Singapore Expats

has anyone else had the annoyance of being continually called, up to 3 times a week, by telemarketing firms?

sometimes they keep you on the phone by sounding business like, with lines such as 'our director has requested a meeting'.

It's actually fellow expats, or at least it appears that way - ppl with perfect British accents calling up all the time.

How many times do I have to explain, I am not interested in any financial/tax/investment advice?

Where do they get my number, sometimes mobile, sometimes desk number?

THEY ARE ANNOYING THE SH1T OUT OF ME!!!

I want to change my number, sadly I have too many important legitimate business contacts that I don't want to take that chance ...

Is it that crazy shape-shifting stalker lady that plagues the Tanglin area? I've never seen her (that I know of) but a lot has been written about her on this and other forums. What a friggin' ddddrrrraaaagggggg.

Did you ever toss your card into a fishbowl at a business?

There is an entire market devoted to getting the business cards of expats. You give your biz card to someone... it ends up being sold to create a new list for the financial/investment clowns.

And you are correct... the firms will hire trailing spouses to do the cold calling... although I've also spoken to several Chinese as well.

You could try this, though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5z4Vs26-TI

Phone number lists are valuable commodities and as far as I know there are no opt out lists. So far they haven't been too annoying, usually get them around 5 on Fridays.

Ask them for their home number so you can call them back later.

(Only fair, they have your number)

Singtel also will hand out your number if you dont have it listed as private, but on the whole I just politely interrupt the caller and say im not interested and thats usually that.

just tell them you are out of a job, in debt and you too want to be a telemarketing salesperson to earn some money.

Singtel kept sending me advertising too, so i replied and asked them to stop spamming my phone....I think it may have stopped now, if not i will visit the office and have t stopped.

we didn't give any-one our home number as we use mobile phones all the time. The only people that call our home number are myself and my husband. If we are both at home and some-one rings - it's telemarketers and we have never given a card or number to any-one we probably get 2 to 3 calls a week.

My bet is that the fixed line supplier is selling the data or one of the employees.

I recieve overseas calls from China as well. First they will ask whether you speak chinese, then I usually hang up on them before they can continue! I dont know anyone from China!

I came across one instance where the guy called and spell out my Identity Card number and try to give you the impression that he is authorized by an government agency to sell me insurance.

Well, it sounds convincing because this insurance guy called at a time when the government privatized insurance for singapore citizens. So, those wrongly informed might think that it is compulsory to buy insurance products from insurance sales personnel who called.

I played along with him, got his particulars and launched a complaint to CPF (the government board for this insurance matter). Well, that insurance company replied saying that it is an isolated incident.....

Whatever that case, there don't seem to be any law that protects the privacy of singaporeans/foreigners living in Singapore ..

sing_sling77 wrote:has anyone else had the annoyance of being continually called, up to 3 times a week, by telemarketing firms?

sometimes they keep you on the phone by sounding business like, with lines such as 'our director has requested a meeting'.

It's actually fellow expats, or at least it appears that way - ppl with perfect British accents calling up all the time.

How many times do I have to explain, I am not interested in any financial/tax/investment advice?

Where do they get my number, sometimes mobile, sometimes desk number?

THEY ARE ANNOYING THE SH1T OUT OF ME!!!

I want to change my number, sadly I have too many important legitimate business contacts that I don't want to take that chance ...

You can always talk dirty to them..."Yeeeeeeeah! I'd luv checking out your returns real real close...." tends to scare them away especially when its done in as low a tranny voice as humanly possible..."YEAH!! I'M FREEEE!!! FREEEE!"