Annoying phone call re: Liability Insurance

[pnagames]

We had some call up today who started their introduction like "I'm from blahblah, a government funded organisation looking into Liability Insurance details of companies like yours".

He spoke so quickly I didn't catch the name of the organisation.

He wanted to know the details of our Liability insurance, I said OK can you call the person who deals with that, I'll give you their number (my father as well as doing the buying, sorts the insurance via a brokers he has dealt with for years and years).

Anyway, the guy demanded I walk to the certificate on the wall and read the details, and if it wasn't on the wall we were breaking the law, true, but I'm in the middle of running my business not walking to the kitchen to read the certificate when someone who has all these details to hand and can help him with all the details.

He then called me awkward and said they'll have to send someone to collect the information, for which we'll be charged.

I then asked for his name, which he wouldn't give, so I do not know who it was or what organisation it is was, I ended up putting the phone down!

I called the HSE, they said if there was a problem with a business not having insurance they'd be the ones who'd prosecute, yet do not know who could have called me?

As anyone, ever, heard of such a phone call being made to businesses?


Martin

Martin having worked for a few years in a local Council on their Risk Management department i would comment the following:

first You have to display the public liability insurance on your premises ONLY if you have customers or third parties attending your premises.

secondly No insurance company would ask the information over the phone.

thirdly no goverment department will ask in such way over the phone. normally the moment you give them the information of the person responsible for your insurance they are happy to go to that person.

fourth you are obliged to show your public liability insurance certificate to anyone that asks in your premises (unfortunately). whether they are sales or not. (remember only Public liability and nothing else)

hope this helps

[jont]

Marvelous news for Martin and Lee - hope all goes well and keep us all updated won't you?

After 3 months of nappies and sleepless nights suddenly v8 volumetric shipping will sound like a welcome break

[george]

Marvelous news for Martin and Lee - hope all goes well and keep us all updated won't you?

After 3 months of nappies and sleepless nights suddenly v8 volumetric shipping will sound like a welcome break

I've put Lee down for covering the forum from 3am till 7am daily.

[jont]

The USA shift as it is known.

[Darren B]

Martin

My boy is 5 now and i tell you i would not be without him. I was never a kiddy person, i always had to share my toys with them, my wife kept telling me to grow up. Anyway its great fun. gona have to teach him how to land board soon then we can have some fun.

Good luck with it all

Lee

You have got the joys or sleepless nights when the wife cant get comfortable, got back ache e.t.c - Martin has been throught this bit i bet

And all the best to you

Cheers
Darren

[jont]

i always had to share my toys with them

Mine has to share with me .. especially his lego collection

[Duncan Rounding]

I don't let mine near my lego!

[Darren B]

I even had to hand over my scaletrix - my wife tells me i am too old for it but if i'm good i can still play with it.

[leehack]

Thanks Guys and congrats to you too Martin, hope all goes well. This is my first also.

As for sleeping anywhere near the missus at the moment, it is ill advised.

Tossing, turning, snoring and many others.

I have changed my body clock to go to bed at 5am (only 2 hours in bed with her noises and fidgeting), i then get up at 11am, work from 12-6, spend some time with her and then start work again, 12-5. Its working so far.

Cheers guys

Lee

[AndrewPK]

I don't see that much of a difference between 'cold callers' and 'con men trying to rip of old ladies'
Fair enough, the con men are at the extreme end of the scale, but in truth they are both trying to do the same thing,

Sell something the buyer doesn't need / doesn't want' / can't afford

Now, I agree that in both instances, YES we should 'get rid of' the people who fall for the con men / cold callers!

In truth though getting rid of all the old folks is a bit mean (I kind of intend to be old one day myself) so a much more practical idea would be to give more information,

that is why programs like "watchdog" or "rogue traders" exist, to tell you of the pit falls not just of con men, but also cold callers (on rogue traders its normally door to door traders)

Maybe if more people actually paid attention to these programs, less people would find themselves getting ripped off,

Anyhow, went of on a bit of a rant there


EDIT:

Hmmm really should read though to the end of the thread, who knew there was a second page!
Thread seems to have gone of a baby related tangent

[leehack]

I don't see that much of a difference between 'cold callers' and 'con men trying to rip of old ladies'
Fair enough, the con men are at the extreme end of the scale, but in truth they are both trying to do the same thing,

Sell something the buyer doesn't need / doesn't want' / can't afford

This is why the world can never sort anything out, so many different opinions.

My wife works for a company that makes tile adhesives and grouts. There are obviously other manufacturers of these products also. If a tile shop uses a competitors products, she will give them a call and talk about her products and prices and send them some free samples to try out the products. If they like then they can buy, if they don't she moves on. If that is not totally different to a guy trying to rip an old lady off, then im living in a different world to you. Theres nothing even remotely similar. A mechanic is closer to a conman that a cold caller.

If you take the worst kind of cold callers and i mean the very worst, then they are still a long way away from a conman getting money by extortion, threats, bullying and scare tactics. And that is at the extreme of the scale, where most do not sit.

Most cold callers piss us off royally, but they are usually normal human beings trying to earn a living and working for a living.

[Mark H]

Shades of grey, not black and white

At the end of the day, businesses should expect honest cold calling (during business hours) and deal with it in a business like manner - sometimes it might be to their advantage - ie can afford and do want. The approach which started this thread appears to have been dishonest and is behaviour which should be condemned. Similarly, cold calling personal phone lines (particularly at inappropriate times) is usually not acceptable, but this is 95% dealt with now by the Telephone Preference Service.

[pinbrook]

I usually put the phone to one side, and let them talk to themselves for awhile. After 5 mins or so I put it back on the receiver.

works for me

[brian.mc]

I tell them to put what they're offering in writing. I'll read it and if interested I'll call them back. Usually don't hear from them again.

[fleetwood]

Thanks Guys and congrats to you too Martin, hope all goes well. This is my first also.

As for sleeping anywhere near the missus at the moment, it is ill advised.

Tossing, turning, snoring and many others.

I have changed my body clock to go to bed at 5am (only 2 hours in bed with her noises and fidgeting), i then get up at 11am, work from 12-6, spend some time with her and then start work again, 12-5. Its working so far.

Cheers Lee - wish you and your Tossing, turning, snoring other half all the best too.

Its good to hear that its not just me who has decided that the bed just ain't big enough for wife and bump (and all those support pillows)... and don't get me started on the snoring - "no, its not you dear... I just fancied a midnight stroll was all......"