Sorry if I'm posting this in wrong forum. Lately we have been getting phone calls from non Irish callers doing a survey. They speak so fast initially I never got to hear who exactly they were doing the survey for. Having refused to do the survey they are very persistant about ringing back, now I just hang up before they get started. Has anyone else got these calls and if so what is the scam?
survey phonecalls, unsolicited "cold calls" etc.
- Thread starter davfran
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Re: survey phonecalls
Hi
This might not necessarily be a scam, per se, it may be merely 'cold calling', trying to sell you something or other, in the guise of a 'survey'. It is a possibility that these are actually Irish companies, with outsourced offices to a different country. Or indeed, Irish based companies with non Irish staff.
Maybe at the start of the conversation, you should ask them to repeat what company they are calling from, and if it is still incomprehensible, to get them to repeat it, just so you know who's doing this.
If they were unsolicited calls from an Irish company, you can stop them by registering a preference to not receive them. There's information about this on [broken link removed]
I don't know how you can block call like this if they are coming from other countries though.
Nicola
Hi
This might not necessarily be a scam, per se, it may be merely 'cold calling', trying to sell you something or other, in the guise of a 'survey'. It is a possibility that these are actually Irish companies, with outsourced offices to a different country. Or indeed, Irish based companies with non Irish staff.
Maybe at the start of the conversation, you should ask them to repeat what company they are calling from, and if it is still incomprehensible, to get them to repeat it, just so you know who's doing this.
If they were unsolicited calls from an Irish company, you can stop them by registering a preference to not receive them. There's information about this on [broken link removed]
I don't know how you can block call like this if they are coming from other countries though.
Nicola
Re: survey phonecalls
When I lived in the UK, I rang a number and registered my phone number. Stopped getting cold calls as i was taken off list. It worked for over a year and after that I would get the odd call, they would always hang up when I informed them of my registration and questioned how they got my number. For the life of me I can't remember the service name or number! Is there anything like that here?
When I lived in the UK, I rang a number and registered my phone number. Stopped getting cold calls as i was taken off list. It worked for over a year and after that I would get the odd call, they would always hang up when I informed them of my registration and questioned how they got my number. For the life of me I can't remember the service name or number! Is there anything like that here?
Re: survey phonecalls
Hi,
The info about how do do that is in the link on my post above.
Nicola
PS Davfran, you don't need the actual number of the company who called you, you can get all Irish originated cold callers stopped. Just contact whatever company you pay phone line rental to, and ask them to register your number with the National Directory Database, stating that you do not wish to receive cold calls.
After a period of 28 days (after registering your refusal to accept cold calls), if you are cold called again, you should tell any company who calls you that you don't want to be contacted again in this way (making sure you get their name, so you can complain about them if they persist!!!).
Ultimately they could be prosecuted by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioners if they keep calling you.
Hi,
The info about how do do that is in the link on my post above.
Nicola
PS Davfran, you don't need the actual number of the company who called you, you can get all Irish originated cold callers stopped. Just contact whatever company you pay phone line rental to, and ask them to register your number with the National Directory Database, stating that you do not wish to receive cold calls.
After a period of 28 days (after registering your refusal to accept cold calls), if you are cold called again, you should tell any company who calls you that you don't want to be contacted again in this way (making sure you get their name, so you can complain about them if they persist!!!).
Ultimately they could be prosecuted by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioners if they keep calling you.
Complainer
Registered User
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Re: survey phonecalls
Ask them to hold on for a minute while you get rid of the wife/child/dog before the survey, and just leave them on hold indefintely.
Ask them to hold on for a minute while you get rid of the wife/child/dog before the survey, and just leave them on hold indefintely.
Re: survey phonecalls
We get a few of these calls, some are from AIB, which we are happy to do.
Got two calls, Thursday and Friday night last, that sounded a bit suspect. The first call was a 'Private' no, the second one had an international code (think it started with 001). Both people sounded Asian, maybe India / Pakistan, and were very persistent - other than hanging up, I coundn't shake them off!!! They introduced them selves ans doing a survey on behalf of bla bla bla MRBI (when I asked them to repeat, it was just as fast - I think the MRBI part is to give it some sort of credibility). In my opinion, if they can't explain who they are from, it's pointless me wasting 10 minutes on a "survey".
We get a few of these calls, some are from AIB, which we are happy to do.
