Cold Callers in Ennis

buck65

To be frank I'm sick of answering my door to these people. Every week there is someone selling broadband or electrickery or someother nonsense.
Does anyone actually sign up on the doorstep and give these people their account details?
I was accosted the other day by a guy in a grey suit selling some kind of broadband package, he asked me where I was dealing and I said Eircom - he then told me I was being ripped off and was with the most expensive company. I told him I wasn't too bothered as I had shopped around at the time and I got a decent deal and am happy with the service. I almost had to push the guy off the doorstep to get rid of him.
Basically if I changed every time these people asked me I would be full time writing out forms. I also don't feel comfortable signing for anything at the time as there is usually some hidden kick.
Same thing with charity organisations. I know people have a job to do but the incessant badgering and "you are getting ripped off" thing gets me - surely they have no idea what I'm paying? Tomorrow they will be selling another product that they learned about that morning.
A funny one happened a few years back when my wife answered the door to this guy selling meal packages at Branigans restaurant (remember that place?) he asked to use the jacks after his spiel and made a dump ! - the bastard.

CptSternn

They are annoying but it's the people collecting money in the streets that really irk me. You can't walk through town on the weekends without having half a dozen 'charities' ask you for money.

I stopped shopping @ Dunnes months ago when I found I can buy everything I need for the week @ Aldi for half the price, but when I did go there I was often put off by the charities who forcibly take over your bagging duties and expect you to pay them.

Many of the charities give 50% of their donations to the people who collect them. Google it sure. That's not true for all, but it is for many which is why some are so persistent. That's the exact same reason the door-to-door sales people are so pushy - they all work on commission.

It's to the point it reminds me of walking through mid-town New York with all the beggars, or walking to any of the major sites in Paris where you are constantly accosted.

What boggles my mind is the ones outside the post office. Seriously, do they think all of the people there queuing early to get their dole really think they have extra money to just give away?

Shapey Fiend

My pet peeve at the moment is people trying to scab cigarettes off you. On Saturday I had two cars stop in the middle of the road (one in the middle of a busy crossing), roll down the windows and ask me for one. I can't afford to drive a car, buy your own effing cigarettes.

I used to work (briefly) as a cold caller in a call center. A surprising amount of people will buy stuff if it's suggested to them. My dads brutal for buying phone packages and switching to stuff that's actually more expensive because some fella blathered onto him and told him he's great. He's always taking guys up on offers to come to the door to have the trees cut, or the moss taken off the roof or whatever. All the neighbours are getting their trees trimmed at the moment as well so I guess it's worth while doing this sort of thing there's a decent take up.

Lady Chatterton

Cold callers are everywhere not just Ennis. I'm the type of person who likes to research things myself before purchasing a product or changing service provider etc. I will never sign up to anything on the doorstep or over the phone.

I use the following excuses with Cold Callers and they tend to leave my doorstep or hang up the phone very quickly

I'm just house sitting for a friend
I'm just the childminder
I'm with your company already thanks
I''m just renting, this isn't my house

Clareman

My usual answers are:
Work pays for my phone.
Work pay for my electricity.
I donate to charity through my salary.

For people calling me on the phone, I tell them "I have asked you already to remove me from your listing, I am reporting you to Comreg". I did have a nice Indian gentleman call me recently offering to fix my computer, jolly nice of him I thought as I told him to f**k off as I hung up.

onthebrink

CptSternn wrote: »

They are annoying but it's the people collecting money in the streets that really irk me. You can't walk through town on the weekends without having half a dozen 'charities' ask you for money.

I stopped shopping @ Dunnes months ago when I found I can buy everything I need for the week @ Aldi for half the price, but when I did go there I was often put off by the charities who forcibly take over your bagging duties and expect you to pay them.

Many of the charities give 50% of their donations to the people who collect them. Google it sure. That's not true for all, but it is for many which is why some are so persistent. That's the exact same reason the door-to-door sales people are so pushy - they all work on commission.

