Wow. The cold callers are active this week. Today’s unsolicited phone call to our TPS-registered number was trying to sell home boiler maintenance or some such. Read on to find out how these companies get your phone number!!
Calling from: 01254 355535 (Number Withheld)
Representing company: 247 Home Rescue – (247homerescue.co.uk)
Details of the call:
This company is trying to flog boiler breakdown cover, and were fairly pushy – they’re keen to find out how much we pay for boiler care, so they can better it. They apparently work like British Gas – They have over 4000 gas safe registered engineers who aim to get to us within 4 hours. It seems they have their own engineers, but also outsource work to other engineers. Details were sketchy, but they were keen to offer a free quotation. A rather unprofessional exchange then occured, but at the request of 247 Home Rescue on the 19th of March 2014, we have removed details of this exchange. After this exchange, we were cut off, only to be called back by another representative from 247 Home Rescue.
The representative from 247 Home Rescue very helpfully told us that their cold calling team operate from different parts of the country, but they were calling today from a location in Petre Court, Clayton-le-Moors, Lancashire. The representative from 247 Home Rescue was keen to tell me that they work on Christmas Day – but he was less clear on whether that means they cold call on Christmas Day, or fix boilers on Christmas Day.
Whilst chatting away to the representative from 247 Home Rescue, we looked up 247 Home Rescue, to see lots and lots of complaints about their cold calling techniques. This was news to Connor, so we pointed him at 247 Home Rescue on nuisancecalls.org.uk
It’s always nice to find out how these telemarketing firms get your number, so we asked. He reply was surprising. “It comes up on the professional data, sir”. This made no sense, so I pushed: Apparently they get the numbers from “someone who we buy the data off, who’s got all the names and all the numbers”. I asked who this was that was selling my number, but apparently that’s confidential. When I asked why, the representative from 247 Home Rescue helpfully told me that :
“We’re not allowed to disclose over the phone who that company is. If we tell you that company name , you could go and get them in trouble.”
So, it appears to us that 247 Home Rescue may buy phone numbers from a third party but they won’t say who supplies this list – From the complaints identified on other sites, and our own experiences, some of the numbers on the list have been registered with TPS (Telephone Preference Service) as not interested in receiving unsolicited cold calls.
As 247 Home Home Rescue don’t want to disclose who sold them our number, we asked for contact details for someone who could help. We were given the following:
Imram Seth, 247 Home Rescue, 3 Petre Court, Clayton-le-Moors, Lancashire BB5 5HY
After pushing the point, the representative from 247 Home Rescue bounced me to his supervisor. He seemed interested to hear that there are lots of sites out there highlighting 247 Home Rescue as an apparent cold-calling company. I read him a few of the quotes, which made him chuckle.
Now, I feel sorry for these poor telemarketing lads and lasses, sitting in their cold calling suite phoning people like me who don’t give them an easy ride. They’re only doing a job – and speaking to people like us at ConsumerDeals is wasting both their time and mine. As the representative from 247 Home Rescue says:
“What makes my job very difficulty sir, is people asking me questions that I honestly can’t answer”
I replied that I did try to terminate the call initially, but the pushy sales girl engaged me in a conversation that I didn’t want to have. I also pointed out, that them calling people who’ve asked not to be called as a bigger waste of time. If someone asks not to be cold called, and that request is ignored, what’s the point of cold calling them? It shows that 247 Home Rescue are paying for a list of numbers that’s wasting their time, and the poor folk they’re calling. He saw the point, but apparently the representative from 247 Home Rescue felt as follows:
“That’s the nature of the job. He wouldn’t be good at his job if he didn’t push people”
The supervisor from 247 Home Rescue is going to escalate this to his superiors, as he agrees that calling people that don’t want to be called is a waste of his team’s time.
It’s also, apparently, worth reporting these guys to the regular, which you can do here: http://www.ico.org.uk/complaints/marketing/21
Had a call from these good folk? Add a comment below.
