[Chris R]

Hello to you all,
I thought I would share this peace of info with you, because I have found it to be a great help.
The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) helps you to make sure your telephone number is no longer available to organisations who may telephone you with offers and information you do not wish to receive.

Under Government legislation introduced on 1 May 1999 it is unlawful to make unsolicited direct marketing calls to individuals who have indicated that they do not want to receive such calls.

This includes a small business. Since I registered 2 months ago the amount of cold calls I get have dwindled down to about one a month.My wife owns a florist business, and again nearly all cold calls have stopped.
Its takes about 2 mins to register online at
http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/
Although we all have to make a living, I personally HATE telephone sales calls !They always phone when Im having my tea, and they tie up the phone line.
The same law applies to calls to Fax numbers , and its even possible to have (most) junk mail stopped.
Remember, if a company phones you after you have registered, you can report them, and they could be prosecuted.
Enjoy your leisure time

http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/fps/     (Stops Fax calls)
http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/  (Stops junk mail)

[Len Gribble]

Chris

I wish this could be applied to price shoppers

But I do know what you mean I just hang up or let them waffle then say this has just cost you a phone call “good by”
Len

[safecleanlakes]

Does this apply to freephone no's??

[Chris R]

Not sure, check out the site for info.

[squeaky]

I Love price shoppers

[Cloverleaf]

This is my current pet hate!

When I'm out and working, my calls are diverted to my mobile, so I pay mobile phone rate when people call me.

I recieved my bill today from BT and the cost of diverted calls was £37 plus vat.
I estimate that 30% of these calls are from cold calling sales, most of which are from Asia!

I know this because they call in the morning and wish me a nice evening :-/

I now pleasantly tell them to call after 8pm, but now considering telling them to f*** o**

John Milnes

[Cloverleaf]

Cris,

Ihave just registered on the web site that you posted.

I have also registered to stop silent calls which I get every day and cost me money.

Thanks for the info.

John Milnes

[Ian Gourlay]

I wish you had not printed this info. One of my most sucessful lead generation methods is Cold Calling.

Telephone and door knock, kill it off and you will make it harder for start ups.

Our Economy depends on people selling goods and services.

EU is also planning to ban leaflet drops and unsolicited letters

What method will you have left to find new customers

Better get dialing before I am banned

Ian

[ALEXDH]

whats this about banning leaflet drops?  

[Ivar_Haglund]

Simple

Can you hold please


then I go take the dog for a walk

Or ask if you can have the persons home phone number

and call them back latte   at 4am


Or

Hello hello HELLLLLOOOO


Have fun with these folks


IVAR

[Len Gribble]

Ian

Unsolicited phone calls is one thing, which needs control, door knocking you tell them too bog off, leaflet you don’t want, you use in the toilet or give to the council to recycle, hopefully not mine

On my advertisements I use an 0800 number I have yet to have unsolicited phone call If I did I would ask them what number did the dial then have a right go then send them a bill. But all phone calls of this type I receive are via a domestic type number then they get an answer phone or fax.

Re EU what’s new?

Len

[John_Flynn]

I had problems with Faxes comming in the middle of the night, I registered with these folks and they've killed the bloody lot.

Just registered my landline number and also mobile to stop SMS.

Re JUNK mail I put it back into their supplied postpaid envalope and send it back to them.

[Phil Marlor]

When I try to regester i just get a white screen.

Am I doing somthing wrong and if so what?

Phil

[Ian Gourlay]

Yes the Eu has a directive on the back burner to ban leaflet drops.

John I thought you were very keen on direct mail as a marketing statergy.

There is another directive about to come out banning unsolicited mail.

Door knocking Trading standardss are trying to ban.

I believe in complete deregulation of small business ie less than 5 employees to give them the freedom to grow without restrictions

This also includes paying tax at no more than 20%


I could go on but I wont

[John_Flynn]

You thought wrong, I only mail to exisiting clients.

[Dennis]

I did not realise sole traders/partnerships could register! Mobiles too. Excellent  

The pests who most get up my nose are the gits who, when you decline their wonderful offer, start arguing with you!!!! You know who you are Yellow Pages new commercial directory.  

