I'm getting four (give or take) telemarketer calls per day. I tell them to 1) take me off the list, 2) stuff it, 3) drop dead, depending on my mood.

These people wouldn't keep it up if someone wasn't buying their pitch.

Are they crazy for continuing this failed sales pitch or are you the nut that buys stuff over the phone from people that call you?

How could they keep it up without income?

 

It's a numbers game. Eventually, someone will will say yes, and buy their product.


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'94 E-150 Conversion Van 4.9 / C-6 -- '89 Mustang LX 5.0

 

I get a minimum of 3 a day. I absolutly went ballistic on a guy three weeks ago. This same guy called the week before and I nicely asked to be taken off there list, he said no problem, then gave me his name. Exactly one week later he calls back tells me his name and starts his sales pitch. I interupped him and started yelling,swearing ect.., He hung up and I haven't heard for him since. I usually explain I'm not interested in there product, but I have some things for sale, then I start naming items and price. I even will split it up into three easy monthly payments. They usually hang up on me.

 

Several times I have told them that "Right now is not a good time, but if u would please give me your phone number I will give u a call back later". When they say something to the efect that they can't receve calls on there extension then I ask them for their home phone number and tell them I will even pay for the call.
Always try to stay one step ahead of them and you will win in the end.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 26-Nov-02 AT 02:02 AM (EST)]Here are some suggestions that actually work to reduce telemarketer calls:

http://www.telezapper.com
Most telemarketer calls these days are done via a computer using a predictive caller. The telezapper emits the same tone that one would receive from a disconnected phone #, tricking the computer into thinking your # has been disconnected. As a result, your # is taken off their lists (they don't want to pay the $$$ for a bad # call if they don't have to). I also have an audio file of this same tone that you can record onto your answering machine if you don't feel like shelling out for the telezapper. Email me and I will send you the file, if you want it.

http://www.dmaconsumers.org/consumerassistance.html#mail
The Direct Mail Association's web page. Have your name removed from mailing lists, telemarketing lists, and e-mail lists. I think they try giving you the option of registering to be removed online if you pay a $5.00 fee -- don't give them the satisfaction. Chose the mail option -- it's free.

Very important: STOP giving out your address & phone # to any business that asks. Every time I go to the Radio Shack, Toys R Us, Best Buy, etc. they ask me for my phone # during the checkout. Just say no. All they're doing is tracking consumer spending habits so they can re-sell your phone # to other telemarketing agencies. Any time you fill out a survey, buy a vehicle, register a product, all you're doing is giving out your name, address & phone # to another telemarketer.

You guys are going to think I'm paranoid, but I have a standard "no solicitation" letter I keep that I give out any time I do business. Do you know that when you bought your Ford the dealer more than likely sold your contact information to a telemarketer? Same with the bank you used to mortgage your house. By law, once I give them the letter they are required to leave me alone. What a sick world...

 

Push your state politico's to pass an anti telemarketing law like we did in Colorado. Several states now have similar laws.

I used to get 7 - 10 calls per week I'd say. I am not sure of how many as most don't leave a message and I wasn't home during the weekdays. Since the inception of the law last July 1, I have received a total of 2 calls. I did get a truck load of calls for politicians prior to the election, which are legal under our law, plus I get the usual calls from groups like the Salvation Army. Non profit organizations are allowed to call. There are other exceptions as well, but this law has cut down the unwanted calls a LOT.

Colorado law requires ANY telemarketer to buy the No Call list if they are doing business here. That includes out of state telemarketers. They can call you if you are NOT on the list. So far, over 1 Million numbers have been placed on the no call list! It is updated quarterly.

A nice plus with our law, if you do get a call, and can get enough information, you can sue them for up to $500 in small claims court! Thus far, all suits have been settled out of court as these bozos know the courts will side with the consumer. I did file a complaint with the state, and if enough (3) are filed against that individual T-marketer, the state will warn them, then fine them after that.

Trust me, it works!!!!

In the mean time, when you do get a call, DON"T hang up! Many of these dialers and phone systems can't redial until you are disconnected, BY YOU! I have done this in the past, listening to their auto dialer try to dial, then when it sensed no connect, it would hang up, and retry. This can last for a LONG time, and with no connects, it costs them $$$$. It might not work with your phone system, but it is worth a try!

