Don't get mad, get even: Your 15 best responses to help get rid of pesky cold callers for good

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When was the last time you were cold called? Within the past week, day or hour? If so, we've got a list of your best responses to make sure next time you're not called back.

Whether it's the 'accident you've recently had' or the 'PPI pot that's waiting for you to claim' cold callers are rife in the UK and hard to avoid.

Earlier this week we wrote about the new free phone number, Truecall38, which forces cold callers to email you instead of pestering you on the phone.

You can use Truecall38's number in place of your own when filling out online forms that require your personal details - marketers then call Truecall38 instead, which asks them to send you an email instead.

We were flooded with hundreds of responses from This is Money readers with alternative ways for dealing with cold callers from the peculiar to the practical.

Below we've compiled a list of the top 15 - enjoy and add your own in the comments.

Don't let the cold callers get away with it, instead use our top 15 responses for getting rid of them

1. Codswollop Kid: Just pick up and don't speak and see how long it takes for them to hang up. And remember they're paying for the call.  

2. Pam52: I switch on a small radio and place it next to the phone. 

3. Stilts: I tell them we're registered with Telephone Preference System (TPS) and ask for the name of the company. I then inform them they've won their company a £590,000 fine and report them to TPS and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). Funny enough they never call back!

4. LiveYourLife: My friend who works in a call centre told me to ask them really obscure questions such as; what are you wearing right now? or what did you have for dinner last night? This is because the callers aren't allowed to be rude and most of their calls are monitored so they will have to answer you and will get lost in the discussion.

5. MichaelOJay: If you've got to enter a number on an online form use an old sim card number that is no longer active. Simple. 

6. Linda Lou too: My weapon of mass destruction is a very loud metal whistle. Works wonders. 

7. Marksman: Just say 'Hello, [Your local council's name] Trading Standards Department - how can I help you?'

8. Athelstan: If the online retailer insists that you hand out your phone number, why not find out if the item is available elsewhere? You may find another retailer who does not make this demand. 

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9. Margaret12: Quite often cold callers ask if they are speaking to the homeowner. I usually say I am the cleaner and the homeowner is at work and they lose interest fast.

10. Helen: In most call centres they have to keep the 'customer' talking as long as possible so leaving the phone off the hook and ignoring them is only making the caller look better. Instead just hang up. 

11. John Mitch: Just get a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) number that goes to voice mail and delivers the voice message to an email address. It's simple to set up, I have had this for years and it's completely free too.

12. Jack: I answer all private numbers in Russian, works quite well. 

13. Anon: If you just hang up or shout at them, they'll almost always call back. Your number is on their database so take the caller's name and the company they work for and ask to be taken off - that way you know who to report if they call back. 

14. Bewilderd: I keep a price list from my local Chinese take away by the phone. When the phone rings I pick up phone and start reading out the names of the meals minus the English bits. It works a treat.

15. Barley Sugar: On forms I always fill in my Mother-in-Law's number - she died 10 years ago.