NationStates Jolt Archive

every time I pick the phone up, it's somone trying to sell me somthing. It really annoys me. After the constant adverts, I decided to always let the answer machine take the call instead. That worked well for a while-they'ed always hang up on the answerphone. Then it happened. perhaps a change in policy. they left messages. Now whenever I come home, there's about 5 adverts telling me i won a holiday, 7 selling me long distance, and 12 for various crap.

I can't stand these adverts any more. somtimes, i want to rip my phone out of the socket. I use my mobile usually, but my mother insists on the home phone for emergencies. I pay for the blasted thing... as soon as i finish college, i'm outta there.

Does anyone else get a problem with phone adverts?

I don't. I use Vonage. Free long distance and it's over the cable connection via a router. So now my TV, my PC and my phone all function over my cable connection. Ain't technology wonderful! :D

Never used to be a problem in Australia, until now (the let us copy the US thing).

Does anyone else get a problem with phone adverts?
yup. but over here you can put an asterix next to your name in the phone book saying that they're not allowed to call... and if they still do...you can sue them. :D

Well i live in britain, where all the phone operations come from india, so not only do they sell you shit, but they can't even talk proper british, yet they work for less in a year than a brit earns in a month.

yup. but over here you can put an asterix next to your name in the phone book saying that they're not allowed to call... and if they still do...you can sue them. :D

I didn't know that... unless it's american.

I didn't know that... unless it's american.
no. swiss. aren't we cool? ;)

no. swiss. aren't we cool? ;)

Dammit i love you liberal eastern europeans. Now i want to move to live with you swiss fellas.

I thought that just having a mobile phone would solve the problem of people selling me junk, but now I get them on my cell phone too. Calls and text message selling everying from fake university degrees to drugs.

Dammit i love you liberal eastern europeans. Now i want to move to live with you swiss fellas.
western european. but you're still welcome to come here :D

I don't get crap like that over my cellphone.

I just get text messages from the cellphone company to which I subscribe. It's annoying. but it hasn't happened in a long time.

I thought that just having a mobile phone would solve the problem of people selling me junk, but now I get them on my cell phone too. Calls and text message selling everying from fake university degrees to drugs.

Luckily my phone has a ban function and a spam filter. Any 0800 numbers and advert numbers are auto-blocked.

western european. but you're still welcome to come here :D

:( Only got a C in geography...

Well i live in britain, where all the phone operations come from india, so not only do they sell you shit, but they can't even talk proper british, yet they work for less in a year than a brit earns in a month.

You can put yourself on a list - I can't remember what it's called, but I'm sure you can find it all on your own - like the other list mentioned before, if you've been on the list more than a month and they still call, you can sue. Except this one's in Britain.

By the way, you can't even type British properly, so I don't know what you're complaining about. Use the shift key - there should be one on each end of your keyboard with a big fat arrow pointing up (and maybe even the word "Shift").

yup. but over here you can put an asterix next to your name in the phone book saying that they're not allowed to call... and if they still do...you can sue them. :D

We have the same system, and it works fine.

I thought that just having a mobile phone would solve the problem of people selling me junk, but now I get them on my cell phone too. Calls and text message selling everying from fake university degrees to drugs.

I'm not sure where you're located, but in the US, you'll find you can sue them for bothering you via your cellphone- those calls cost YOU money, and since you didn't give them permission to call, they're effectively stealing from you.

You can put yourself on a list - I can't remember what it's called, but I'm sure you can find it all on your own - like the other list mentioned before, if you've been on the list more than a month and they still call, you can sue. Except this one's in Britain.

By the way, you can't even type British properly, so I don't know what you're complaining about. Use the shift key - there should be one on each end of your keyboard with a big fat arrow pointing up (and maybe even the word "Shift").

Unlike some people, I don't strive for perfection. If you really think everything I type must be perfect, thats your opinion, not mine. Like it or go to hell.

Unlike some people, I don't strive for perfection. If you really think everything I type must be perfect, thats your opinion, not mine. Like it or go to hell.


No, I don't think everything you type should be perfect. Unless, that is, you start criticising other people for their use of the English language - it hardly gives you a good basis for argument if you don't capitalise properly, does it?

