"Cynic" wrote in message
news:2hkiu3d0hc09ibotf8sa8mrcnsqq9iebkf@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:14:19 GMT, wrote:
>>Obviously I just hung up, but presumerably pressing 9 would have incurred
>>a
>>massive charge of some sort.
>
> No, it doesn't. It is used to reduce the charge to the *caller* by
> ensuring that time is only spent on people who have indicated an
> interest rather than delivering their sales pitch to an answering
> machine. Many of the companies that do such cold-calling operate from
> outside the UK and so are charged for their calls by the minute.
I'm surprised. The last one I got, offering a holiday in Florida, came at a
very boring moment, so I happily pressed 9 in an attempt to amuse myself.
Didn't here another word, and reluctantly hung up. Five minutes later, I
picked up the phone to find it was still connected, and could clearly hear
an elderly lady being given the usual guff about free holidays etc., and
then being asked for her full name, address, age and finally her credit card
number.
The lady stuttered for a while before telling the caller that she didn't
have a credit card or a debit card. The call was soon ended. Pity really, as
I was hoping to copy down the number as more evidence that I was able to
listen to the call.
I phoned BT later to complain about what I had been able to overhear, and
was told that by preesing 9, I would now incur a charge for the call. After
telling the dork that I would not pay for any charges incurred by someone
calling me, he finally announced there was nothing he could do for me.
Whether he could do anything to protect the lady was never discussed.
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