EEVshill

[MrMobodies]

It reminds me of someone who was pestered by telemarketers and he had his way with them.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23869462

How one man turns annoying cold calls into cash
By Joe Kent

29 August 2013

Lee Beaumont is taking on the cold callers
A man targeted by marketing companies is making money from cold calls with his own higher-rate phone number.

In November 2011 Lee Beaumont paid £10 plus VAT to set up his personal 0871 line - so to call him now costs 10p, from which he receives 7p.

The Leeds businessman told BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme that the line had so far made £300.

Phone Pay Plus, which regulates premium numbers, said it strongly discouraged people from adopting the idea.

Mr Beaumont came up with the plan when he grew sick of calls offering to help him reclaim payment protection insurance (PPI), or install solar panels.

He said: "I don't use my normal Leeds number for anyone but my friends and family."

Once he had set up the 0871 line, every time a bank, gas or electricity supplier asked him for his details online, he submitted it as his contact number.


Media captionLee Beaumont told BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme about his 0871 number
He added he was "very honest" and the companies did ask why he had a such a number.

He told the programme he replied: "Because I'm getting annoyed with PPI phone calls when I'm trying to watch Coronation Street so I'd rather make 10p a minute."

He said almost all of the companies he dealt with were happy to use it and if they refused he asked them to email.

Warning
The number of calls received by Mr Beaumont has fallen from between 20 and 30 a month to just 13 last month.

Because he works from home, Mr Beaumont has been able to increase his revenue by keeping cold callers talking - asking for more details about their services.

Annoying calls
Citizens Advice commissioned a survey about unwanted PPI calls.

One in four of those who had received unwanted calls said this had interrupted family meals.

Calls remain the most common form of contact about PPI claims, followed by automated landline messages and text messages to mobiles.

Anyone who believes that they have been mis-sold PPI can make a claim directly to their provider.

PPI: The unintended consequences of a scandal

He admitted the scheme had changed his attitude, saying: "I want cold calls", and that he had moved on to encouraging companies to make contact.

After a recent problem with his online shopping, he declined to call an 0845 number but posted his number on Twitter in the knowledge that the number could be picked up by marketing companies.

But the premium number regulator Phone Pay Plus says the public should think twice before setting up their own lines.

They say phone line providers must meet consumer protection standards, which include transparency, fairness and complaint handling, which would mean clearly setting out the cost of each call to any organisation that rang.

They told You and Yours: "Premium rate numbers are not designed to be used in this way and we would strongly discourage any listeners from adopting this idea, as they will be liable under our code for any breaches and subsequent fines that result."

A survey for charity Citizens Advice found that two-thirds of those asked had received unwanted calls, texts, emails or letters about PPI mis-selling.

More than half said that they had been contacted more than 10 times in the past year.

[EEVblog]

Get the safety line ready ... Looks like Dave is going in!!

It's triggered the snowflakes on Twitter already! 

[Psi]

I think its a great idea.

I would go for EEVshill rather than EEVJunk.
I think a lot of companies would be put off by EEVJunk as it implies their product is junk.

EEVshill is more likely to work, or slip through the cracks where no one notices until its too late.

Also any viewers who don't like the concept can simply not subscribe to the new channel.

[EEVblog]

Turns out Zazzle don't have that style, you have to get it from another store, so I don't seen to be able to add it to my store.

[Psi]

I'm not sure how much companies usually pay for paid reviews, so i'm not sure if this makes financial sense or not.
But I have an idea for even more LOLz on the channel.

Lets say brand X pays you for a review of product Z on EEVshil.
You do a proper review view of it.
If it comes out 'Thumbs Up' you do a giveaway for one of their products.
If it comes out 'Thumbs Down' you buy and give away their biggest competitors equivalent product.   

[EEVblog]

Troll report 

Didn't get ratioed!
105 likes to 31 offended snowflakes 
If Trump wins by that margin in the 2020 election then I called it here first!

[wilfred]

Troll report 

Didn't get ratioed!
105 likes to 31 offended snowflakes 
If Trump wins by that margin in the 2020 election then I called it here first!

(Attachment Link)

Someone help me separate the people who genuinely think the idea is not great from those 31 who were offended snowflakes. Or is it just a bad idea to give Dave negative feedback?

I looked but couldn't tell.

