Barclaycard argh
Feb. 2nd, 2009 07:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
morwenOn 1st January 2009, I was awoken (well, I wasn't really asleep), by a phone call at about 0930. This rather annoyed me - who calls people that early on Monday morning?
It was an automated call from Barclaycard asking to speak to a "Manif Yasim". I am not a Barclaycard customer and I never have been.
It asked for their customer number, if that was me, and options for me, if I was someone else, to tell them that "Manif Yasim" would call back later. There was no option to speak to a live operator, and attempts to type nonsense in or strange noises at the prompt did not get me to a live operator.
I've not seen any post for that person here. This repeated an hour later, and then an hour later. The third time I was actually coherent enough to grab a pen to write down the contact number it provided for Manif Yasim to call back (0844 811 0324). Three times I phoned this, each time asking for the phone number to be removed from their database and there not to be any calls made to me again. Three times I was told this was done. Eventually, they stopped. But maybe that was just because
On Saturday, I got another phone call, from Barclaycard, asking to speak to Manif Yasim. This time I am writing the times down. I get called again at 10.09, and I call the contact number again and explain my predicament. This time I am put through to an external number, 0151 473 2528, where I talk to someone. She says she has removed the number from the system. I go to Ikea for about an hour and a half, and when I return, I get calls again at 12.02 and 12.56. I phone the Liverpool number again, and this time I am told they can't find my number on their system at all. I am further told that the system in any case should not be calling me hourly - maybe twice a day, but not that often. Maybe, they say, the day's jobs have already been generated and I am just getting backlog calls. They will stop after the overnight run has happened.
Today, I got a call from the same people at 08.36. And then I went to work. When I got back from work, I got one at 19.21. I call again, and am told my number is not in their system, and that maybe it was just because it was removed at a weekend.
I think this sort of system ought to be illegal, frankly. Any database-generated call ought to have some way of breaking out to a human. But that's not the point. How on Earth can I speak to someone who is actually capable of stopping this? I'm at my wits end.
It was an automated call from Barclaycard asking to speak to a "Manif Yasim". I am not a Barclaycard customer and I never have been.
It asked for their customer number, if that was me, and options for me, if I was someone else, to tell them that "Manif Yasim" would call back later. There was no option to speak to a live operator, and attempts to type nonsense in or strange noises at the prompt did not get me to a live operator.
I've not seen any post for that person here. This repeated an hour later, and then an hour later. The third time I was actually coherent enough to grab a pen to write down the contact number it provided for Manif Yasim to call back (0844 811 0324). Three times I phoned this, each time asking for the phone number to be removed from their database and there not to be any calls made to me again. Three times I was told this was done. Eventually, they stopped. But maybe that was just because
On Saturday, I got another phone call, from Barclaycard, asking to speak to Manif Yasim. This time I am writing the times down. I get called again at 10.09, and I call the contact number again and explain my predicament. This time I am put through to an external number, 0151 473 2528, where I talk to someone. She says she has removed the number from the system. I go to Ikea for about an hour and a half, and when I return, I get calls again at 12.02 and 12.56. I phone the Liverpool number again, and this time I am told they can't find my number on their system at all. I am further told that the system in any case should not be calling me hourly - maybe twice a day, but not that often. Maybe, they say, the day's jobs have already been generated and I am just getting backlog calls. They will stop after the overnight run has happened.
Today, I got a call from the same people at 08.36. And then I went to work. When I got back from work, I got one at 19.21. I call again, and am told my number is not in their system, and that maybe it was just because it was removed at a weekend.
I think this sort of system ought to be illegal, frankly. Any database-generated call ought to have some way of breaking out to a human. But that's not the point. How on Earth can I speak to someone who is actually capable of stopping this? I'm at my wits end.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-02-02 08:45 pm (UTC)1st of jan was a Thursday?
you could maybe call BT and have them block the number if they can trace it. i haven't done it but i know people have.
or you could call Barclaycard on their customer helpline, pretty sure that will put you through to a real person. try 0870 1540 154, is written on the back of my card...
no subject
Date: 2009-02-02 08:46 pm (UTC)I should do the BT thing. They oughtn't be allowed to run this system if they can't do so competently.
no subject
Date: 2009-02-02 09:26 pm (UTC)OfCom need to know and CC it into the information commissioner as you repeatedly asked for your details not to be used anymore cos you are not the bloke they were trying to call. The privacy and electronic communications act may have some merit.
there's also cases where people have invoiced big orgs for every call received at $$$ per minute and instance and advised that small claims will be taken if calls are received and not paid for by big org.
no subject
Date: 2009-02-02 09:31 pm (UTC)I am going to call the Nuisance Calls Bureau tomorrow, which are apparently a different to the Nuisance, Malicious and Silent Calls Division, who I phoned this evening.