Bord Gais using underhanded telemarketing

heybert

I keep getting calls from a Jamaican number and when I answer there is nobody on the other line. Having worked in a call centre previously I know how this works - the company has a number of sales staff in the office but the phone is on constant dial. If a member of staff is not available at the time that you answer you will be disconnected in a couple of seconds and the dialer will schedule to call you again. It is the lowest form of telemarketing usually used by loan shark companies in the UK.

I cannot believe that a reputable company such a Bord Gais would use these tactics.

My question is: is anyone else having such issues and what is the best way to stop these calls?

Ken.

If no one is there when you answer how do you know its Bord Gais?.

heybert

lucyfur09 wrote: »

If no one is there when you answer how do you know its Bord Gais?.

A quick google showed that others had the same problem and when they answered it was Bord Gais.

dudara

Until you answer, you won't that that it's Bord Gais. It may be, but I wouldn't assume.

Tow

heybert wrote: »

IMy question is: is anyone else having such issues ?

Yes, I got one last week, from memory the number came up 001 so I assumed it was from the US of A. They had my name and claimed to be from Bord Gais and I got the hard sell trying to flog me a boiler service!

heybert

dudara wrote: »

Until you answer, you won't that that it's Bord Gais. It may be, but I wouldn't assume.

As I said, a quick google of the phone number shows up another forum with a number of people complaining of the same matter and many of them have answered and confirmed that it is Bord Gais.

I also have answered when in a position to do so but their dialling machine dials without ensuring that there will be a representative on the other end. So on answering I get a dead tone 2 seconds later.

I've had 5 missed calls from them today alone. These sort of tactics are bordering on harassment.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

2 things. Firstly the number may have relayed a Bord Gais call to others but until you speak with someone you have no proof whatsoever that the missed calls you get are from Bord Gais.

Secondly, how the heck is having 5 missed calls or some hang up calls classed as harassment? You have obviously never been really harassed before.

And, if it bothers you so much then phone Bord Gais and run it by them.

heybert

Derrick Shapely Fingertip wrote: »

2 things. Firstly the number may have relayed a Bord Gais call to others but until you speak with someone you have no proof whatsoever that the missed calls you get are from Bord Gais.

I take your point but do you seriously think that another Irish company is using the same Jamaican dialer with the same number? They always get unique numbers or else a private number.

Secondly, how the heck is having 5 missed calls or some hang up calls classed as harassment? You have obviously never been really harassed before.

This has been going on for a couple of weeks now. 5-10 calls a day for that period of time is harassment in my book.

I will contact Bord Gais but I came here to see if this was bothering other people, and if so maybe something could be made of it. These telemarketing tactics are the lowest form of business and show no respect for the potential customer.

lala88

How may i ask is it underhanded?

heybert

lala88 wrote: »

How may i ask is it underhanded?

I have never contact Bord Gais - they should not have my contact details unless in the unlikely event that one of their main rivals (my supplier) supplied them with the data. And now that they have my details, they decide that it is reasonable to call me 5-10 times a day without having the decency to ensure that a representative is on the other end to explain the nature of the call.

MOH

I thought auto-diallers were illegal here?

Jarren

For Android phone users

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.greythinker.punchback&hl=en

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

heybert wrote: »

I came here to see if this was bothering other people... These telemarketing tactics are the lowest form of business and show no respect for the potential customer.

Well, obviously you have your answer: this is not bothering anybody else.

You obviously have a bee in your bonnet about telesales.

Have you set your phone account up for no unsolicited marketing calls? I never get any since doing so a couple of years ago.

Sparkyd2002

Just got 1 there. Have to say it all felt a bit sus and very hard sell.Not sure why Bord gais use this.Kept getting the feeling it wasnt legit.Guess a number showing up on my phone as Jamaica is a bad start

DVD-Lots

This seems extremely dodgy tbh, for a number of reasons.