For the record I don't think it is all that good an idea. But not offended either.

[EEVblog]

Someone help me separate the people who genuinely think the idea is not great from those 31 who were offended snowflakes. Or is it just a bad idea to give Dave negative feedback?

You specialise in negative feedback of me that often borders on harassment, as I continually have to point out to you Wilfred.

[wilfred]

Someone help me separate the people who genuinely think the idea is not great from those 31 who were offended snowflakes. Or is it just a bad idea to give Dave negative feedback?

You specialise in negative feedback of me that often borders on harassment, as I continually have to point out to you Wilfred.

Well that's a debatable point which I don't have much interest in. But it doesn't answer the very valid question that your twitter followers who may not agree with all your ideas are not at the same time all delicate little snowflakes. It isn't possible.

Do you not think that to shut down critical comment in the manner you do may lead some to think of you as the snowflake?

Your response to my open question to the forum is a case in point. People will notice. Really they do.

Go right ahead and make this EEVShill if you want to. Make a hat that channels a Trump political slogan if you think the joke is worth it. I'm not stopping you. Any colour you like.

[EEVblog]

Someone help me separate the people who genuinely think the idea is not great from those 31 who were offended snowflakes. Or is it just a bad idea to give Dave negative feedback?

You specialise in negative feedback of me that often borders on harassment, as I continually have to point out to you Wilfred.

Well that's a debatable point which I don't have much interest in.

You have admitted it before and apologised for it, but continue to harass me to this day. You specialise in criticising in a polite manner so that everyone else thinks you are the good guy just asking questions. But in reality you criticise every little single thing I say and do, hundreds and hundreds and of times, it's stalking criticism by a thousands cuts, and many people have noticed that. One day it will get you banned, and when that happens I want people to know it won't be for the one mild criticism, it will be for that continued stalking over many years and hundreds of posts.

Do you not think that to shut down critical comment in the manner you do may lead some to think of you as the snowflake?

Show me one example where I have shut down critical comment. I have not banned or blocked a single person.

Your response to my open question to the forum is a case in point. People will notice. Really they do.

That's because I will not engage with you on criticism any more, you lost my respect many years ago.

[Brumby]

You specialise in negative feedback of me that often borders on harassment, as I continually have to point out to you Wilfred.

Well that's a debatable point which I don't have much interest in.

I don't see much room for debate - and that easily explains your lack of interest.

You specialise in criticising in a polite manner so that everyone else thinks you are the good guy just asking questions.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that's called "passive aggressive" - a well-known type of behaviour.


A lot of us can see it.  It's not something Dave needed to point out.
(I have a little bet going with myself)

[Electro Detective]

@ DJ re Make Electronics Great Again merchandise:

An aussie flag included somewhere for the local patriots  would be appreciated,

and or chuck in some kangaroos, wombats, koalas, Aboriginal art etc

just in case the flag thing upsets OSers 

perhaps a lab kangaroo with soldering iron, head mag, EEVblog meter .. 

or... 

[luckyme2]

  David2 is not at @EEVblog anymore. I heard this on one of the recent "The AMP HOUR" podcast.

[Circlotron]

I can see a parallel between products on these shill reviews and contestants going on Red Faces on Hey Hey Its Saturday. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hey_Hey_It%27s_Saturday#Red_Faces

[joeqsmith]

David2 is not at @EEVblog anymore. I heard this on one of the recent "The AMP HOUR" podcast.

First I have heard of it but I rarely listen to the podcasts.   Save some time and post a link and time stamp.

[MT]

and sell baseball caps....  M E G A
Make Electronics Great Again

DAMN! I like that!
That would trigger countless people, I must do this 
(Attachment Link)

I would not wear it in Chicago as people have been beaten up wearing the red MAGA cap i recall.

[Nominal Animal]

I wonder if any cheeky astronomers have made a red cap with "Make Aurigae Goats Again"?

(In Bedouin astronomy and early Greek mythology, the constellation Auriga is associated with goats.  Now it is something like the charioteer or something.)

[EEVblog]

David2 is not at @EEVblog anymore. I heard this on one of the recent "The AMP HOUR" podcast.

First I have heard of it but I rarely listen to the podcasts.   Save some time and post a link and time stamp.

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/supporters-lounge/eevblog-staff-update/