oh yes


i've had these idiots a lot


contact the telephone preference service

 http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/


i also had a strange conversation with
one of these idiots

in which they
asserted that they were exempt from prosecution
because they obtained the database from
the electoral roll

hmmm

Exempt from prosecution 'cos they got your number from the phone book?! Definitely bullcrap - tell 'em to tell it to the jury...

Thanks for that extra thought - and the very good suggestion for anyone else out there who has this problem - I should have mentioned it in the original post but I was worn out after typing all those names.... It apparently takes a little while to feed through but I registered with the TPS a few days ago so hopefully it won't carry on for much longer... Still seems amazing that you have to register with a government authority in order not to get ten prank calls a week from corporate scumbags like Messrs Clara, Gaasta, Bennet etc...!

The real trouble was that (given the nature of the problem) it took me a while to work out who it actually was and how it worked, particularly as they were number-withholding to begin with. At first I thought it was some particularly persistent random nutcase. I had no idea that there were these companies out there who purposely choose to waste people's time like this.

What really bugs me is that some of these guys must actually have sat down together in a meeting one day and said to each other something along the lines of: "I know, let's set up a system where we call up thousands of random members of the public every day. A certain percentage will be lucky enough to answer the phone when one of our tele-serfs is available to sell crap to them - the rest we'll just hang up on! But screw them - it's their time, not ours."

You can complain to your phone company, or Ofcom the regulator if you need to complain  http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/mofaq/telecoms/silentfaqs/?a=87101

If you get market research calls, most market research companies follow guidelines, so as soon as you say you're not interested they have to hang up, or make them hang up.

Some companies call from a line that when you call back only has an answerphone saying who they are. Find out their switchboard number and complain, but don't give your details because they use autodialing.

I think everyone should phone those directors and complain that they call too much.

The law looks after white collar criminals too much I mean you can get banged up for stealing a loaf of bread when "upper crust" crooks go free for fiddling millions. Go for it publish their names and addresses that will make them think twice before they go disturbing half the nation with their advertising campaigns.
If there were more people like you about the place corporations would have to take a bit more care about which kind of devious business practices they got up too !! right on ..

if only I had their numbers.....

I'm prepared to publish the addresses so long as Indymedia aren't going to get bollocked for it... I actually put a comment on here earlier (that hasn't shown up yet) with the address of the company secretary. I'm tempted to keep adding one for every "silent call" these bastards give me - (I had another one today...)

Here's where they all work:

MKD Holdings Ltd. Cornbrook. 2 Brindley Road. Old Trafford. Manchester. M16 9HQ.
0161 872 2422

I had lots of phone calls and unsolicited mail from my bank and related insurance companies, so I send the bank a letter telling them that I was to charge them for the time it took me to answer the phone, read their unsolicited material and recycle it next time it happened. They quickly sent me a polite letter telling me that they were not going to send me any more unsolicited information and apologised for any inconvinience. It hasn't happened again.

ummmm

This is the website for the official government register of UK companies.

 http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/43e6ccad6f85eb994fe740c7bb5d7df9//wcframe?name=accessCompanyInfo

You can order the "current appointments record" for any UK company (giving full details of who runs the company) for a grand total of £1.

Buy and ansaphone with a "screening Calls" facility, that way they get charged for the call and you can listen to who it is in advance. After a while they stop calling.

I knew someone who worked while a student at a double glazing company doing this - he said they HATED ansaphones

Kitchens Direct Order Number : 817375


Dear Tony Vicente,

Following the arrival of your letter dated 5th April 2007 I am writing to you in complete desperation and disappointment of my current situation with Kitchens Direct ( MKD Holdings).

At present I am left with the parts for my 'luxury fitted kitchen' sat in my living room with no other kitchen facilities available after agreeing to pay £6554.00 following the sales pitch from your representative James Nestor. I agreed to this price expecting a full installation and complete kitchen.

I hope you have the time to read of my experiences of Kitchens Direct / GE Money so far....please bear in mind that I do have the full funds to pay for the kitchen but was told that I had to go through GE Money as KD is in partnership with them, this has since made my situation even harder.

