowner-wins-damages-time-wasted-answering-phone.html

      3. Alan Brown Silver badge

        Re: Best way to get rid of them

        "is to cost them money"

        Which is why I changed my landline number and only give an 070 out to businesses. Anything coming in without CallerID, or with Caller-ID in the blacklist goes to an intercept telling them to cal the 070 (or uncloak n the case of no CID)

        It seems to work...(The old number was TPS listed but was receiving increasing numbers of cold calls. Usually once they realise you're trying to work out who the company is, they drop the call)

    2. g e
      Happy

      You know when they've finished the call

      Cos your phone is going WEEEOOOOWEEEEOOOO on the other end of the sofa :oD

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      One of the things that make me hang up immediately is when someone with an obvious Asian (Indian or Pakistani) accent says "hello, I'm Jon/Mary/Fred from ....."

      I have no problem with someone from an Indian call centre per se, it's the dishonesty of attempting to pretend they're not. Don't bother with a fake name, just say "this is Raj of Compare your Policies".

      Ok, I'll still hang up, but I won't tell them to feck off first...

      1. wowfood

        Reminds me of Steve from Microsoft. Steve kept calling us and eventually I was the one who got the phone. His opening was actually a pretty good american accent, until he said Steve in a distinctive indian tone. I just kept him on the phone until he gave up on his american accent completely, it proved to be a few minutes of entertainment.

        If you have nothing better to do, just keep them talking as long as possible, it can be quite entertaining.

    4. tony2heads
      Devil

      Going to fetch the person.

      An old colleague of mine just left quietly and allowed them to talk to the air. It usually took them a few minutes to get through the spiel, and a minute more before they realized that there was silence on the other end.

      logo- all all centre bosses.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Just so you know....

    Here is a list of the directors of the various companies together with their DOB. If you happen to know any of them, then give them a ring on my behalf (preferably at mealtimes) and thank them for all their unsolicited calls.

    Save Britain Money - Directors

    Benjamin Michael Winchester (19/05/1983)

    Jonathan Blakemore (02/12/1961)

    Neville Wilshire (09/04/1959)

    Osian Llyr Davies (13/09/1978)

    We Claim U Gain - Directors

    Jonathan Blakemore (02/12/1961)

    Marc Standish (19/10/1982)

    Neville Wilshire (09/04/1959)

    Nationwide Energy Services Ltd - Directors

    Jonathan Blakemore (02/12/1961)

    Neville Wilshire (09/04/1959)

    Roy Davies (05/06/1950)

    Jonathan David Wilshire (26/11/1982) (Company Secretary)

    Other subsidiaries of Save Britain Money Ltd

    BillsCutter Ltd

    FuelSwitch.com Ltd

    1stFone Limited

    Save Me My Money Limited

    LeadSale Limited

    NES Property Investments Limited

    NES Property Developments Limited

    Green Deal Direct Energy Limited

    HIS Energy Limited

    1. User McUser

      Re: Just so you know....

      > NES Property Investments Limited

      Do you have thier number? I've been thinking of getting a summer home in Hyrule or the Mushroom Kingdom...

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Just so you know....

      Arrogant B@stard "Nev" Wilshire has his own website with a contact me page:

      http://www.nevillewilshire.com/contact-nev

      So you all know what to do........

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Anyone sniff a rat here?

    These clowns are the third biggest in Swansea - there are hundreds of others bigger. Strange that the ICO finaly pull their finger out to fine now they are on the telly? What about all the others?

    The worst thing of all this is that we are paying for the buggers as they are funded by the endless green taxes on our power, by the ppi juggernaut paid for by our pension funds ....and on.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Perhaps the bigger ones follow the rules. Some of them do.

      When I added my number to the TPS the cold calls dropped to nearly nothing within a few weeks. This indicates that most will follow the rules.

      It now just the international ones and cowboys like these.

      1. Danny 14

        agreed, im on the TPS (mobile too) and my cold calls are fairly low. royal mail tend to ignore the "no unaddressed spam" though.

  9. The Vociferous Time Waster

    Poor show

    These guys are amateurs and need to learn from the pros. If you bounce your calls off a VoIP service and over a couple of international borders then only give out the company name of your holding firm outside the EU you can avoid all this bother.

  10. Number6

    We get hardly any calls, and the few that do turn up are from companies that have some sort of tenuous link to a company with which I've done business, even if its "calling on behalf of...". Invariably that means I'm not interested in what they have to say. One ( Bournemouth area) was decent enough to provide a real phone number on the CLI last time, so they're in the list of companies who get the recorded message without the phone ringing.

