Kazzie From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (7 years 1 month 3 weeks 17 hours ago) and read 737 times:
This is highly annoying now... Im getting 3-4 calls per day asking if i want a new phone contract, I have told them over and over to stop contacting me....
I am extremly careful when giving my number out, I always make sure I tick the relevent boxes to say i do not want my details sold to other companies..
but im getting call after call... anyone else get these and feel like telling them to stick it where the sun dont shine?
oh they just called back, I said im sick to death of this and he hung up on me..
Sabena332 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (7 years 1 month 3 weeks 16 hours ago) and read 724 times:
Same here, I had a trial subscription for a (worthless) newspaper just to get a few thousands of frequent flyer miles, now these idiots call me weekly to ask if I would like to subscribe again. I tell these guys every time that they should stop calling me because they annoy the shit out of me but the don't care and call over and over again. Next time I will insult them, maybe that will make them stop calling me.
ManuCH From Switzerland, joined Jun 2005, 2971 posts, RR: 51 Reply 7, posted (7 years 1 month 3 weeks 16 hours ago) and read 695 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW HEAD MODERATOR
Install one of those thingies that answer your phone automatically when you receive a call, play an SIT (Standard Information Tone, the 3 tones you hear when you dial an invalid number), wait a couple of seconds, and only after that will actually ring your phone.
You will then need to instruct your peers that your number will ring in a weird way, but telemarketers will stop calling because their computer figures the number is not in service. The calls are mostly automatic these days, and only if it actually rings you are transferred to an operator.
Well worth doing. Marketing calls drop to near zero, and when you do get them on rare occasions, you can ask for their details, tell them they're breaking the law and that you're going to report them.
Problem solved.
She's as nervous as a very small nun at a penguin shoot.
MBMBOS From United States of America, joined May 2000, 2561 posts, RR: 1 Reply 10, posted (7 years 1 month 3 weeks 16 hours ago) and read 663 times:
One of 'em asked to speak to the head of the household one time. So I grabbed my cat, Zooey, and held the phone to his ear. The telemarketer was not amused. I explained to him that neither was I.
Banco From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2001, 14752 posts, RR: 55 Reply 11, posted (7 years 1 month 3 weeks 15 hours ago) and read 657 times:
Actually, the only telesales calls I get these days are pre-recorded ones from the USA. Drives me nuts, as they're not actually breaking any laws as the calls come from outside the UK, and thus impossible to stop.
She's as nervous as a very small nun at a penguin shoot.
SlamClick From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 10062 posts, RR: 71 Reply 13, posted (7 years 1 month 3 weeks 15 hours ago) and read 646 times:
Here in the colonies we now have a National "do-not-call" list. I procrastinated placing myself on it and as a result I inherited the calls from those who already had signed up. My phone rang 50-60 times each evening - literally one after another. I finally signed up and it has ended.
All but one. There is a mortgage bandit in Los Angeles that calls me at about five, each Saturday afternoon. If it happens again this week I will file a "telephone harassment" complaint with my phone company and that should be the end of it. It is wonderful now.
Your country and your phone service provider might well have similar services.
In the dark ages of telemarketing I favored just setting the phone aside as they have to pay by the connected minute. When I got an annoying call from an 800-number I would write it down, then drive to a very remote pay phone and dial it and leave the phone hanging. They had to pay for every connected minute until they could locate that phone and get someone to drive there and hang it up. I'm sure some of those calls went several hours.
Here in the US some telemarketing was done by prison inmates hired from outside - rather than making license plates. There is one incident where a person they called responded obscenely and succeeded in offending the inmate. The inmate was released from prison a few months later and went to that person's house and did them harm. So before you say anything to them, remember they know your name, address, phone number, and probably a lot more about you. Be careful
Happiness is not seeing another trite Ste. Maarten photo all week long.
AeroWesty From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 18887 posts, RR: 64 Reply 14, posted (7 years 1 month 3 weeks 15 hours ago) and read 640 times:
Every time this thread pops up to the top I see "Testicles" instead of "Telesales". There may be something useful in that, in a Roseanne Roseanna-Dana way when answering your phone.
CastleIsland From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 15, posted (7 years 1 month 3 weeks 15 hours ago) and read 632 times:
Quoting SlamClick (Reply 13): In the dark ages of telemarketing I favored just setting the phone aside as they have to pay by the connected minute. When I got an annoying call from an 800-number I would write it down, then drive to a very remote pay phone and dial it and leave the phone hanging. They had to pay for every connected minute until they could locate that phone and get someone to drive there and hang it up. I'm sure some of those calls went several hours.
What gets me is that these companies have access to our cell phone numbers, and we pay for all calls, both incoming and outgoing. The "Do Not Call" registry is critical to solve that problem (whomever authorized giving cell phone numbers to these people should be jailed for life). As for my home phone, I just don't bother answering it. Most of the time I leave it unplugged anyway.
ORFflyer From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 16, posted (7 years 1 month 3 weeks 15 hours ago) and read 615 times:
Let them go through their entire sales pitch. Act excited, even asking them to repeat it all over again, and at the end, say no and hangup. They will get the message after spending all that time without any sale.....
Scott0305 From United Kingdom, joined May 2005, 196 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (7 years 1 month 3 weeks 14 hours ago) and read 601 times:
Kaz - I work for one of the mobile networks and I am actually working on putting a stop to this at the moment. There are a lot of 3rd party dealers who ring up pretending to be one of the networks. Which network were these people telling you they were from? Did you get a company name from them? If you let me know, I might be able to help put a stop to it.
like some of the others say - it is worth registering with the TPS (though this isn't always 100% effective)
9VSPO From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 20, posted (7 years 1 month 3 weeks 14 hours ago) and read 587 times:
Quoting Scott0305 (Reply 18): it is worth registering with the TPS (though this isn't always 100% effective)
No it isn't. We are registered with the TPS and we are ex directory but we still get cold calls from people. Not very often but it still happens. When I ask them for their phone number they hang up.
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