Telemarketing calls - how do you deal with them?

I either don't answer or I hang up. I try not to be too abrasive because they do have my phone number after all.

 

Same here. Once I ditched my land line in favor of my cell, it became really easy to duck telemarketers. Anyone who calls me and doesn't leave a voice mail is usually someone who didn't really need to get ahold of my anyway.

My solution, back when I still had my traditional phone (and when I get one with my girlfriend somewhere down the road) was to simply just hang up. I know it's rude, and it can sometimes make me feel like a jerk, and it doesn't solve the problem long term ... but, man, it can be really satisfying to just put the phone down and go about my day.

Beyond that, asking the rep to take you off their contact list worked for my mother.

 

I'm usually polite to telemarketers. I try to remember they are just doing their job and shouldn't have to put up with a lot of abuse for that. I'm typically courteous but I let them know right up front that I'm not interested in whatever they are selling. So they don't waste my time and I don't waste theirs. Typically they appreciate that and thank me for my patience.

 

Ever time a telemarketer calls me I tell them that they have the wrong number and they put me on the do not call list. Also, with my iphone I can block number, so everytime one calls I add them to my block list. This works for me but every body is different.

 

I must be one of the few persons who never gets a telemarketing call. I have traveled in various different countries in the last year, and had to change my service provider a few times. I haven't had a problem with any of those companies, or with any telemarketing calls. I only ever receive calls from people to whom I have given my number. I never state my number online or use it for any kind of public purposes.

 

I have never had a psychic call my house. That is just crazy! If a psychic did call my house I would say to her, "Didn't you know I was sleeping when you called?" or "If you're so psychic than you would know I'm not interested in a psychic reading." I usually just don't answer the phone if I don't know the phone number. However, back in the day before caller I.D., if they pronounced my name completely wrong I would tell them, "Sorry, no one by that name lives here." and hang up.

 

AT&T used to call allot. One time I got fed up with having so many callers I told a marketer that I was busy and could I have her phone number. She started to give me her work number and I stopped her and told her that I wanted her personal home number so I could call her at home just like she did me. I then explained that I would try to wait to call her until I felt that it was either time her to eat, sleep or whatever. They quit calling.

 

Haha, Rhoda, are you sure your family doesn't secretly like the calls? They seem to be an excellent improve comedy prop. Lately, I've been getting a different kind of call. They have a recorded spiel and voice-activated phone tree. It's so annoying and there's not even any potential for comic relief.

 

I don't have a lot of respect for people who berate telemarketers and those who work in sales. I know someone who used to berate them just for the fun of it. It's pretty pathetic in my opinion, and I let them know that. Also, I used to work in sales over the phone and ran into some rude customers who went way overboard in their criticism. A simple "no thanks" suffices, not a bunch of expletives and general rudeness.

 

That doesn't always work. I've had telemarketers call and ignore me when I asked to be taken off the list. They would continue to talk to me about what they were selling, while I attempted to interject several times to make my point known. I've mentioned the Do Not Call List, asking to be taken off their listings, and sometimes I was ignored. I did have some that would comply and then go about their business, but there are always a few that won't take no for an answer.

 

I figure there should be some type of action you can take to get on the No Call List. I'm not sure how though. I'm pretty sure companies can be punished pretty severely if they can continue to call you after you tell them to stop. I would definitely look into that if I were you. It may be a minor inconvenience, but companies should definitely follow the rules and quit bothering people if they are asked politely to stop.

 

I'm terrible honestly. I just say no thank you and hang up. I realize they are just people trying to make a living at a crummy job that they desperately need, but since I don't have money to buy these products and don't have time to deal with it, I just end the call as quickly as possible. I try to be at least a little polite about it, but I probably sound like just another annoyed person.

 

This seemed to work in the past with AT&T. I stopped the caller and told I was busy at the time and asked her for her phone number. She said "absolutely" and proceeded to give me her office number. I stopped her and told her No, I wanted her home number. I told her that I wanted her home because I wanted to call her back at such a time when she might be eating, playing with the kids, watching her favorite show on TV or whatever so I could be a pain in the tail just like AT&T. I never got another call from AT&T.

 

The one thing that I found out about telemarketers is when you ask not to call again 'that' particular rep won't call but it will be passed along to another rep and they make the call.

I've experienced this from one particular company and how I handled it was by saying, "Didn't I speak to you before about this? Isn't my call on a log or something, you can check?" They were speechless. I proceeded to say, "Why don't you check - you'll see that I'm not interested." It worked.

Other instances, I answer and put my phone on mute and continue what I'm doing. When I check the phone I just hear that beep, beep sound. You know the one when the receiver has been off for a minute or so.

I've told them I'm busy or you caught me at a bad time. And do let them ask me how I'm doing today - they've just opened Pandora's Box.

 

I tend to just hang up as soon as they try to sell me something.

 

WOW! I wonder if Inbox Dollars is the root of all the calls I have been getting! I am now not answering any numbers that I do not recognize, I figure if it is important they will leave a message. As having worked for a market research company, I can say that anyone not complying with a request to be removed from a call list is breaking the law! I was fortunate enough that usually the work I was doing was offering free Revlon products in exchange for an agreement to a call back in three weeks to conduct a review of the product BUT the review questions were ridiculously repetitive. It was like asking each question four slightly varied ways and the answer choices were not black and white, there were degree's of how well you did or did not like the overall product and each little breakdown possible of the product. I would of hung up on me!! I think the reason I did ok with that job was because I always told the people the truth on the amount of time the product review follow up call would take. If you tell someone it will only be 10 minutes when it will really be an hour, they will just end up hanging up on you, and you just got yourself an "incomplete" which means your not getting paid and your PQ just dropped so your pay rate also goes down. Definitely not an easy job!

 

Yes it will get passed on if you say "don't call again" you have to specifically say "remove me from your list"

 

What I read was that the automated telemarketing calls that we sometimes get during the day (or evening) are simply to find out what time a real person is there to answer the phone. So, even if you pick up the phone, realize it is a telemarketer, real or automated, and immediately hang up; then they log that time as a good time to make calls to your number.

We are also on the do not call list, and it really does not seem to be doing any good for us either.
What I usually do is either tell them I am not interested and just hang up; or if they are calling for me specifically, I start asking for their name, the company name, etc, and then tell them that if they EVER call this numebr again, they and their company will be immediately reported to the attorney general's office.
That seems to get me off of the list right away, and doesn't take up a lot of time either.

 

Wow, not many people would have your guts! I don't even give them the time to say anything at all. Well after the initial introduction that is, because you can always tell a sales call. I usually just put the phone down on them without a word. As for putting your name on the do not call list, I think it only works for a little while and then it starts again.