    The PPI cowboys need to be dealt with though, we have a spare SIM in a mobile phone and for some reason that attracts lots of SMS and the occasional call, which I have a laugh at every few weeks when I pick it up to clear them.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    BBC3

    > A company that is currently featuring on the BBC3 television programme The Call Centre ...

    I've not watched the show, but I saw the trailers and assumed it was a comedy i.e. fiction. Christ I'm getting old.

    1. Reue

      Re: BBC3

      I wasnt sure if it was real or not at first, but it is, along the style of 'coppers' on channel 4 i think a few months ago.

      And on an interesting note.. just glanced over and my phone which has just this second lit up with a text message about the compensation im owed from my accident i didnt have. what a coincidence :)

      1. PeterM42
        Alert

        Re: BBC3 and unsolicited messages

        Some networks allow you to forward unsolicited text messages to SPAM (7726) at no charge in an attempt to stop spammers.

        Since I started doing that the number of spam messages I get has dropped.

        Please pass this information on to those who don't know.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      It *is* fiction ...

      ... well, "structured reality", which is basically scripted fiction using non-professional actors, IOW a cheapskate way to get round having to pay Equity rates by not giving a toss about the quality of the drivel you produce.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The responsiblity needs to be on those who can do something about it.

    The problem with the whole telemarketing industry is that the responsibility of preventing nuisance calls needs to be places onto somebody who actually can do something about it. Obviously, the telemarketers won't change - this is their whole raison d'etre, so they aren't going to stop. We, the hapless folks receiving the calls have no ability to stop the calls.

    The entity that can stop the calls would be the telephone companies themselves. The government(s) need to force the telephone companies to

    1) allow subscribers to identify what types of calls they do, and what types of calls they do NOT want to receive (e.g. via a web site you access by phone # and password).

    2) Tag the calls by type at the lower level signaling layer (SS7).

    3) Block calls as needed, sending a signaling intercept tone (SIT) back to the caller (as well as reporting over SS7) - that's the three rising tones you hear before the "We're sorry, but you call cannot be completed as dialed" type messages).

    4) Provide a way to report violations (e.g. a telemarketer identifying as a home phone, usually by those "does U has a fone & computer? Den U kin make $€£", ideally by just dialing something like *38 (*FU), and automatically capturing the SS7 level signaling (the caller ID can be bogus, but the lower level protocol has to be correct for the call to happen).

    5) If the calls are from out-of-area, make the point of demarcation be responsible ("Sorry AT&T, but all those calls from call centers in North Elbonia are coming through your system, you are on the hook (sic) for them.").

    1. BorkedAgain
      Thumb Up

      Re: The responsiblity needs to be on those who can do something about it.

      If I could, I'd upvote you twice. Once for all the sense you're making, and once for reminding me about Elbonia...

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Considering moving to an Android phone so I can bounce these calls to voicemail.

  14. Tom_

    I'm so bored of these guys

    I wonder if it's the same company that's decided to harass me.

    The last ones that called and I accidentally answered wouldn't tell me what company they were calling from. I asked them to take me off their database and never call me again and the guy's response was to laugh and say, "That's it then. You're getting called every day. Every single day."

    They always come from 0845 286 xxxx where xxxx varies. If I had an Android phone instead of an iPhone, would I be able to filter these calls out and/or direct them to a recording of my choice?

    At the moment I just don't answer, but then I'm concerned that when I go on holiday overseas, they'll be directed to my voicemail and it'll start costing me money.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I'm so bored of these guys

      Every single time they call you you should raise a separate complaint here: http://www.ico.org.uk/for_the_public/topic_specific_guides/marketing

      The more people that make official complaints the more likely it is that action will be taken.

  15. Bob Gender
    Devil

    Why is Swansea the UK capital of unsolicited telephone marketing? Especially outfits that sail close to the wind.. Is there an infrastructure or labour reason?

    EG, if you ever got a call from someone offering you mobile phone insurance or "We're (mumble) Orange, you are entitled to a free smartphone upgrade" (both based on purloined data from MNOs), chances are it was somewhere near Swansea.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I'm sure I read somewhere that its the accent, for some reason people are more receptive to call centre staff with a welsh accent.

