Stop doorstep cold calls (door to door selling/marketing)

From October 2010, displaying a 'no cold callers' sign should deter most door to door sellers. This officially became part of the EnergySure Code of Practice and reputable companies should not call any more.

http://www.energy-retail.org.uk/documents/code030910v5Oct2010.pdf

Therefore if the cold caller persists, note down their name & employee number and report them to the company and Consumer Direct.

http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/


Further reading:
http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/before_you_buy/buying-at-home/doorstep-selling/

Cut down unsolicited postal mail

Mailing Preference Service supports your right to choose the mail you want.

Unwanted, unread Direct Mail has no place in anyone's home. And if you're not interested in receiving it, MPS will update their records for Direct Mail companies to see and adjust their lists as you request.

http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/

Cut down unsolicited mobile and telephone calls

The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) is a free service. It is the official central opt out register on which you can record your preference not to receive unsolicited sales or marketing calls. It is a legal requirement that all organisations (including charities, voluntary organisations and political parties) do not make such calls to numbers registered on the TPS unless they have your consent to do so.

http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps/

This will cut down the number of unsolicited (marketing) calls you get to your mobile or land line telephone. You will still get unsolicited calls if you have filled in a research poll or survey but with a bit of investigation, you could stop these too! See my other posts on this forum.

Further reading
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/no-more-junk

Nuisance telephone cold calls and what can be done

You have gone to all the trouble of registering your home and mobile phones with the TPS (Telephone Preference Service) http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps/ but you start getting nuisance telephone cold calls. Sometimes there is no one on the other end, just silence.

It is likely that someone has obtained your data (personal details) and sold them on to companies, they think, you would want to receive marketing calls from. A computer database selects your telephone number and rings it. If you answer it is meant to connect one of their operatives. Thing is, all the operatives are busy troubling others and so you are met with silence!

I sometimes get lucky and find the companies details via a web search of their telephone number. This is a growing problem and now there are websites dedicated for the annoyed to post a nuisance number and help each other find out who the company is. You will see these listed in your search results and someone may have already posted the companies details. Sometimes you get lucky and the companies website appears in the results!

If you get their address or email address then you can send them a 'Cease and Desist Notice'.

Quote:   

Subject: Cease and Desist Notice!

Dear Sir / Madam,

I have received unsolicited nuisance calls from telephone number <enter number here> which appears to be on your behalf.

Please remove my telephone number <telephone number> and other details from your database. You have been mis-sold my data and I do not want your service.

Failure to comply with this request will be deamed a breach of at least the following UK Laws:

Harrassment Act 1997, Telecommunications Act 1984 and Data Protection Act 1998.

Thank you,

<signed>

   
So far, it has worked although today I have had two calls that originate from Indian call centres for UK companies. I have emailed the UK companies and will see how quick the calls from those telephone numbers stop.


Further reading
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/no-more-junk

DO NOT fill in a mail surveys!

Someone in my house hold filled in a ruddy survey that came through the post. They entice you using some 'research' type company name and may promise that you be entered in some prize draw.

These companies are just data harvesters. You get them on the internet as well. They may guise themselves as a free competition on a webpage or even via a Facebook advertisement. Be wary what information or tick box you tick.

I now am getting about a dozen cold call telephone calls a week from Debt Solutions (IVA) and re-mortgage companies.

Grr! On this forum topic, I'll either name and shame or, advise how to get de-listed.

I have a pair of digital telephones in my house and I add the offending telephone numbers to the phone's inbuilt telephone book. I name the entry as something like, 'DO NOT ANSR2', etc. The family then know not to answer the call and this hopefully gets you removed from their list (database) after x number of failed attempts.

In this instance, Acxiom harvest my details, under the guise of 'Research Opinion Poll". I am now removed from their database but, they have already sold my details on and so the nuisance calls.