New telemarketing scam going round

[D-Angle]

Hi all,

There is a new telemarketing scam going round that is proving to be a real headache for people who are unaware. Basically it involves them calling you up and saying that you have agreed to have an advert in a calendar or something similar, to raise money for charity. They claim that you gave them the OK for it several months ago, and that they just want to confirm your postcode. They also try thing like "Well one of the directors confirmed it ages ago" and so on, hoping you'll just put it through assuming omeone else did it and didn't tell you.

We were lucky when this lot phoned, as the time they claimed we had ok'd it was actually just before we started trading. Apparently they record the conversations, so if they say "you gave this the ok a few months back, can you just confirm your postcode", don't confirm it. Repeat again and again that you have no recollection of it, you are sure that you didn't sign up, and you would like to be taken off their list. Other wise you can end up in the situation that this poor chap is in:
www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=1115

It seems that if they do get you to talk and you then claim you didn't want to do it, they threaten litigation. Doesn't look like anything to worry about, but still not nice. Be alert!

Regards,
Justin

[dick dastardly]

Seem like a pleasant bunch to do business with

[simpo two]

They can try it on, but they won't find a PO. My chequebook's tighter than a bull's arse in flytime!

[groomi]

I fell foul of this nearly two years ago, so it's been around for a while.... I still get the odd call now, although ofcourse I tell them where to stick it

Trouble is, I will now never even consider taking part in any genuine charity supporting campaigns.

[grahambell]

A similar scam is people phoning up to get companies to pay for ads in publications that don't really exist.

NEVER agree to place an ad in a publication you've never heard of without getting a rate card, sample copy and distribution details sent first.

[simpo two]

That remins me - a few weeks ago I got a call from what sounded like 'Business Link'. Except that when the following e-mail arrived, it was from 'Business Lynx'...

[MattNM3E36]

Interesting,

I had s imilar thing when a company called me last year on my land line (it was selling space on a year planner).

When I asked who would see the advertising, I was told a copy of the year planner would be sent to everyone who advertises (great VFM!) so I said "no thanks".

Then they tried telling me it was for a choldrens charity, so I asked for the reg number so I could check them out but they (surprisingly) couldnt put their hands on it right then (offered to send the charity details in the post with the year planner and invoice...LOL!).

Got rid of them, and then had a call from the same lot in January, saying had I received my package that I requested.

I stated that I had expressed no interest, in fact quite the opposite, but they were obviously reading from a TM script so just carried on.

I gave up and put the phone down and 1 minute later got called back with "don't you put the phone down on me you little b**stard, your business is going down the f*****g tubes you c***".

Now, this woman was obviously under the mistaken impression that she could hide behind the "number witheld" but Orange legal department and the Police don't seem to agree.............

;-)

Using those tactics is quite bad enough, but to try saying its on behalf of a childrens charity makes then the worst kind of scum going to my mind

[simpo two]

MattNM3E36 said:

Now, this woman was obviously under the mistaken impression that she could hide behind the "number witheld" but Orange legal department and the Police don't seem to agree.............

That's true, in cases where the police are likely to get involved, nuiscance calls etc, the number can still be traced. Silly old her!