How to Foil a Telemarketer

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  • MickeyCastello
    MickeyCastello Posts: 269
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    I only have a cell phone, so I don't get those kinds of calls. My GF just tells them, "I don't do business over the phone."
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    I pay $5 a month for a landline phone, but I don't have an actual phone connected to it. I can only imagine how many times they must let that thing ring...
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
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    "I know you're just doing your job, but I'm not interested. Thank you, have a good day."
  • moosegt35
    moosegt35 Posts: 1,296 Member
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    I ask them to hold on and then just set the phone down wasting their time so they can't get as many calls in per day or if I have an air horn handy I will talk really quietly until they have turned their volume all the way up and then blast that into the phone.
  • moosegt35
    moosegt35 Posts: 1,296 Member
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    I only have a cell phone, so I don't get those kinds of calls. My GF just tells them, "I don't do business over the phone."

    This is 2014, telemarketers likely call more cell numbers than land lines.
  • TattooedNici
    TattooedNici Posts: 2,141 Member
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    I tend to not screw with people just trying to make a living. They probably hate calling you as much as you hate them calling you.

    I agree.
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
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    I tend to not screw with people just trying to make a living. They probably hate calling you as much as you hate them calling you.

    +1

    mostly i say "please put me on your do not call list"
    i used to take phone surveys... I see no reason to be rude, but I also see no reason to waste my time.
  • Sunbrooke
    Sunbrooke Posts: 632 Member
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    One time, I said "oh! You're the B!tch who keeps calling my husband!," .. She hung up on me :ohwell:

    Another time, these people who said they were from some phone book had a fake recording of my friend authorizing payment (they get you to say "yes" three times, then call saying you owe money. It's illegal, but if you pay them, you won't get it back. My friend said, "hold on just a second, I need to pay this!". Then he put phone on mute and put the speaker on. We could here the guy excitedly telling his coworkers that he had someone paying. When it sounded like he was going to hang up, my friend picked up and made an excuse and them put him on hold and left him there until he hung up.
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
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    I only have a cell phone, so I don't get those kinds of calls. My GF just tells them, "I don't do business over the phone."

    This is 2014, telemarketers likely call more cell numbers than land lines.

    yes, but most folks I know don't pick up blocked or unfamiliar numbers.
    You know the numbers of the folks who are important to you... everyone else can leave a message... or not.
  • Expect_The_Worst
    Expect_The_Worst Posts: 171
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    Boaz Zippor-

    "a telemarketer called me this afternoon, and to his misfortune i just read a news article about a spelling bee in Missouri. (don't ask). I didn't really have anything to do, so decided it is time to practice my spelling, and spelled out every word. May i speak to mr boaz zippor please? speaking S P E A K I N G speaking. I am calling from investment firm so and so and i would like to tell you about...Investment? Investment. I N V E S T M E N T Investment. (complete silence for ten seconds and he hung up... and i was just warming up "
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
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    Wish I could scale ths down, but I'm not hosting the image.
    Copy and paste the image into word.

    XRS0NEG.png
  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
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    Best one I've heard is pretend you're a detective and say "Hold on..................boys make sure you take lots of pictures. Now who is this and what is your relationship to the deceased victim here?"

    This is fantastic. My wife and I only use our cell phones, so we don't have them calling, but whenever I'm at my parent's house and the telemarketers call I turn the tables and try to sell them timeshares, insurance, or, if I'm feeling particularly pushy, Herbalife. :laugh:

    Rigger
  • moosegt35
    moosegt35 Posts: 1,296 Member
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    I tend to not screw with people just trying to make a living. They probably hate calling you as much as you hate them calling you.

    I agree.

    90% of the calls are scams where they are trying to screw you out of money, so I whole heartedly disagree.
  • smelius22
    smelius22 Posts: 334 Member
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    be nice to them because they work a ****ty job and are probably all serial killers

    Agree lol..
    I worked in a call center (for USAA, not telemarketing) and I absolutely hated my job and it would really grind on me after a day of talking to rude people, so I try to be nice.. Usually just say "no thank you I don't need anything, I'm going to hang up now."

