Cell Phones in Great Britain - Hostilities to indipendant dealers?

Author

Hostilities to indipendant dealers?

mozzer3k@gmail.com

2006-05-25, 11:48 pm

I've been reading through the archives and I've seen quite a few
discussions where people are egging on other users to file complaints
to the networks when they recieve a single call from an indipendant
dealer, wether they accepted an offer or not. What's that all about?

There is nothing illegal about telesales, as long as laws and
guidelines are followed the services offered are as legitimate as they
were if you walked into a Carphone Warehouse store. It's exactly the
same except the companies in question choose to create their sales by
outbound calls instead of a high street shop.

I accept that yes, cold calls are a nuisance, but if they bother you so
much then just register to the TPS; that way if you do recieve calls in
the future you have a leg to stand on when you complain.

I work for an small telesales company, albeit not in sales, I know that
the staff will try their hardest to match, or better any deal the
people they phone have been told about. They go into every pitch with
the intent to lower the customers bills and get them a new phone for
free... what exactly is wrong with that?

I think that because of a dodgy few, a legitimate business model has
been tarnished. It's not really fair to the companies that do try to
provide the best deals to the people who are prepared to listen.

Reestit Mutton

2006-05-26, 5:48 am

mozzer3k@gmail.com wrote:
> I've been reading through the archives and I've seen quite a few
> discussions where people are egging on other users to file complaints
> to the networks when they recieve a single call from an indipendant
> dealer, wether they accepted an offer or not. What's that all about?
>
> There is nothing illegal about telesales, as long as laws and
> guidelines are followed the services offered are as legitimate as they
> were if you walked into a Carphone Warehouse store. It's exactly the
> same except the companies in question choose to create their sales by
> outbound calls instead of a high street shop.
>
> I accept that yes, cold calls are a nuisance, but if they bother you so
> much then just register to the TPS; that way if you do recieve calls in
> the future you have a leg to stand on when you complain.
>
> I work for an small telesales company, albeit not in sales, I know that
> the staff will try their hardest to match, or better any deal the
> people they phone have been told about. They go into every pitch with
> the intent to lower the customers bills and get them a new phone for
> free... what exactly is wrong with that?
>
> I think that because of a dodgy few, a legitimate business model has
> been tarnished. It's not really fair to the companies that do try to
> provide the best deals to the people who are prepared to listen.
>

I don't think that it's the dodgy few that ruin it for the majority - my
experience is the opposite - there are very few telesales companies in
the mobile arena that operate to any code of conduct.

Afterall, ask youself this...when have you ever received a call from one
of these companies where they

(a) acknowledge where they obtained your number from
(b) actually tell you what they are selling, rather than pretend that
you are entitled to an upgrade when in fact its a completely new
contract with a completely new number
(c) stop calling you when you explicitly tell them to

Heck!...If a company did all of the above three things I may be so
shocked as to buy anything from them...now there's a refreshingly unique
business strategy in there that many would do well to consider!

Anyway...I think that many of the networks have proven the point by
either dropping outbound sales altogether or giving a large potion of
their outbound sales force their marching orders recently.

RM
--
www.reestitmutton.co.uk

Bringing you the best-value mobile phone contract deals in the UK
Presented the way it should be...in plain English

Dave {Reply Address in.Sig}

2006-05-26, 5:48 am

mozzer3k@gmail.com wrote:
> I've been reading through the archives and I've seen quite a few
> discussions where people are egging on other users to file complaints
> to the networks when they recieve a single call from an indipendant
> dealer, wether they accepted an offer or not. What's that all about?
>
> There is nothing illegal about telesales, as long as laws and
> guidelines are followed the services offered are as legitimate as they
> were if you walked into a Carphone Warehouse store. It's exactly the
> same except the companies in question choose to create their sales by
> outbound calls instead of a high street shop.
>
> I accept that yes, cold calls are a nuisance, but if they bother you so
> much then just register to the TPS; that way if you do recieve calls in
> the future you have a leg to stand on when you complain.
>
Most of the complaints do come from people who've registered with the
TPS - this is exactly the sort of call they are trying to avoid and so
get annoyed when the dealer ignores it, usually with a "so what?"
attitude when the TPS is mentioned.

