How Do You Deal with Telemarketers?

I do not get any.

 

Since the poll does not allow multiple answers, I didn't choose just one, because I deal with them in a variety of ways. I don't have caller ID, so just screening calls in that way is not an option. So when I do pick up and it's one of them, probably more often than not I hang up quickly, just not wanting to fool with them. Other times I may cut in on their intro speech to ask a question that's not really important. About 3-4 weeks ago I was quite ticked about something, though I don't remember what, and someone from an insurance agency called me and I just shouted in her ear (in fact, I seem to remember posting something about that one on this board).

But if I have a little time and I feel a bit mischievous (for me, I guess that didn't end completely before I was 30), I may listen to them go all the way through the main pitch, then say something like "It sounds like a good deal, but--uh, no." Then they will try to a little more persuading, and I may give a similar answer, and then they will probably say "Thank you for your time." Then it really starts to get fun and I will say, "Wellll, you know, it does seem like a really good offer I might be passing up" ... "Well, thanks again for your time" ... "Oh, thank you for this really, really good deal you called about"... I don't know what the record is for 'how many times' I managed to keep them on the line when they must have known I'm just playing with them.

An obvious fraud is more likely to get my angry type response. Not too many weeks ago I had just gotten to work when my cellphone rang and some guy started in with something about geting a free cruise. So I just told him, "Nobody give away free cruises, you *&%#@%^!" He confirmed what I thought of him by what he called me.

 

I should get out of my chair and walk over to the phone just to hang up on a salesperson?

Why are most of them males???????

 

I don't know if it's true of telemarketers in general, but I think the majority of the calls I get are recordings, with of course a prompt to reply at the end. That way, they don't have to have to hire these people-- many of whom must be really in need of a job-- to take the abuse they surely get for disturbing people. My youngest brother once quit his job as an operator because he just couldn't take nasty reponses from people who don't know how to spell their requested party's name and expect him to be some expert in that way, or those with unlisted numbers they are not allowed to give out ["But I'm his sister-in-law, #%^$##, and he owes me four hundred dollars! No wonder it's unlisted! How *&%^ else...."].

At least one 'set' of unwanted calls have now lessened. I own what was my mom's house, having bought out the other heirs after she passed away 11 years ago, and that brother I mentioned lived there with his wife and kid for about 2 years. I was getting calls looking for him, even though the phone number is different from the time they lived here; so they obviously look it up by address and then get a number. Since I don't know what it's about, I just tell them "No one by that name lives here." Sometimes I have given my angry reponse with those words and they say they will put that down in their info files. Shurrr! It usually wasn't another week before I got another call. But now, as I said, those have finally lessened. If they thought sooner or later they get some info out of me, maybe they've finally succombed to the idea it won't work. But I'm under no delusion some other company won't start this again (it's been more than one before).

 

I hate the telephone. If I am unlucky enough to be duped into answering it, I tell them to stuff it.

Drives Wifey nuts. :laugh:

 

The newspaper in a city near here keeps calling. I was a subscriber years ago so they get around the “do not call list”. I usually tell them “I’ve hung up on you guys before. Please put me on YOUR do not call list”.
Hasn’t worked yet. They still call.

 

It is usually a woman with an Asian accent here.....before they get on their spiel....I ask if they are going to give me something, other wise state it is culturally offensive to invade my privacy when my family and I are eating or somesuch and then say goodbye.

 

I do several of the above and couldnt mark all of what I do.

 

I have on occasion:

Let my 2-year old child talk to them
pretended to be Pizza Hut
pretended to be "slow" and not comprehend anything
said "no" repeatedly
told them to never call me again
asked if they were the con artists who called last time
*For the ones selling burial plots, I told them I wasn't going to die because I believed in the rapture. :laugh:

So far, the best thing in the world was to let my toddler talk to them and inform them she had learned to "go poo-poo in the potty." That one really works.

Also, a friend of ours has been known to witness to them. When they call, he asks them if they are saved and if they go to church. He's actually had some good conversations about it with them.