    But all these stories people are posting are hilarious lol.
  • jr1985
    jr1985 Posts: 1,033 Member
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    I used to work for a call center... and at the time (this was almost 10 years ago...) the 'Do not call' registry was only for sales calls... we did surveys, not sales... so we could legally call. That didn't deter people from being nasty to use though. People in a call center work there because they can't find a better job at the time. I promise you, I hated my job. A simple 'No thank you', or "sorry, I am not interested" is the best reply to give people calling, because TRUST me we get enough attitude and harassment... A simple no thank you is always appreciated! I have had air horns blown in my ear, perverted comments, out right harassment and name calling, death threats... All because I was calling to ask if you were happy with your recent internet installation, what sort of improvements you'd like to see with your personal bank, or to see how your local newspaper could better their service....

    Exactly!!! I need to make a lot of calls for work too... If you are not interested, say no thank you it's fine... but thre is really no need to cuss at me for 5 minutes and threaten to burn my house down... Also though... Please actually do say no, if you just hang up without saying anything... Then the call may have just been dropped... believe me... no one has "telemarketer" as a life goal It's something you do to pay the bills...
  • canadjineh
    canadjineh Posts: 5,396 Member
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    I tend to not screw with people just trying to make a living. They probably hate calling you as much as you hate them calling you.

    I agree...and with caller ID, I screen my calls anyway. Picking on a lowly telemarketer is pretty low grade stuff, imho.

    I've worked as a telemarketer to keep the 'wolf away from the door' and we really do prefer the people who just say no thanks, and then immediately hang up - that just means we don't have to waste anyone's time trying to talk someone into something.

    Just a note about the Do Not Call Registry... that only works for companies that buy mined data. I worked for a company that called out of the phone book (not illegal even if you are on the registry) and I lived in the town I was calling. I had one guy that was so pissed off because he was on the DNC registry. I told him I was calling out of the phone book and he was in it, so there we are. I even offered to drive the five minutes over to his house and show him, but he didn't believe me. He just kept ranting about the registry. The whole call room got a huge laugh out of that one.
  • smelius22
    smelius22 Posts: 334 Member
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    When they ask you how you are, I start telling them about how I am doing. I talk about the kids being naughty, the dog won't house break, wife is mad at me, you name it. If I can think it, I say it. I try to me as nice as possible because they are doing their job. They usually hang up within a minute.

    I wish there were a "thumbs up" smiley. hahah this is great
  • Sunbrooke
    Sunbrooke Posts: 632 Member
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    be nice to them because they work a ****ty job and are probably all serial killers

    Agree lol..
    I worked in a call center (for USAA, not telemarketing) and I absolutely hated my job and it would really grind on me after a day of talking to rude people, so I try to be nice.. Usually just say "no thank you I don't need anything, I'm going to hang up now."

    But all these stories people are posting are hilarious lol.

    Usaa has some of the best customer service. Wouldn't be mean to those people. It's the con artists that make me angry.
  • smelius22
    smelius22 Posts: 334 Member
    Options
    be nice to them because they work a ****ty job and are probably all serial killers

    Agree lol..
    I worked in a call center (for USAA, not telemarketing) and I absolutely hated my job and it would really grind on me after a day of talking to rude people, so I try to be nice.. Usually just say "no thank you I don't need anything, I'm going to hang up now."

    But all these stories people are posting are hilarious lol.

    Usaa has some of the best customer service. Wouldn't be mean to those people. It's the con artists that make me angry.

    Yeah but I wasn't actually working "for" USAA, it was for a company contracted through them to collect information from customers with auto policies that live in California, so I constantly got chewed out. Not fun! I basically called 60-year-old vets all day asking for personal info and VIN numbers and such. They always misunderstood and thought I was either selling something or scamming them lol..
  • Sunbrooke
    Sunbrooke Posts: 632 Member
    Options
    be nice to them because they work a ****ty job and are probably all serial killers

    Agree lol..
    I worked in a call center (for USAA, not telemarketing) and I absolutely hated my job and it would really grind on me after a day of talking to rude people, so I try to be nice.. Usually just say "no thank you I don't need anything, I'm going to hang up now."

    But all these stories people are posting are hilarious lol.

    Usaa has some of the best customer service. Wouldn't be mean to those people. It's the con artists that make me angry.

    Yeah but I wasn't actually working "for" USAA, it was for a company contracted through them to collect information from customers with auto policies that live in California, so I constantly got chewed out. Not fun! I basically called 60-year-old vets all day asking for personal info and VIN numbers and such. They always misunderstood and thought I was either selling something or scamming them lol..

    I can imagine! We got my in laws iTunes grift cards because they won't set up payment with Apple. I don't know if they used them. If they had to have an email, probably not lol.

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