10 ways to stop those Sales Calls...

[lensmen]

1) After the telemarketer finishes speaking, ask him/her to marry you.

2) Tell the telemarketer you are busy at the moment, and ask him/her if he/she will give you his/her home phone number so you can call him/her back.

3) Ask them to repeat everything they say, several times.

4) Tell them it is dinner time, BUT ask if they would please hold. Put them on your speaker phone while you continue to eat at your leisure. Smack your food loudly and continue with your dinner conversation.

5) Tell them that all business goes through your agent, and hand the phone to your five year old child.

6) Tell them you are hard of hearing and that they need to speak up...louder...louder...louder!

7) Tell them to speak very slowly because you want to write every word down.

8) If they start out with, "How are you today?",say "I'm so glad you asked, because no one these days seems to care, and I have all these problems............"

9) Cry out in surprise, "Helen, is that you? I've been hoping you'd call! How is the family?" When they insist they are not Helen, tell them to stop joking. This works especially well if the telemarketer is really MALE.

10) Tell the HSBC (or whichever credit card scamer company rep) call center guy to call on your office number - and give him the ICICI call center number or the number of their competitor

[kevin_c]

I usually just say 'I'm not interested, Goodbye' and hang up!

I once heard about someone who kept a conservatory company salesman on the phone for ages, asking all sorts of questions, and finaly asked how they would fit it on the outside of his 4th floor flat!

[20droger]

Snakes look down to worms.
Worms look down to grubs.
Grubs look down to animalcules.
And animalcules look down to telemarketers.

[Mark_48]

3) Ask them to repeat everything they say, several times.


On the same idea.....
I'll usually answer the phone, put it down, come back about 5 minutes later, if they're still there, tell them I had to step away for a few minutes, and say, "Could you run through all that again from the start?" Repeat process if necessary.

[condyk]

I ain't got time for that funny BS ... I usually just tell them to p*ss off and put the phone down.

See here to stop phone and mail junk in the UK:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/no-more-junk

[JCR]

Occasionally I will just hang up with conversation over.
If I am in a good mood I ask them to give me their home number and I will call them back later.

[Just Be]

Telemarketers need a job just like the rest of us.
I just politely say "No Thank You" and hang up.
No big deal.

[cosworth]

Canadians are stupidly polite. I have overcome this genetic defect to just hang up.

Think of the person on the line. They would rather get on to someone who wants their wares than waste 4 minutes of breath on me only to shoot them down.

Save the telemarketers! Hang up abruptly!

[JCR]

It's a big deal to me, my number is x directory, this means it is not logged in any public list.
Yet still they call. Where do they get the number? random dialling? a black list?

It's like door salesmen, I have made them run from my door in the past. If I want to buy something I will go to a shop or log online. It's a waste of my time, an invasion of my privacy and pure nuisance.

A lot of scammers use door to door and telephone sales to skim your personal details, I have had credit card reps call me on the phone asking me lots of questions to send me their new visa or mastercards, how do I know they are from where they say they are? very easy to steal someones Identity this way.

Incidentally the ones I have asked for their home number have never given it, I wonder why.

Lot of cases of fraud in UK from bogus salesmen, lot of old people get conned or pressurised too. It's a plague.

Telemarketers should find another job :)

[condyk]

Agreed ... I am ex directory too and have requested no mailing lists and no calling lists via the correct Government web sites. It reduces it but I still get it, so they are illegally contacting me. Why should I be polite? Same as if some ass came into my place and started watching tv and chatting to me. P*** off. Not welcome.

[k8t]

The only ones that call me lately are computer generated. No fun. All you can do is hang up.

[JAZZ D.P.G.]

Majority of our sales calls are long distance, so I set up a separate ringer and we just walk over and look at the number and let it go to voicemail. Any one real will leave a message, TM's don't.
Else we look at the incoming call number and ignore it if it is not a known contact, or if the associated name is a business. Real contacts will leave a message.
Call display is great.
If we get a call we answer that is bad, we just hang up. Being Canadian this is considered ignorant. Whatever. I will never meet these "banes of a pleasant life" anytime.
Telemarketeres should be licensed only after 3 years of college. Full course load and 3.5 GPA required.

[Echo63]

this is what you do to telemarketers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5z4Vs26-TI
the video is just a transcript of the conversation

[3Turner]

this is what you do to telemarketers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5z4Vs26-TI
the video is just a transcript of the conversation

This is what I was just going to post. I remember this guy recording the telemarketing calls....this one is priceless!!