It's to the point it reminds me of walking through mid-town New York with all the beggars, or walking to any of the major sites in Paris where you are constantly accosted.

What boggles my mind is the ones outside the post office. Seriously, do they think all of the people there queuing early to get their dole really think they have extra money to just give away?

I totally agree with you regarding the baggers in supermarkets. This bagging is usually done by kids and young teenagers who haven't a clue how to bag groceries. They just throw everything into bags regardless of what they are, eg: toiletries into the same bag with bread.
I have stopped shopping at the weekends in order to avoid them.
I think supermarket management should have a little more consideration for their customers, shopping is expensive enough and I am well able to pack my own bags.

Lady Chatterton

I will never let anyone pack my shopping as I'm very particular. However, I will still make a donation to the charity, charities are finding it had to make ends meet too and most do great work.

Sterling Archer

onthebrink wrote: »

I totally agree with you regarding the baggers in supermarkets. This bagging is usually done by kids and young teenagers who haven't a clue how to bag groceries. They just throw everything into bags regardless of what they are, eg: toiletries into the same bag with bread.
I have stopped shopping at the weekends in order to avoid them.
I think supermarket management should have a little more consideration for their customers, shopping is expensive enough and I am well able to pack my own bags.

AFAIK Don't supermarkets have to leave some checkouts free from baggers in-case people don't want there groceries bagged for them, i know Dunnes do it.

On Cold Callers, over the phone my favourite is " i have to go the child just swallowed a spoon" and at the door, (as i always have a look who is there first) after saying hello, "can you call later on? no? why? , ah your busy, just like i am now, good bye"

CptSternn

I always get creative with cold callers on the phone. If you want to have a bit of fun ask them what they are wearing. Then ask them to touch themselves. No, harder, faster. This usually gets rid of most of them.

Or sometimes they ring and I'll be like 'You didnt hear? He died last weekend. It was horrible, no one should have to die like that. Are you going to make it to the mass this Sunday? How did you know him?'

One of my favorites is to see if I can sell them something. I tell them I have a nice Ford Festiva I am looking to sell. When they try and get back on script and pitch to me I keep interrupting and comparing their item to the car.

'It has all that? Well this Festiva has anti-lock brakes and rear window de-frosting! Price wise like your products its a good deal. You would be mad not to buy this sure!'

They ring me, I have a bit of fun.

I sometimes do it to cold callers at the door, but in person they don't take as much ****e from you, so it's not as fun.

I sometimes say I don't live here, I just showed up for a house party two days ago and the lad who lives here fecked off so I have been sleeping on the couch.

Other times I ask if they do financing and then ask if I just got out of Cloverhill with that effect my chances of getting credit. I then say it has been ten years so hopefully any debts I had would have already been settled by the courts so I should have good credit again.

The only time I really stick it to the cold callers at the door is if they are some of those religious whackos.

By 'whackos' I mean Jehovahs Witnesses or Mormons. Sometimes the occasional weird new Protestant groups as well, but mainly the first two.

They usually ask you something when you open the door.

'Do you know Jehovah?'

Yeah, he lives two doors down. Ye got the wrong house.

'Have you found Jesus'

I didn't know he was missing. Ye might try putting up some flyers around town sure.

And of course the Mormons, oh the Mormons. They show up on their bikes in the white short sleeve button up shirts, required by their church, so they stand out.

They believe only 144,000 people will get into heaven. That apparently is the maximum capacity. Must be a fire regulation. I always ask them about this, and ask if one extra person gets in with the Fire Chief shut it down and kick everyone out. I then ask if their religion has been around since the early 1900's and there are over a half a million people alive today who practice it, is heaven not already full? If it's not, are you saying over 2/3rds of the people in your church today are sinners and are still going to hell? Are you also saying 95% of the people who have practiced your religion have already gone to hell, because if they didn't that means heaven is already full and everyone you know at your church is a sinner and going to hell. I mean, simple math here, did no one at your church take basic maths in school? Thats before I get started on the magic hat and the magic rocks.

