Telemarketers.... Grrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!

[CACAdmin]

OK, I've had it with telemarketers.:mad: For the past two weeks I have been getting calls from the same 1-800 number. I don't answer these as they are likely from telemarketers. I figure it someone needs to speak to me, they can leave a message and I will call them back.

The frequency with which this number comes up on my call display has been increasing from 2 or three times a day to 16 times today since 10:50 a.m.!!! :realmad: Of course, there is never a message left.:mad: I know we are implementing a 'Don't Call List' here in Canada but it's next to useless as exemptions are: Surveys, politicians, charities, or anyone you have done business with within the past year.

Any ideas on how to make them give up? (I'm getting tired of hearing my phone ring for no good reason.:SomebodyShootMe: )

[blainep]

Answer the phone, request to speak to a supervisor. Advise the supervisor that their calls are no longer welcome and that your phone # is to be removed from their database.

They are obligated to comply, if the calls continue, speak to the supervisor again and ensure he/she understands that one more call will result in harassment complaints being filed against the company.

I've just gone thru all this with telemarketers constantly calling my 80 yr. old mother in law.

It took a while to get thru all of them, and a couple I had to tell firmly (best word I could think of, cause one call I lost a little of my politeness) that another call would result in action being taken, but it appears, so far, to have worked.

[Pamelajo]

I have told a couple to remove me from their list, and it worked for one of them. I had one call last week and kept waiting for her to stop talking so I could tell her I was not interested but finally hung up on her and she called back and said we got disconnected. :SomebodyShootMe:If you try to tell them your not interested they still keep trying to sell you something. The one response that seems to kind of throw them off a bit is when you say you can't afford it, I don't think too many actually come out and say that. I have had that work a couple of times, but then again I had a guy argue once with me that I could afford it. It was years ago right after a car accident and would not be returning to work for awhile and dealing with insurance etc. He apologized in the end.

[CACAdmin]

Thanks for the advice. I have no patience with this type of call. If I do answer, I not-too-politely butt in and tell them I'm not interested in discussing anything and hang up before they get a word in edgewise. Very rude on my part but it usually does the trick. I don't like being rude so I figured I'd try and see if they would give up... apparently not! :rolleyes:

Also, a lot of the calls come through when I'm driving the bus and can't answer anyways as I am driving but am left worrying if it's something urgent (until I can get a moment to check the call display).

[Namor]

16 times in 1 day? -That's insane!:err:

I work odd hrs. so they are constantly waking me up. :SLEEP: (Telling them that just makes them inquire what the best time would be.) To which i reply-
not interested, and hang up.

I'm always tempted to give them the old "Dumb & Dumber" line of
-Want to hear the worlds most annoying sound?-

[Shelley]

Also, a lot of the calls come through when I'm driving the bus and can't answer anyways as I am driving but am left worrying if it's something urgent (until I can get a moment to check the call display).

Hate that! Since the number comes up on your call display.. and Im assuming its your cell phone? simply put that number in your phone list and assign it a special ring...
OF SILENT!! works for me:wink:

[CACAdmin]

When I'm home, it's my home phone that rings but I call-forward calls to my cell phone when I'm at work so I can be reached in case of emergency.

Thanks for the idea Shelley. Now to see if I can figure out how to assign a special ring (namely silent) to that number. (I'm seriously cell phone challenged. :confused: :laugh: )

[Slipstream]

Its possible its a collections agency, or a government agency, or something important like that, you should probably answer most of them, but if they are telemarketers, just tell em to take u off their list.

[CACAdmin]

I firmly believe that if anyone does actually need to reach me, they would do me the courtesy of leaving a voice mail message. No message = not important.

Edit: One additional note, I refuse to answer my cell phone when driving and and risk jeapordizing the safety of myself, my passengers and others on the road.

[grumpystiltskin]

Edit: One additional note, I refuse to answer my cell phone when driving and and risk jeapordizing the safety of myself, my passengers and others on the road.

Id take your bus to work if i lived down there Jay:thumbup:

[Slipstream]

I firmly believe that if anyone does actually need to reach me, they would do me the courtesy of leaving a voice mail message. No message = not important.

Edit: One additional note, I refuse to answer my cell phone when driving and and risk jeapordizing the safety of myself, my passengers and others on the road.

True.. specially since u drive a bus, that makes sense... forgot u drove a bus..

[Soggybottom]

I like that harassment angle, I didn't know there was a way to fight back.
You guys are still being way too polite though IMO. I find it fun interrupting their 5 minute intro speech HEY! When else do you get be a jerk like that without actually being a jerk :)

[blainep]

My son loves to play with telemarketers, he'll ask them as many useless questions as he can and ask them explain the whole thing about 5 times, then he'll say no and hang up.