I also used my computer to repeatedly redial a telemarketers business line some years back. We were getting about 4 calls a week from them, sometimes multiple calls a night! I had asked them each time to remove my name from their list. Never did. I set up ProComm Plus to dial for a fax connect, gave it something like 5 seconds to connect, then hang up and immediatley redial. I did this for about 15 minutes, then talked to a couple of people there. The manager threatened to sue me, and I encouraged him to do just that. I asked him what jury would EVER convict a person for harrassing a telemarketer! He was told I would quit calling them if they'd quit calling me. I never received another call from them... I wonder why.

If nothing else, have fun with them.

 

Another good one is to tell them someone is at the door. Ask them to hold on a sec., and just set the receiver down and see how long the sap will wait

I also like to play a tape of a guy that called me with a pitch for a cemetary plot. He doesn't stop for five minutes, everyone hangs up including Mother-in-law


My neighbor can fart on command, I'm afraid of lumps.

 

My kids get a kick out of hearing me use this one. "You are the weakest Link, Good Buy"

Thats my story, and I'm stickin to it.

86 F-150 4x4 4spd
302 EFI with 351w heads, Roller Rockers, Hedman Headers, K&N Air Filter, 7" lift with 35"s

 

When I'm snagged by a telemarketer who asks for me by name, I simply say that I have passed away. Usually the caller is mortified and pulls me off their call list.

 

Sort of similar, sort of not.

I heard of a guy a few years ago who kept getting various unwanted
faxes, despite several attempts to have this "service" stopped.
So the guy got the fax number of the sender, and late one night
dialed up the offending number - then proceeded to feed black
construction paper into the fax machine. When it came out the other
side, he taped it to itself so that it was a continuous loop. The
result was the receiving fax machine burned up after generating
reams of all-black faxes.

While I gotta admire this guy's style, I should mention that he
was charged with some misdemeanor by the FCC. Seems this sort of
tactic is a no-no and it can result in hefty fines.

 

I've never heard of these people giving out their number. The ones I've talked to want you to give them your Visa number w/o knowing who your talking to.

Like I said, some stupid Chevy driver is doing it or it would go away.

 

I like saying things such as

1. Have you found Jesus (I am not a religous nut), then start quoting pasages from the Bible. Needless to say they hang up

2. Start calling them every name in the book for no apparent reason

3. Tell them that I have a lawn mower for sale, then go on about how well it runs

Really none of this does any good. The people on the other line are just doing this job to make ends meet. It just makes me feel better

 

Have you noticed when you get one of these calls you have to say "hello" several times before someone responds? They're using several phones with auto-dialers and speaker phones. As they get busy signals, answering machines, etc... they'll hang up on them. When they finally hear a human voice, well, it takes a moment to get to that phone and pick it up. So here's what I do at that point. Just keep saying "hello" as though there's no one there: hello, HELLO, HELLLLLOO!!!!! Just keep talking over them as though you can't hear anything. Then hang up. They'll think there's something wrong with THEIR phone and won't call back. If they do call back, try it again, but much louder and nastier. Then finish it with something like, "Brandon, I've warned you about this game before, and it's not funny! I'm coming down to your house right now and tell your parents! Enough is enough!" Believe me, they know you're so pissed at this point that NO ONE will call you back. At least it works for me- I almost never get these calls anymore.

 

I have something that works pretty well, and it makes me feel beter too. When they ask for me i use a husky deep voice and ask what they are wearing. It doesnt matter whether they are male or female, they will pause. Then state that you are naked. Usually by now they hang up. If not, i just keep going. Have fun with it, ask if they have ever open mouth kissed a horse or something. Eventually you will offend them and they will hang up. What can they do, they called you.
Like someone else stated, no court will convict you of harrasing a telemarketer.
Its more fun than just hanging up on them. Just a thought.

Tony Warren
Nebraska

 

I have a caller ID machine that automatically rejects any number that is "blocked" which is exactly what scammers (telemarketers) do. It doesn't keep them from calling, but at least I don't have to talk to them. Another irritating call is the one where some idiot calls to tell you that a payment is due to them in TWO WEEKS, as if you're a deadbeat. My solution? At the end of this month I'm stopping my phone service, and going withh two cells. If a telemarketer calls a cell, you can reverse the charge straight to his bill.