[samnz]

I don't bother with the antics...

"Don't call this number again" - HANG UP!

No thank you, sorry - NOWT!

I heard of a so-called "no-call" list for nz/aust where it prohibits telemarketers from calling you. If they call, you have the right to prosecute....might mean having to go through the whole 'speel' though before obtaining any details. ???

[Becca]

Think of the person on the line. They would rather get on to someone who wants their wares than waste 4 minutes of breath on me only to shoot them down.

I've done this. If they don't take No, thank you the first time I say it, I politely explain to them that they are wasting both my time and theirs and that nothing they say will change my mind so they might as well move on to the next number on their list. Usually works. When it doesn't, I hang up.

[wannasmaxx]

Sometimes I put on a sort of high pitched or gay voice and ask them if they tailor to gay people... usually works for me.

[rhys]

It depends on my mood.

Quite often it's hard to tell whether they're genuine callers or not for quite a while.

My responses are either to tell them that I hope they die of Aids and to XYZ off or to put the phone down and come back to it when they have decided that they've been had.

[cosworth]

Wow, I'm amazed at how many of you have landlines...

No telemarketers call my phone now, I only use a cell. The cell provider never bothers me. Quite happy with that.

[In2Photos]

Wow, I'm amazed at how many of you have landlines...

No telemarketers call my phone now, I only use a cell. The cell provider never bothers me. Quite happy with that.
If I had it my way we wouldn't have a home line, only cell service. To me it si a waste of $40 a month, but the wifey thinks we should keep it. :rolleyes:

[rhys]

If I had it my way we wouldn't have a home line, only cell service. To me it si a waste of $40 a month, but the wifey thinks we should keep it. :rolleyes:

My wife's cell phone is a PITA. It was new in March then started cutting off after a few seconds of a call. Yanking the battery worked but that had to be done increasingly often. Now she just doesn't use her phone and is waiting for time to go to the Mall to get Suncom to replace it. She has one of those Nokia camera phones. I have ordinary phones and no problems.

[sblais]

Never tried this one, but I think it would be worth to do once ;)

http://www.xs4all.nl/~egbg/counterscript.html

[JCR]

I need a landline to have ADSL broadband, I use a mobile (cell) for business.

[cosworth]

I need a landline to have ADSL broadband, I use a mobile (cell) for business.

Ahh... they still try and pull that crap with you there huh. We don't HAVE to have a landline for ADSL here, but they make a compelling argument until you say NO.

[rhys]

I need a landline to have ADSL broadband, I use a mobile (cell) for business.

We get our broadand in the US from cable TV.

[JCR]

Yea they still pull it cosworth. No option other than say no and lose your connection or switch to cable.

I can get cable here rhys, but I don't like the restrictions on MAC addresses, ie tied to a specific router/modem. I also like dynamic IP, something I would lose if I switched.
If Belmondo banned me I could redial and come haunt him :D ;)
I'm kidding, it's handy for blanket bans on some sites restricted to xx.xx prime octets, and easier than proxies.
Redial I get a change in all address octets.

[20droger]

Where I live, we have two choices:

Dial-up modem at a max of 2400 Baud! Yes, 2400 Baud!!!

Satellite (HughesNet) at way to high a price, and lots and lots of outages in July and August.

We have HughesNet.

These are but a few of the joys of rural living in se Arizona!

[BillsBayou]

I question the intelligence of the person on the phone. I'm mean and nasty and I remind them that they should have completed their third grade education.

Somewhere in there I get the comment "Sir, that kind of language isn't necessary."

I remind them that they were the ones who decided to call my house using a utility for which I'm paying the bills. I remind them that said utility is not for them to use as a sales tool.

I do this using many expletives. I score points in my game by making them cry.

Now to head off all the "Bill, I cannot believe you do this..." and "Bill, these are people who need their jobs..." kind of comments....

These "people" are not "people." They are devoid of feelings. They are the very worst type of offal you could ever have soiling your time. I'll never be convinced that anyone in telemarking deserves any kindness higher than a slap in their face.

Then again, I've overcome my rage issues and I just hang up. I'm happier for it.

[simwells]

Yea they still pull it cosworth. No option other than say no and lose your connection or switch to cable.

