They rang my home phone 5 times in one day - 2 times did not leave a message, one time I answered and they were doing something about secret shoppers and I said I wasn't interested, 4th time I just hung the phone up on the call without really answering it, the 5th time they left a voicemail message but just sounds of a call centre in the background.

Caller: Product Testing Group

I have received several calls from callers who say they are from "Product Testing Group". On August 7 2018, my number was contacted 5 times, 3 of which I answered. I have checked out the background on this group as well as the relevant regulations and laws that relate to their telephone methods and conduct. Product Testing Group is a name for a website in Australia (and there is a "parent" entity in Maidstone Kent England). The Australian company is not registered as Product Testing Group. The website's details under tabs "about us", "FAQs" etc indicate the real company's name which is Submission Technology Pty Ltd. One may ascertain some basic details about this company via ASIC. The company's official address is a residential address in Cove St Birchgrove. The ACN of the company is 606 612 060 and the ABN is 24 606 612 060. You may note the following details concerning their telephone calls and methods to draw people into a contractual arrangement to test products and write electronic reviews. The products for review stem from third parties, which means that Submission Technology P/L is a marketing company representing the products of other businesses. If that is something you want to do then you may agree to the terms, which of course involves you in a contract. If, however, you do not want to participate in such reviewing processes and if you resent being phoned with "cold calls" (i.e. unsolicited) then you may want to challenge the caller to answer some questions. The caller may try to claim that they are not calling as a telemarketer, but this is fudging with the truth. Submission Technology P/L is a marketing entity and when they call you (invited or uninvited) they are initiating an "unsolicited consumer agreement" on behalf of third parties. That action immediately places them under the laws and regulations of telecommunication law and of contract law and consumer law. If you are registered on the Do Not Call Register then Submission Technology P/L has breached the Do Not Call Register Act 2006. You may point that out to the caller. You may ask questions to probe behind the telemarketing veneer of the cold call by asking: "what is the name of the employer of the person who is calling you". If they fudge on this, insist that they are bound by contract and consumer law to disclose the information or face an investigation from the relevant authorities (ASIC, NSW Dept of Fair Trade, and perhaps the ACCC too). You are legally entitled to ask, "who caused this call to be made" (i.e. they must divulge the name of the person who authorised the call to be initiated -- i.e. an employee or most likely the employer). If they will not co-operate in divulging the details, then they are also breaching the law of contract as well as laws governing consumer rights regarding products/warranties/services/privacy protection etc. The official phone number for Submission Technology P/L as listed via ASIC's publicly available register is 0420 004 565. Other numbers that you will find using your "call-back" button include 0420 083 552 and 00400 345 286. The address in Cove St Birchgrove is on the ASIC register. At this same address are other companies (sole traders) offering consultancy services (Beachhead Management P/L telephone 9299 8091, mobile 0400 345 286, and the other company is Investrade.Info. -- each of these may be found from the websites set up by the company's founder). Some callers from Product Testing Group have an accent which might initially seem American but the company director was born in Canada and it is most likely that his telecallers are his children or friends who are of Canadian ancestry. The company director is also registered as a sole trader with the NSW Dept of Fair Trade with another ABN 36 713 922 771 (since 2014). You may also come across a website called 10COGS.com.au which is also operated by Submission Technology P/L -- the details are revealed on the website where the "contract" between consumer/client and the company are set out. You may be best advised if you want to send complaints to ASIC or other government bodies to keep some precise notes: phone number, time of call (or times of repeated calls), as well as the name given by the caller. Since they breach the Do Not Call Act 2006, you may also consider contacting ACMA. If they claim that they have your details supplied by a third party, then you must demand that they divulge that company's name. You may then want to contact a senior executive officer of the third party to complain but also to warn that by passing on your details (possibly obtained because you hit "like" on a social media site, filled out a quiz form, or entered a competition for a free ;prize) that you will cease to be their customer because they have instructed Submission Technology P/L to act on their behalf and that Submission Tech P/L is violating the statutory provisions of the Do Not Call Register Act 2006. I suggest that the problem here might also warrant some social media protests, a word directed to Choice Magazine (consumer affairs rights advocacy) to investigate, and maybe some tabloid media journalists to probe and ask uncomfortable confronting questions of the company director in Birchgrove. However, the best thing is to make it plain and clear to the caller that they are uninvited to ring they must immediately cease and desist and any repeat calls from them will lead to official investigations and court proceedings against the company and the company director.

Caller: Product Testing Group

They called me 6 times today, 3 times on my mobile and three times on my land line. I have blocked the number on my mobile but I assume they have several numbers they call from. Extremely annoying.

Threatened to report caller if they called again.
Calls then became more frequent

They called me 4 times today. On the first 3 occasions I asked them to delete my number which they obviously didn't do.

Persistent, 4calls this arvo, no message left.

Has called 4 times today. They say they are from Product Review or Global Product Review (something like that). I have asked every time to be removed from their list and that I’m not interested in anything they have to say. They say they will attend to it but then continue to ask me questions completing ignoring the fact I have told them I’m not interested in anything! Next step ... report them to the telecommunications ombudsman in the hope they can trace the number!

Rang landline a lot of times. We don't answer calls on the landline anymore.

i told them that i was not interested and kept calling me didn;t left a message on the answering machine so now when i see they number i;m not answering

Caller: "Alyssa" from "Product Testing Group"

...or so she said

Caller: "Alyssa" from "Product Testing Group"

...or so she said.

Called. I didn't answer. Went to voice mail but no message left. Have blocked it now.

Looks like an Australian mobile number. Doesn't leave a message.

They hang up when they hear an answer machine and no message is left. In the background you can hear other voices so sounds like a call centre