SEEING RED: Why do we still have to put up with nuisance calls - on the phone and at the door?

There’s a lot to be argued about in this world, but one thing’s for sure – everyone is outraged by cold calls.
Nuisance callers anger many people, including Ashley Booker.Nuisance callers anger many people, including Ashley Booker.
Nuisance callers anger many people, including Ashley Booker.

Boring Bregsit may have fractured ‘Great’ Britain irreparably, but we can all agree on the fact that nuisance calls are a right pain in the you know what.

In this digital age it’s easier than ever for cold callers to track us down.

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Every other day I get a call with a number on my phone screen I don’t recognise - although most times it seems to be someone ‘based’ in Manchester or Plymouth desperate for my attention.

I’ve also lost count how many times I’ve been phoned about my recent ‘car accident’.

Even Master B - who isn’t eligible to learn to drive until the summer of 2022 - is now getting automated messages on his phone asking him about the shunt he had ‘a few weeks ago’. You couldn’t make it up.

And if it’s not cold callers contacting us via telephone, they’re knocking on my front door - despite a sticker smack bang in the middle of the window telling any unwanted doorstep ‘visitor’ to politely do one.

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And why is it they always tend to phone just as I’m about to sit down to have my tea.

‘Hello is that Mr Booker?’, the voice asks at the end other end of the line.

I reply ‘Yes, it is - can I help?’

‘Yes, we’re phoning about . . . ‘

But sadly, despite my public image of being Mr Angry, I am actually too nice when I deal with these folks and listen to what they have to say before telling them I’m not interested.

Mind, I must admit, I can be quite naughty and play along with them pretending I’m interested before telling them I’m not.

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But it’s a different story if they catch Mrs B on a bad day - or even a good day, come to think of it.

Oh no, there’s no messing around when it comes to her. The caller hasn’t even got time to get past ‘is that Mrs . . . ‘ before she asks them ‘where have you got my number from?’ before slamming the phone down.

I’ve also often heard her say ‘I told you last time to take my name off your records - why haven’t you done so?’.

It seems they’re not only good at annoying us, but also ignoring simply instructions.

Mrs B isn’t on her own, though.

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For according to a poll by recyclezone.or.uk, 71 per cent ‘hang up immediately’ after realising it is an unsolicited phone call, compared to 74 per cent in total across the UK. I’m part of the three per cent which listens to the whole message before hanging up.

Recent reports from The Information Commissioner’s Office reveal more than 104,000 complaints were made about nuisance calls and messages between January and September 2018.

With Ofcom estimating more than 3.9 billion cold calls and texts were made in Britain alone in 2018.

Absolutely staggering.

So yes, you maybe able to register to block these cretins from contacting us - but surely we shouldn’t have to?

Surely we should be able to go about out lives without having to fend off a persistent caller on the other end of the phone who simply will not take no for an answer?

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