[Closed] Advice please - hassled by endless calls to claim compensation

Not sure you can. I just don't answer and witheld numbers or 08 numbers. They soon gave up.

http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/index.html

Might be a good start, won't rid you of them but they should reduce.

@wrecker's post + 1

You could record a voicemail message which says something like "if you are calling re accident compensation the claim has been settled in full" and then don't answer numbers you don't recognise.

I just don't answer and witheld numbers or 08 numbers.

Some of my customers ring from Unknown numbers, so this is risky. Also, some of them are ringing from "genuine" numbers

Who owns this database ?

Find out, then send in a section 10 notice under DPA asking that they stop processing your personal data. (processing under the Act means pretty much anything even storing) Then they have to take your details off. And don't take any pish re "you didn't object so therefore you consent". Make it clear you withdraw that implied consent.

Who owns this database ?

I don't know. I was hoping someone on here might have had some experience to guide me

I am very interested in this thread as my son was in an accident about a month ago(his fault car left road and no-one else was involved). I attended the scene and called recovery (one of the 2 biggies) who in turn subbied the recovery to a local firm.The last 2 weeks I have constantly been getting calls on my mobile about compensation claims so my number MUST have been given by big recovery firm or smaller (subcontract) firm even though I specifically asked for my details not to be given out. The number was given to no-one else in regards to this crash and as such I have complained to them and am waiting for them to get back to me.

They soon gave up.

Well I've been plagued for a good few months and they haven't given up. Many of the calls I get are recorded messages. I did express an interest just to get to talk to a real person, and despite asking not to be called again it continues. I'm signed up to TPS and have been for a few years.

I'm now considering buying one of these to intercept the calls (any experience of this anyone)?:-
[url= http://www.truecall.co.uk/call-blocker.aspx ]http://www.truecall.co.uk/call-blocker.aspx[/url]

We get at least 2 or 3 calls a day from either "free government funded boiler" or "free insulation" or PPI. We try and laugh at them but it's getting boring now. We are on TPS and have spoken to them in the past to ask them to remove our details but nothing works.
They don't even bother with real people calling now, it's all just automated calls. How on earth they manage to get any business that way (or maybe it's more likely a con) is beyond me.
I can see how the sensitive/elderly/gullible can be affected by this barrage of calls.

I got them following a fall. The only people who had my number were the hospital. Nobody else. I won't be making that mistake again (giving my number out, not falling off that is!)

i am on giffgaff so now at least get airtime credit from many of the calls . My accident was settled last month via a legit solicitor but I still get calls asking why I haven't claimed. when I pressed for details about the accident they claimed to have details for the lady rather patronisingly said "you know the accident you had in your car" my only injury accidents ever have been car vs cyclist where I was the cyclist.

I suspect the police or Nhs passed on my details it will of hardly been in any one else's interest to do so. the car that hit me was not recovered but drove away afterwards.

Who owns this database ?
I don't know. I was hoping someone on here might have had some experience to guide me

If you speak to a person - just use the words "How did you get my details? I don't like being cold called..." it should get rid of them pronto (as cold calling is illegal and they record all telephone calls) - assuming you're signed upto TPS.

The recorded ones are harder to stop.

A complaint to the police, or possibly a civil action or injunction on the grounds of nuisance? Maybe just the threat would get them to drop you like a hot coal?

Maybe just the threat would get them to drop you like a hot coal?

Threaten who? It's not the same firm calling me over and over. They're different firms calling me. I want to avoid getting the calls in the first place and I don't want to have to take all the calls and threaten them all.

These people are all acting illegally. Log it with ICO. They don't have the resources to act on individual cases but when there are 1000s of people complaining, they will prosecute.

I get VERY stroppy with them now. I had a call last week from somebody claiming to be from some made up Govt Department that doesn't even exist. I laughed and pressed her on it. She hung up on me eventually. Result !

First question to these callers:

What is the registered name of the company you are calling from ? Can be quite amusing the crap they come up with.

Try and get the name, then you have somebody to complain about !

I know I know, I need to get a life.

If you don't know the number don't answer it or just hang up straight away.

I strung some woman along for a bit - "about that accident you had, wasn't your fault - you were in a car, or maybe in the mall" until eventually she accused me of wasting her time. I had to laugh at that one..

When it's a recorded message though, hels, it's difficult to get the name some times.

[Edit] - oh, and @teef, withheld numbers can be from the doctors, from kids' school, sometimes form social work in charge of my mum, so it's not /really/ an option to simply see withheld and not answer. The worst offenders are usually International or Not Available though TBH.