I can get cable here rhys, but I don't like the restrictions on MAC addresses, ie tied to a specific router/modem. I also like dynamic IP, something I would lose if I switched.
If Belmondo banned me I could redial and come haunt him :D ;)
I'm kidding, it's handy for blanket bans on some sites restricted to xx.xx prime octets, and easier than proxies.
Redial I get a change in all address octets.

Well virgin are offering the highest speed connections currently (cabled) so you don't need a phone line for that. That's if they're set up in your area and I dunno about reliability

[DavidW]

I usually put the phone down on a telemarketer without saying anything.

My phone number is registered with the Telephone Preference Scheme - occasionally, I ask for a supervisor and grill them as to why they're calling a TPS registered number illegally (though increasingly the call centres used for telemarketing are outside the EU). Unfortunately the TPS is pretty much without teeth - it takes a lot of effort to try to persuade the Data Protection Registrar to act, and if the operation is outside the EU, there's nothing that can be done.


Most of the time, though, I just put the phone down - I don't see why I should waste any more energy than that. Most forms of advertising are a disincentive for me to use a particular company or buy a particular product or service. If I want something, I'll do my research before buying.



David

[FREEZE]

There has to be a telemarketer in the bunch out there i"d love to hear his /her side of this.

[JSolie]

I used to hand the phone to my youngest when he was about a year old. After about 10 minutes, I'd take the phone away from him, wipe off the drool and hang up.

I get telemarketing calls on my cell phone on a somewhat regular basis. When the phone rings, and it's a number from an area code I don't recognize, I let it go to voice mail. They never leave a message. I then use Google to search for the number, and usually find them on 800notes.com or something similar. I then add them to my phone directory with the name "SPAM-do not answer" and assign a custom ringer of "Silent." Problem gone. If I'm feeling energetic, and think that the DNC list might actually be working, I'll report the phone number.

[DDA]

Usually, I just say no thanks to avoid losing their time and mine. However, when I feeel like, I may occasionnaly answer.

Once, I received a telemarketer phonecall for a travel agent selling beach holidays. One of his first questions was: What were your last 3 holidays destinations? I answered (honestly - no need to invent anything): Uzbekistan, Reunion Island and Lappland in winter! I don't know why, he just said thank you and hung up :lol:

[lensmen]

To those who advocates being nice, to have a more peaceful world :

Imagine the pain in your pocket with those expensive roaming calls that these pest puts you thru. Their caller ID are usually UNKNOWN / NO CALLER ID number / (no number). You do not know who is calling and have to answer that call, in case it is a real emergency at home or something. Blah. It is those pest TM.

I hate written to Citibank and several other credit cards to file a complain and instruction not to call. None dare to response. Because if they acknowledge and agrees to NO TM calls, and my phone rang - they will be liable as hell.

In HK, and lesser now, I had those computer-dialed messages that wants to share a clause, cost or scam with you. I was on pre-paid card then, each minute cost a bomb to dial or receive.

[DDA]

I would certainly react differently if I had to pay for incoming calls. But here, we only pay for outgoing. So it doesn't cost me anything...

[Shadowplay]

I used to hand the phone to my youngest when he was about a year old. After about 10 minutes, I'd take the phone away from him, wipe off the drool and hang up.

I get telemarketing calls on my cell phone on a somewhat regular basis. When the phone rings, and it's a number from an area code I don't recognize, I let it go to voice mail. They never leave a message. I then use Google to search for the number, and usually find them on 800notes.com or something similar. I then add them to my phone directory with the name "SPAM-do not answer" and assign a custom ringer of "Silent." Problem gone. If I'm feeling energetic, and think that the DNC list might actually be working, I'll report the phone number.
Don't get me wrong, I hate them too.

But if I was a telemarketer and someone gave their phone to their child I would teach their child all kinds of nasty words and tell them all kinds of nasty things.

[S.Horton]

Act like you have short-term memory loss.

Marketer (M): "Hello... bla bla bla bla"
You (U): "Sure, sounds great!"
M: "Ok, bla bla bla bla bla bla"
U: "Who's calling?"
M: "Um, bla bla bla bla bla"
U: "Oh, sure!"
M: "..........."
U: "Who's calling?"

But ya gotta play it well. They'll hang up.


Act like you're interested, but you're bankrupt. Ask for delayed payment terms until you're back on your feet financially.


Act completely insane. (That's easy for me)

[shannyD]

when i see a "restricted" number on my caller ID i know its a sales person so ill answer with.