> I work for an small telesales company, albeit not in sales, I know that
> the staff will try their hardest to match, or better any deal the
> people they phone have been told about. They go into every pitch with
> the intent to lower the customers bills and get them a new phone for
> free... what exactly is wrong with that?
>
> I think that because of a dodgy few, a legitimate business model has
> been tarnished. It's not really fair to the companies that do try to
> provide the best deals to the people who are prepared to listen.
>
If the people responsible for policing the TPS list would actually do it
and fine some of the transgressors, then perhaps some of the shine might
come back. Until then, all telesales calls are evil because they are
perceived as being made by companies that don't care about the rules.
Would you do business with a company that flouts the law?

--
Dave
mail da ve@llondel.org (without the space)
http://www.llondel.org
So many gadgets, so little time

Mark Hewitt

2006-05-26, 5:48 am

<mozzer3k@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1148598752.056426.210080@y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
>
> I work for an small telesales company,

scum.

Mozzer

2006-05-26, 5:48 am

Nice to see maturity is strong here.

Ok, I shaln't try to defend it, would be an extremely uphill battle.

David Hearn

2006-05-26, 5:48 am

mozzer3k@gmail.com wrote:
> I've been reading through the archives and I've seen quite a few
> discussions where people are egging on other users to file complaints
> to the networks when they recieve a single call from an indipendant
> dealer, wether they accepted an offer or not. What's that all about?
>
> There is nothing illegal about telesales, as long as laws and
> guidelines are followed the services offered are as legitimate as they
> were if you walked into a Carphone Warehouse store. It's exactly the
> same except the companies in question choose to create their sales by
> outbound calls instead of a high street shop.
>
> I accept that yes, cold calls are a nuisance, but if they bother you so
> much then just register to the TPS; that way if you do recieve calls in
> the future you have a leg to stand on when you complain.
>
> I work for an small telesales company, albeit not in sales, I know that
> the staff will try their hardest to match, or better any deal the
> people they phone have been told about. They go into every pitch with
> the intent to lower the customers bills and get them a new phone for
> free... what exactly is wrong with that?
>
> I think that because of a dodgy few, a legitimate business model has
> been tarnished. It's not really fair to the companies that do try to
> provide the best deals to the people who are prepared to listen.
>

You obviously haven't read the archives thoroughly then.

Most complaints are about companies who are misrepresent themselves -
"Hi, I'm calling on hehalf of Orange" or even worse "Hi, I'm calling
from Orange about your Orange contract".

If they can lie within the first sentence, then they're lying about
everything else in my book.

Secondly, many complaints are about ignorance of the TPS. My number is
registered with the TPS, and has been for 15 months - ie. since the day
I received it. However, around 12 months, I received probably 2/3 calls
a week from people claiming to be Orange. All were in breach of the TPS.

Thirdly, and related to 2 - most, if you ask them the company name and
phone number (and the caller's name) will hang up the call. Often
without a caller ID number, you've got no idea who they were, so no way
of making a claim to the TPS.

It's a waste of my time as I NEVER deal with cold calls (or doorstep
calls) - most are for high value or contracts of some sort. I've no
idea who they are, what they're reputation is like, what the catch is or
often, what the product is that they're selling (eg. for phones -
contract details, phone model details). I always extensively research
high value/contracted purchases and never would purchase something when
it wasn't me making the first move.

D

David Hearn

2006-05-26, 5:48 pm

Mozzer wrote:
> Nice to see maturity is strong here.
>
> Ok, I shaln't try to defend it, would be an extremely uphill battle.

Defend what? I've no idea what you're talking about, you didn't quote
anything.

D

King Queen

2006-05-26, 5:48 pm

On 25 May 2006 16:12:32 -0700, mozzer3k@gmail.com wrote:

>I accept that yes, cold calls are a nuisance, but if they bother you so
>much then just register to the TPS;

I dislike this opt-out system.

