Telemarketers

[The patriot]

Is there any way to get these SOB's to stop calling you, other than totally trashing your credit??

I get calls from 7am to 9pm. Now that I sold a rental house, it seems like the calls quadrupled!!

I filled out the thing on the back of the phone bill over a year ago, that's supposed to take your name off the telemarketers lists, but they continue calling.

HELP!!!!

Eric

 

[Mactruck]

In connecticut, we have a . no call list .

This was setup by the state for the same reason you stated. I signed up within the first month. There is a little lag before you get off the lists but I now get no calls I can actually eat & not be bothered

Check with your consumer protection office and see if they have something similiar.

I can honestly say this is the first time i've seen Connecticut government work so well



The above website might help you out.

 

[rrausch]

I used to talk to these people when they would call. I finally got tired of being nice to them. When I started hanging up immediately after I found out who they were they stopped calling me. You REALLY don't have to listen to them. It REALLY is OK just to hang up. Now I have gotten to where I can tell in the first few seconds if it is a telemarketer. I just hang up. I don't say anything, I don't wait for a pause, I just hang up. It gets the idea across.



My favorite telem. story (True) is of an elderly woman who got called by a Mortuary Co. The old gal listened while the Mortuary guy told her she had just won a free gravesite. "Great!" she said, "Send it on over!" and hung up!

 

[LarryB]

Dotto rrausch!



Stop and think about it. These guys get paid to sell. They don't care in the least if you are bothered, so I don't care if my hanging up bothers them either. Besides, they should thank me for not wasting there time so they can hurry and get on to the next call.



Your right though, I think if you hang up maybe they take you off the list. Since I have been quickly hanging up without another word my sales calls have steadily dropped. I think if you give any indication of giving in they put you on the "call again" list for another try later.

 

[Fireman Dave]

By law (federal, I believe), they cannot call you again if you tell them to put you on their Do Not Call List. You can even tell them to mail you a copy of their do not call policy - and they have to do it by law. I don't know why you'd do this - exept to hassle them - who wants more junk mail? Although, this would be a good way to document whose list you are on. It may take awhile to get on all their lists, but each time one of them calls, tell them to put you on this list. They won't call you again. It also shuts them right up right now. What if they call you again after you tell them this? By law, they have to pay you $500. per call after you were put on their list. How do you prove this? Beats me, and it would be a hassle to document it anyway. I have found success by just telling them to put me on the list. Lately, I just hang up if no one says anything after I say hello. When it takes them a second to answer, you know it's one of those automated ones where they don't talk until they know someone picked up.

 

[JR2]

I usually listen for a couple of seconds and then I say "can you mail me something as I don't do anything over the phone", when they start to bable about it I hang up. Sometimes I just hang up.



I always liked the Sinfield epsiode where Jerry asks the long distance salesmen if he can have his home phone number, when the guy asks why, Jerry says "so I can call you at home and tell you no".

 

[barryg41]

With Bellsouth, they have Privacy Director. It Intercepts unavailable, unknown, blocked, or private calling numbers, and requires them to identify themselves BEFORE your phone rings. I love it. I went from 5 to 10 telemarketing calls a day to NONE.



Its $1. 95 a month... . welll worth it. Check it out! Your phone company might provide it.

 

[bigkid59]

These people really make me mad. I pay extra each month on my telephone bill for Caller ID. Most of these calls come in as "Out of Area" thereby defeating the purpose of the service I am paying for.



I was told by the telephone company that there is a law that states that calling numbers must be made available through the caller ID but that some small local telephone companies keep getting extensions on the time to install the needed equipment. I was told that telemarketing companies are apparently useing these small telephone companies to hide their identity.



At one time I would answer the phone and tell the caller that I did not feel that I had anything to gain by engaging in a conversation with someone who was apparently too stupid to get a normal job. This usually resulted in an end to the call.



I now check the Caller ID and if the call is from "Out of Area"



Ijust pick up the phone, count silently to three, and hang it up without ever saying a word.



There is a device available now that senses when you are receiving a computer generated call. Upon sensing this type of call, the device answers with a message that the number is no longer in service. They use this message because such a message causes the number generating device on the other end to delete your number from it's call later list. It probably won't be long before they find a way around this $50. 00 device.



Anybody have any good ideas?

