Anyone else experienced mobile providers trying to "give" them a new mobile? It's driving me mad!
Had someone ring up from T mobile yesterday - asked if I've got my free handset yet. I told her I don't want a new phone and when I do want one I will check for myself which phone to go for. She kept on repeating that she just wanted to check whether I had the *#@%* phone - I kept repeating that I DON'T WANT THE THING!

Eventually she asked to check my postcode was correct at which point I got really angry. I asked her how she got my details because I don't want people knowing my details like that and she said:

"I'm from T mobile..."

At which point I'd had enough and hung up.

Much more patient than I am (when it comes to this kind of calls). I would have hung up within 10 seconds, if that.

I had terrible problems a few months back, however, I was in a different circumstance to you and actually needed a new handset. However, the deal I was offered was not as good as what I could get elsewhere, so I rang them up to cancel my contract so that I could go somewhere else.

I was kept on the phone for ages, with this girl that kept offering me different packages, none of them which equated to what I could get as a new customer somewhere else. In the end I just said please cancel it, I am so tired I have just come in from work and I don't need this. She then told me just listen, and in the end I agreed to a sim only package, just so that I could get off the phone. However, I was still in the same boat as my handset was wearing out big time.

A few months later someone called and offered me discount as an existing customer, but he told me that I would have to get a new number. The phone looked great and it was the same price per month as I was paying for sim only. I therefore went in the high street store to investigate the phone and find out more details. The salesperson was fantastic and told me that I could keep my same number without any messing about. He was going to do it there and then for me but because I was now on a sim only contract I had to ring up and do it. He said I was being offered a second contract when they phoned and said I had to have a new number, so he told me what to do.
I rang up the next day and ordered my new phone which came a couple of days later. I now have a nice new phone, unlimited texts and internet, 75 minutes talk time (only use for emergency) at the same price as I was paying for the sim only.

They are dreadful places though as they just don't let you get off the phone until a sale is made.

I am so pleased that I am now sorted so don't have to deal with them again for a couple of years at least.

ET

And you're more patient than I then, because the last time one of them called me I cut her off mid-flow and said (in a very calm, clear tone of voice). "Get. Lost." Then I hung up. For some reason it was hugely satisfying

I had an email last week which suggested that the way to deal with sales calls is to say "Hold one moment please", then walk off and leave them hanging. That appeals to me

Yes, I 've done that.

Another way is to say
'oh, yes, as it happens I am looking for a new (whatever they are pushing) and since I particularly dislike companies who cold-call, you have just enabled me to cross (name of company) off my short list - thank you very much - goodbye!'.

Some of these people are very agressive with their sales technique. Don't worry about being terse, as they're trained to deal with it. "Sorry, I'm not interested. Thanks!" and then putting the phone down works for me.

It also pays to be very cynical with these kind of phone calls, as they won't volunteer information. Often they try to create the illusion that they're from your existing provider (but won't say that they actually are for legal reasons). If you're genuinely interested but not sure about them, say you'll call back the provider on their customer service number.

I had huge problems with CPW who rang offering me a new phone and cash-back. Foolishly I said yes. Phone turned up, cheque didn't. After many hours and some quite unpleasant people to talk to (though in fairness some were very helpful, but powerless to do anything) I was told that the cash back came in three tranches and only if I posted copies of my bills to them.

I was less than happy - not the deal I'd been promised (instant cash back). After a couple of weeks raising my BP I put everything into an email (I had written notes on each phone call - names times etc) and sent it to the email address of the CEO of the company. Everytime I logged on I re-sent it, until surprise surprise some one got in touch and offered me the promised cash plus and extra amount to go away - sorry to compensate me for the stress.

I usually let things go, but I got so mad about this that I persued it until I got the satisfaction I was after.

Once after I did that (and I wasn't being rude or anything) the phone rung 5 minutes later with nobody talking so I put it down. It then rung again 5 minutes later and then every 1/2 hour for the next 2 days with no one ever talking (I would pick it up and put it down straight away after a while)!!!! Luckily it only rung during the day and not at night! After 2 days the angry salesperson must have got tired of trying to annoy me and probably started doing the same thing to someone else!!!