      Last time I got one of these calls about PPI I told them that I knew it was a scam, and they would be better off trying to separate some gullible little old lady from their life savings, If they wanted to feel really good about themselves. I doubt the "try and make them realise they are scum" angle worked, but I wasn't called back.

    2. Alan Brown Silver badge

      One thing which works to seriously piss them off

      Given they tend to have broad welsh accents is "What? I can't understand you. Do you speak english?"

  16. Da Weezil

    I once asked BT why I couldn't block calls originating from overseas especially where they spoof a Uk 01 STD number (but with an incorrect number of digits.

    The clown said that it would breach international agreements and would be illegal. Seems BT prefer to protect the scammers that are breaching EU law than thier customers.

    BT is as guilty as the cowboys.

    1. Spiny_Norman
      FAIL

      The clown said that it would breach international agreements and would be illegal. Seems BT prefer to protect the scammers that are breaching EU law than thier customers.

      They replied that it would breach international agreements and would be illegal. Seems BT prefer to obey the law then break it.

      There fixed that for you. Or do you know (not assume *know*) different?

    2. Alan Brown Silver badge

      Breach international agreements: Yes. Contracts with other telcos

      Illegal: no, but could end up in civil courts.

      Real reason: Terminating telcos get paid for inbound calls (usually 35% of the published fee on international calls. It's not in their financial interest to block all calls from Lower West Elbonia.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        I thunk you'll find they're not telling the truth. I'm currently living in another EU country and I don't think I get more than two nuisance calls a year. I could register to avoid these calls altogether but I haven't bothered.

        So, it is clearly possible to change the way things work without breaking international law.

        1. Nuke
          Meh

          @AC (08:06 GMT)

          Wrote :- "I'm currently living in another EU country and I don't think I get more than two nuisance calls a year. So, it is clearly possible to change the way things work without breaking international law."

          I suspect that is because cold callers get more success with the Brits, who are generally too polite with these bar stewards.

          1. Richard Cranium

            Re: @AC (08:06 GMT)

            "...Brits who are generally too polite ...?"

            An Indian sounding gentleman called asking for me by name. I said "who's calling?" he just repeated "Can I speak to Mr...", I again asked "Who is calling" this time he responded "F... off you c...". I assume he learnt that handy phrase from other Brits he'd called...

    3. Number6

      At the very least BT ought to offer more CLI than "INTERNATIONAL" with no number attached. They could at least give an international prefix even if they don't provide a full number. Given the prevalence of CLI now, even their "we can't be sure all the privacy flags have correctly propagated" is a bit weak, especially now that we can't even rely on the CLI as being real in the first place.

    4. PatientOne

      BT can (and do) block number withheld and international calls for customers. They don't like doing it and will try to put you off, but there is nothing illegal about doing it. Rather, they'll refer you to the TPS or tell you to block the number on your telephone (which will still tie up the line even if you're not taking the call).

      The Telecoms act (1984) was written with a view that phoning someone is the same as visiting them. As such, someone calling without an invitation or with reasonable grounds is trespassing. This is why companies are so quick to confirm that you will accept contact from them and their affiliates. It means they can sell the list to other companies, so making that other company an 'affiliate'. However, this practice has been going on for so long now that they don't bother and no one seems interested in fixing things. It's simply too much trouble for them these days, so we, the poor punter, have to suffer intrusion.

      On the other hand, as the law on trespass allows you to use reasonable force to defend yourself from intrusion... I'll leave it there for your warped imaginations to take over :p

  17. Cthonus

    My most recent run in with cold callers:

    Me: "Of course I can talk. Just give me a moment for Sgt Macdonald to come back with the charge sheets and I'll happily talk to you about contravensions of the Telecoms Acts whilst he traces this call."

    Them:<click>

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Or the other old favorites:

      "What are you wearing?"

      "Are you wearing underwear? What kind?"

      And if you need any other inspiration:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPrQOiS_zLQ

  18. Nuke
    Mushroom

    A Way to Get Back

    If possible, find out the phones and addresses of some cold callers and their support industry. Try Yellow pages for "Direct Marketing" for example. Then, whenever you get a mailshot with a pre-paid reply card, send it back with their address and details disguised as if they are a private person.