No, I don't think everything you type should be perfect. Unless, that is, you start criticising other people for their use of the English language - it hardly gives you a good basis for argument if you don't capitalise properly, does it?
has none of you ever noticed that many people do not 'capitalise properly' when talking online anymore?

Yes. He's still undermining his argument, though.

You shouldn't criticise foreigners for speaking poor English - do you speak Gujarati? Hindi? Punjabi?

Thought so. The point is that they bothered to learn your language so don't criticise them for it.

Back to phones...

Who needs them anyway?

The emergency services.

Back to phones...

Who needs them anyway?
ME!! I need phones. lots of them!
they took away my cellphone 2 days ago for about 2 weeks. i feel so excluded from the outside world, it's really scary in a way.

now pity me ;)

I wasn't even talking about cellphones. Positively nobody NEEDS a cellphone.

Yes. He's still undermining his argument, though.

You shouldn't criticise foreigners for speaking poor English - do you speak Gujarati? Hindi? Punjabi?

Thought so. The point is that they bothered to learn your language so don't criticise them for it.

Stop trying to undermine the true meaning of this thread by making me appear racist/stupid. I know not of these languages, yet I shouldn't need to.

that starts a suject i want to know about as well-WHY the hell are all the big companies sending their phone industries to india? That is why I can't even understand their english. I know it's cheaper, but it's damaging the british economy and pushing up unemployment.

I wasn't even talking about cellphones. Positively nobody NEEDS a cellphone.
wait.. yes. I do! I do! I do!

wait.. yes. I do! I do! I do!
No you don't... how did you survive 10 years earlier?

Stop trying to undermine the true meaning of this thread by making me appear racist/stupid. I know not of these languages, yet I shouldn't need to.

that starts a suject i want to know about as well-WHY the hell are all the big companies sending their phone industries to india? That is why I can't even understand their english. I know it's cheaper, but it's damaging the british economy and pushing up unemployment.

They're not. They're moving them back, and have been for the last year or so. Their poor performance has meant that higher costs or not, they bring in higher revenue in the UK, and provide better customer service and a more loyal customer base.

I'm sorry if I offended you - I was merely making a point. The reasons for poor service are actually two-fold - like you say, their accents make them hard to understand over the phone (despite their excellent English), and they don't have the local knowledge required to provide a really good service.

hmm... wouldn't it be funny if one advertising company rang up another?

No you don't... how did you survive 10 years earlier?
I ... I don't know. I ... was a kid and didn't know any better?
hey, not my fault if I'm an addicted now. I managed to quit smoking, but dare you make me quit... cellphoning ;)

They're not. They're moving them back, and have been for the last year or so. Their poor performance has meant that higher costs or not, they bring in higher revenue in the UK, and provide better customer service and a more loyal customer base.

I'm sorry if I offended you - I was merely making a point. The reasons for poor service are actually two-fold - like you say, their accents make them hard to understand over the phone (despite their excellent English), and they don't have the local knowledge required to provide a really good service.

Ok I forgive you... you're a nice guy. I can tell. :D

But I think you'll find you are wrong. Just the other day I read on the news that another company is shedding 1,200 jobs in favour of Indian phone operators. It seems the problem is actually getting worse.

I ... I don't know. I ... was a kid and didn't know any better?
hey, not my fault if I'm an addicted now. I managed to quit smoking, but dare you make me quit... cellphoning ;)
Step #1) Remove the battery and let some one else keep it

Step #1) Remove the battery and let some one else keep it
*gasp* I...I ...I couldn't!

I love my mobile. It does everything I need... except I can't download any decent ringtones for my mobile. There aren't any... :(

Last time someone did that me & my friend made sex noises over the phone.

Last time someone did that me & my friend made sex noises over the phone.

LOL I never thought of that... good idea! :fluffle: *Writes it down*

Ok I forgive you... you're a nice guy. I can tell. :D

But I think you'll find you are wrong. Just the other day I read on the news that another company is shedding 1,200 jobs in favour of Indian phone operators. It seems the problem is actually getting worse.