I got plagued by PI calls shortly after I had an accident and went as far as confirming who was calling and sending them a subject access request/request to stop processing my data. The information they gave me just told me who the middle man was and as the calls stopped I never followed the trail back to the source.

I was actually surprised at how effectively it stopped the calls - I had assumed that other people would have got my details from the same place but it all went very quiet. I still get texts from time to time although I suspect that they are just random number generators (certainly the amount of compensation that's been put aside varies each time :lol:) and I get less of those than I used to.

The ones that really wind me up are the recorded messages as I always hang up and then wish I'd held on to the end so I could try to find out who to speak/write to. Being on TPS and being relatively anal about checking the DP wording on forms doesn't stop them.

I don't actually mind it when I get a real person because I know far more about the DPA/PECR than they do so I can make them squirm 😈 This usually provides plenty of entertainment for my OH or my colleagues who enjoy listening in...

[I don't seem to get anything on my mobile. It's always my land line. Which is the only number my mother ever phones me on so I have to answer it just in case it's her. One of my colleagues keeps getting calls on her work direct dial which is particularly annoying - she has to answer it]

Just had another one.

The database from which this particular company is getting my details is sourced from Elite Marketing Data. Apparently it is an opt-in compliant data broker so it sounds like I ticked something I shouldn't somewhere along the line. I'll be in contact with them and will let you know how I get on...

I had a scouse lady last week asking about my car accident.

I told her very nicely I hadn't had one; someone was pulling her leg.

She got stroppy and insisted she was not wrong. So when I asked her when it was she said I was wasting her time.

That's a common thread, innit?

My incident was genuine. I'm just fed up of all the calls asking if I want to claim compensation.

Try this guys method
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-20068927

may take some effort on your part.

I don't think it's just from crashes/recovery/accidents that they get the numbers. I get these calls despite not being involved in any of those things.

just shout down the phone, wish them a good day and hang up, if it's a recorded message press 5 to speak to a humnan or whatever number it is and repeat.

Of course, they will need to verify their identity by answering some security questions.

There's two types, I've found.

I'm getting bombarded at the moment with "we're calling about your accident" callers, started out of the blue a few months after I'd had an accident.

I ask, "oh, which one?" Most of them have my details, including the date of the accident, so I've obviously been put of some list somewhere and sold on. I categorically have not ever consented to my details being sold in this way, I'm diligent in checking tick-boxes (even the ones that reverse the wording on consecutive questions to try and catch people who tick both boxes without reading the question properly). So this is crossmaking.

However, some of them are just chancers cold-calling numbers on spec. "We're calling about your accident" - "oh, which one?" - "the one in your car...?"

Oh yeah, the last one I had was particularly sneaky.

Cold caller rang asking if I'd been getting loads of calls, I said I had, he said that my name had been released onto a database and would I like him to make all the calls stop? Why yes, I said.

So he gives me all this spiel about stopping cold-callers, then segues into the usual guff about money being "set aside" and that "my money" would be given to the big nasty insurance companies if I didn't claim it. I told him I wasn't eligible - I've looked into this in depth - and he starts getting more and more aggressive with me, all but telling me what I need to say about 'mild discomfort' and taking paracetemol for a "Low Velocity Incident" or some such. So far, so most other ambulance chasers. I told him flat out, I'm not prepared to make a fraudulent claim.

Then it took a turn for the curious. Well, if you don't claim, I can't make the phone calls stop, he says. Hang on, I thought that was the point of this conversation? Well, he says, I don't have access to the database, but if I mark on your file that we're dealing with the claim, then it'll stop anyone else from pursuing it. I said, well, can't you do that anyway then, at which point he gets even more agitated and tells me he can't possibly do that but he can stop his own company from calling.

I think the moral of this story is, if you are going to engage with a no win, no fee lawyer, try to find one that isn't full of shit.

I was getting them, though whether it was coincidence or not I can't tell... I told the last one my "compensation" claim had been claimed/settled to get rid of them nicely, and they've seeming stopped calling now. So maybe there some truth to them being able to edit the database, as per Cougar post.

As for PPi, I've had those forever, though they seem to have resorted to machine only calls now (which are promptly hung up on). When a human's did call, and I could be bothered, they seem unable to believe that I've never had a loan or finance, so have never taken (or had reason to take) out PPi. So these guys aren't even working from a database of PPi customers

My current approach to calls like these is to answer in a happy voice and say.