" Sacramento County Morgue. You stab them, we slab them" they usually hang up right away. after choking for a few seconds. heh heh heh.


shannon.

[JSolie]

Don't get me wrong, I hate them too.

But if I was a telemarketer and someone gave their phone to their child I would teach their child all kinds of nasty words and tell them all kinds of nasty things.

:lol: That would imply that the speaker was close to the ear and not in the mouth or being sat apon. And that the child wasn't hollering at the top of their lungs becuase no one was holding him at the time... ;)

[Dellboy]

Here's my favorite:

Keep a very loud whistle by the phone
Talk very quietly for about 30 secs
Blow whistle as hard and as close to the phone as pos

No trouble from them ever again.

[PhotoJourno]

I actually know people who work at the "outbound calling centers". Most of them are normal folk, who wake up in the morning knowing that they will be pizzing off a few hundred people that day.

So, what I try to do, is the following:

1- Avoid
(Put yourself on the Do not Call lists, request every time to be removed from the lists, etc). It does work, reduces -in my case- up to 60-70% of calls.


2- Be polite on the Call (Karma, if you will)
Just don't swear or demean the person. If they call you at 3am, or if they are terds, then by all means. If anything, just hang up. I usually am very kind with them "Thank you for calling me, I apreciatte it, have a good evening" and hang up.

3- Do not give them a way out.
This is where it gets creative, and even kind of fun.
- Phone rings, I pick up, Telemarketing. I say "Excuse me sir/ma'am, before we speak any further, I need to know your inbound Code" They have no clue what that is "I am sorry, an inbound code is required to utilize this line." and then politely and quickly hang up.
- Credit Cards, simple: Interrupt "You calling me from my Credit Card? For security purposes, what are the last four digits of my account?" They have no access to it. "I am afraid that I will not be able to continue this conversation with you, good night".

- Police and Firefighters (not really, associations, etc) "Sir, I provide service through the community directly. If you are a professional like you say you are, you will understand and allow me to continue with my evening. Thanks for calling".

Anyhow, when telemarketers call and I am not alone in the room, people gather round to hear what I have to say. I try to keep it fun, short, and polite. I am mad at the companies, not at the people. I am thankful I don't have to do their job.

Oh, Cell Phones? "Excuse me, this is a private use government line. Please disconnect immediately and ensure this number is not used again". It gives them stories to talk about on the break room, if they even have one.

Anyhow, my .02 cents.

[ChrisLUM]

In the US all you have to do is register under the DNC list also known as the "do not call list" and if a company calls you more than twice i think you may file a complaint with the DNC Department or something and you get paid for it also. i use to work for a Mortgage lender so i know all the insides to this but for the most part just tell them to take me off the list and do not call here again. Best record the conversation also and by law they must take you off their call list.

Chris

[rhys]

I just listen and say "I'm sorry. We don't deal with foreign call centres".

[steved110]

The Telephone Preference Service in the UK works pretty well, my TM calls have evaporated to almost nothing - and i have 2 landlines ( don't ask....)
I do get the odd one from my bank and credit card company, usually trying to get me to borrow more cash or pay for a service I don't want....but I found it hard to be rude, hard to hang up and hard to get out of these calls - innate manners are hard to overcome, but i have managed it. Why don't these people get proper jobs?

BTW I can't believe all these people who just have cell phones - it makes it so expensive to call them - so i keep it really short or email instead.

I actually hate using my cell, and hate getting calls on it - it's a sort of Pavlovian reflex from doing to much on-call in my job - phone calls on my cell at home usually bring me grief so when the damn thing rings I get an instant surge of dismay which doesn't do wonders for a conversation!

Besides which, don't you guys know that cell phones cause brain tumours?

[Tapeman]

I screen all my calls and most hang up.

[rhys]

I screen all my calls and most hang up.

The problem here is that as my wife is a dentist, she gets a lot of after-hours calls and some business calls at home. The trick is differentiating those from the trash calls. The general rule is that if the person assumes that I and she share the same surname and refers to me with her surname or mispronounces it then it's junk. If the person calling sounds foreign then we know then. Given that so much ID theft abounds, I will not transact any business over the phone and nor will she.

[lakiluno]

You should get a cell and a VOIP system for inbound calls. In the UK you can get VOIP numbers like normal landline numbers.

[NickSimcheck]

this is what you do to telemarketers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5z4Vs26-TI
the video is just a transcript of the conversation


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