NEWS
THOSE IRRITATING TELESALES CALLS HAVE A TRAP
"Good morning! And how are you today?" That is what puts you on the alert that some telesales person is on the other line. I usually answer: "I was fine until you made this call. Please take me off your list. Good bye". But somehow my mobile number continues to circulate around dozens of these companies.
There's a loophole in the law that allows telesales companies to deduct money from a person's bank account simply by recording their conversations in the hope they will record an agreement to a sales pitch. When this happens, even when the unsuspecting recipient is just trying to be polite and nice to the sales agent, in order to brush them off, then there is still a legal contract in law. In this way countless of unsophisticated people get caught, and find their bank accounts are being debited monthly with a fee, for some service or product they do not want or need and can't afford. And it is legal.
There is the Consumer Protection Act becoming effective from October that will bring some relief. Nevertheless, never take telesales calls and never, never give your bank details over the phone. If somebody has been caught, then it is their right to request a copy of the recording of the conversation.