The most common time wasting phone call I get recently is a survey request.  Most afternoons some idiot phones up and asks for my help with information on what I like to buy or questions about products or general survey of UK lifestyles etc. – They call it lots of things but the point is for them to ask a lot of questions that gets them information they can sell.

And that’s what they do – they sell your answers then you get inundated with calls from people you don’t want to talk to.

How do they do this?

Suppose they ask a question.

“Do you have a pet” and maybe you say you do.

Then “do you have pet insurance”. You say No.

Now your contact details can be sold to every pet insurer out there as someone who needs pet insurance. Then over the coming weeks you will get lots of phones calls starting with “I believe you haven’t insured your pet – do you realise you can be liable for any damage caused by your pet”. And so it goes on.

Every question you answer – however you answer it can lead to phone calls you don’t want.

When such an idiot phones you asking you to answer some simple questions – don’t do it.

You didn’t ask them to phone you so you can be as rude to them as you want. Or just politely say “I don’t answer surveys –don’t ever call again”.

I usually say to them “ I charge £500 to answer a survey.  Do you have the money ready to pay me. No – then get lost and don’t ever call again.”  When you go off their script they don’t know what to do, so confuse them, waste their time if you want to. But don’t answer the survey questions.