Call from Windows Service Centre

[Rich]

Actually they don't have a valid reason, if you stopped to think about it.

We screen our calls here. If we don't recognize the caller, we don't pick
up. If it was important the caller will leave a message and we will pick up
or call back. This has happened occasionally with credit card companies
calling to either verify a valid charge we made or when they caught an
invalid charge.
I never pick up & just hang up for fear that if it is a computerized
robo-caller, this action may somehow verify our number as active and left on
some list to be called again.
While we are annoyed at the numbers we see repeatedly on called ID. However,
on the occasion when I inadvertently pick up and get stuck on a sales pitch
call (not a phisher), I'm generally polite and try to keep it as short as
possible. It's some poor schmuck hired by some corporation just trying to
feed himself or his family.

 

[choro]

Good for you!

My wife got that call, too. She told the guy that her husband (me) was the
techno-geek in the house and asked for the phone number where I could call
them back. They hung up on her and it took 5 minutes for her to stop
laughing.

I remember once having to get up from the dinner table where roast beef
was just being served to answer just one such call. I had just come home
from work and was starving and I wasn't going to let my roast dinner go
cold! Anyway this girl wanted to do a 5 min market survey and I told her
that I would be willing to answer her questions IF she told me the color
of her knickers!!! She quickly put the phone down.

But my daughter who was only nine at the time was ashamed of her dad
being so rude!!!

 

[Martin Edwards]

I have an old fashioned clock (you know, tick.. tick.. tick..) next
to the phone and when these types of calls come in I do similar and
say 'I'm just powering the computer up' and place the handset on
the clock. Sometimes I even check back 10 minutes later to see
if they're still there.

I keep them online for as long as possible. While they are talking to
me, they are not defrauding someone else. Once a Methodist............

 

[Martin Edwards]

Actually they don't have a valid reason, if you stopped to think about it.

Oddly, I never get these calls on my mobile, only my landline.

 

[Martin Edwards]

I remember once having to get up from the dinner table where roast beef
was just being served to answer just one such call. I had just come home
from work and was starving and I wasn't going to let my roast dinner go
cold! Anyway this girl wanted to do a 5 min market survey and I told her
that I would be willing to answer her questions IF she told me the color
of her knickers!!! She quickly put the phone down.

But my daughter who was only nine at the time was ashamed of her dad
being so rude!!!

Quite right. The young lady has all the right instincts. Actually I
don't mind the "survey" calls so much, it is the "Windows" calls, which
can really !"£% up the unwary.

 

[Mike Barnes]

I remember once having to get up from the dinner table where roast beef
was just being served to answer just one such call.

That would never happen here.

 

[John Williamson]

Oddly, I never get these calls on my mobile, only my landline.

Same here, and I'm registered with TPS on the landline. The boss's
cellphones keep getting texts about "Your recent accident"....

 

[John Williamson]

Quite right. The young lady has all the right instincts. Actually I
don't mind the "survey" calls so much, it is the "Windows" calls, which
can really !"£% up the unwary.

"Could you help with a survey?" "Hang on a second, I'll dig a coin out
of my pocket to get the answers." On the odd occasion I've done the
survey, it's *always* been followed by a sales pitch, which is the point
at which I remind them about the TPS rules. If I've done business with
them they have already been told "Don't ring me, I'll ring ouy.".

The Windows calls can be amusing if you're in the mood, especially if
you have trouble finding the C: drive.

You've got to get me on the landline first. 99% of all callers only ever
hear the fax machine.

 

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

On 7/26/2013 5:33 AM, Michael Swift wrote: []

Caller display is worth every penny, International or Out of area, lift
and drop, number withheld are a bit more difficult as we do have calls
from these and they have a valid reason for it.

Actually they don't have a valid reason, if you stopped to think about it.

We screen our calls here. If we don't recognize the caller, we don't
pick up. If it was important the caller will leave a message and we
will pick up or call back. This has happened occasionally with credit
card companies calling to either verify a valid charge we made or when
they caught an invalid charge.

You are, however, relying on the goodwill of, say, a harassed
receptionist or similar having the time and inclination to deal with
you, if it's a genuine call. In the case of card fraud, I wouldn't put
it past _some_ of the companies to claim that "they'd tried to contact
you on the number you had provided" and thus not cover the loss.

I never pick up & just hang up for fear that if it is a computerized
robo-caller, this action may somehow verify our number as active and
left on some list to be called again.

Interesting point!

While we are annoyed at the numbers we see repeatedly on called ID.
However, on the occasion when I inadvertently pick up and get stuck on
a sales pitch call (not a phisher), I'm generally polite and try to
keep it as short as possible. It's some poor schmuck hired by some
corporation just trying to feed himself or his family.

True. I do think of that - provided he/she is reasonably honest. If they
use any dishonesty (pretending they're what they're not, such as a
survey), I lose any sympathy. Even if they've been trained to do it.

