What a waste of time.

[I @ M]

Like many people, I have received calls in the past from "technicians" offering to fix the "defect" in my computer online.

Today set the record of a call per day for the last 3 days, all are obviously VOIP phones that they are using, when asked where they were calling from, one claimed to be in Melbourne, one simply wouldn't answer and the third admitted to being in India ( coincidentally or not, they all had the same accent ) so if I get a similar call tomorrow I think I will sit down at the pc and pretend to type in the various commands they dictate to me just to see how much of their time I can waste before they figure out that I am having a lend of them.

I really can't understand how anyone can even consider the fact that the call / caller has anymore than 0.00001% chance of being anything other than a scammer.

[Kym]

You can play a game... talk to them, keep them on the line as long as possible.
Say ... someone's at the door or i have a call on the other phone etc.
Keep interested but don't give any personal details.
They work off KPIs based on calls per hour etc.
Basically you screw the sales performance of the company.

[William]

Mind games , Good one one Kym, Like your thinking , Hit E'm in the pocket

[ricktas]

I kept one on the phone the other day for 45 minutes. I said GREAT when he called, cause I had been intermittently getting the blue screen of death, well thats that I told him, and I was hoping he could help. I praised him up, saying how wonderful it was that he called. So we went through starting up the computer etc..chatted, then I said a few things like "sorry I don't understand, you want me to use internet explorer. I don't use that, how do I find it on my pc" etc. After nearly 40 minutes he was getting frustrated and said something about microsoft. To which I replied, Oh, you think I have a PC, I have an Apple Mac..and he hung up...hehehe

[colinbm]

Mind games , Good one one Kym, Like your thinking , Hit E'm in the pocket

I'd like to kick them between the two front pockets
Col

[I @ M]

I'd like to kick them between the two front pockets
Col

The last call I had was from a lady girl female, does that method of retribution still work?

[Big Pix]

....... I just say someone is at the door and ask them to wait a moment and just put the phone down without hanging up...... I hang up the phone about 10 minutes later........

[Mark L]

....... I just say someone is at the door and ask them to wait a moment and just put the phone down without hanging up...... I hang up the phone about 10 minutes later........

I like that one, 'cause although I'd like to, I can't be bothered taking the time to string them along.

[colinbm]

The last call I had was from a lady girl female, does that method of retribution still work?

Beauty is in the eyes of the belolder.
If you call beauty watching these people suffer, then go ahead

[bdparker]

My Mom had someone saying they were form Microsoft the other day, I my view, she did the right thing, and hung up straight away.

I would not trust anybody ring up un-requested to fix my computer. I couldn't think of anything worser than a 'Trojanen Virus', than allowing someone direct to access my computer indirectly.

[ameerat42]

...My Mom had someone saying they were form Microsoft the other day, I my view, she did the right thing, and hung up straight away...

Good move! And DIDN'T waste have her time wasted.

[Xenedis]

I really don't know why people waste time fooling around with pesty callers.

Personally, I'd rather spend my time on better ventures.

Just hang up at the first sign it's a tele-spammer.

[Sammi]

I have had a few of them recently, they even know my full name which makes me think that my telstra or internode details have been sold on, last one after telling me she was from microsoft and i had downloaded a virus hung up on me after i said that my fiance was a computer tech for the vic govt (which he is so i wasnt lying)

[fess67]

I usually get them telling me that I had qualified for an amazing holiday offer. I am excited and ask if I can take my girlfriend along. Of course you can they tell me.

Then I get very concerned and ask if they will tell my wife about my girlfriend, this goes through a few twists and turns before they hang up My wife is usually listening in the background and cracking up at some of the rubbish I am spouting off.

[ApolloLXII]

These guys are after your personal information so follow the GIGO principle, Garbage In, Garbage Out. Give them all the information they want but just make it all up, account numbers etc. If you really want to hook them, tell them you'll give them your passwords if they will help make things easier and just make them up as you go along. These bozos will sit there thinking it's their lucky day but won't get anywhere. "What's that you say? The password is incorrect? It can't be because it's the one I use every day to log on, like I am now. Are you sure you're a technician from Microsoft or just one in training? Let me speak to your supervisor as you're obviously some kind of idiot" Even better, just say "Computer? What computer? I've never owned one"

[Xenedis]

Why waste the caller's time (and yours)?

Just tell the caller you're not interested and hang up straight away!

[ApolloLXII]

Why waste the caller's time (and yours)?

Just tell the caller you're not interested and hang up straight away!

Because if enough of us do what I suggested, it might make such scam attempts a pointless exercise for those making such calls.

[Xenedis]

Because if enough of us do what I suggested, it might make such scam attempts a pointless exercise for those making such calls.

Unlikely.

[fess67]

Unlikely.

Hmmm Imagine this. If every call these people make costs them 20 minutes of time for no result how long can they financially exist? infrastructure, wages, on costs (super etc) phone charges......If you hang up they lose little. If you can afford your time to engage them for 20 mins and they get nothing..well, not long before they close.

I am here for photography not politics but my opinion is tie them up for as long as possible for no reward and they will cease to exist. IMHO.

[abitfishy]

Maybe I'm too soft but from my point of view a lot of the bottom dweller staff that make the calls aren't the ones who run the show. They are usually poor as hell and its a job in a country where jobs are hard to find. They are just trying to survive. Same reason there is a lot more street crime etc in developing countries than there is on the streets of Double Bay. Not saying its right, but put yourselves in their shoes for a minute - you'd probably be willing to make these calls too if you lived over there and the commissions you earn were going to feed your family and give them a decent future. Just hang up on them and get on with your day.