I find that cold calls are not nice. They are intrusive. Imagine you
are having a conversation with someone and some man or woman and butts
in in the middle to try and sell you a phone. It'd just be plain rude
wouldn't it.

I think that cold calls should be opt in, not opt out.

>I think that because of a dodgy few, a legitimate business model has
>been tarnished.

Isn't this the way with everything, the few spoil it for the many?
Anyway my experience is it isn't just the few.

I get calls on my mobile phone from telesales people despite being
registered on the TPS. They say they are "from Orange" offering me an
upgrade despite the fact I ported my number out in January. That is
just deceitful.

hairydog@despammed.com

2006-05-26, 5:48 pm

On 25 May 2006 16:12:32 -0700, mozzer3k@gmail.com wrote:

>I accept that yes, cold calls are a nuisance, but if they bother you so
>much then just register to the TPS; that way if you do recieve calls in
>the future you have a leg to stand on when you complain.

The point is that I AM registered with TPS, but I still get the calls.
The callers seek to deceive me. Every time they describe themselves as
"Orange Upgrades" or similar, pretending that they are part of Orange,
and even when asked they usually seek to evade telling who they
actually are.

>I work for an small telesales company, albeit not in sales, I know that
>the staff will try their hardest to match, or better any deal the
>people they phone have been told about. They go into every pitch with
>the intent to lower the customers bills and get them a new phone for
>free... what exactly is wrong with that?

For one thing, a mobile phone is something you take with you
everywhere, and it is personal. You may only give the number to a few
people, and you do not expect to be called by unknown sales people.

Personally, I have a policy of never ever buying from anyone who
cold-calls me to sell, and so has my company. It caused some
heart-searching when one of our clients cold-called me to try and sell
a mobile phone, because from that time on we were working to promote a
company we would not buy from on principle. We no longer do work for
them.

I am sure that some telesales people are honest, truthful and
genuinely try to offer the best deal possible, but I've never come
across one who matches that description.

Even if they were all these things, I shall contact sellers when I am
interested in buying; I don't want them phoning me to try and sell to
me. Ever.

--

Iain
the out-of-date hairydog guide to mobile phones
http://www.hairydog.co.uk/cell1.html
Browse now while stocks last!

Jon

2006-05-28, 11:48 pm

mozzer3k@gmail.com declared for all the world to hear...
> I've been reading through the archives and I've seen quite a few
> discussions where people are egging on other users to file complaints
> to the networks when they recieve a single call from an indipendant
> dealer, wether they accepted an offer or not. What's that all about?

A lot of them misrepresent themselves to callers, and many even lie.
Most people also find cold calling quite offensive and intrusive.

I recently had to assist an 82 year old gentleman who from his PAYG
phone with less than £10 per year top-up was signed up to a 2 year, £30
per month contract by a cold calling scum outfit.

> There is nothing illegal about telesales, as long as laws and
> guidelines are followed the services offered are as legitimate as they
> were if you walked into a Carphone Warehouse store.

There is the phone number is TPS registered. Many organisations cold
call me even though my number has been on the TPS for several years.

> I accept that yes, cold calls are a nuisance, but if they bother you so
> much then just register to the TPS; that way if you do recieve calls in
> the future you have a leg to stand on when you complain.

I'd rather not have to complain, I'd rather just not have them.

> I work for an small telesales company, albeit not in sales, I know that
> the staff will try their hardest to match, or better any deal the
> people they phone have been told about.

Of course they will, they're fighting to put food on their tables.

> They go into every pitch with
> the intent to lower the customers bills and get them a new phone for
> free... what exactly is wrong with that?

They go into every pitch determined to get a sale, regardless of the
cost more like. Who are you trying to kid? Is this a troll? Certainly
sounds like one.

When people want to buy a phone they will go and do it.

> I think that because of a dodgy few, a legitimate business model has
> been tarnished.

You may be right, time for a career change.

> It's not really fair to the companies that do try to
> provide the best deals to the people who are prepared to listen.

Well life's not fair mate. Work for someone else if you can't hack it.
--
Regards
Jon

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