How do you deal with telemarketers ?


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hubby
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I have no tolerance for telemarketers.. I dont care if they're "trying to make a living", yada yada, i dont appreciate being bothered in my home.

Our number is on the "do not call list", but we still get the occasional call from time to time.. Usually, i let them yammer on about their wonderful product for a minute or so, then i just hang up.

Today i got a call and I decided I would try a different tact - it went something like this:

phone: ring ring
me: herrooo?
telemarketer: hello, is this Mr or Mrs Geek?
me: this is Mrs. Geek
telemarketer: good morning Mrs. Geek i am calling on behalf of your electric company regarding solar energy.  Do you pay between $40 and $500/month on your electric bill?
me: please remove this number from your calling list
telemarketer: you ARE interested in solar energy arent you?
me: can you remove this number from your calling list please?
telemarketer: sir, i just want to know if you are interested in saving money and energy
me: was that a 'yes' or was that a 'no'
telemarketer: sir, you do want to save money, don't you?
me: what did you say your name was?
telemarketer: johnathan
me: and Johnathan, what did you say the name of your company was?
telemarketer: -click-

 

I won!!!

How do you deal with telemarketers when they call?  Do you hang up, pull a Tom Mabe, or do you actually buy the stuff?


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Devyn
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Re: How do you deal with telemarketers ?

My home phone is what I like to call my spam line. I have caller ID & if I get a call that lists another p-spammer I've gotten to the point I pick up & hang up in less than 2 seconds. Haven't received any call backs & it's less of a hassle than walking to the kitchen. Not much else I can do, I've tried speaking in different languages and pretending bad reception. To be honest I have gotten bored enough that I've sat on the line and given them every ounce of false information possible for as long as possible just so that they waste as much time investigating the false information for what I calculate as the same time as I have dealing with the nuisance for the last year.

mrspacker
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Re: How do you deal with telemarketers ?

I don't answer the phone. My husband takes your approach. He's not very nice to them.

LadyCerridwen48
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Re: How do you deal with telemarketers ?

You could always do what this guy did...  I don't recommend it, though.


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MyOwnGirl
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Re: How do you deal with telemarketers ?

Well don't piss that guy off!!!!

snazzy
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Re: How do you deal with telemarketers ?

i read once somewhere on how to deal with telemarketers if you wanna have fun.

1. ask them to spell everything out. EVERYTHING

2. tell them to hold and put the phone down. they will eventually hang up.

3. just scream really loud and then ask if there are still there. (if they are maybe proceed with #1 or 2)

4. start asking them odd and/or personal questions. (do you have a brother named frank?, what color are your eyes?, have you purchased this product?, is your supervisor mean? etc)

if its a call i get on the office line and they ask for the manager i tell them they arent available. they usually then ask when the best time to call back. i tell them sunday (we r closed. heeehheeeeh)

 

LadyCerridwen48
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Re: How do you deal with telemarketers ?

Since I added my numbers to the "Do Not Call" list, I have had almost no problems with telemarketers.  Debt collectors, on the other hand, are a HUGE problem.  I wouldn't complain if they were trying to collect money from me, debts that *I* accrued, but they call me every day in reference to someone I've never met, someone who must have had my phone number before me.  I have filed 4 separate complaints with the FCC, against 4 separate collection agency, but it seems like every time I get one agency to stop harassing me, another starts up.  This week, the primary offender is Redline collections.  When I tell them I don't know who Loretta is, hey treat me like I'm a criminal and I'm either lying and I'm really her, or I'm trying to hide her.  I'd rather have someone try to sell me aluminum siding than deal with this every day.

snazzy
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Re: How do you deal with telemarketers ?

my husband had this problem with mistaken identity because his name is really common. he programmed the numbers in his phone(cell) and didnt answer when he saw them pop on on the caller id. you can also program your cell to block certain numbers. on a land line i dont know... i havent had one in years but they havent come up with a way to block certain numbers on those too?

LadyCerridwen48
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Re: How do you deal with telemarketers ?

I can't block the number, since there are soooo many of them.  It's not so much mistaken identity as an old phone number, they aren't asking for me at all, and they treat me like a liar when I tell them they have the wrong number.  Thing is, as of right now, there are 5 different collection agencies involved.  I'm starting to think that as soon as I file an FCC complaint barring them from calling me anymore, they sell it to another agency with no such restriction.  Either that, or this Loretta character never made a single credit card payment in her life.  *shrug* I'm moving in 3-4 months anyway, so I'll have an entirely new number phone number's old baggage to deal with, lol.

snazzy
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Re: How do you deal with telemarketers ?

yea ive experienced some of those "well this is the number she gave us so you have to be her" kind of remarks. its a horrible feeling. can your phone company get you a new number now until you move?

MariaO
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Re: How do you deal with telemarketers ?

*embarassed* LOL

MariaO was seen saying:
09/29/2008

That call most likely came from a trunk-line. And it was prolly a telemarketer. Take it from me - I was a telemarketer many years ago. When you say hello on your phone - the telemarketer hears a beep - indicating to them that they have a new caller on their line - that is why telemarketers have the annoying delay at beginning of call.  Anyways - usually caller ID's label the call as "unavailable" or sometimes "out of area" or "unknown caller"

 

 ^^One of the clients was sprint and I marketed long distance and calling features to existing local sprint customers. I was in my late teens or early twenties - wow memory lane! LOL!

 

At this point in my life lately - I have almost zero patience. Sometimes I ask for a supervisor and tell them I will contact the FCC if if I get another call.

Almost Evil
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Re: How do you deal with telemarketers ?

I usually say "im not interested, remove me from your list. *click*"

But some days when im feeling particularly snarky as soon as they say "hi is this *first name* *last name*" i say "supervisor" "SUPERVISOR" "SUPERRRRRRRRVISORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR" (repeat as needed) until they either hang up, or transfer me. If i get transferred, i ask for their federal tax ID# so I can file a report with the FCC and BBB...to which they usually reply they will immediately remove me from their list.

 

However. i just found this (in an unrelated search) and now have a new way to annoy telemarketers!!!

(wheres our youtube button?)

 


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