Got two calls, Thursday and Friday night last, that sounded a bit suspect. The first call was a 'Private' no, the second one had an international code (think it started with 001). Both people sounded Asian, maybe India / Pakistan, and were very persistent - other than hanging up, I coundn't shake them off!!! They introduced them selves ans doing a survey on behalf of bla bla bla MRBI (when I asked them to repeat, it was just as fast - I think the MRBI part is to give it some sort of credibility). In my opinion, if they can't explain who they are from, it's pointless me wasting 10 minutes on a "survey".
Re: survey phonecalls
Being ex-directory just means that your number isn't published in the phone book. Your number can easily (and legitimately) be generated from existing directories.
Being ex-directory just means that your number isn't published in the phone book. Your number can easily (and legitimately) be generated from existing directories.
Re: survey phonecalls
It doesn't sound all that suspicious to me, MRBI are a reputable market research organisation that regularly conduct interviews over the phone. The use of 'overseas' call centres is quite common too.
It sounds like you just had a bad interviewer.
It doesn't sound all that suspicious to me, MRBI are a reputable market research organisation that regularly conduct interviews over the phone. The use of 'overseas' call centres is quite common too.
It sounds like you just had a bad interviewer.
Re: survey phonecalls
Twice? anyway, as I said, if they can't explain what the survey's aims are, I'm not going to waste 15 minutes of my time...
Twice? anyway, as I said, if they can't explain what the survey's aims are, I'm not going to waste 15 minutes of my time...
Brendan Burgess
Founder
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Re: survey phonecalls
Ask MRBI?
Brendan
Ask MRBI?
Brendan
Re: survey phonecalls
Ever seen the advert on tv? say hold on a minute , I have someting on the stove, leave phone off hook and go back 10 mins later, guaranteed they won't be there. Also, get in touch with eircom, if that is your network. apparantly being ex -dir does not guarantee unsolicited calls but they they have a facility that does.
Ever seen the advert on tv? say hold on a minute , I have someting on the stove, leave phone off hook and go back 10 mins later, guaranteed they won't be there. Also, get in touch with eircom, if that is your network. apparantly being ex -dir does not guarantee unsolicited calls but they they have a facility that does.
mik_da_man
Registered User
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Re: survey phonecalls
We had this and got it sorted by doing the following:
If after 28 days you still get calls the company calling you can be proscuted. And this may happen because some companies just use a phone book - which they are not allowed to do..
Mik
We had this and got it sorted by doing the following:
If after 28 days you still get calls the company calling you can be proscuted. And this may happen because some companies just use a phone book - which they are not allowed to do..
Mik
Re: survey phonecalls
About a week ago, I was busy doing something when the phone rang. It look an extra beat or two before I could go to answer. After about five rings, it stopped. Caller ID said: Unavailable. About 25 minutes later, the phone rang again. Once again, I was busy. After 5 rings, it stopped. Unavailable.
Precisely the same thing happened the following day; I couldn't answer the phone immediately; rang at the same time of day, the same five rings; the same gap between unanswered calls; Unavailable. Glad I missed those "survey" calls.
When I questioned a previous cold caller about how they kept ringing our number, I was told the number was generated randomly. If only our number came up that often in the Lottery!
About a week ago, I was busy doing something when the phone rang. It look an extra beat or two before I could go to answer. After about five rings, it stopped. Caller ID said: Unavailable. About 25 minutes later, the phone rang again. Once again, I was busy. After 5 rings, it stopped. Unavailable.
Precisely the same thing happened the following day; I couldn't answer the phone immediately; rang at the same time of day, the same five rings; the same gap between unanswered calls; Unavailable. Glad I missed those "survey" calls.
When I questioned a previous cold caller about how they kept ringing our number, I was told the number was generated randomly. If only our number came up that often in the Lottery!
divadsnilloc
Registered User
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Re: survey phonecalls
Apart from contacting your phone provider to have your number blocked from cold calls, I found a very interesting and amusing way to deal with them. If it's a male caller, get the man of the house to speak to them and chat them up. I've had great entertainment doing this and the calls have dried up. Similarily, if it's a female caller, get the woman of the house to do the business!!
Apart from contacting your phone provider to have your number blocked from cold calls, I found a very interesting and amusing way to deal with them. If it's a male caller, get the man of the house to speak to them and chat them up.
I've had great entertainment doing this and the calls have dried up. Similarily, if it's a female caller, get the woman of the house to do the business!!