Obviously there are still companies moving their operations to India - some big companies moved back to the UK though a few months ago - I'm not sure which way the flow is going, maybe, but it is changing, and I'm sure some kind of balance will be found eventually. Call it the "The NatWest Effect".

Obviously there are still companies moving their operations to India - some big companies moved back to the UK though a few months ago - I'm not sure which way the flow is going, maybe, but it is changing, and I'm sure some kind of balance will be found eventually. Call it the "The NatWest Effect".

LOL. Good name... Its all topsy turvy... but anyways, what is your actual opinion on telemarketing? Do you hate them endlessly calling you?

Yes.

Yes.

hmm... simple, and to the point. :cool:

No, I don't think everything you type should be perfect. Unless, that is, you start criticising other people for their use of the English language - it hardly gives you a good basis for argument if you don't capitalise properly, does it?

The Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors is clear that words such as computerize, capitalize, capsize, organize, organization, privatize, publicize, realize should take the -ize ending, but that others, eg. analyse, advertise, advise, arise, compromise, disguise, despise, enterprise, exercise, merchandise, revise, supervise, surprise should take the -ise ending.

I find it ironic that you correct his use of "Brit" when you are using a spelling system more appropriate to the French language.

All too frequently on these boards, when someone says something banal about a grievous and fundamental error in someone’s usage of the English language, there is always a “nit-picker” that has to jump in with his “captain obvious” cape on and point out a clearly inadvertent typo. “Captain obvious” then concludes that, unless the complainant has a perfect command of English himself, he should be disallowed from pointing out simple and basic errors.

Being unable to articulate clearly the grammatical difference between “owing to” and “due to” or failing to understand when to use “with respect to” instead of “in respect of”, does not mean that one should not be allowed to say that a telephone conversation was unintelligible. Saying otherwise is pompous, irritating and serves no purpose.

Here in the UK the phone companies are legally obliged to not hand out your phone number if you tell them not to.

Here in the UK the phone companies are legally obliged to not hand out your phone number if you tell them not to.

you know, this is the first time a mod has posted on one of my threads.

and I was unaware of that. hmm.

The Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors is clear that words such as computerize, capitalize, capsize, organize, organization, privatize, publicize, realize should take the -ize ending, but that others, eg. analyse, advertise, advise, arise, compromise, disguise, despise, enterprise, exercise, merchandise, revise, supervise, surprise should take the -ise ending.

I find it ironic that you correct his use of "Brit" when you are using a spelling system more appropriate to the French language.

All too frequently on these boards, when someone says something banal about a grievous and fundamental error in someone’s usage of the English language, there is always a “nit-picker” that has to jump in with his “captain obvious” cape on and point out a clearly inadvertent typo. “Captain obvious” then concludes that, unless the complainant has a perfect command of English himself, he should be disallowed from pointing out simple and basic errors.

Being unable to articulate clearly the grammatical difference between “owing to” and “due to” or failing to understand when to use “with respect to” instead of “in respect of”, does not mean that one should not be allowed to say that a telephone conversation was unintelligible. Saying otherwise is pompous, irritating and serves no purpose.

Actually the English language is a very flexible language in terms of spelling and punctuation - what is seen as "correct" by publishers isn't necessarily the only acceptable spelling, and can vary greatly between different publishing houses.

If youd read the later posts, you'd have seen that I did apologise for my tone, which was too aggressive, but I did have a valid point (if a little off aim).

Having spent time away from Britain, I find that upon my return, the attitude that Brits Are Best is more irritating than ever, and I misunderstood The Imperial Navy's first reference to call centres, if that is his real name. We're so pleased with how great we are, we fail to see anything to learn from people of other cultures, and as a result, we speak few other languages, we accuse others of trying to come and scrounge off the system when immigrants contribute far more to our economy than we ever will, and we pick fights with them in beautiful places because someone they've never met fouled someone we've never met in the penalty box.

And hanging round the message boards recently (anyone hate the Germans?), I'm very weary of this kind of attitude that crops up time and time again.

I won't stay long.