 

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

Martin Edwards wrote: []

I don't mind the "survey" calls so much, it is the "Windows" calls,
which can really !"£% up the unwary.

"Could you help with a survey?" "Hang on a second, I'll dig a coin out
of my pocket to get the answers." On the odd occasion I've done the
survey, it's *always* been followed by a sales pitch, which is the

Seconded. It's the dishonesty that really offends (not least because of
the time wasted).

point at which I remind them about the TPS rules. If I've done business
with them they have already been told "Don't ring me, I'll ring ouy.".

I don't think I'd ever ring them to ask if they have any surveys going!

The Windows calls can be amusing if you're in the mood, especially if
you have trouble finding the C: drive.

(-:
[]

 

[Steve Hayes]

"Could you help with a survey?" "Hang on a second, I'll dig a coin out
of my pocket to get the answers." On the odd occasion I've done the
survey, it's *always* been followed by a sales pitch, which is the point
at which I remind them about the TPS rules. If I've done business with
them they have already been told "Don't ring me, I'll ring ouy.".

I didn't mind survey calls , if I thought they might serve a useful purpose.
But then I had a call from someone who said they were doing a survey of health
in our area, and could they ask me some questions. I said OK, and a bloke
arrived and waffled and waffled and I wondered when he was going to get to the
point. He showed me bad photos of various diseased organs, but hadn't asked
anything that seemed like a survey question, Then he hauled out a gadget that
he said I could put in my bath and it would prevent/cure the ailments in the
photos he had showed me.

I said, "If you're trying to sell me something, you're wasting your time and
mine."

He got a bit miffed at that, but it was his fault, or the fault of the auntie
who had sent him to me for comeing here under false pretenses. I was prepared
to answer a reasonable survey which might have taken 5-10 minutes, but not to
sit and listen to another hour or so of waffle. Out of curiosity I asked him
the price. I expected him to say something like R600, and I would respond that
it was way too expensive. He said R10000, and I said that there was no way I
couold afford that, even if I wanted one, which I didn't. He then said
"Haven't you got a credit card?" And I said, "Yes, but anyway that is way
above my credit limit" and he said "You can put it on a budget account", and I
said, "I'd still have to pay it off, and pay 29% interest or whatever it is,
and all to buy something that I don't want, and I have no idea whether it
works or not. All I have is you showing me a lot of photos that you claim
illustrate diseases, but I don't have those diseases, and I don't know if your
gadget cures them anyway." And still he wanted to argue.

So now I'm suspicious of surveys too.

 

[choro]

That would never happen here.

That would never happen where?--
choro
*****

 

[Ken Blake]

I didn't mind survey calls , if I thought they might serve a useful purpose.
But then I had a call from someone who said they were doing a survey of health
in our area, and could they ask me some questions. I said OK, and a bloke
arrived and waffled and waffled and I wondered when he was going to get to the
point. He showed me bad photos of various diseased organs, but hadn't asked
anything that seemed like a survey question, Then he hauled out a gadget that
he said I could put in my bath and it would prevent/cure the ailments in the
photos he had showed me.

I said, "If you're trying to sell me something, you're wasting your time and
mine."

He got a bit miffed at that, but it was his fault, or the fault of the auntie
who had sent him to me for comeing here under false pretenses.

My favorite, somewhat similar, story is about the woman who called me
and said

"Congratulations! You've just won a set of steak knives."

"Great! Just send them to me"

"No, that's not the way it works. The man comes to tell you about the
Kirby, and when he comes, he brings them to you."

"What's a Kirby?"

"It's a vacuum cleaner."

"No thanks. I already have a vacuum cleaner and don' t
want a Kirby. Just send me the steak knives."

"I can't do that. He has to bring them to you."

"Send them to me! They're MY steak knives. I won them
FAIR AND SQUARE!"

She hung up on me.

 

[Mike Barnes]

That would never happen where?--

It would never happen in this house. A phone call from a stranger
wouldn't make anyone feel that they "had to" do anything, and certainly
not leave the dinner table.

Also, roast beef has never been served here.

 

[Drew]

It would never happen in this house. A phone call from a stranger
wouldn't make anyone feel that they "had to" do anything, and certainly
not leave the dinner table.

Also, roast beef has never been served here.

That last part is just wrong!

 

[mechanic]

That would never happen here.

Nor here, roast beef is prohibitively expensive!

 

[Steve Hayes]

That last part is just wrong!

You've had roast beef at Mike's house?

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I never pick up & just hang up for fear that if it is a computerized
robo-caller, this action may somehow verify our number as active and left on
some list to be called again.

Good point, but here's my "yes, but...".

Out phone is connected to a message service, so it goes offhook anyway.
Which is, of course, too bad when the call is spam.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I don't think I'd ever ring them to ask if they have any surveys going!

Just so!

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Out phone

*Our* phone