If they want to cold call me, I will answer the door or the phone, but I am the guy they warn them about in the manual sure.

buck65

Didn't realise Denis Leary posted here!

maiden

I always find that chewing a disprin before you answer the door works wonders.

For some strange reason they dont like talking to someone with froth drooling out of their mouth!

Balagan

CptSternn wrote: »

I always get creative with cold callers on the phone. If you want to have a bit of fun ask them what they are wearing. Then ask them to touch themselves. No, harder, faster. This usually gets rid of most of them.

Or sometimes they ring and I'll be like 'You didnt hear? He died last weekend. It was horrible, no one should have to die like that. Are you going to make it to the mass this Sunday? How did you know him?'

One of my favorites is to see if I can sell them something. I tell them I have a nice Ford Festiva I am looking to sell. When they try and get back on script and pitch to me I keep interrupting and comparing their item to the car.

'It has all that? Well this Festiva has anti-lock brakes and rear window de-frosting! Price wise like your products its a good deal. You would be mad not to buy this sure!'

They ring me, I have a bit of fun.

I sometimes do it to cold callers at the door, but in person they don't take as much ****e from you, so it's not as fun.

I sometimes say I don't live here, I just showed up for a house party two days ago and the lad who lives here fecked off so I have been sleeping on the couch.

Other times I ask if they do financing and then ask if I just got out of Cloverhill with that effect my chances of getting credit. I then say it has been ten years so hopefully any debts I had would have already been settled by the courts so I should have good credit again.

The only time I really stick it to the cold callers at the door is if they are some of those religious whackos.

By 'whackos' I mean Jehovahs Witnesses or Mormons. Sometimes the occasional weird new Protestant groups as well, but mainly the first two.

They usually ask you something when you open the door.

'Do you know Jehovah?'

Yeah, he lives two doors down. Ye got the wrong house.

'Have you found Jesus'

I didn't know he was missing. Ye might try putting up some flyers around town sure.

And of course the Mormons, oh the Mormons. They show up on their bikes in the white short sleeve button up shirts, required by their church, so they stand out.

They believe only 144,000 people will get into heaven. That apparently is the maximum capacity. Must be a fire regulation. I always ask them about this, and ask if one extra person gets in with the Fire Chief shut it down and kick everyone out. I then ask if their religion has been around since the early 1900's and there are over a half a million people alive today who practice it, is heaven not already full? If it's not, are you saying over 2/3rds of the people in your church today are sinners and are still going to hell? Are you also saying 95% of the people who have practiced your religion have already gone to hell, because if they didn't that means heaven is already full and everyone you know at your church is a sinner and going to hell. I mean, simple math here, did no one at your church take basic maths in school? Thats before I get started on the magic hat and the magic rocks.

If they want to cold call me, I will answer the door or the phone, but I am the guy they warn them about in the manual sure.

I think it's the Jehovah's Witnesses not the Mormons who believe only 144,000 will get into heaven. I learned that from the days when I used to listen to people at the door. I don't now. I gave an initially very frosty reception a few weeks ago to a man who came to the door to tell me I'd left the car lights on. I was then thankful but he was taken aback and won't be doing me any favours in a hurry again! Sad.

CptSternn

Balagan wrote: »

I think it's the Jehovah's Witnesses not the Mormons who believe only 144,000 will get into heaven. I learned that from the days when I used to listen to people at the door. I don't now. I gave an initially very frosty reception a few weeks ago to a man who came to the door to tell me I'd left the car lights on. I was then thankful but he was taken aback and won't be doing me any favours in a hurry again! Sad.

Thats sounds right, got carried away in my post Mormons are the guys who believe a guy with a magic hat found some magic rocks, which then led him to write a new book of the Bible describing how Jesus already returned and spoke with Native Americans about UFO's.

...I wish I was making this up...