Rant over, I feel better now.  

[Phil Marlor]

Please,

Someone tell me why when I try to register all I get is a white blank screen.

Phil

[SteveTruman]

Please,

Someone tell me why when I try to register all I get is a white blank screen.

Phil

Phil the only thing i can think is you have a firewall on stopping the cookies. Hope this helps.

Steve

[Dennis]

Phil,
The first registration page appears to use javascript. Do you have this enabled? If you use Internet Explorer 5 go here to see how to enable it.
http://www.cedar.u-net.com/ie5d.htm

If it's not that or the cookies you could have your cordwangel wire crossed with you widget module.  

[Phil Marlor]

Cheers fellas,

It was my Firewall, knocked it off now its ok.

Had problems with viruses lately, so I have downloaded just about every anti virus software possible to stop these b******s  screwing up my machine, even got a Security Guard and an armed gunman outside.

Machine is completely clear now, just wish I could get my hands on these people that do these things.

Phil.

[Ian Hare]

You could empty your dirty water over their carpets!

[Chris R]

Hello again,
Its a few months since I first posted this information. I was just wondering if anyone found it to be of use? Did it help to reduce the number of telephone sales calls that you get?
Chris

[Michel Roberts]

I regesterd a few months ago and it does'nt seem to have made any difference at all. Still getting an average 2/3 calls a day.  Like a previous poster I divert my calls into my mobile. I also use a freephone no.

Michel

[Londoner]

Interesting thought, - my friend in America tells me that the worst phone pests over there are carpet cleaning franchises.
They are the eqivilent of double glazing salesmen over here.

Now that you can get phone accounts like "talk talk" that give you free calls in the evening, has anyone tried telemarketing?

If you can't beat them, maybe we should consider joining them?

[Derek]

Heaven forbid!....  :-/

There is nothing more infuriating than being pestered on the telephone by salespeople in the evenings (or daytime even) ESPECIALLY when they are obviously reading from a pre-prepared script.

You have to ask yourself the question would 'YOU' like a call of this nature?

Sorry if I have put a dampener on your enthusiasm... it's a purely personal viewpoint

Cheers
Derek

[Chris R]

Hi,
If you have registered on the TPS site you should have got a letter to confirm the details. If you didnt then something went wrong with the registration process.
If you are registered and you get a call from a telesales person just say "If I could just mention that this number is  registered on the TPS register and that you are breaking the law by calling this number. Please remove my details fom your database or I will have to report your company if you call again!! If they do call back, take the companys name, telephone number,and time of call and put the info into the TPS website complaints section.
Eventually the sales calls will stop.
Chris

[Neil Gott]

I registered with TPS a long time ago, and I get very few calls from the uk.

I have recently, though, had a spate of International calls trying to sell me a telephone service. One of them was Blue something or other. One of the callers said she was in New York. If they knew that I only make about four calls a day they would soon lose interest.

It puzzles me how some companies do so little research before blanket targetting. I get brochures through the post inviting me to use their services for my fleet of heavy goods vehicles, and a few days ago a company introduced their mailing facilities as a must have service. I used to be on the Mailing Preference Service. I must check to see if it has lapsed

[Dynafoam]

Niel,

I ahve registered under the Mail Preferance Service but it seems to have little effect.

What I do now is to stuff all the reply-paid envelopes with someone else's adverts, then post them  

John.

[Phil Marlor]

Definately worked for me.

Since registering,  junk mail by fax is almost nil.


Phil

ps I did get a telephone call the other day company selling me somthing.
When I said to her I am not interested she said:-

"What do you mean you are not interested"

Nuff said!!!!

[Ian Gourlay]

As you know I do Tele Marketing and find it successful.


But do not like way TPS charge you to find out if a number has registered.

Personally I think telephone carriers shoud pay a percentage of turnover to cover cost of service.


However I am thinking of registering as I am getting fed up with these competion calls \which are automatically dialed.

I like ive sales calls as I learn technique.

Also if they are from abroad are they coverd by Telephone Prefrence Service