[Comment removed following a threat of legal action from 247 Home Rescue received on 19 March 2014] They are not listed on the Gas Safe Register (but have their own engineers?), and they are not even the cheapest in their own area [Comment removed following a threat of legal action from 247 Home Rescue received on 19 March 2014]
[Comment removed following a threat of legal action from 247 Home Rescue received on 19 March 2014]
have i been done i need heating services and agreed i gave them my bank account and sort code
I have just had a cold call from this company. They are very cheap, compared to British Gas, but wanted my account details over the phone and I did not want to give them this information. I asked for 24 hours to think about it. They are going to phone me back tomorrow after I have had a chance to check them out on the internet.
[Comment removed following a threat of legal action from 247 Home Rescue received on 19 March 2014]
Had to laugh when Sarah said “just give me “TWO SECONDS” It will only take a “MINUTE”!!
I just received a call from them, after telling them I was covered till later in the year, he then persisted on telling me I could still take out the policy now, which would be deferred until it was due. It is our right to refuse. get the hint. If I wanted It I would find it myself.
I bought boiler cover from them a few months ago and yesterday when my boiler broke I called them. I was told that because my boiler hadn’t been serviced in the last 12 months, they couldn’t help me. I pointed out that I wasn’t told that when I bought the policy and they said I should have checked all the clauses in the paperwork because it says it has to be regularly maintained. I said ‘regular’ is an ambiguous term and I wanted a refund as I believe they sold me a policy I can’t use. I was told that I wouldn’t get a refund and a manager wasn’t available. They gave me an address to complain to. Now I’m stuck with no heating or hot water and I’m out of pocket.
my washing mashing broke down on the Tuesday. It took them until the Friday to get someone out and that was after a lot of phone calls. If you cancel the policy within the first 12 months, they charge you £120 to leave.
I received a cold call from this company today & was not at all impressed with the pushy salesman.
I tried to ask several questions but was constantly being interrupted as they were only interested in getting my bank details.
I told the salesman there was no way I would give out these details over the phone to a cold caller & I wanted to have time to review their policy so that I could compare it with my existing cover. I was told this wasn’t possible & all the information would be supplied once I gave him my bank details.
Then I continued to ask who the Gas Engineers were that they employee in my local area which he couldn’t answer – it would have to be requested from his Manager once I gave him my bank details. Bit of a trend going on here!!
By this time I was thoroughly fed up with this pushy attitude and the call ended.
I will definitely not be taking out any policy with this company and would strongly advise others to steer well clear!
Be very careful when giving any details. I had a call 8 months ago, gave details but didn’t take out the quote. Went British Gas.
My wife had had 7 calls and was told they would send some policy information. The Policy information is actually a live policy with Direct Debit policy. The policy is in my name but I have yet to of had a conversation with them.
Thankfully I read the post and cancelled immediately but be very careful clearly not a professional company if they set policies up without the policy holders consent.
I have just found a letter from this company at my mother’s home. She has dementia and has no recollection of signing up for boiler cover – which she already has with British Gas. And she’s registered with TPS. No cancellation information is with the letter, just a number to call if any details need to be amended. If I hadn’t seen the letter, she’d be losing money each month to them without realising.
All I have to say is we are a well established organisation who provide boiler service and home emergency at the best price and level of cover and a brilliant service so these weird comments from people need realise we are here to help your costs Reduce for home emergency and boiler cover.
Looked at their deals online. Now getting harassed by email, calls and texts. Like the cliche says, if it’s cheap there will be a reason for it. BG have their faults but their engineers are top notch and they don’t harass so I’m sticking with them.
Back in the day they used to say their name was “switch saver UK” and they were a price comparison site, but obviously the best deal was always 247 Home Rescue. This tactic wasn’t only good for leading on ‘marks’ but also meant that Switch Saver UK got all the ICO complaints, and it didn’t even exist