Firstly, even though we don't have any "official" regulations regarding diallers, any diallers that get installed would have OFCOM rules assigned to them by the engineers as this is the closest set of guidelines for any respectable business to use. The OFCOM rules are very strict when it comes to abandoned calls (where the dialler gets through but there is no agant available to talk to the customer), here is a list of the main OFCOM rules around dialling:-

* the ‘abandoned call’ rate shall be no more than three percent of ‘live calls’, calculated per campaign (i.e. across call centres) or per call centre (i.e. across campaigns) over any 24-hour period, and shall include a reasoned estimate of Answer Machine Detection (AMD) false positives;

* in the event of an ‘abandoned call’, a very brief recorded information message should be played no later than two seconds after the telephone has been picked up, which contains at least the following information: the identity of the company on whose behalf the call was made (which will not necessarily be the same company that is making the call); details of a no-charge (0800) or Special Services basic rate (0845) number which the called person can contact so they have the possibility of declining to receive further marketing calls from that company. This message should include no marketing content and should not be used as an opportunity to market to the called person;

* calls which are not answered must ring for a minimum of 15 seconds before being terminated;

* when an ‘abandoned call’ has been made to a particular number, any repeat calls to that number in the following 72 hours may only be made with the guaranteed presence of a live operator;

* for each outbound call a CLI number is presented to which a return call may be made which is either a geographic number or a non-geographic number adopted as a Presentation Number which satisfies the Ofcom Guide to the use of Presentation Numbers;

* any call made by the called person to the contact number provided shall not be used as an opportunity to market to that person, without that person’s consent;

* Additionally Ofcom expects that where organisations are subject to this statement records are kept for a minimum period of six months that demonstrate compliance with the above rules and procedures.

Secondly, Jamaica is on the list of countries notorious for "hacking" telephone systems. I have it locked down on our system that no calls can be made to Jamaica, this restricts them from routing a call through our PBX to a hi-cost Jamaican line. It could be that Bord Gais have bought into a very suspect off-site dialling system but I think it is simply a scam call so be very wary.

Finally, as stated above in the OFCOM rules, you cannot display a number to a customer that you do not "own", it must be part of your dialling range. AFAIK, this IS a part of Irish law and not restricted to OFCOM.

All in all, somebody needs to get on to Bord Gais to see if they are really placing these calls, otherwise the Regulator would have a field day with them.

heybert

DVD-Lots wrote: »

This seems extremely dodgy tbh, for a number of reasons.

Firstly, even though we don't have any "official" regulations regarding diallers, any diallers that get installed would have OFCOM rules assigned to them by the engineers as this is the closest set of guidelines for any respectable business to use. The OFCOM rules are very strict when it comes to abandoned calls (where the dialler gets through but there is no agant available to talk to the customer), here is a list of the main OFCOM rules around dialling:-

* the ‘abandoned call’ rate shall be no more than three percent of ‘live calls’, calculated per campaign (i.e. across call centres) or per call centre (i.e. across campaigns) over any 24-hour period, and shall include a reasoned estimate of Answer Machine Detection (AMD) false positives;

* in the event of an ‘abandoned call’, a very brief recorded information message should be played no later than two seconds after the telephone has been picked up, which contains at least the following information: the identity of the company on whose behalf the call was made (which will not necessarily be the same company that is making the call); details of a no-charge (0800) or Special Services basic rate (0845) number which the called person can contact so they have the possibility of declining to receive further marketing calls from that company. This message should include no marketing content and should not be used as an opportunity to market to the called person;

* calls which are not answered must ring for a minimum of 15 seconds before being terminated;

* when an ‘abandoned call’ has been made to a particular number, any repeat calls to that number in the following 72 hours may only be made with the guaranteed presence of a live operator;

* for each outbound call a CLI number is presented to which a return call may be made which is either a geographic number or a non-geographic number adopted as a Presentation Number which satisfies the Ofcom Guide to the use of Presentation Numbers;

* any call made by the called person to the contact number provided shall not be used as an opportunity to market to that person, without that person’s consent;

* Additionally Ofcom expects that where organisations are subject to this statement records are kept for a minimum period of six months that demonstrate compliance with the above rules and procedures.

Secondly, Jamaica is on the list of countries notorious for "hacking" telephone systems. I have it locked down on our system that no calls can be made to Jamaica, this restricts them from routing a call through our PBX to a hi-cost Jamaican line. It could be that Bord Gais have bought into a very suspect off-site dialling system but I think it is simply a scam call so be very wary.

Finally, as stated above in the OFCOM rules, you cannot display a number to a customer that you do not "own", it must be part of your dialling range. AFAIK, this IS a part of Irish law and not restricted to OFCOM.

All in all, somebody needs to get on to Bord Gais to see if they are really placing these calls, otherwise the Regulator would have a field day with them.

I got in touch with them via email and asked them to stop.

They then asked me for my number to check it out so I gave it to them. A few days later they replied and stated that the calls did not come from them but low and behold I haven't had a single call since - this going from up to 5 a day to 0 now!

Bold boys up there in Bord Gais!