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Strange phone call at work

BillieTheBotBillieTheBot Posts: 8,721 Bot
I just had a phone call at my workplace from 0845 3373183, a lady with a foreign accent asking if I would like to participate in a 5-minute phone survey. I said that I would ask my manager first. As the agent was (supposedly) calling from an IT firm, I would have imagined that the call would have been for my manager rather than me. As I couldn't find him, I just pressed ahead and took the survey. The agent asked me what programming languages I knew, so I said HTML, JS and BASIC, plus what field of IT I'm in. She then asked what my salary was, age, name, how many people live in my household, how long it takes me to get to work and if I’m a manager myself. She also asked for my home phone number. I gave it out, but I immediately went onto www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps (telephone preference service) and opted to block future telemarketing calls.

Before she went, I asked what company she was calling from – she said “ICM Research” and gave me 01234 760041 if I wanted to contact them back.

Any idea how much legitimacy this has, and whether I did anything wrong / gave out too much info?

Thanks!
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I suppose from theinformation you gave them it would be easy for them to trace where you live via the phone number, and depending on how much you earn, have a indication at the value of the things you own, and then from the number of people in your house + how long you travel to/fro work, when the house is most likely to be empty...


    I had a similar survey left on my car windscreen when out at a major shopping centre, first 15 questions or so all to do with the service they provide, improvements etc... then how much time i spend on the internet (see if i own a computer) listening to MP3s, Watching DVDs etc...

    Perhaps seeming a little paranoid it could certainly build up an image of what possession you have to steal!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Thanks Mr. Orange.

    I actually gave them my mobile number as I don't have a landline at the house. They know the postcode of my work and that I live 1.5 miles away from work. Hopefully that will cut down on their crime options :-)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i had something similar about a month after i got my new sim card, asked all sorts of random questions then asked if i had a credit card...upon hearing that i hung up.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    hmm... :chin: Unless you told them you are on a fantastically large salary and they decide to rob everybody within a 1.5mile radius until they find you!


    I'm sure it was legit and that you have nothing to worry about anyway.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    01234 is the Bedford code, by the way. We have all the best stuff :p
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Here we are:

    http://www.icmresearch.co.uk/

    Looks like they're based in London, but do indeed have a Bedford office.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Got a call to the house last week from some foreign man asking did i want to particpate in a survey for 5 minutes, they had woken me up outta bed so simply said "no, my heads wrecked" and hung up. They never called back.

    Couldn't be arsed with that shite.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    BT and other phone companies used to always ring the landline in my flat to ask about the service.

    Them: "Hello, I'm calling from BT"
    Me: "Sorry, I don't have a phone"
    Them: "........."
    Me: "Bye!"
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Addict wrote: »
    BT and other phone companies used to always ring the landline in my flat to ask about the service.

    Them: "Hello, I'm calling from BT"
    Me: "Sorry, I don't have a phone"
    Them: "........."
    Me: "Bye!"

    :lol:

    I never take surveys or anything. I either just hang up, or don't say anything until they do.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Someone I know use to get a dictaphone with Dial up internet and when someone phoned, he plays the dictaphone down the phone and walked away
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Lu_C wrote: »
    :lol:

    I never take surveys or anything. I either just hang up, or don't say anything until they do.


    What i really hate is when you hang up, then pick it up 30 seconds later and they are still there tying the line up.

    When you have people dependant upon you needing to get through to you.

    Can't help but reply my a volley of abuse and pointing out they need to be careful since it surely has some legal implications attached to it, denying people the use of a service they have paid for.



    A person at work was asked if he was interested in a stairlift, so he went through a 10 minute conversation with them discussing all the options and added extras, then asked "so how long will it take to install...?" then.. "oh right thats good, so where will you start? downstairs in my bungalow, or up... oh thats right i don't have any stairs, oops"

    The salesman wasn't too impressed :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    What i really hate is when you hang up, then pick it up 30 seconds later and they are still there tying the line up.

    Hate that.

    They should take the fucking hint.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Mr Orange wrote: »
    What i really hate is when you hang up, then pick it up 30 seconds later and they are still there tying the line up.

    I don't get that... How come when you hang up on some people it clears the line cos it ends the call... and then other times if they don't hang up it still blocks the line????? :confused:

    My uncle kept accidentally ringing our house when he was in the pub and it blocked the phoneline cos he couldn't hear us answer so didn't hang up... But I don't see how us hanging up didn't end the call.... I'm so confused.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm not sure, i know that if i ring anybody (land line) on my mobile it wont end the call till i hang up, tis very strange.

    I've been told that if you press redial (or was it recall) twice it then it will cut them off, not had chance to try it though, could be a mere urban myth.

    If it wasn't so important for me to keep the line clear i would happily allow them to block my line all day just to tie that operator up.


    I went through a stage where i thought "well they are only doing their job" but after seeing the Barcleys documentary thing last night and the attitude of all the staff, they weren't even just doing their job and not thinking about other people, they were complete ****s.

    It annoys me when im round an elderly relatives house too, and they get half a dozen in an hour, half the time the lines either dead when you answer or just some stupid idiotic arrr person trying to sell god knows what. If i wasn't there then it would of meant an 85 year old with atheritis (sp.) struggling to get out of their chair to walk painfully across the room to answer a dead phone half a dozen times.

    :banghead: :mad: :banghead: :mad:


    Anyway :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Lu_C wrote: »
    I don't get that... How come when you hang up on some people it clears the line cos it ends the call... and then other times if they don't hang up it still blocks the line????? :confused:

    The person making the call has to clear the line. Hence why I love mobiles so much :heart:
  • Indrid ColdIndrid Cold Posts: 16,688 Skive's The Limit
    Amira wrote: »
    The person making the call has to clear the line. Hence why I love mobiles so much :heart:
    That's it.

    Once a phonecall woke me up at 9 am (when I'd have normally woken at about 12). I wasn't pleased.
    Since I didn't recognize the number, I picked it up and replied with a strange noise from my mouth, making it sound like it was a question. Whoever was on the other end said "Huh?" then I replied with a different but equally strange sound and they hung up.
    No idea if it was a normal call or one of them, but whoever it was must have thought they dialed a number from Mars. They didn't call again.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Amira wrote: »
    The person making the call has to clear the line. Hence why I love mobiles so much :heart:

    Really? :lol: Didn't know that.
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