    For example, I was pestered for a long time by Staybrite Double Glazing. Their Bristol office is 629 Haymarket Walk, BS1 3LN. Tel 0117 9625383. [http://directory.thesun.co.uk/10808976]. I give these details with the name "Stan Bright"

    Or give the detials of Direct Marketing Assn itself : 70 Margaret Street. London W1W 8SS. Tel: 020 7291 3300. [www.dma.org.uk/content/contact]

    I have even arranged for junk mail salesmen to call at these places. It is funny to think of getting salesmen to talk to eachother - in my experience they never listen to anyone but themself so it could go on for some time - like that Two Ronnies sketch where both men said exactly the same thing at the same time.

  19. MrXavia
    FAIL

    Why not just BAN cold calling for selling products?

    Surely that is a better idea? as I just hang up on cold calls such as that?

    1. Danny 14

      but then I couldnt share my collection of german hardcore rave music with anyone on the phone :(

    2. PatientOne

      @MrXavia

      In the UK, cold calling and in particular cold calling for sales purposes is already illegal. You have to invite them to call in order for them to try to sell you something.

      This is why most companies now start off with a 'marketing' call. They ask you about products you might be interested in, then if you show interest, they pass you on to their sales department (aka the person sat next to them). That is when they are pretending to be compliant with the law.

  20. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Slight OT, but lawlessness is rife ..

    *5* years ago, my wife did some part time testing for my firm. I had built the site to use 3rd party services, and the test site used the 3rd parties test services (as per their request).

    Guess what ?

    All of a sudden we started getting junk mail, and phone calls in the names of the fictitious people she used. And we are still getting them 5 years later.

    AC as I'm a bit embarrassed that my wife didn't think to make up phone numbers and addresses as well as names ;)

  21. Gwaptiva

    Fine is fine, but why not go one step further?

    To stop these cowboys cold calling, fining them is great and all that, but I do believe there are a few further steps that can (and should) be taken.

    I assume this company operates a telephone exchange or switch(es), and as such are subject to the rules of OFCOM (they come in a Big Fat Book together with the licence to operate such devices). Rules broken, revoke licence.

    Try and cold call someone with two tins and a piece of string, you twunts!

  22. Simulacra75
    Thumb Up

    One of my favourites

    From Tom Mabe

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttrzG5F4R3o

  23. Hubert Thrunge Jr.
    Devil

    Sorry can you call back...

    I've seen a couple of good spoof answers for their calls... if you get the silent pause before you hear background noise of the call centre (just before they speak), whisper quietly - "It's done, but there's blood everywhere", then hang up.

    Alternatively, (when they call you on your mobile phone)(this is for the UK) "Sorry, the phone's going dead on my mobile, can you call me back on my landline" giving them a number of of the ICO, or Ofcom, or on my case - the direct line to the local Police control room (which I just happened to have), and I gave him my name as "Oscar Wun" - "Make sure you ask for me directly it's Oscar Wun".

  24. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I'd like to give Nev a High Five..........

    I'd like to give Nev a High Five.......... in the face..........with a chair.

  25. veganhead
    WTF?

    Didn't work for me

    I had one of these b*st*rds call me recently . A nice young lady from (I assume) India said she was calling as someone on my number had had an accident recently. Normally I'd tell them to p*ss off but that day I decided to wind them up and so I said very enthusiastically "Yes, you're right there was someone who had an accident!" The line went silent for 2 seconds, and then they hung up.

    A pity as I was hoping to get some form of compensation from the incident of tripping over my cat in the night.

  26. Roger Roger

    Had daily call from Liverpool based PPI

    Called me at least once a day for over a month until I got fed up at their failure to remove me. Eventually I just went along with what they were saying to establish the company name and looked them up on due-dil. Managed to find their finance director and from that a quick google found me his home number.

    Called him on a Saturday with my mobile number to let him know for every call I received from his company I would call him twice. Hung up. And called him straight back to ask how annoying it was. Seemed to work as I haven't heard from them since.

  27. Maharg
    Facepalm

    Irony

    The irony that the call centres that ring you up so you can claim money for being miss sold PPI are the same ones that used to ring you to sell PPI…

  28. IT Hack

    lolwut? You mean it isn't a spoof?

    I've seen a few of the ads for the show but thought it was a spoof reality TV show. Last night I watched an episode until I could bear it no longer and changed channels. Today I find out that it's a real business?

    I want the BBC to state, as of the next show, that it is a real company and that it is a cold call company. I suspect license payers would be rather annoyed. If not incensed.

    As for the fine...fuck that. Shut down the business, send the management to Botany Bay armed with only a bar soap and shovel. Or just send them to the Big House. Wankers.

    Yeah I know - due process...fine. I'm ok with that...might mean a longer sentence.

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