I don't participate in phone solicitations of any kind.

[mikester]

I'm just sayin.

[BeyGon]

Like someone else here does, when I get a call like that I ask who it's for, then tell them I will go get that person, lay the phone down and check it after a while, sometimes they are still waiting and I say I will get that person again, I like making them waste their time like that.

[dafischer]

Caller ID...if we don't recognize the number, we don't answer. If it's important, they'll leave a message. If not...oh well.

[Gogar]

You guys still have phones at home?

[Dantilla]

Originally Posted by Gogar

You guys still have phones at home?

Nope.

[dafischer]

Yeah...call be a Luddite.

[chocolatelab]

If you get a telemarketer just ask them to put you on their do not call list. 5 seconds of your time. Say thanks and hang up. Those folks have sh#t jobs and its miserable work. They aren't doing it because they are on their way to become millionaires and its going to happen because you say yes. At least they are working and not suckling of the federal or state teet.

What's that saying " pay it forward "....

Give them a break and move on.

I know I know .....that one time the caller was rude. Its a small percentage.

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by Gogar

You guys still have phones at home?

Not everyone dates Olsen twins and lives the jet set lifestyle.

[KevinP73]

Not only do I not have a home phone (land line) I don't recieve mail (snail mail) at home either. My d/l has my office address on it and all my vehicles are registered using the shop address. I have paperless statements on all my regular bills.

[mikester]

It's mostly political calls I get.

[chocolatelab]

No do not call list for that.

[GH85Carrera]

We have a land line mostly for the buglar-fire alarm. I am looking into going wireless for that, but so far it costs a lot more for wireless. Caller ID COST money. I refuse to pay a penny more. I am getting close to just turning off the ringer on the land line.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

You're actually doing them a favor by wasting their time. Most are robotically connected to auto-dialers for their entire shift (a friend of mine used to do it while in college); if someone hangs up on them or whatever, the system immediately connects you to the next number in the database without any interruption - and so it goes, one after the other after the other after the other... for your entire shift. If you're sitting on hold waiting for someone at least the guy making the call would get a few minutes of sanity (also the side benefit of costing the employer/marketing company a few bucks) so I tend to think this is the most humane way to do the most good and deal with the situation. Help the poor guy stuck in the ****ty job, do whatever damage I can to the marketing company bent on trying to waste my time.

Focus your ire on the source, not the employee. I like the tactic of putting them on hold for a while. Hell, those guys get paid (poorly) by the hour and leave at the same time, so the fewer calls they have to make the easier their day is.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally Posted by chocolatelab

No do not call list for that.

Yep. When the politicians crafted the law, they made sure that provisions were built into it to keep them and their interests (hitting you up for money) were above it. After all, they shouldn't be subject to the same rules as the rest of the serfs (people and companies), right?

[Paul_Heery]

Timely post.

Here is how to make telemarketers pay for calling you:
What To Do

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by Paul_Heery

Timely post.

Here is how to make telemarketers pay for calling you:
What To Do

That read is a total waste of time. When was that written, in the Stone Age? Telemarketers are off shore, don't abide by any rules and will hang up on you in the first words out of your mouth that suggest you aren't buying what they are selling.

As in the many, many other threads about this nuisance, I don't feel compelled to be any less rude than what an unwanted call is to me.

I still give them my full name, Suc Mi Dic.

[Mark Henry]

Polls are becoming very inaccurate because so many do not have land lines anymore.

[mikester]

Originally Posted by chocolatelab

I know I know .....that one time the caller was rude. Its a small percentage.

Digging up the old here I know but I gotta...

Just had another one and I have a standard line I do when a telemarketer calls.

I listen to their introduction, I am polite (I understand it's a job and try to respect that) and then I politely say 'I do not participate in phone solicitations of any kind, please remove this number from your list and do not call it again.'

They usually apologize in some form and agree to do so. I don't keep track of the numbers that call but generally I don't think I hear from them again.

Today I get a call from some 'Skyline builder' and I know it's a telemarketer but my answering machine is more irritating than the callers usually are (Have to do something about that actually) so I answer it.

He starts into his script 'I spoke to you a few months back...' which immediately sets me off

Me: 'I'm sorry, what?'

Him: 'I spoke to you a few months back...'

Me: 'Well, in that case why are you calling me again? I always ask telemarketers to not call this number and remove it from their lists - so why would you be calling me again?'

Him: 'I'm sorry (with attitude at this point) I make hundreds of calls a day and I don't remember them all'

Me:'But you just said you spoke to me a few months back...'

Him: 'Do you remember all the calls you get?'

Me: 'I'm sorry, I get hundreds of these calls myself and I ALWAYS say the same thing - so I don't have too. I don't accept phone solicitations of any kind and I would like you to remove this number from your lists.'

Him: 'Fine, have a happy thanksgiving SIR.'

I return the sentiment.

It's not a small percentage with attitude - I get probably a dozen calls a month and I would say approaching half give me attitude. I'm contemplating getting rid of the land line or something.

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by chocolatelab

If you get a telemarketer just ask them to put you on their do not call list...

my problem is the robo-calls telling me they want to lower my credit card interest rates -- their database apparently does not include the fact that I do not pay interest on my credit cards, but...

[Moses]

Ooma.

No telemarketers. No solicitors. No surveys. Customizable blacklists. And best of all... no phone bills. I couldn't be happier.