"I'm sorry but I don't answer questions from cold callers"

They try and engage with you but I just keep saying the above line and they quickly hang up. Those that don't usually get an polite explanation as to why they are a cold caller and a repeat of the line

I seem to be getting less calls but most importantly I don't get wound up.

Inducement to commit fraud by misrepresentation is a criminal matter worthy of informing the police. If you get such a call take down as much phone number, company name, address, contact details, website, person calling data. "For my records; I like to know who I may be dealing with before I consider the matter further..." Then 101 it.

Have a read here of my experience:

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/anyone-challenged-an-ombudsman-decision

Current situation is that I was getting daily calls on my mobile from an 061 number. Aviva Insurance were based in Manchester. See, there is a connection. Every time they called (didn't always answer) I reported them.

I phoned Ofcom to ask what if they were going to do anything about these calls. I then told them that I suspected my details had been passed again from a dishonest employee of Aviva Insurance despite Aviva claiming my details had not been compromised.

Not long after this the story broke in the news concerned, guess what, a dishonest member of Aviva's staff selling personal details. Aviva still maintain in spite of this that nobody passed on my details. They even offered me money, that is the CEO's office. 😯

Ofcom said I should contact the ICO. Well, I had contacted ICO some time ago and they decided there was no evidence. FFS. 😐

Interestingly since I phoned Ofcom these Manchester calls have stopped. Go figure.

So ... I feel your pain.

I have had a few interesting discussions with cold calling companies. When someone calls and says can I start by taking some security details to make sure you are Mr IP Freely?

-No you flipping can't.
-Uh why not?
-Because I don't know you and I have no idea if you are really from DinloCo
-But I told you I am.
-Hmm I see your point. A scammer would clearly open with hello I am from the made up corporation who specialise in the theft of your personal data.

Cg there's a well documented scam or aggressive cold caller originating on an 0161 number. They had a go at getting hold of my wife every day for about ten days. We were away in France at the time so she didnt pick up as she didn't know the number. The calls stopped soon after. Not aviva related as we've never used them.

@ garage-dweller - oh, hadn't heard about that. Lucky the calls stopped though.

A complaint to the police, or possibly a civil action or injunction on the grounds of nuisance? Maybe just the threat would get them to drop you like a hot coal?

Do you seriously think that these companies actually volunteer a company name, telephone number, website address? Even when I go into fish-wife mode, it still doesn't stop them calling again and again and again.

BT have a new phone out that can block calls, callers have to say their name and press # ..auto bots cant press # and you can hear the name of the caller before you pick up or divert. they claim 100% effective.

[url= http://www.shop.bt.com/products/bt8500-advanced-call-blocker-single-9M2M.html ]linky[/url]

I've had several cold calls on my mobile recently, one today, in fact, from someone talking about 'as a homeowner...'; that was as far as she got, I made it perfectly clear that getting cold calls on my personal mobile number was totally unacceptable and hung up. Fortunately it was a UK number, so I've blocked it on my phone.
I had a couple from the same number a while back, forget what the subject was, but the second time I went off on one and told the bloke to * off! Then blocked that number as well.
I had a PPI one on my mobile once and told him to * off too. I feel no remorse, these people are scammers, and are thus vermin.
You'd think they'd block their number from showing, wouldn't you?

Interesting update.

I asked one of the callers to tell me where they got my info from and they told me. I then emailed said marketing database company and this is the response:

We do not supply a company called Legal Help. We have not sold road traffic
accident leads for years. We hardly ever sell mobile numbers either. You
have the wrong Elite. Or this company Legal Help are not giving you the
correct company they purchased the data from.

If we had sold your information we would just remove it from the database.

so far as I can tell some of these firms are given/sold the numbers by BT. I got a new number and the day after it was activated and before I had given the number to anyone I started getting calls about compensation, accidents, kitchens, solar panels etc etc.

Now signed up for TPS and the number of calls is going down but still got a call from the computer maintenance centre this week. The chap on the end was quite persistent in sticking to his script even after I greeted him with "this is the scam where you tell me that I have errors on my computer and offer to fix them, isn't it?"

so far as I can tell some of these firms are given/sold the numbers by BT

BT will re-use landline numbers. So the calls you get may be linked to the last user of that number.

far as I can tell some of these firms are given/sold the numbers by BT

I've good reason to believe that a lot of the scam calls (as opposed to the relatively legitimate ambulance chasers) are using 192.com as their source.

There's an opt-out form [url= http://statics.192.com/rel-4b376/downloads/C01.pdf ]here[/url]. I strongly advise you to fill it in (ideally check you're in there in the first place).