I don't have the patience for it, but he enjoys it.

[Melody]

I like to tell them and door-to-door sales people about my websites. If they're calling me, they must want to know about my product, right? Try it - sell them something. They have no idea what to do with it.

[CACAdmin]

:laugh:

[Jungle Girl]

The magic words here, never to be forgotten, definitely are:
"PLEASE TAKE ME OFF ALL OF YOUR CALL LISTS. Thank you."
Interrupt to say it, and hang up when you're done.
This method is tried and true, plus it makes the telemarketers think you're "one of them" so they will listen to you!!!

[Soggybottom]

I kinda want to try Blaine's son's thing now though, that is hilarious!

[blainep]

I kinda want to try Blaine's son's thing now though, that is hilarious!

My son has a very good ability to think quickly ( while he was growing up it was a huge PITA for me ), he can come up with questions and statements so quickly it amazes me.

The first time I saw him do this, I couldn't figure out what he was doing, after about 10 -15 mins on the phone, he finally said No thanks and hung up.

He treats it almost like a little competition, the longer he can keep them going the better !

[Melody]

My son has a very good ability to think quickly

That quality will serve him well on many levels, from business to personal. :smile:

[Melody]

:laugh:

Seriously, say "Thanks for calling about my Limia Tridens. They're an awesome fish... can I send you a picture? I can't believe people are just calling me out of the blue like this about them. WOW. I know you wouldn't invade my home if you weren't interested in my product because that would be SO rude, therefore I am tickled pink that you've called about my fish for sale. I have a lot of them... what's you're address?"

And if they object, interrupt....

"Yes but have you thought about the long-term benefits and really, its less than the price of a cup of coffee for a week! And if you act now, I'll give you this free plastic plant! Well the part that the Cana didn't eat anyway..."

[blainep]

That quality will serve him well on many levels, from business to personal. :smile:

Yes, I'm sure it will.

My wife and I thought for years he would end up as a lawyer, if you're not careful, he'll have you believing the sky is really purple, the blue is just an illusion that shouldn't be trusted ! :laugh:

[Melody]

ROFL My parents used to say I'd make an ace politician for the same reason, if I didn't have so much heart (which gets me into just as much trouble I might add). Same quality, different era. These days the quality will serve him very well in technology.... but I guess it did for me too now that I think of it...lol...Microsoft and now unified communications. Gotta think on your feet in the 2000's or you wake up 2 years behind one day.

[CACAdmin]

Seriously, say "Thanks for calling about my Limia Tridens. They're an awesome fish... can I send you a picture? I can't believe people are just calling me out of the blue like this about them. WOW. I know you wouldn't invade my home if you weren't interested in my product because that would be SO rude, therefore I am tickled pink that you've called about my fish for sale. I have a lot of them... what's you're address?"

And if they object, interrupt....

"Yes but have you thought about the long-term benefits and really, its less than the price of a cup of coffee for a week! And if you act now, I'll give you this free plastic plant! Well the part that the Cana didn't eat anyway..."

:rofl: OMG, that is too funny! However, I'd never be able to carry it out. You want to come over and answer my phone for me & give them that spiel? I'd love to hear you actually carry it out. However, you'd have to be able to do it while I would be sitting in the background killing myself laughing. :laugh:

[Melody]

I can be very serious when doing that stuff. My best friend & I used to do it all the time as we grew up together. One would start and the other would pick it up and off we'd go, both straight-faced the entire time. It developed into a dry sense of humour I guess.

[CACAdmin]

And it's that sense of humor that I'm sure gets you through the bumps in the road of life. That dry wit of yours often adds a chuckle to my day.:yes:

[Namor]

And it's that sense of humor that I'm sure gets you through the bumps in the road of life.

I'll second that, IMO laughter is the most inexpensive, available medicines out there.::D:

[Pamelajo]

I'll second that, IMO laughter is the most inexpensive, available medicines out there.::D:
Definitely!!!
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

[Katalyst]

My son loves to play with telemarketers, he'll ask them as many useless questions as he can and ask them explain the whole thing about 5 times, then he'll say no and hang up.

I don't have the patience for it, but he enjoys it.

When I'm in the mood I do the same thing. Whatever they are selling is FANTASTIC! Until they want to bill me for it, and then I reply 'Oh its not for free?' That's about the time they usually hang up on me.:wink: Other times I'm a complete jerk to them.

[Melody]

For a long time I was polite unless they pushed me after I said 'no'. They are just working stiffs like the rest of us after all. Then it got to be too much and I decided since the calls are monitored I had to get a message across.