 

[LSMITH]

I have been talking to them. Well to be honest I have been screwing with them I will pretend to be old and hard of hearing, speak english poorly, be really dumb and just can't understand, anything that comes to mind when they call. Swear and insult them out of the blue and then apologize, say it is a condition that you cannot help and ask them for their understanding. One of the most fun is to listen to the whole thing and then ask them to repeat it as you just don't understand where the benefit to you lies. Twice through the sales pitch and even the most good natured telemarketer will hang up on you! I have been cussed at and yelled at too. It really is kinda fun if you are the type that enjoy joking and pulling someones chain. I have even handed the phone to my 4 year old when they call telling her it is barney or santa or something, that too is hilarious. The bad part of habitually screwing with them (that is what they are doing to me) is that I don't get called anymore. I kinda miss the entertainment. It was a great stress reliever and fun while it lasted though. Happy phoning

 

[QRTRHRS]

If I am busy or have my hands greased up or whatever, I wait to hear someone speak. However, because we advertise our horses nationally, I get phone calls from all over the country so I usually pick up. The pause puts me on guard, the "how you doing today sir" compells me to hang up. I actually had one jerk call me back and say "faggot". Prior to that time I would just say not interested and hang up. The evening calls are the ones I save my "moods" for, especially during normal dinner hours or on a sunday evening. Civility be dammed.



We filled out the cards that are supposed to limit this nonsense. It helped more with the junk mail then the calls. I usually go through my mail at work. That way, I scan, rip and recycle. I refuse to recycle junk mail at home. I rip and bag it. If you want to take the time though, take the junk mail and stuff into the prepaid envelope and send it back to them.

 

[klenger]

I wait till they really get going on their promotion, and then quietly put them on hold and watch to see how long they stay on the line. Sometimes they stay on for several minutes. I've heard that what they want is to make as many calls in as short of time as possible and don't mind the hang-ups because then they can go on to the next call. I figure I'm wasting as much of their time as possible, whick is my goal.



Sometimes I like to screw with them because I don't have a job.

 

[Doc Tinker]

I saw a news story a couple of years ago about telemarketers, and they showed that most of them are convicts, working either from prison or on work release. After seeing that show, I have no problem being rude to them. Most of the calls I get from telemarketers appear to be made by a computer. If you pick up the phone and say "Hello", then hear a pause, it's probably a computer generated call. I always hang up when there is a pause.



Doc

 

[The patriot]

I appreciate the fast replys, as I'm losing what little sanity I still have.

I've tried getting myself on the no call list through the phone company. I still get calls, in fact, more than ever.

The problem lies in, I just dont want to talk to these people. I consider myself somewhat polite, and just dont like hanging up on people, nomatter how low a form of life they may be.

I have heard that businesses do not get these calls because of some sort of sub-audible tone that's sent to their computers before the ring starts. This will automatically stop the call to the "business phone" and go on to the next. I like this idea, but I dont know how to get it. I have a retail tax cert. but I'm not actually a business. Any ideas? How about a group purcahse?



I dont want to even talk to them on the phone to tell them to put me on their no call list. I work far too many hours for this BS to take place on my free time.



I think I heard about these things (privacy director?) but I dont know if theyre available here. Besides, as stated by others, that's why I got the *&^%* caller ID to begin with!!!

Thanks for listening. Any more ideas? Anyone know about this tone thing?

Eric

 

[ANCIENT WOOD]

Radio Shack advertises a box that they say will stop telemarketer calls. It might be worth checking into.

 

[15w40]

I love getting calls from the telemarketers. Before you cringe, let me explain. If a call comes from a telemarketer, I interrupt and tell them that they have reached a quality control number that is set up to monitor their performance. I then ask them to go ahead and give me the spiel, interrupting them to tell them repeat what they have just said and to add more feeling and expression to their pitch. It is surprising how many of these salespeople fall for it.

 

[bigkid59]

Hey Eric!



The device to stop the call and stop the callers system from calling you later is called a "Tele Zapper". It is the one available from Radio Shack and some other places.



By sensing that the call has been placed by automatic dialing equipment, which is the cause of the delay from the person on the other end, this device sends the message that your number is no longer in service. The dialing equipment on the other end then removes your number from their call later list, as they don't want to waste time calling a non working number. If you just do not answer or hang up, the equipment leaves your number in the system for future calls.



This is what I was talking about in my other post that costs $49. 99.

 

[The patriot]

You da man BK59 and ancient wood.

I still resent my free time being invaded by these calls, but I'll go the $50. 00 just to stop it.

Eric

 

[bigkid59]

Hey again Eric!



One disclaimer here! The ads I have seen for the Tele Zapper state that they will intercept the calls made by the automatic dialing equipment, that is, the ones where you would have the delay from the other end. They go on to say that over 90% of telemarketing calls are made with such equipment, but that the other calls, those not made automatically, will not be detected and stopped. Still sounds like a good deal.



I saw them somewhere in a store the other day, but don't remember where. Radio Shack does have them.

 

[dresslered]

I just tell them, "hang on a second, I have something boiling over on the stove. " Then I set the phone down and go back to what I was doing. I figure that if they feel that they can waste my time, I sure the heck am going to waste theirs!

 

[LSMITH]

LMAO@15w40!!! that is great, you don't mind if I try that one for myself do you?