They use a computerised automatic dialler which calls numbers in sequence. When someone answers, it's put into a queue for an agent to take the call. If there are no agents free, then you just get silence while you're in the queue.

Wow, wish I could get that rather than having to deal with a real person each time. Love some of the ideas people have had about dealing with these calls - I think there was an ad a while back where a woman is cold called and she puts the handset down next to the radio like she's put the person on hold. After a while she picks up and says "your call is important to us" and puts the handset back down. Perhaps I should try that...

My husband was once called and offered a free phone so he said yes please. The salesperson said that in order to get the phone he had to sign up for a contract. He said no thanks, he'd just have the handset. The person kept saying how it was no use without the contract but my husband said it was okay he'd just put the handset on the mantlepiece where he could see it. The stupid salesperson persisted for ages trying to get him to have the contract but he just kept demanding the free handset they'd promised him. Needless to say it never came!

He's tried leaving the phone too. Some people will wait for ages, genuinely believing he's just asking his wife. I feel a bit sorry for them as it must be a horrid job but I hate being called, usually at a bad time, by someone who can often barely string a sentence together. Correcting their grammar usually gets rid of them, mind you!

A couple of days ago 3 called me. They tried to get me to switch to their contract which was better than what i was getting at the moment. I tol;d them I am not interested until my current contract runs out in August. She didn't try and push me or anything and I said I would consider that contract in spetember when I get a new contract.

what i want to know is how she got my number? I am on Vodafone, who I suspect gave away my details to 3 and maybe even other similar firms.

That would make no commercial sense.

What's likely is that you've given your mobile number when you've bought something, entered a competition or something similar). Some unscrupulous firms harvest the details and sell them on for extra income as you suggest above.

A year or two ago I rang Orange to tell them that I was changing to a new provider, since they did not give me any free minutes or texts. So the girl said that I could have a new package with them, plus a £5 per month loyalty discount, so I agreed to a new contract. Then she asked me what phone I wanted. I didn't want a new one as I was pleased to keep my existing one. That was when she said I had got to have a new one! When I protested again she told me to just put it away in a drawer and keep on using my old one if I wished.

Which is exactly what I did until about six months ago when Mrs G said she wanted a new one. I showed her the one in the drawer, she liked it, so I bought a £10 pay as you go sim card - with £10 worth of calls on it - and she has been happy ever since!

I've mentioned this before on another thread, but in case you haven't seen it.......

Whenever I get a cold sales call (at home or work) I turn it round and offer to sell them a shed, or a greenhouse or a garden office. I simply talk over them and they soon get fed up!

I am always sceptical of people who think it is the height of wit to think up new and even more amusing ways to hang up on a sales person, since they are clearly oblivious to the fact that the person on the other end was expecting this when they rang, and whatever you say they've probably heard it 50 times before. That said, I am always amused by the time my uncle was phoned whilst eating his dinner by a woman called Stacy offering him a cruise on the Pacific or some such thing, to which he responded by asking what she was doing with her life, in a dead end job phoning people during their evening meal trying to sell them things they don't want and probably won't buy. The downside was that Stacy then began to cry and he apparently had to spend the next fifteen minutes apologising and trying to cheer her up. Nevertheless, he clearly made an impact!

Before the advent of the TPS I used to get a lot of telemarketer calls so used to wind them up. My pride and joy was when I kept saying to the guy "you're a telemarketer, aren't you?" in response to everything he asked, until he finally lost it and said "YES I AM, SO WHAT??" at which point I said "I just wanted to hear you admit it" and hung up

I should probably grow up.

I do think mobile phone companies sell on details and they probably don't care who to. I recently changed to a Virgin contract after being on a sim deal. I'm now getting texts saying I've won stuff etc. As far as I can remember I haven't given anyone my mobile number recently who would be likely to pass it on.