My kitchen was delivered to me on 15/02/2007, I signed for the delivery of the parts and was called later that day to arrange installation, this was agreed to be 22.02.07 at 8.30am. At 10.00am the fitter arrived and out up 3 wall cabinet frames and left at 13.00 saying he would be back the next morning. The next day he arrived and removed the old sink unit which revealed the floor boards were damp. This was obviously a situation I agreed to have investigated and resolved. The fitter left telling me to contact Kitchens Direct to arrange for his return.

01.03.07- I had the kitchen floor board replaced to the correct standard. I called KD on the number given 01618722422 and left 2 messages with a customer service representative who both times promised I would be called back with an installation date. I received no communications.

05.03.07- I called KD again and was promised to be called back. Again, I received no call.

07.03.07- I called KD again and was promised to be called back. Again, I received no call.

09.03.07- After again explaining my problems and experiences so far I was again promised a call back. I received no call.

13.03.07- After again a timely explanation of my problems and experiences so far I was again promised a call back. I received no call.

16.03.07:

1st Call - I was told that my details were not on the system and asked if I was calling the correct company. I was then put on hold and after a while the line went dead.

2nd Call - I explained my situation again to 'Barbara', I was spoken to with complete disregard, put on hold without explanation and my call was then put back through to reception.

3rd Call - I asked to be given the name of the Manager there or complaints personnel and would not be given these details but was put through to a vacant voice mail box - I left a message of urgency on this, desperate for some explanation and answers.

4th Call - I requested that I wanted the kitchen to be collected from my property and taken away as a un-fitted 'luxury kitchen' was of no use to me and that I was not willing to pay for a product/service I had not received. At this stage I was extremely angry at the way I had been treated after parting with so much hard earned money. I was told that Kitchens Direct would not allow for this and offered no help or resolution.

5th Call- I rang the ‘Sales' number for Kitchens Direct looking for help and contact details for a manager but was told that they did not deal with that side of the business, I was extremely insistent and explained again my situation but was simply told to ring 01618722422 again. I did feel as though I was totally mistreated as a customer and had been robbed of my money after being promised my dream kitchen.

6th Call- After yet again not being able to get communication or help from the Manchester office I called the 'Sales' line again. A young lady was quite helpful and said she would get me another extension number to ring to leave a message as the Complaints Manager was currently off work with illness and no one else could help me. I left another message on this voice mail box , again I received no call back.

I am left with an un installed kitchen with no other facilities and it is now the 12th April 2007! I have spent a lot of time making useless calls to this company and to GE Money and have received no help.

GE Money have said that I have to pay the balance owing to them in full regardless of my situation as they pay KD on receipt of delivery NOT installation (?) I am not prepared to do this as I have not been given a product/service that I signed for. Under The Consumer Credit Act 1974 I have the rights to sue my supplier Kitchens Direct and the creditors GE Money for unsatisfactory goods and services, and the non fulfilment of my contract.

So far, in preparation that I get no responses or help from MKD Holdings or GE Money, in reluctance, I have contacted my Solicitor, my Bank and the BBC's Consumer Watchdog programme ( I am aware that Kitchens Direct have featured on this programme before and have been investigated by Ofcom)I have also contacted the Editor of the Manchester Evening News consumer section as he is a personal friend of mine. I am also intending to contact The Qualitas Conciliation Service. I have already requested advice from Trading Standards and Citizens Advice.

I hope you can appreciate my situation, not to mention the time and effort all this is taking me, the in convenience of not having any cooking facilities or a kitchen sink and also the disappointment that my hard earned credit history may be tarnished by my reluctance to pay GE money the balance in full for a 'luxury fitted kitchen' that I do not have.

I sincerely hope you can help me resolve this problem so I do not have to continue down the only options I see as available to me.

I would be happy for KD to collect the kitchen or enable me to courier the parts back to them, cancelling any agreement with GE as I have lost all faith in the service that has not been provided.

Kind Regards

Katherine Richards