Having spent time away from Britain, I find that upon my return, the attitude that Brits Are Best is more irritating than ever, and I misunderstood The Imperial Navy's first reference to call centres, if that is his real name. We're so pleased with how great we are, we fail to see anything to learn from people of other cultures, and as a result, we speak few other languages, we accuse others of trying to come and scrounge off the system when immigrants contribute far more to our economy than we ever will, and we pick fights with them in beautiful places because someone they've never met fouled someone we've never met in the penalty box.


well actually I know a bit of french, German, and even a little Latin.

At the same time, I don't consider myself superior to anyone. Personally, I think that the UK is a puss-ridden cess pool, filled with grumpy assholes looking for a fight for any reason. I also see that the people have realised that they can lay back and sponge off the government and their benefits, thus causing high unemployment. This means we have a lack of doctors, teachers, builders... the list goes on. I long to get the hell out of the UK, and move to Switzerland... I like mountains, and it's cooler there.

well actually I know a bit of french, German, and even a little Latin.

At the same time, I don't consider myself superior to anyone. Personally, I think that the UK is a puss-ridden cess pool, filled with grumpy assholes looking for a fight for any reason. I also see that the people have realised that they can lay back and sponge off the government and their benefits, thus causing high unemployment. This means we have a lack of doctors, teachers, builders... the list goes on. I long to get the hell out of the UK, and move to Switzerland... I like mountains, and it's cooler there.

Well done with the languages - swap Latin for Swahili and that's me.

But once again I disagree with you - I keep doing that, don't I? As Tony Benn once told Ali G, people don't want to sponge off the government (and if they do they're reclassified anyway and don't contribute to the unemployment figures, which are actually very low) - the reason there is a lack of teachers is because they come in for a lot of stick and little support from the government (and a long overdue change is in progress on that front - hopefully). The reason there will soon be a much worse lack of doctors is tuition fees on a five year course. There is no shortage of manual labourers, but there is however a skills shortage in engineering, because more people study the arts these days.

Which is why immigration is such a contentious issue - most people trying to get in are unskilled, but we need skilled people, and even when we get them, we make them go through so much bureaucracy that they don't get a work permit by the time they come up for deportation. My friend's girlfriend is a Chinese nurse, easily enough qualified to work, but she can't because she's waiting for someone to process a form, when she's desperately needed in the NHS.

I don't get many annoying phone calls but I try to answer like this:

"I'm sorry, I'm a bit busy now just give me your home phone number and I'll call you sometime in the middle of the night. Lets see how you like that!"

Have fun with them, theres several ways to answer on the internet.
But if that gets boring just start screaming at them about your life, it really helps take the presure off your back. Screw paying some fancy shrink to listen to your problems, just yell them all at the phone advertiser guy. ;)

Perhaps you are right, but I still hate this country and i want out.

well actually I know a bit of french, German, and even a little Latin.

At the same time, I don't consider myself superior to anyone. Personally, I think that the UK is a puss-ridden cess pool, filled with grumpy assholes looking for a fight for any reason. I also see that the people have realised that they can lay back and sponge off the government and their benefits, thus causing high unemployment. This means we have a lack of doctors, teachers, builders... the list goes on. I long to get the hell out of the UK, and move to Switzerland... I like mountains, and it's cooler there.

Switzerland? Never thought of moving there. Wait, take me with you! Get me away from Australia until they find a new PrimeMinister!
TAKE ME WITH YOU!!!

Switzerland? Never thought of moving there. Wait, take me with you! Get me away from Australia until they find a new PrimeMinister!
TAKE ME WITH YOU!!!

hop on board. I have a private jet filled with champaign waiting... :cool:

hop on board. I have a private jet filled with champaign waiting... :cool:

Yay! Switzerland!...Oh return me in around 3 or 4 years in case a good prime minister gets elected...

Some years back, sweden started with the telemarketers. So i'm quite familiar with them, one small blessing is that they don't call as often. It comes and goes like the tide, some months i get 5-10 calls from various people wanting to sell me a better phone deal. Or simply to ask me annoying survey questions (like i give a damn who made what food brand).
Now days depending on when they call me, i am either rude or polite in my dealings with them. After all the poor sap at the other end is just trying to make a living, but to call me at 8am and ask me to change my phone service is not something i tresure..