Key Post - Opting out of Cold Calls

If you are getting calls trying to sell you stuff e.g. from Chorus, you can opt out very easily. Check out [broken link removed] and a [broken link removed]

It takes 28 days for it to take effect. It is illegal for anyone to cold call you after that.

if you get a call


you can complain to the Data Protection Commissioner [broken link removed]
or to

[broken link removed]

It is well worth doing, as the Data Protection Commissioner names and shames the companies such as [broken link removed]

Thanks for that Brendan. I'll definitely opt out as I get so many calls.

lol a certain irish telephone provider gonna feel the heat after this - even have notes on when they call me - an ex directory number!

Survey - Phone calls.

I am constantly getting cold calls from PriceWaterhouse to take part in a survey about the Ulster Bank. These calls originate from Northern Ireland. I have asked them to stop calling me and they promise that they will but they never do. Is this the same as someone ringing me to sell me something?

No. You are an Ulster Bank customer, I presume, so they are surveying their customers to see how happy they are.

You should participate in the next one and just keep answering that they ignore your requests to stop surveying them.

Brendan

does this include calls from unknown numbers / out of area number.

Tend to get a lot of these.

It doesn't include calls from outside the EU

I am getting almost daily calls from 4307000. Meteor/Eircom. The phone rings for about 3 rings then stops, so by the time you get to the phone they have rung off. Presumably the person ringing me is assessed on the number of calls made rather than the number of contacts actually made. As a result we are the ones suffering.

I the past when I have managed to answer these calls the person at the other end identifies himself as an Eircom salesperson. They eventually get to their spiel which is getting me to switch to their Fibre Broadband and to sign an 18 month contract. At the moment I have a package with Eircom but I am not on a contract.

I have been receiving these calls for over a year now. Each time I ask the salesperson to stop ringing me and to remove my phone number from their data base. Each and every time they say they will do this. But they never do. The phone calls stop for a week then start again. Yesterday we had one phone call and today we have had two so far. I am expecting a 3rd around teatime.

I am a customer of Eircom and I am being harassed. I intend to make a complaint to Com Reg and the Data Protection Commissioner.

However is it possible to receive some sort of compensation from Eircom for the upset caused. I want these people punished in some way. I am happy to give any monies to charity?

Tintagel said:

I have been receiving these calls for over a year now..... I intend to make a complaint to Com Reg and the Data Protection Commissioner.

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Why have you delayed for nearly a year in reporting these phone calls to Com Reg?

Tintagel said:

. I am expecting a 3rd around teatime.

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Just as I predicted the phone rang again at 6.05 p.m. Same number. It rang 3 times, then stopped, so I could not get to the phone in time in order to answer it. With a fair wind I might even get a 4th call before 7 p.m.

ajapale said:

Why have you delayed for nearly a year in reporting these phone calls to Com Reg?

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Probably because I am stupid as you are suggesting.

Tintagel said:

Probably because I am stupid as you are suggesting.

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Ha ha, brilliant Tintagel. I've had a crappy day today but your response had me laughing out loud for the first time. People are looking at me but I don't care.

Thanks for the chuckle.

Does it count if you are already a customer of whoever is calling, but they are making unsolicited calls to try to sell you something else. I'm getting such calls from UPC.

I generally silence the ringer on the mobile and let it ring out on them. Of course, they never leave any messages, since it's presumably an autodialler that's calling. Also, on the one occasion I ever answered it, they had the cheek to ask me for identifying information.

Two calls today so far. I have complained to Com Reg. If it takes 28 days to come in to effect then I can expect up to 80 further calls from them.
Asking them to stop should be sufficient. It seems they are forcing people to complain to Com Reg. There should be sanctions from Com Reg for this.

I had a simpler solution when Eircom wouldn't deal with cold calling issues. I cancelled the line.

I contacted ComReg 13 days ago but to date the only response from them was that they were acknowledging my email and that they were very busy. I can understand why the Telecom Companies are having a laugh!

I eventually had to contact ComReg again as they had not bothered to reply to my email.
This is their response. It seems that ComReg are not dealing with these issues but sending people to the Data Protection Commissioner.

"Please accept our apologise for the delay in responding to your email.



When a customer is receiving unwanted sales or marketing calls they can request that the company stop calling them and remove their personal details from the company's database. If an Irish company fails to comply with this request they should be reported to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner.



You can contact the Data Protection Commissioner on the below:



Canal House Tel: 1890 252231/057 8684800

Station Road Fax: 057 8684757

These opting out schemes are a joke. Most of the people making the calls are off-shore and don't know about the legislation designed to stop them

watto said:

These opting out schemes are a joke. Most of the people making the calls are off-shore and don't know about the legislation designed to stop them

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The legislation does not apply to calls originating overseas.