I I mjrn Posted January 31, 2003 Share Posted January 31, 2003 So simple that I'm sure many of you already do this: call screening & voice mail. Works at home & works at businesses. If someone breaks through, ask them to wait while you "get a pen", or put them on permanent hold. Telemarketers are notoriously unresponsive to complaints & even state regulation but they don't have time to deal with unresponsive non-cutomers. Soon you'll be excluded from all the best call-lists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip McDonald Posted January 31, 2003 Share Posted January 31, 2003 Yeah, I used to do that back when I had a land-line phone. I used to get 3-6 sales calls a day, finally sais screw it - who needs a wired phone when a cell phone is cheaper, and portable? .... There are also tones you can put at the beginning of your answering machine message that will make telemarketers think they've reached a dead number. Guitar Lessons in Augusta Georgia: www.chipmcdonald.com Eccentric blog: https://chipmcdonaldblog.blogspot.com/ / "big ass windbag" - Bruce Swedien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salyphus Posted January 31, 2003 Share Posted January 31, 2003 I think the best thing you can do is tell them to put you on their "do not call" list. If you do and they call back again, you can report them and they are subject to serious fines. Anything else is a waste of time I'm afraid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phaeton Posted January 31, 2003 Share Posted January 31, 2003 we get seiged daily at work. "ISP NAME jared speaking.." (brief silence, then) "HI!" comes across over exuberantly, sounds of a call centre in the background... "This is Frank and i just need to verify your address for a free year's subscription to Wumpus Weekly Magazine" "I'm sorry, we don't know how to read." (sound of receiver crashing down) . . "ISP NAME jared speaking" "Hi I'm Misty from Corporate Market Research, and i just need 2 minutes to do a Marketing Survey." "Excellent! I love surveys! Tell me Misty, when was the last time you were fisted? Was it a man, a woman, or a dog? Do you prefer bondage, or scat?" (and so on) . . "Hi, this is Marco from Amalgamated Amalgamation Company, and i'm doing an Internet Profiling Study.. I need some information for our file. How many networks do you have there?" "Well, we have the Child Exploitation Network, and also the Kidnapping ring. Umm... we have three ties to the Cuban Drug Cartel, plus a bit of opium trade with the Communist Chinese." So forth, so on, this, that, and the other... etc Dr. Seuss: The Original White Rapper . WWND? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted January 31, 2003 Share Posted January 31, 2003 One thing I didn't mention on the other thread was something my Mother did. She made her own cassette recording that she would play when those jerks would call. As she had caller ID, she would know when it was none of her children or friends. She'd just lay the reciever down next to the recording, and start it up. The tape said something like... ..."If you are a mortgage company, trying to sell me a home loan so I can start making house payments again on property I now own free and clear...HANG UP NOW! If you're trying to sell me windows, siding, shingles or any other home improvement work, HANG UP NOW! If you're trying to tell me I've won a free vacation, a spot on a time-share, a possible sweepstakes, or any other prize for a contest I've never entered, HANG UP NOW!" She had a few others I can't recall. Can't really say how effective it was, but that, too, had to feel good doing! Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedster Posted January 31, 2003 Share Posted January 31, 2003 There's a funny site... [url=http://www.antitelemarketer.com]www.antitelemarketer.com[/url] "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Botch. Posted January 31, 2003 Share Posted January 31, 2003 I used to just say, "Is this really what you wanted to do with your life?" but eventually realized that's hurting the poor schmuck who just needed a job, not the company that uses telemarketing in the first place. Another good one, when they're calling to shampoo your carpets, is to inquire in your best Vincent Price voice, "Excellent; does it remove goat blood?" Tedster, I don't know if that web site is the one I'd found a couple years ago, but it was really a hoot! Botch "Eccentric language often is symptomatic of peculiar thinking" - George Will www.puddlestone.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick K. Posted January 31, 2003 Share Posted January 31, 2003 I actually got something from Qwest that tells people we don't accept solicitation calls. Press #1 to continue. It also doesn't allow blocked calls to come in either so I know who's calling. I still can get some recorded telemarketing calls in my voice mail, but that's just a simple delete. It's really quieted down our phone tons. Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gtoledo3 Posted January 31, 2003 Share Posted January 31, 2003 [quote]Originally posted by Sal ©: [b]I think the best thing you can do is tell them to put you on their "do not call" list. If you do and they call back again, you can report them and they are subject to serious fines. Anything else is a waste of time I'm afraid.[/b][/quote]You can also request that they send you a copy of their Do Not Call policy, and they are bound by law to send it to you- unless they are non profit... they can call whoever the hell they want. Want mix/tracking feedback? Checkout "The Fade"- www.grand-designs.cc/mmforum/index.php The soon-to-be home of the "12 Bar-Blues Project" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I I mjrn Posted January 31, 2003 Author Share Posted January 31, 2003 I live in a state with a "do not call list" system; the state Attorney General has a long list of offenders but the problem investigating the complaints &, much later, collecting the fines! This involves lots of interstate cooperation between agencies & usually the companies just go out of business & reform under different names. I like Rick K's suggestion but I'd like to restate my premise: these companies don't care how much you complain or to whom you do so. Any response to them only indicates that they've reached a potential customer. If they get a totally "dead" non-response at a number, it eventually sinks to the bottom of their productive call lists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie-brm Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 Those "telezapper" devices that used to be marketed on TV for $50 went down drastically in price at the retail level this year. And now I get my electronics flyer and they're clearing out the little buggers for $4.99. (Princess Auto for anyone in Canada) That's cheap enough to try one even if it doesn't work for you. Look around for a surplus or liquidation store. It's OK to tempt fate. Just don't drop your drawers and moon her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowbell Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 Those Telezapper things work, amazing as it is. It gets annoying after awhile, cause everytime you pick up the phone it makes a loud beep. And when someone else calls, they hear it like 3 times, very annoying. But, I've had it for more than 2 months and I have gotten absolutely zero telemarketers. We decided to get one once we asked some chick to stop calling and she said no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philbo_Tangent Posted February 1, 2003 Share Posted February 1, 2003 [quote]Originally posted by Michael Jackson's real nose: [b]So simple that I'm sure many of you already do this: call screening & voice mail. Works at home & works at businesses. If someone breaks through, ask them to wait while you "get a pen", or put them on permanent hold. Telemarketers are notoriously unresponsive to complaints & even state regulation but they don't have time to deal with unresponsive non-cutomers. Soon you'll be excluded from all the best call-lists.[/b][/quote]Actually, I saw something similar on 'Crank Yankers' - - except, they actually got a pen, then v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y spelled out everything the telemarketer said, one letter at a time, while pretending to write it down. It was a hilarious skit, and I intend to use it from here on out. It's a nice change, making them hang up on you!! Phil Tangent Studios http://artists.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Tangent2/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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